[Stoves] TChar stoves can make and use charcoal

[Paul Anderson]

Dear Stovers and especially to Crispin,   (and to the Biochar Listserv 
for separate discussion there)

Crispin's comments below are enlightening and I hope that my reply can 
clarify the question.

On 9/5/2013 1:15 AM, Crispin Pemberton-Pigott wrote:
>
> Dear Paul A
>
> Open fires can make and use char. This is not something new or unusual.
>
True, and they utilize CONCURRENT making and burning of the char in the 
same location.

What is necessary is a change of mind-set that acknowledges the 
distinction when the MAKING of the char is clearly separate in both time 
and space from the BURNING of the char.   THAT is unusual and relatively 
new in discussions of stoves.

That distinction is of fundamental importance!!   Until that is realized 
and accepted as being truly distinctive (not found in normal fires and 
normal cookstoves), there will be insufficient appreciation of its 
importance.   It clearly takes a long time to get this message across.

> What is unusual is a stove that makes a lot of char that cannot burn it.
>
"Cannot" is incorrect.

It is precisely the making of the char AND THE ABILITY TO INTENTIONALLY 
BURN IT SEPARATELY (OR SAVE IT) that is what is so important.

And it is not that it CANNOT burn it, but that a proper TLUD stove would 
burn the char ONLY after all of the char was created, not during the 
creation of the char.

And then the issue is that the produced char should NOT be burned in the 
same device because:
      A.   High heat from char burning (as in a forge) is not good for 
the materials of the stove body.
      B.   The burning of the char (at the bottom of the stove under a 
pile of char) is rather too far from the use of the heat, so that heat 
is not being optimized.
Therefore, users are encouraged to either burn the char in a different 
stove, or to extinguish the char and consider using it as biochar.

And perhaps (still needing scientific study) that distinctive 
characteristic is a crucial factor that permits properly made and 
operated TLUD stoves to be so low in emissions.
One hypothesis is that the "ash content" of the raw biomass is mostly 
held in the char (not release during the pyrolysis stage).
Second hypothesis is that the "batch" of fuel is rather stationary, 
being different from the frequently movement of the fuel pieces in 
stoves that have fuel sticks pushed into the sides.

> It is unusual enough that is has the likes of me and Jim scrambling 
> around to find ways to properly report their performance.
>
>
The enthusiasts for TLUD pyrolytic char-producing stoves are extremely 
grateful for Jim and Crispin and others who are seeking "to find ways to 
properly report their performance".   Sorry if you are scrambling.

I see no need to confuse this discussion with references to other 
innovative stove technologies that may or may not have similarities with 
the TLUD micro-gasifier technology.   Let those stoves be discussed on 
their own merits and in separate messages.

Paul

Paul S. Anderson, PhD  aka "Dr TLUD"
Email:  psanders at ilstu.edu   Skype: paultlud  Phone: +1-309-452-7072
Website:  www.drtlud.com

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