[Stoves] Version 2.0 of TLUD history is available

[Julien Winter]

Hi Paul;

Thanks for your thorough account on the development of TLUD cookstoves.  It
is well illustrated and rich in information.

For me (as an outsider soil scientist joining in), what stands out in the
history of TLUD cookstove development, and biomass cookstove development in
general is the disconnect between two communities (1) the practical
cookstove developers, on the one hand, and (2) the combustions scientists
and engineers on the other side.

What were ostensibly "TLUDs" existed in several research laboratories since
the 1940s.  After the oil crisis in 1973, there was a big increase in
research interest in biomass energy.  TLUDs were laboratory models of
moving grate gasifiers.  An influential paper appeared in 1984:
Stubington, JF; Fenton, H.  1984. Combustion Characteristics of Dried and
Pelletized Bagasse.  Combustion Science and Technology  37: 285-299   DOI:
10.1080/00102208408923758

After that, forced draft TLUD research took off in the academic world and
the 70+ papers (in English) have been published.

Unfortunately, nobody in the world of practical stove development was
reading those papers, either because they didn't have access through
paywalls, and/or because they lacked the scientific training to understand
them.

In the academic world (asside from health-oriented research on emissions,
and sociology), there has been almost no reaseach specifically on biomass
cookstoves and their mechanism of combustion.  Only recently has this
strated to change with graduate students working on TLUD stoves:

Huangfu, Y; Li, H; Chen, X; Xue, C; Chen C; Liu, G.    2014.  Effects of
moisture content in fuel on thermal performance and emission of biomass
semi-gasified cookstove. Energy for Sustainable Development 21: 60–65
Varunkumar, S; Rajan, NKS;  Mukunda, HS.  2011b. Single particle and packed
bed combustion in modern gasifier stoves—density effects.      Combustion
Science and Technology  183: 1147-1163.
Varunkumar, S; Rajan, NKS; Mukunda, HS.  2011a.  Experimental and
computational studies on a gasifier based stove. Energy Conversion and
Management 53: 135–141
Varunkumar, S; Rajan, NKS; Mukunda, HS.  2013.  Universal flame propagation
behaviour in packed bed of biomass.  Combustion Science and Technology,
DOI:10.1080/00102202.2013.782297

Fortunately, the combustion scientists are beginning to take an interest,
because  issues in Global ecology are becoming acute.  More graduate
students are appearing.

What I think we need more of is help for the practical cookstove
developers.  There needs to be scientific capacity-building, access through
the academic paywalls, and access to basic measurement equipment.  There
needs to be strong system of mentoring around the World so that these two
communities — practicioners and scientists — become better connected and
work together.

All the best,
Julien

-- 
Julien Winter
Cobourg, ON, CANADA
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