[Stoves] re Topic Changed: Working on biochar/heat systems (Gordon West)

[Andrew Heggie]

On 4 September 2017 at 16:00, Ronal W. Larson <rongretlarson at comcast.net> wrote:
> Andrew and list:
>
> I have just sent you an invitation to the biochar list.  I can do so easily
> for anyone else. - let me know off list.

Thanks Ronal, I've rejoined
>
> To all - the stove list started off (1996) mostly on char-making stoves -
> before any of us had ever heard of biochar.  Andrew is correct that this
> list stopped talking about biochar on this list in about 2005 or 2006 -
> since by then the stove list was about equal on rocket and TLUDs.  Biochar
> discussion is now mostly about its soil improvement benefits (and only a
> little on CDR), although there is still a nice amount on char production
> (that can be helpful to stove folk). Thanks to both Gordon and Andrew for
> keeping this interchange alive.   It is natural that there should be some
> overlap from time to time.

Yes and Gordon's device reminds me of a  discussion with Kevin
Chisholm on [stoves] a continuous TLUD (I suspect  still using the
three letter acronym coined by Tom Reed in those days Inverted Down
Draught) using an auger to push the fuel up at the same rate the
pyrolysis from was moving down relative to the fuel. All with the aim
of co producing char and making use of the heat. Soon after the
biochar discussion group was formed

Later Alex English demonstrated  large scale co producing char from
his large wood chip stoker by restricting primary air and using the
combustion of the offgas to keep the combustion chamber and heavy
steel recirculating stoker chain  hot enough to pyrolyse wood chip
delivered onto it. Following his results I was able to run a 500kW Kob
woodchip boiler to similarly produce a lower yield of char without
impacting on its heat output too much.

Andrew