[Stoves] Char from Corn cobs ??

Tue Jan 21 19:01:23 CST 2020

Yes I understand that. Charcoal has very little value as a fertilizer too, but it provides aeration and hold moisture moderating growing conditions.

It also has little value as a fuel because of its low mass and high ash content. It may be that it would fail an ash content maximum in a national standard.

It's main merit is that is already collected and has no other significant use.  When surveying biomass fuel use on Lombok Island I observed a major use of corn cobs to be salt making. They burn well in bulk. They tend to char completely and then burn as char. That means there is gas production initially and a hot char fire afterwards. It's a pretty clean burn. They do better with a grate.

Regards
Crispin

From: info at sun24.solar
Sent: January 21, 2020 7:33 PM
To: stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
Reply to: stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org
Subject: Re: [Stoves] Char from Corn cobs ??

Hi Crispin,

Cobs have little fertilizer value, especially compared to stover.  I don't know about plowing over, probably depends on the farm.

Kevin

On Tue, Jan 21, 2020 at 7:28 PM Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <crispinpigott at outlook.com<mailto:crispinpigott at outlook.com>> wrote:
Dear Kevin

Are they left to rot in the fields, because that is fertilizer.

Perhaps they are ploughed under. That helps hold moisture.

Crispin
From: info at sun24.solar
Sent: January 21, 2020 7:14 PM
To: stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org<mailto:stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>
Reply to: stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org<mailto:stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>
Subject: Re: [Stoves] Char from Corn cobs ??

Here is a photo essay<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fiaafrica.com%2Fa-day-in-rural-south-africa-photo-essay%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7Cb3f980b3ce574ff6210908d79ed2c015%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637152500318916388&sdata=R%2BUwErHu3AOUTZFtZLNRj76Ew4U3hCaBBdAI7wtsqpo%3D&reserved=0> on South African families collecting and burning maize cobs as cooking fuel.  But I've been emailing off list Abraham Abyslo in Nigeria, a member of this list.  Nobody in his area burns cobs, though maize is grown in abundance.  The cobs are left to rot.  It seems to vary by country and area within the country.

On Tue, Jan 21, 2020 at 7:02 PM Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <crispinpigott at outlook.com<mailto:crispinpigott at outlook.com>> wrote:
Dear Neil

You have highlighted th the main two attributes: high burn rate due to a high surface to volume area, and a weak structure.

To make a useful fuel outside the (literally) immediate place isn't production it has to be densified unless there is a use for powdered char.  The reason I mentioned the new Ugandan charcoal standard is because it has a requirement for the production of fines when bag is dropped. Charred cobs will never pass such a test.

The reason they have the requirement is that the fines do not burn well. At all.  So selling a bag of charcoal briquettes is going to be cheating the customer if it is 10% fines.

Regards
Crispin
From: neiltm at uwclub.net<mailto:neiltm at uwclub.net>
Sent: January 21, 2020 5:04 PM
To: stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org<mailto:stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>
Reply to: stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org<mailto:stoves at lists.bioenergylists.org>
Subject: Re: [Stoves] Char from Corn cobs ??

On 21 Jan 2020 at 8:25, Cookswell Jikos wrote:

> Corn cob charcoal itself is pretty awesome - it burns super fast and
> hot which makes it good for blending with regular charcoal or quick
> cooking of things like tea or rice.

I have burned a few and then burned the char, not exclusively but mixed
in with other 'fines' and generally friable char saved from TLUD and
rocket stoves mostly, and I can identify with the above statement when
comparing my home made char with more substantial commercial 'lumpwood'
charcoal.
I also find that wood that has half rotted, but when dry makes a very
friable char, much as the corn cobs do, and does indeed burn super fast
and hot, lighting exteremely quickly, which is also true of the wood
itself in the TLUD.

With my small cast iron pot bellied BBQ with the addition of my computer
fan 'turbo', I can have a fire to cook on in about a minute from lighting
with a couple of sheets of newspaper under the grate, and with enough
fuel in a single charge, a fire that lasts long enough to cook chicken
pieces - about 40 mins.

I introduced the fan when I experienced inadequate draft because of the
density of the layer of fine char impeding air flow, but apart from
starting the fire, mostly it is not necessary once going, although
sometimes useful in short bursts as another way to vary the heat, and if
I reload during a long cook.

I can appreciate though that this type of char might be difficult to
transport and sell without degredation and would presumably need the sort
of charcoal stove that can burn pellet char which I imagine is more
structurally robust but have no experience of.  But used at source I find
it excellent and easy, and makes for a very controllable heat.

Neil Taylor in England

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