[Stoves] Interesting thesis on heating biomass / torrificationbut trapping the volatiles

[Frank Shields]

Dear Paul, Stovers, 

Very interesting article. Thanks!

Here they split wood into Cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin as it seems most do. But with our potential products there are two other groups that I think may (at times) be important and I am not sure how there contributions in poetizing or combustion in our stoves. They are as follows:

1) Waxes, fats, resins, some gums and water solubles
2) Tannins, gums, sugars, coloring matter and starches. 

These can be extracted from biomass by Alcohol-toluene (for group 1) and hot water for group 2. 

After these are removed the lignin is determined by whats left after treatment with sulfuric acid and cellulose and hem-cellulose by other long chemical processes (ASTM D1103-60) and (ASTM D 1104-56). 

These last two groups I believe are biodegradable and quickly removed from the biomass structure for reason they are often omitted but can amount to a lot on some of our biomass potentials. 

Contrary to what Crispin says we do have the perfect fuel as long as in the same paragraph we note the perfect stove. : )   Its easy to note the perfect stove by the maker, model, and serial number. But how do we note the perfect fuel? I am thinking the above three major components along with the two groups I mention is the chemistry needed . Then we also need physical attributes. 

Also; I need some help in understanding some units. They mention the piston provides 20 MPa pressure. Is that the same as 2900 ft-lb/sq inch? If I have that right that is a lot. And they produce a pellet (or cylinder) of pressed biomass with a compression strength of 60 to 200 MPa (Wow). They don’t seem to mention how that was measured. That is 8705 to 29008 ft-lbs/sq inch!   Adobe bricks measure around 200 ft-lbs/sq inch. We can make houses out of pressed biomass.     


Thanks

Frank
 







Frank Shields
franke at cruzio.com


> On May 26, 2015, at 8:57 PM, Paul Anderson <psanders at ilstu.edu> wrote:
> 
> Stovers and Biochar folks,
> 
> The thesis referenced below is very interesting about semi-carbonized densified biomass (SCDB) made at temperatures between 115 and 230 deg C (abstract) and having approximately 70% volatile matter (page 84 of text which is page 95 of digital copy).
> 
>> IS DENSIFIED BIOMASS FUEL FROM AGRO-FORESTRY WASTE A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY OPTION? MS degree THESIS by William Linning III, year 2012.
> http://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=me_etds
> 
> 
> The email address for Bill Linning (author of the study)is no longer valid,
> so we need to try to contact him some other way.
> 
> 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
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Stoves mailing list
> 
> to Send a Message to the list, use the email address
> stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
> 
> to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page
> http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/stoves_lists.bioenergylists.org
> 
> for more Biomass Cooking Stoves,  News and Information see our web site:
> http://stoves.bioenergylists.org/
>