[Stoves] Charcoal from waste - home cooking or other markets? (Re: Crispin, Anand Karve)
Ronal W. Larson
rongretlarson at comcast.net
Thu Oct 13 23:55:06 CDT 2016
List(s) cc Andrew (only one part of his message given below); adding the biochar list as there was no cooking part of Elsen’s work in Nairobi
>>
>> <snip; then Andrew said, re Elsen Karstad and Elsen’s Kenyan company “Chartist”, yesterday>
>
> As I said Chardust in Kenya initially did it in a simple down draught burner.
[RWL: It was simple, but quite large scale. Worth discussing because we hear so little about BLDD. I visited Elsen but came down with unusual medical experience (pneumonia plus more) in Nairobi before seeing what I describe below.
The mental image I have is of a large tall “central” chimney - maybe 8-10 oil barrels high. The 8-10 radial covered “troughs” maybe half square meter in cross section (??). At the end of each of these radial lines (length 5 meters??) was a grate (one or two square meters ??) on which a worker placed the sawdust (later bagasse - maybe 10-15 cm deep??) and lit each (from below). After the pyrolysis front moved upwards through the sawdust pile, one would see a red bright spot appear - and the worker would place more saw dust (or bagasse - and could presumably be wood chips) over each red spot as it appeared.
Not sure, but probably two workers for this - maybe working all day. I suppose there were dampers so each pile-charring could be stopped at the right final pile height (20-30 cm?)— and another pile taking its place.
I don’t believe any use was made of the tremendous heat produced - but there was potential for brick-making, pottery or a bakery, etc..
I can’t remember any details now, but Elsen also designed a fine TLUD. Had some different features that I can’t now recall. I don’t think this ever went into production. My trip was probably about 1997 or 1998. Probably some discussion in the stove archives. I went because Kenya was relatively close to Ethiopia where I was developing a TLUD for enjira cooking.
Tom Miles can probably correct a few errors above. Hope this can get also to Elsen - who did some fine early work.
Ron
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