[Stoves] A continuous feed rice husk gasifier for parboiling 40 kg of rice?

Serge Horsmans serge.horsmans at gmail.com
Sun Feb 22 07:44:40 CST 2015


Dear Mr. Paré and other insiders,

I 'm happy with your response and I find the information you provided
very valuable.   In particular the picture of the continuous
stair-step grate in the restaurant is interesting.   Though on this
page, https://www.engineeringforchange.org/news/2012/03/08/i_spent_last_year_making_fire.html,
it seems that the combustion is poor.  Do you know about improved
versions, for instance by using a chimney or a fan?

The following gasifier also seems interesting to me.
http://stoves.bioenergylists.org/files/Continuous-Flow%20Rice%20Husk%20Gasifier%20for%20Small-Scale%20Thermal%20Applications.pdf
But it is hard to find somebody who is using this one and so I can't
ask about the performance or the  experience.

I also read about your batch natural draft rice husk water boiler
experiments and I learned that you rice husk gasifiers could be used
for other thermal applications.  Their performance is a matter of
scale.  Do I got it right?

I am looking forward to the response!

Kindest regards,

Serge

2015-02-22 6:03 GMT+01:00, Marc-Antoine Pare <marcpare0 at gmail.com>:
> Serge et al,
>
> Two designs directions that may help you, both without electricity:
>
> 1) There are many *continuous stair-step grate *designs used around the
> world.
>
> Google image search "lo trau"
>
> There are a few variations. A camp-stove style sometimes called the Mayon
> Turbo stove.
>
> There is also a "built-in" version.
> Schematic:
> http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lo_trau.JPG
>
> A picture I took at a restaurant of one:
> https://www.engineeringforchange.org/news/images/March-2012/Vietnam-kiln-3.JPG
>
> I've seen this used for making rice wine as well. This version had the pot
> sunk into a hole in the ground.
>
>
> 2) I built a *batch* *natural draft rice husk water boiler *last year.
>
> My working prototype was camp sized (about 0.5L). The principle can be
> scaled up.
>
> The benefit to this sort of design is to be able to run the boiling task
> unattended.
>
> Here's the concept schematic:
> http://ricehusk.cc/goodboiler/day10
>
> I haven't had time to finish doing the design documentation. I put the
> project aside because I wanted to do further design development in
> partnership with a real community.
>
>
> Marc Paré
>
> On Sat, Feb 21, 2015 at 7:29 AM, Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <
> crispinpigott at outlook.com> wrote:
>
>> Dear Serge
>>
>> You can use a chimney instead if a fan and particularly when the
>> operation
>> is using a constant power level it can be optimised most easily.
>>
>> It is likely that you will be best served by using a continuous gasifier
>> with a small step grate rather than a batch process pyrolysis. It will
>> use
>> much less fuel and can be operated for as long as you like.
>>
>> Regards
>> Crispin
>>
>>
>>
>> Dear Mr. Anderson, Guinto and other insiders,
>>
>> Thank you very much for your reply.
>> This section  relates to Mr. Anderson's message, in the next section I
>> have some questions and answers for Mr. Guinto.
>>
>> I 'm subscribed to the Stoves Listserv. So I will from now on only
>> send mail to the Stoves Listserv.
>> We are making progress.
>>
>> 1) We will want to make sure that the parboiler people retain
>> ownership of the rice husks.   Husks are now probably being thrown
>> away.   But if the husks have some value, ownership can become an
>> issue.   At least the amount of husks for the parboiling operations.
>> Any surplus husks might be marketed by the miller if and when there
>> are other rice-husk gasifier stoves in the area.
>>
>> I am aware that ownership of rice husk might become an issue if the
>> stove becomes a success in Benin but that is hard to predict.  ThoughI
>> think at this moment this should not be considered yet because my job
>> right now is to examine the possibilities to banish the use of
>> firewood in the parboiling process in Benin.  So at this stage the use
>> of a rice husk gasifier is just an attractive option.    It seemed to
>> me that the stoves are proven technology for preparing meals. Since
>> the parboiling of rice has some similarities with the preparation of
>> food, I wanted to know more about the stoves.  To me the most
>> important differences seem to be the 'scale' of the stove like the
>> diameter of the gasifier stove
>>  reactor and the size of the unit containing the rice husk. That is
>> why I subscribed to the Stoves Listserv to meet the experts.
>>
>> 2) You showed that supply of metal is available.   Now we need to
>> determine if there are appropriate metal working shops or craftsmen.
>> It will be best when we have a unit that can be seen and copied in
>> Benin.   Please tell me if VECO would take on the initial efforts to
>> put together the "package" that includes getting the equipment,
>> initial experimentation (so that there is an "expert" in the
>> organization), demonstrations, support for initial users, and record
>> keeping with feedback to everyone involved.   And is the key person
>> you?
>>
>> At this stage it is not my intention to mobilize the means to to put
>> together the "package".  Currently I am making a report about the
>> possibilities to banish firewood in the parboiling process in Benin.
>> The rice husk gasifiers might be a topic in my report.  We will
>> consider the different possibilities to banish firewood in the
>> parboiling process and their feasibility in Benin and rice husk
>> gasifiers seem to be one possibility amongst others.   Only if the
>> rice husk gasifier seems to be the best option and are retained to
>> give it a try, we might consider to put together a "package".
>>
>> 3) We will probably be wanting to have initial units come from Hua
>> community in Vietnam.   We await comments from Dylan M. and Olivier K.
>>
>> I am really looking forward to their comments.
>>
>> 4) The weather is so cold here in Illinois, USA, that I am not doing
>> any experiments of my own right now.
>>
>> It is very kind of you to consider doing some experiments.
>>
>> 5) We have not yet had a reply from someone with the calculations that
>> were previously discussed.   We will get that done eventually.
>>
>> 6) You need to give thought to the power supply for the fan that is
>> needed in each of the RH gasifiers.   We usually utilize 12 volt DC
>> power and fans.   Barely a few watts are needed for the duration of
>> the gasification.
>>
>> It seems to me we might start with similar ones if RH are retained as
>> a solution to banish firewood in the parboiling process in Benin.
>>
>> This section relates to Mr. Guinto's message,
>>
>> My idea to combined the best features of five technological fronts for
>> the need of Serge in parboiling:
>>
>> 1. Stability  and Safety. The video portrays a huge metal pots (25
>> liters i suppose) and needs a stable base as the cook work in the rice
>> and steam with the hot pot. The In Stove has this feature.
>>
>> Could you provide more information about the ”In Stove”?  Is it proven
>> technology?  Could it be easily extended to be used in th eparboiling
>> process as I described earlier?
>>
>> 2. Ease in Loading/Unloading: The challenge is how to bring the
>> volatile gases down close to the ground so the stove and the big pot
>> may sit at the comfortable reach of the cook. The height of the stove
>> and the pot matters as the cook will be pouring rice, hauling them,
>> setting the steamer and so on. Prof Alexis Belonio developed the rice
>> husk gasifier stoves with the burners low on the ground.
>>
>> Tthe 'cook' doesn't have to pour.   The cauldron and the paddy holding
>> vat are a closed system to keep the steam inside.
>>
>> 3. Time of Cooking: Parboiling takes several hours of different
>> intensities and duration.Joe James is pushing up ahead with his JJQuad
>> Stove and have great improvements in terms of extending the burn time
>> of the rice husk load. Going further Engr. Alexis Belonio has a rice
>> husk gasifier that can run in a continuous mode.
>>
>> In Benin, the parboiling process takes about one hour using firewood.
>> If it would take hours the gasifier is no longer an interesting option
>> because after parboiling we should be able to dry the parboiled paddy
>> in the sun as long as possible.
>>
>> 4. Mitigating Health Risks of the Nano Particles of Silica in Burning
>> Rice Husks: Should we be concerned with sillicosis ? (respiratory
>> ailment caused by the accumulation of silica in the lungs).
>>
>> The parboiling is done in open air, but a chimney might solve this
>>
>> 5.  Reducing the Cost and Extending the Usable Life of the Stove. At
>> this moment, i am discovering the methods and techniques on how to
>> make gasifiers in terra cotta equivalents. I have now fire bricks of
>> different shapes which can be stacked like a Lego piece to form any
>> structure. Following the recipe of low thermal mass clay, the  fire
>> bricks float in water !! Thanks to Jon and Flip Anderson and Dr. Larry
>> for the coaching. And then, when stacked together, they would form
>> into a gasifier stove that runs in TLUD mode. Tests are ongoing with
>> rice husks, pine needles, saw dust, coco shells, canarium shells. Test
>> last night with one kilogram of rice husk with a computer fan set at
>> 4.5 volts boiled 5 liters of water in 19 minutes 10 seconds. My thanks
>> also goes to Dr. TLUD for the lessons during the Stove Camp 2014 in
>> Aprovecho.
>>
>> If possible, I would like to consider proven technology which might be
>> extended to be useful in parboiling by for instance rescaling the
>> device and other adaptations.
>> 6. Is pottery a tradition in Serge's place in Benin?
>>
>> Yes.  In Benin here are even traditional stoves made of clay.
>>
>> 7.  Do you live in the Netherlands?  Next month I will be in Belgium,
>> a neighbor of the Netherlands.
>>
>> Kindest regards,
>>
>> Serge
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 2015-02-21 1:56 GMT+01:00, Joshua Guinto
>> <jed.building.bridges at gmail.com>:
>> > You're most welcome, Frank
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > *Joshua B. Guinto*Specialist, Appropriate Technology
>> > MSc Management of AgroEcological Knowledge and Social Change (MAKS)
>> > Wageningen University, The Netherlands
>> >
>> >
>> > 2015-02-21 8:24 GMT+08:00 Frank Shields <franke at cruzio.com>:
>> >
>> >> Dear Joshua
>> >>
>> >> A very enjoyable video on parboiling rice. Well done and I learned a
>> lot.
>> >>
>> >> Thanks
>> >>
>> >> Frank Shields
>> >> franke at cruzio.com
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On Feb 20, 2015, at 11:34 AM, jed.building.bridges at gmail.com wrote:
>> >>
>> >> (The images in Joshua's original email were too large to go to the
>> >> list.
>> >> Attached are smaller copies of those files. - Erin R. erin at trmiles.com
>> )
>> >>
>> >> *From:* Joshua Guinto [mailto:jed.building.bridges at gmail.com
>> >> <jed.building.bridges at gmail.com>]
>> >> *Sent:* Friday, February 20, 2015 2:25 AM
>> >> *To:* Discussion of biomass cooking stoves
>> >> *Subject:* Re: [Stoves] A continuous feed rice husk gasifier for
>> >> parboiling 40 kg of rice?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Dear Dr. Paul and Joe and Serge and everyone (sorry, i clicked the
>> >> send
>> >> icon before finishing the whole email.... )
>> >>
>> >> Greetings!
>> >> This is also very interesting for me. As you know i was all the while
>> >> tinkering with the terra cotta equivalents of the gasifier stoves. And
>> >> i
>> >> just have one on the making. For the lack of better name i call it the
>> >> Brick Stove Carbonizer.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Last night, i found a video in the you tube and it helped greatly to
>> >> understand parboiling as this is the first time for me to learn about
>> it.
>> >>
>> >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNUlsnIO_1A
>> >>
>> >> My idea to combined the best features of five technological fronts for
>> >> the
>> >> need of Serge in parboiling:
>> >>
>> >> 1. *Stability  and Safety*. The video portrays a huge metal pots (25
>> >> liters i suppose) and needs a stable base as the cook work in the rice
>> >> and
>> >> steam with the hot pot. The In Stove has this feature.
>> >>
>> >> 2. *Ease in Loading/Unloading*: The challenge is how to bring the
>> >> volatile gases down close to the ground so the stove and the big pot
>> >> may
>> >> sit at the comfortable reach of the cook. The height of the stove and
>> the
>> >> pot matters as the cook will be pouring rice, hauling them, setting
>> >> the
>> >> steamer and so on. Prof Alexis Belonio developed the rice husk
>> >> gasifier
>> >> stoves with the burners low on the ground.
>> >>
>> >> 3.* Time of Cooking*: Parboiling takes several hours of different
>> >> intensities and duration.Joe James is pushing up ahead with his JJQuad
>> >> Stove and have great improvements in terms of extending the  burn time
>> of
>> >> the rice husk load. Going further Engr. Alexis Belonio has a rice husk
>> >> gasifier that can run in a continuous mode.
>> >> 4. *Mitigating Health Risks *of the Nano Particles of Silica in
>> >> Burning
>> >> Rice Husks: Should we be concerned with sillicosis ? (respiratory
>> ailment
>> >> caused by the accumulation of silica in the lungs).
>> >>
>> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicosis
>> >>
>> >> Mr. Neil Lumanlan, a professor of microbiology in the Philippines
>> >> raised
>> >> this issue more than once..
>> >>
>> >> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3606399/
>> >>
>> >> http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130529/srep01919/full/srep01919.html
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> A chimney for this is best portrayed by the In Stove or is it enough
>> when
>> >> handling rice husks?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> *5.  Reducing the Cost and Extending the Usable Life of the Stove. *At
>> >> this moment, i am discovering the methods and techniques on how to
>> >> make
>> >> gasifiers in terra cotta equivalents. I have now fire bricks of
>> different
>> >> shapes which can be stacked like a Lego piece to form any structure.
>> >> Following the recipe of low thermal mass clay, the  *fire bricks float
>> in
>> >> water* !! Thanks to Jon and Flip Anderson and Dr. Larry for the
>> coaching.
>> >> And then, when stacked together, they would form into a  gasifier
>> >> stove
>> >> that runs in TLUD mode. Tests are ongoing with rice husks, pine
>> >> needles,
>> >> saw dust, coco shells, *canarium *shells. Test last night with *one
>> >> kilogram of rice husk with a computer fan set at 4.5 volts boiled 5
>> >> liters
>> >> of water in 19 minutes 10 seconds*. My thanks also goes to Dr. TLUD
>> >> for
>> >> the lessons during the Stove Camp 2014 in Aprovecho.
>> >>
>> >> With the gasifier built from terra cotta, the cost of the entire stove
>> >> can
>> >> drop to a minimum and can be built into almost any shape. It may also
>> >> be
>> >> combined with metal. to undertake the components such as the pot rest,
>> >> the
>> >> gas pipes, the burner and so on.
>> >>
>> >> I also believe that brick pieces can be made to create the terra cotta
>> >> equivalent of the In Stove as well as the  continuous rice husk
>> >> gasifier
>> >> of
>> >> Engr Belonio and then fitted with a chimney and a fan.
>> >> Is pottery a tradition in Serge's place in Benin?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> As there are yet so many things unknown with this prototype, please
>> allow
>> >> me to tinker with it further and make my *mistakes on my safe space
>> *with
>> >> the help of small circle of friends*.* I will surely let everyone know
>> >> the progress very soon.
>> >>
>> >> Best wishes
>> >> Jed Guinto
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> *Joshua B. Guinto*Specialist, Appropriate Technology
>> >> MSc Management of AgroEcological Knowledge and Social Change (MAKS)
>> >>
>> >> Wageningen University, The Netherlands
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> *Joshua B. Guinto*Specialist, Appropriate Technology
>> >> MSc Management of AgroEcological Knowledge and Social Change (MAKS)
>> >>
>> >> Wageningen University, The Netherlands
>> >>
>> >> 2015-02-20 3:10 GMT+08:00 Paul Anderson <psanders at ilstu.edu>:
>> >>
>> >> Dear Serge and Abraham,
>> >>
>> >> I am not sure in what country Abraham lives.   Please tell us. It is
>> >> interesting that two messages about parboiling of rice arrived so
>> >> close
>> >> together in time.
>> >>
>> >> The rest of this message relates to Serge's message:
>> >>
>> >> 1.  Please confirm the following:
>> >> A.  The people who parboil the rice are doing it as a business.
>> >> B.  Do those same people remove the husks from the barboiled rice?
>> >> If
>> >> yes, then they have control over their own fuel supply, which is good.
>> >>
>> >> C.  The rice must reach a temperature of 80 deg C.   But how critical
>> >> is
>> >> it that the time to reach that temperature is about 30 minutes?   What
>> if
>> >> it took 45 minutes?   or only 20 minutes? Does that have any impact on
>> >> the
>> >> rice itself?
>> >>
>> >> D.  How do the people know that it has reached about 80 C?
>> >> Thermometer?
>> >>  Visual seeing of small bubbles rising?   Touch? That does not make
>> >> any
>> >> difference.   I am just curious.
>> >>
>> >> E.  The steaming of the hot wet rice is the crucial step.   We will
>> >> try
>> >> for boiling (evaporating away) 6 L of water in one hour.   But how
>> >> sensitive is that time?    And if the time needs to be close to one
>> hour,
>> >> and if the stove is boiling away the water too fast, is it acceptable
>> >> to
>> >> have 7 or 8 liters for creation of the steam.   In other words, steam
>> (at
>> >> 100 deg C) needs to pass through the rice.   Is the amount of steam
>> (from
>> >> 6
>> >> liters of water) the important issue, or is steam for one hour
>> >> (whether
>> >> from 6 or 7 or 8 liters) the important issue?
>> >>
>> >> 2.  Joe James (who is receiving this message) has recently worked on a
>> >> rice husk TLUD gasifier that should be able to accomplish the
>> >> specified
>> >> tasks.   Joe is an engineer and can crank out some of the numbers.
>> Also
>> >> some other members of this Stoves Listserv could be of assistance.
>> >> Here
>> >> are the questions:
>> >> How much heat is needed to vaporize 6 L of water?
>> >> Raise 6000 g of water from about 25 C to 100 C
>> >> (75 degree change x _______ Joules per gram x 6000 = ___________)
>> >> Then add in the latent heat needed for vaporizing the 6000 g.
>> >>
>> >> Divide that total amount of heat by 60 minutes.
>> >>
>> >> Determine how much rice husk is needed to get the needed heat (allow
>> >> for
>> >> efficiency of heat transfer to be as low as 30%.)
>> >>
>> >> This not my specialty, but I know it all can be calculated.   Also to
>> >> calculate the heat needed to bring the pot to 80 deg C in the first
>> phase
>> >> of the processing.  A little assistance would be appreciated.
>> >>
>> >> Then we see how much heat Joe's unit (called JJQuad TLUD) can put out.
>> >>  The unit can be made larger or smaller, and having 2 units might be
>> >> the
>> >> better option.   Or we increase the air flow (via the fan) to get
>> >> faster
>> >> pyrolysis, and maybe we need to have a refill of fuel into the batch
>> >> gasifier.   This does not take long to refill and reignite.
>> >>
>> >> 3.  Subject to actually making things happen, in my opinion the best
>> >> "evident" option is to have a rice husk gasifier provide the heat by
>> >> using
>> >> the husks from the rice as fuel for the parboiling businesses are
>> >> creating.
>> >>
>> >> 4.  The production of at JJQuad TLUD is being examined in Vietnam at
>> this
>> >> time.   We are assisted with this by Dylan Maxwell and Olivier Kolmel,
>> >> who
>> >> are also receiving this message.  There are issues being examined
>> >> about
>> >> fans and controls and metal quality and production.   This is not a
>> quick
>> >> solution, but it is quite viable, in my opinion.
>> >>
>> >> 5.  Serge, I would like to know about the number of parboiled-rice
>> >> producers you are considering could need such a solution.   Also,
>> >> please
>> >> tell us about metal working (thin sheet metal) capabilities in Benin,
>> and
>> >> accessible.  Also, I would appreciate information about you and your
>> >> involvement and situation (with an NGO?).
>> >>
>> >> It might be time for this conversation to not be on the Stove
>> >> Listserv,
>> >> or
>> >> after any replies by Joe or Dylan and Olivier.   Any readers who have
>> >> continuing interest should probably tell me and Serge so that we can
>> keep
>> >> you informed.
>> >>
>> >> Paul
>> >>
>> >> Doc  /  Dr TLUD  /  Prof. Paul S. Anderson, PhD
>> >> Email:  psanders at ilstu.edu
>> >> Skype: paultlud      Phone: +1-309-452-7072
>> >> Website:  www.drtlud.com
>> >> On 2/19/2015 5:21 AM, Serge Horsmans wrote:
>> >> Dear Paul and ,
>> >>
>> >> Thank you very much for your quick response.  Please find the answers
>> >> to the questions asked.
>> >>
>> >> 1.  How important is it to convert to using the rice husks as fuel for
>> >> the parboiling process?   I believe that use of the rice husk as fuel
>> >> is NOT the priority.   As Serge and Abraham have stated, the main
>> >> concern is to reduce the use of large amounts of wood.   Appropriately
>> >> sized TLUD gasifiers with wood fuel (or Rocket burners of sticks)
>> >> could accomplish the task of reducing the amount of wood being burned.
>> >>    This would be with natural draft.
>> >>
>> >> At this moment I have to list the possibilities of not using firewood
>> >> in the parboiling process.   The use of a rice husk gasifier seems to
>> >> me one of those possibilities.  So I would like to continue with rice
>> >> husk, as it is easily available.  So at this moment I would like to
>> >> answer the question, “Is somebody using a rice husk gasifier that that
>> >> can heat water to a temperature of about 80°C in about 30 min.?  And
>> >> can the same stove be used to boil away 6 l. of water In about 1 h.?”.
>> >> If there is such a stove I would like to know and I will added to my
>> >> list.  Next we might want to test that one first.
>> >>
>> >> 2.  IF rice husks are to be used with a TLUD gasfier, it would
>> >> required Force Air (or Fan Assistance) (FA), and that would require a
>> >> small amount of electricity.   With the parboiling being done in the
>> >> daytime, a solar cell could be used, even without a battery.   What
>> >> are the availabilities of small electrical power in the locations of
>> >> either Abraham's or Serge's operations?
>> >>
>> >> I was aware that fan assistance would be needed.  We do have the
>> >> possibility to provide the required electricity.
>> >>
>> >> 3.  Please comment on the frequency of doing the parboiling task.
>> >> Abraham, is your operation run every day?   Frequency of use can
>> >> impact favorably the ability of maintain equipment such as a fan unit
>> >> or battery / solar package.
>> >>
>> >> Maintenance will not be a problem.
>> >>
>> >> 4.  For the 25 L quantities described by Serge, there is really no
>> >> need to have a continuous operating gasifier.   Either the unit could
>> >> be large enough for the stated durations of usage (30 minutes to raise
>> >> to 80 C; and one hour for the steaming).   To boil away (evaporate) 6
>> >> L of water in one hour can be accomplished; but some attention should
>> >> be paid to the configuration under the pot, such as possibly having a
>> >> pot-skirt or other ways to improve heat retention and heat transfer.
>> >> This is NOT a situation requiring a good turn down ratio to obtain Low
>> >> Power cooking.
>> >>
>> >> We will use the configuration you can see on the pictures where the
>> >> rice is steamed or use a pot skirt.  We might not need a continuous
>> >> operating gasifier but as the operations will be performed outdoor,
>> >> wind or other environmental factors might slow down the heating,
>> >> requiring more fuel.  What ever type we will use, we need to make sure
>> >> that the parboiling can be finished.  The aim of our study is to
>> >> improve the livelihood of the rice parboilers in Benin.  If the
>> >> parboiling process cannot be finished, the paddy might get spoiled and
>> >> they will not have an income, they will loose the money they used to
>> >> buy the paddy instead.  That should be avoided.   So if we go on with
>> >> batch gasifiers, we might have to oversize the unit.
>> >>
>> >> 5.  As we close in on the topic, we need to discuss who will lead the
>> >> efforts (management) to accomplish the tasks, and who will pay for the
>> >> expenses (finances).    Strong communications via email are quite
>> >> important.  Skype is useful.   Access to some sheet-metal workers is
>> >> important for the fabrication of the TLUDs.   The cost of materials
>> >> should not be very high, but the issues and costs of management and
>> >> labor can be easy or difficult, depending on the circumstances.
>> >>
>> >> It is going very fast now and I 'm very happy with your enthusiasm !
>> >> But as you can read in the answer on your first question, right now I
>> >> am listing the possibilities of not using firewood in the parboiling
>> >> process.  So my first question is, can we banish firewood using those
>> >> stoves?  Or more in detail, I want to know “Is there an existing rice
>> >> husk gasifier that that can heat water to a temperature of about 80°C
>> >> in about 30 min.?  And can the same stove be used to boil away 6 l. of
>> >> water In about 1 h.?”.     If there is not such a stove, we will have
>> >> to compare  the different  possibilities to banish firewood in the
>> >> parboiling of rice in Benin.  The rice husk gasifiers will be an
>> >> option.  Next we might consider to design one ourselves and your help
>> >> will be really appreciated.  As we have experience in Benin with
>> >> dissemination of new technologies, we might start to built them and
>> >> provide them.  But we are not that far yet.
>> >>
>> >> 6.  Are Serge and Abraham close together, and working together?    If
>> >> not, each should describe their specific situations.    Please send us
>> >> your views of possible plans for moving forward.
>> >>
>> >> I would like to know more about Abraham and his project.   As
>> >> mentioned we are in Benin and at the moment I live in Savalou,
>> >> department Les Collines.  For my view, please read my answer on
>> >> question 5.  I like to know more about your views.
>> >>
>> >> Thank you very much!
>> >>
>> >> Kind regards,
>> >>
>> >> Serge
>> >>
>> >> 2015-02-18 19:30 GMT+01:00, Paul Anderson <psanders at ilstu.edu>:
>> >> Dear Serge and Abraham,
>> >>
>> >> The photos from Serge are very helpful.   Photos from Abraham will
>> >> show
>> >> the larger system that they use.
>> >>
>> >> There are a few questions and issues.
>> >>
>> >> 1.  How important is it to convert to using the rice husks as fuel for
>> >> the parboiling process?   I believe that use of the rice husk as fuel
>> >> is
>> >> NOT the priority.   As Serge and Abraham have stated, the main concern
>> >> is to reduce the use of large amounts of wood. Appropriately sized
>> >> TLUD
>> >> gasifiers with wood fuel (or Rocket burners of sticks) could
>> >> accomplish
>> >> the task of reducing the amount of wood being burned.   This would be
>> >> with natural draft.
>> >>
>> >> 2. _IF _rice husks are to be used with a TLUD gasfier, it would
>> >> required
>> >> Force Air (or Fan Assistance) (FA), and that would require a small
>> >> amount of electricity.   With the parboiling being done in the
>> >> daytime,
>> >> a solar cell could be used, even without a battery.   What are the
>> >> availabilities of small electrical power in the locations of either
>> >> Abraham's or Serge's operations?
>> >>
>> >> 3.  Please comment on the frequency of doing the parboiling task.
>> >> Abraham, is your operation run every day?   Frequency of use can
>> >> impact
>> >> favorably the ability of maintain equipment such as a fan unit or
>> >> battery / solar package.
>> >>
>> >> 4.  For the 25 L quantities described by Serge, there is really no
>> >> need
>> >> to have a continuous operating gasifier.   Either the unit could be
>> >> large enough for the stated durations of usage (30 minutes to raise to
>> >> 80 C; and one hour for the steaming).   To boil away (evaporate) 6 L
>> >> of
>> >> water in one hour can be accomplished; but some attention should be
>> >> paid
>> >> to the configuration under the pot, such as possibly having a
>> >> pot-skirt
>> >> or other ways to improve heat retention and heat transfer.   This is
>> >> NOT
>> >> a situation requiring a good turn down ratio to obtain Low Power
>> cooking.
>> >>
>> >> 5.  As we close in on the topic, we need to discuss who will lead the
>> >> efforts (management) to accomplish the tasks, and who will pay for the
>> >> expenses (finances).    Strong communications via email are quite
>> >> important.  Skype is useful.   Access to some sheet-metal workers is
>> >> important for the fabrication of the TLUDs.   The cost of materials
>> >> should not be very high, but the issues and costs of management and
>> >> labor can be easy or difficult, depending on the circumstances.
>> >>
>> >> 6.  Are Serge and Abraham close together, and working together? If
>> >> not,
>> >> each should describe their specific situations.    Please send us your
>> >> views of possible plans for moving forward.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Dr TLUD
>> >>
>> >> Doc  /  Dr TLUD  /  Prof. Paul S. Anderson, PhD
>> >> Email:  psanders at ilstu.edu
>> >> Skype: paultlud      Phone: +1-309-452-7072
>> >> Website:  www.drtlud.com
>> >>
>> >> On 2/18/2015 5:01 AM, Serge Horsmans wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Dear Paul (and other insiders),
>> >>
>> >> thank you very much for your attention to my request.  Below you will
>> >> find the questions and the answers.  Please ask for more information
>> >> if needed.
>> >>
>> >> 1.  What heat source(s) are you currently using?   Do you have
>> >> batch-operations of rice husk gasifiers already?   What is good and
>> >> what is bad about them?
>> >>
>> >>    At the moment we are using fire wood as the heat source.  We are
>> >> not
>> >> using gasifiers and I don't have any experience with them, but it
>> >> seems to me that continuous flow gasifiers are more appropriate since
>> >> once the heating of the soak water or the steaming is started, it
>> >> should not be interrupted by refilling the batch.  It is hard to find
>> >> gasifiers in Africa.
>> >>
>> >> 2.  Is your operation the only one, or could there be other similar
>> >> businesses that might also want to improve their heat sources?
>> >>
>> >>    I am not too much aware of the other businesses, but it is easy to
>> >> guess that if it is affordable technology, it will as well be adopted
>> >> by local restaurants.  For one or other reason this technology didn't
>> >> reach Africa yet.
>> >> In Benin, it is mainly women that parboil rice.   Recently a new
>> >> device for parboiling has been introduced to improve the quality of
>> >> the parboiled rice.  An educational video, in which rural women
>> >>    explain how to use the improved rice-parboiling technology and its
>> >> benefits, was
>> >>    developed by AfricaRice in 2005 to promote this technology to
>> >> end-users.  The video-supported training tool has contributed
>> >> significantly to the
>> >>    diffusion of the technology in Central Benin. This video has been
>> >> used by many NGOs. It is now the common device in Benin. So the same
>> >> might be done with the gasifier.  All organisations that support those
>> >> women might adopt the gasifiers as they all want to reduce the use of
>> >> fire wood.
>> >>
>> >> 3.  I assume that all of the associated structures are in place,
>> >> functional, and are expected to be part of the new operation.
>> >> Structures such as the large vessels (pots, trays, cauldrons, etc.)
>> >> and also the boiler.
>> >>
>> >> Yes, though I don't know what you mean about the boiler... it is just
>> >> wood placed below the cauldron  .
>> >> Any heat source that can be used to heat water in a cauldron could be
>> >> used as the device is basically a cauldron containing about 25 l. of
>> >> water for soaking the paddy.   The same cauldron is afterwards used
>> >> for steaming the paddy with about 6l. of water ( I will add some
>> >> pictures).  Since firewood and charcoal have always been used and is
>> >> easily available, they continue to use firewood or charcoal.   By
>> >> introducing the gasifiers we would like to reduce the use of firewood.
>> >> - Soaking process:  heat paddy in 25 l. of water to a temperature of
>> >> about 80°C, it takes about 30 min.   Next let it cool down during the
>> >> night in the cauldron.
>> >> - Steaming process:   You take a paddy holding vat and a cauldron (a
>> >> similar cauldron as for the soaking). The  paddy holding vat is
>> >> perforated with holes (maximum diameter 2.5 mm) from its base to about
>> >> a quarter
>> >>    of the way up its body . The paddy rice is poured into
>> >>    the vat, which is inserted in the cauldron containing 6l. of water.
>> >> The water level in
>> >>    the cauldron is such that it does not reach the bottom of the paddy
>> >> holding vat.  The improved
>> >>    method prevents water in the cauldron from getting into the paddy,
>> >> only the steam
>> >>    generated from the boiling water in the cauldron passes through the
>> >> perforated vat to
>> >>    parboil (steam) the paddy rice.  It takes about 1 hour.
>> >>
>> >> 4.  Please send us some photos of the existing installation. There are
>> >> issues such as height of the boiler above ground that can influence
>> >> what options could be for the new "fire box."
>> >>
>> >> I will add some.  Please ask for more if needed.
>> >>
>> >> 5.  Are you or others in your area interested in biochar from the rice
>> >> husks?   If so, a pyrolyzer (rather than a full process gasifier)
>> >> might be more appropriate.
>> >>
>> >> Hard to say.  The women parboiling the rice are not same as the ones
>> >> cultivating the rice.   So they will not use the biochar as a soil
>> >> conditioner.  I have no clear idea what could be done with biochar...
>> >>
>> >> Thanks again  for your attention to my request.   I 'm looking forward
>> >> to hear from you again.
>> >>
>> >> Kind regards,
>> >>
>> >> Serge
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
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>> >> <JGuinto-DSC09404.jpg><JGuinto-DSC09507.jpg>
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