[Stoves] Cuber and size of densifying machines. (no longer Re: The wood and char and fuel "debate" )

Crispin Pembert-Pigott crispinpigott at outlook.com
Thu Mar 6 14:39:52 CST 2014


Dear Richard

 

>Crispin, what densities are you seeking. 

 

I actually have a burning condition in mind, not a density. It is to me, a simple matter to create a combustor that has controllable air, that than hoping to have a fuel that is always consistent. It is imply so much easier to build a better stove than a better fuel.

 

>I have not attempted pellet production but have no doubt that high pressure is not needed: Rather its more about attention  to blend particle density and size and variations between these (sorting coefficients) that makes the difference density wise. 

 

Your work has convinced me that is the case. Something that might work is forcing the mix into perforated plastic tubes that can be recycled, maintaining pressure on them as they dry.

 

I have had some success in producing densified marula nut ‘torteau’. This is an oil pressing operation and the output is a pretty hard cylinder of marula nut meat about 60mm in diameter. It can be broken by hand but it is pretty strong.

 

The trick is to have it pass along a pipe with vents that allow moisture out. The process starts with raw marula nuts which are very soft, oily and spongy and ends with a hard extrudate. If I did that with a digested mash such as you create I predict a similar result.

 

The pressing is done in two stages, but in one direction. First it is 90mm in diameter then 60, with a smoothed transition zone between. The effect is to unlock moisture in the centre of the 90mm diameter by kneading the material under high pressure. It is a manual press, classified as a ‘fly press’ by type. 

 

I expect it would be over 0.3 density.

 

Regards

Crispin

 

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