[Stoves] [biochar] [biochar-stoves] A review of chronological development in cookstove assessment methods: Challenges and way forward

Lloyd Helferty lhelferty at sympatico.ca
Mon Nov 23 08:43:36 CST 2015


Thank you James.

  I noted in the presentation (which is from more than 2 years ago -- 
Aug 2013) that:

with a specific note in the text that, "there is a need for a testing 
protocol for batch-fueled stoves" (as expressed in a Resolution in the 
IWA), and I also noted at the end of the presentation that EPA may 
assist with the development of "a procedure for testing batch-fueled 
stoves" via EPA "participation in the ISO process to develop standards 
and test protocols for stoves" with "experts from many countries", and 
that, "the timeline is likely to be *three years*" (beginning Nov 2013).

  So at this point in time I guess that I should assume that there is 
still no "standard protocol" (stove testing methodology) for stoves that 
produce biochar, and that we might expect something to be *published by 
the ISO* by around the *end of 2016*?

  ... Because right now it's still a bit confusing.**

** Ref: Response from Ronal Larson this morning which concluded:

Comments appreciated when we are striving to make char in a stove:
  Q1: are the losses 22%, 40%, or 67%?
     Q2:  Is the efficiency 78%, 60%, or 33%?

... With a "muddying" of the waters even further when Frank Shields 
suggested that we "place an importance on each (percentage of 
importance) for the span of a year or season" of either making char or 
boiling water.

   Creating an "importance" factor is a very /subjective/ thing to do, 
however.  ;-)

CC: Stoves groups [X2].

Regards,

   Lloyd Helferty, Engineering Technologist
   Principal, Biochar Consulting (Canada)
   www.biochar-consulting.ca
   Earth Stewardship consultant, Passive Remediation Systems Ltd. (PRSI)
   http://www.prsi.ca/
   Promotions Manager, Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network (CSAYN)
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   48 Suncrest Blvd, Thornhill, ON, Canada
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    www.biochar.ca

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not."
  — Dr. Seuss (The Lorax)

On 2015-11-23 8:15 AM, Jetter, James wrote:
>
> Dear Lloyd,
>
> For char-producing stoves, we are reporting thermal efficiency both 
> with and without credit for the energy in the produced char.  Please 
> see Page 46 of the attachment for details.  A similar approach is 
> included in the ISO Technical Committee 285 working draft for 
> harmonized laboratory testing protocols.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jim
>
> __________________________________________
> James J. Jetter, P.E.
> U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (E305-03)
> National Risk Management Research Laboratory
> Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division
> Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA
> phone: (919) 541-4830          fax: (919) 541-2157
> email: jetter.jim at epa.gov
>
> *From:*Lloyd Helferty [mailto:lhelferty at sympatico.ca]
> *Sent:* Sunday, November 22, 2015 7:40 PM
> *To:* Ronal W. Larson <rongretlarson at comcast.net>
> *Cc:* Biochar <biochar at yahoogroups.com>; Entire Group 
> <biocharstoves-7xpll at wiggiomail.com>; sureshjiitd at gmail.com
> *Subject:* Re: [biochar] [biochar-stoves] A review of chronological 
> development in cookstove assessment methods: Challenges and way forward
>
> Thanks, Ron.
>
>   I know nothing about the Jetter/EPA total efficiency calculation(s) 
> that "use the char’s energy value".
> Could you elaborate?
>   Is the Jetter/EPA total efficiency calculation your preferred 
> methodology as a /next step/ to the "WBT"?
>
> (Yes, I am quite out of touch with the latest in "Stove testing" 
> methodologies. What "efficiency" methodology does the GACC currently 
> endorse when testing stoves that produce biochar? Is it still an open 
> question?)
>
> Regards,
>
>    Lloyd Helferty
>
>
> On 2015-11-22 3:13 PM, Ronal W. Larson wrote:
>
>     Lloyd etal
>
>     I am imagining a charcoal-making stove owner who has 2 clients to
>     whom she sells charcoal.  One client (A) burns the char; the other
>     (B) uses it as biochar.  How can one say the stove has two
>     different efficiencies?
>
>     But another argument is that if all the produced char is used by C
>     as biochar - it must be that the char’s soil value exceeded the
>     energy value.  So perhaps the efficiency value for client C should
>     be even better than for case A.    This soil use for the char is
>     where I think we are heading.
>
>     In sum, I see no reason to do other than use the char’s energy
>     value when calculating a total efficiency - as is being done by
>     Jetter/EPA/
>
>     Ron
>
>     On Nov 22, 2015, at 7:48 AM, Lloyd Helferty [biochar] wrote:
>
>
>
>         Ron,
>
>           In reading that quoted/highlighted paragraph, my expectation
>         is that the term, "/utilizing/the*_charcoal_*" (..."should be
>         considered as a useful energy") is/probably/meant to assume
>         that the leftover/residual charcoal would subsequently be
>         utilized as a*fuel*, and probably not as*biochar*.  If the
>         resulting charcoal is used in a non-energy application (i.e.
>         as biochar) then one does not normally talk about or refer to,
>         "the/_energy_/stored in the charcoal" as being "useful"
>         anymore, if one considers the classical [non-regenerative /
>         linear] energy models. (Of course if one understands the use
>         of biochar from a holistic** perspective, it can make sense to
>         use biochar in a non-fuel application if that application
>         results in a boost to the actual [biomass] fuel -- and food
>         --/production capabilities/of the soil from which the original
>         stove 'fuel' was derived... but of course those are more
>         complex calculations that must also consider time and a number
>         of other variables which are not normally taken into
>         consideration.)
>
>         **Note: If considered in this holistic perspective / context,
>         the use of/soil-health enhancing/materials like biochar will
>         very likely eventually be a/prerequisite/of the very
>         definition of "sustainable" biofuels / biomaterials.
>
>         CC: Biochar group
>
>         Regards,
>
>           Lloyd Helferty
>
>         On 2015-11-22 3:58 AM, Ron Larson wrote:
>
>             Professor Jain
>
>             1.   Thank you for a tremendously useful document.
>              Especially that you (Elsevier?, TERI?) have made it
>             available on a non-fee basis (for a*_SHORT_time).*
>
>             **2.    I am a little surprised (and delighted) that I
>             received this on the climate change list.   I am alerting
>             four other lists who will also find this most useful.
>
>             3.    To me, interested in both climate change (through
>             biochar - not mentioned) and stoves, the most important
>             sentence in your exceedingly thorough (161 cites) is this
>             partial paragraph in Section 2.3.1 (emphases added):
>
>             /// “The energy expenditure in the form of fuel for
>             boiling and evaporating water is calculated by
>             standardizing the amount of raw fuel with fuel moisture
>             content, ambient temperature,/*/_charcoal_/*///formed fuel
>             and calorific value of fuel and/*/_charcoal_/*/. This is
>             called the ‘equivalent dry wood
>             consumed’./*/Charcoal/*///utilization after the cooking
>             process in real households has not been validated in any
>             of the studies. If the/*/_charcoal_/*///disposed by
>             targeted population then the fuel consumption can be
>             corrected. //If a certain community has a habit of
>             utilizing the*_charcoal_*then //…//../
>
>             /t*_he energy stored in thecharcoal_**_should be
>             considered as a useful energy_*//.” /
>
>             4.  As I know you know, there is more than one way to
>             report the impact of charcoal production in stove
>             comparisons.  Examples coming.
>
>             5.  I could not find an email address for Ms. (Dr?) Pooja
>             Arora.  I intend to look up other papers she and you have
>             published.  Please congratulate her as well.
>
>             Again, thanks for a very useful stove assessment document.
>              I am aware of nothing like it.
>
>             Ron  (first/past “stove” and “biochar” lists coordinator)
>
>             On Nov 21, 2015, at 10:09 PM, S. Jain (Env. Engg.) wrote:
>
>
>
>                 Dear Colleagues,
>
>                 We are sharing with you an article on */Chronological
>                 development in cookstove assessment methods:
>                 Challenges and way forward/*. We hope to receive your
>                 inputs and comments on the same.
>
>                 *Abstract*
>
>                 This review intended to collect and collate the
>                 information related to cookstove testing methodologies
>                 applied in lab and field conditions and their output
>                 in the form of energy and emission parameters. The
>                 important information related to progression of
>                 cookstove testing techniques was segregated in order
>                 to understand the relationships in different
>                 indicators of cookstove performance and to understand
>                 the sources of uncertainty in emission data. The major
>                 research issue that has been dwelt upon in the recent
>                 literature is the establishment of relationship
>                 between lab and field results of cookstove
>                 performance. It is observed that controlled cooking
>                 test and kitchen performance test are the two field
>                 based tests which provide a better picture of a
>                 particular cookstove performance as it involves the
>                 user perspective. Misrepresentation of actual
>                 cookstove performance based on laboratory based
>                 testing puts the present standard protocols in
>                 question. Solutions have been put forward by some
>                 research studies; however a validation is needed
>                 through multiple scientific investigations conducted
>                 at various temporal and spatial scales. It has been
>                 observed that cookstove testing methodologies are
>                 still in their nascent stage compared to the research
>                 that has already been conducted for other sources
>                 where biomass combustion emissions have studied
>                 thoroughly. Still the shift in focus of upcoming
>                 research studies towards field based integrated
>                 cookstove testing methodologies has the potential to
>                 drive future cookstove research in the new direction.
>
>                 We are providing you with the following personal
>                 article link, which will provide free access to your
>                 article, and is valid for 50 days, until January 10, 2016
>
>                 http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1S4Na4s9HvhN9u
>

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