[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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