<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">DAniel, <div>Thanks much for your stove design efforts. You probably already know of the stoves and biofuels network. <<a href="mailto:Stoves@lists.bioenergylists.org">Stoves@lists.bioenergylists.org</a>> but there is also the briquette network as well. I have taken the liberty of posting your email up on that one. Its far smaller and less active as yet because most of the participants are working and or living in the third world. </div><div><br></div><div>Interesting idea to add wood near the end of the burn to oxidise CO for inded we have been plagued with that issue widely.....</div><div><br></div><div>I also sent your post off to a friend in redwood city in the SanFrancisco Bay area to get his comments He id doing ver similar things. His name is Harold Westrich. <<a href="mailto:hwestric@my.smccd.edu">hwestric@my.smccd.edu</a>>He has a site posted at this URL: <a href="http://home.fuse.net/engineering/harold_westrich.htm">http://home.fuse.net/engineering/harold_westrich.htm</a></div><div>Enjoy and hope it gets you all closer to the end goal...</div><div>As a field oriented guy I will be more than happy to get your word out to the rest of the 90% of us in the world outside the states, although much of what you are doing has direct and potetially great relevence here...</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div> <br><div><div>On Feb 13, 2011, at 7:09 PM, daniel roggema wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite">I am sending this email to individuals/ organizations involved with
biomass briquetting, ICS design, and/or projects addressing household
energy in high altitude/ cold climates. A list of all the recipients and
their web-links is posted at the bottom of this email. <div>
<br></div><div>My name is Daniel Roggema. I apologize in advance for
this email being so long and appreciate the patience of those who read
through it. </div><div>As a hobby, I have been constructing a<span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;"> prototype flexi-fuel stove</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">. </span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">It is primarily a heating stove, but it also provides a medium output cook-top well suited for simmer dishes. </span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;"></span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">I do not have any professional experience with ICS (improved cooking stoves) projects. </span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">I have a notion however, that this design may be worth some further exploration by those who do.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">The
prototype is based on the Rocket Mass Heater design, but with a few
alterations/additional features to optimize the cook top output, and to
allow for greater fuel stock flexibility (=designing the stove so it
will burn well with briquettes or dung etc, in addition to wood) <br>
It is a bit difficult to explain via e-mail what a Rocket Mass heater</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">s is, and how it works. The RMH</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;"> design is very different from other various rocket stoves used exclusively for cooking. </span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">With permission from the authors, I h</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">ave attached a free pdf file version of their booklet on Rocket Mass Heaters, published in 2006. </span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">It
includes some great illustrations and explains with beautiful
simplicity RMH design as well as general thoughts on wood/biomass
combustion dynamics.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">I strongly suggest reading this publication (-or at least</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;"> certain parts </span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">of it) in order to understand the</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;"> basic dynamics of the prototype that I am working on. </span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">Please
note that in the world of wood stoves/ masonry heaters, the RMH design
has one completely unique and extremely useful design feature ; It has
the ability to push flue gasses for long horizontal distances; The
system's draw/draft is <u>not</u> determined by the stack effect in the
flue exit/chimney. It is determined by the siphon effect created as a
result of temperature/pressure differences within components of the
stove itself. <b><br>
<i><br></i></b>
</span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;"><b><i>A few words on what led me to work on this prototype:</i></b><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">In
2003 I was traveling in the Atlas mountains of Morocco. It was early
spring. It was so cold, especially at night. I imagined with dread what
the middle of winter would be like. </span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;"></span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">The following year I moved to the US. I made a friend who was building a Rocket mass heater</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;"> in his own home. </span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">I have been trying to learn a bit about building these stoves myself ever since.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">I
also started pondering the potential for RMH design to address the
household energy needs of people living in cold regions of the
developing world. I would think about my trip to the Atlas Mountains,
and it struck me how this oddball of a stove design seemed like it could
potentially be a very "good fit" for the people I stayed with. For
example, it is very common for homes in Morocco to have a<font color="#660000"> </font><font color="#ff0000">L</font> or <font color="#ff0000">[_]</font>
shaped sitting arrangement of low profile couches or mattresses on the
floor. These sitting areas are central to a lot of daily activities;
eating, having tea, providing hospitality, and at night, they are used
for sleeping. -- Imagine this with a RMH configuration: A warm comfy
seat during daytime, and heated bedding for cold winter nights. I think
this could prove to be a unique and desired commodity; If you are
spending much of your time sitting and sleeping on top of a constant
heat releasing radiator, you will probably feel comfortably warm, even
on really cold days when air temperatures in the house may be relatively
cool. The "heat battery" will be kept at a constant charge with the
preparation of two warm meals a day. </span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">In
2009 I revisited Morocco for a short vacation. I had contacted an
American Peace Corps volunteer who was living in the Middle Atlas. He
was working with the Ministry of Energy Water and Environment on a pilot
project to improve hammam-boilers. I asked him questions about the
different heating stove designs common to his region, </span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">general </span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">stoking habits and </span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">practices concerning the collection/procurement and storing of biomass/wood fuel</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">. I also wanted his </span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">opinion and </span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">input
on the idea of using RMH stove design for rural homes in the Atlas
Mountains. We had great fun, but our time together was way too short to
have a serious dialog on the subject. </span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">To
some extent, I started having second thoughts about RMH design being a
realistic, plausible or even feasible candidate in the world of ICS
projects. Besides the fact that it is not a small metal box that can be
manufactured off site and easily transported/distributed, I was also
starting to wonder if the fuel specs required for optimal operation of
RMHs were a bit rigid for real life conditions. Straight, bone dry,
thinly split wood - who the heck has that for fuel staple in rural
Morocco (-or in the Himalayas, Andes or Central Asia etc.) ? Fuel wood
is often burned semi green, and wood stacks are often damp in wet winter
weather. Some people suggested I should think about sawdust for fuel,
which they said was both cheap and readily available in their region. In
other areas of the Atlas Mountains, people were said to be scraping by
on flimsy brush and heather type plants. <br>
I started looking at possible options for adjusting RMH design to
accommodate these less dense, more available fuels. Ideas ranged from
bigger, batch-burn feed chambers, to fulgora/sawdust and gassifier stove
configurations. All options seemed to over complicate the system and
jeopardize its original functionality, output or efficiency. <br>
Last spring I came across this youtube video (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1t6eD9Ijwc&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1t6eD9Ijwc&feature=player_embedded</a>
) posted by Rok Oblak. Seeing the vivid burn profile of a biomass
briquette in this rocket stove configuration gave me an idea. By
configuring the RMH fuel chamber to "co- fire" briquettes with wood, I
could both lower RMH "fuel wood quality requirements" and provide
greater flexibility in terms of fuel stock. (-I suspect that sounded a
bit like gibberish- It may perhaps only make sense when seeing the the
prototype in operation, <u>and</u> understanding basic RMH dynamics.) I
have attempted to make a few video segments with my photo camera to
better explain.- I apologize for my lack of skills as a videographer and
for the unpolished appearance of the prototype stove which is currently
set up outdoors. I also ask that the prototype only be viewed in
context of a complete RMH specimen (- with heated benches etc.) such as
presented in the pdf / RMH book.<br>
<b>Prototype video link: </b><a href="http://www.vimeo.com/19415675" target="_blank">www.vimeo.com/19415675</a><b> </b><br>The
stove works using either wood or briquettes alone, but their combustion
together seems to present an almost symbiotic relationship.<br>
I suspect the briquettes may have the same effect on dung cakes. <br>
</span></div><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><font color="#000000">Designing stoves to have a certain fuel type flexibility may become
increasingly important for the future. Flexibility may help prevent
the overtaxing of one single fuel resource and mitigate problems
associated with fluxing supplies/availability.<br></font></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><font color="#000000">Biomass briquettes have a real potential where fuel wood is increasingly
becoming an scarce commodity. BUT ... the end user most often seems
to lack a stove which burns them really well. I imagine this factor is
limiting end user demand for the briquettes, which in turn makes it hard
for briquette programs/producers to get off the ground. </font></span>
<div><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"></span>Today,
an overwhelming amount of work (and money) is dedicated to improve
biomass fueled cooking stoves. These programs are primarily addressing
the energy needs of people living in (sub)tropical climates. But what
about people living at high altitudes and in seasonally
cold regions. These people may be fewer in numbers, but with the
additional need for heating and a slow bio-mass regeneration rate,
household energy issues become far
more complex and taxing. These problems deserve more attention.</div><div><font face="arial, sans-serif"><span style="border-collapse: collapse;">Thanks again for taking the time to read through this email. I would greatly appreciate any feedback you may have.</span></font></div>
<div><font face="arial, sans-serif"><span style="border-collapse: collapse;">This
is also a call out to anyone interested in collaborating on further
development and testing of this prototype and/or other variations of
rocket mass heaters. I am currently searching for an indoor location as
well as resources to build and fine-tune a full scale, working model. I
will be looking into reducing the cost of certain key components by use
of alternative materials. (- like the stove pipe; could the non-exposed
segments that are buried in thermal mass be produced by connecting used 6
inch diameter cans from hermetically sealed food products-?) </span></font><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">Options
for a safe, durable and reliable heat exchanger for water heating
should also be explored, as well as ways to accommodate baking of bread.<br>
A final prototype will need to be field tested. I have some ideas for
potential test locations/groups, but I would greatly appreciate any form
of</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">collaboration</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">, </span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;">guidance </span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;"></span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; border-collapse: collapse;"> or advice from those with more experience. <br>
</span></div>
<div><font face="arial, sans-serif"><span style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br>For further information on RMH design, please visit the website of my friend and collaborative partner, Ernie Wisner: <br></span></font><a href="http://www.ernieanderica.info/rocketstoves" target="_blank">www.ernieanderica.info/rocketstoves</a><br>
If there are any technical problems with accessing the attached pdf file, please let me know. <span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">Copies of this publication may also be purchased in either </span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">book forma</span><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">t or as a pdf.file at these web sites: <a href="http://www.rocketstoves.com/" target="_blank">www.rocketstoves.com</a> or <br>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rocket-Mass-Heaters-Superefficient-Woodstoves/dp/0966373839/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294866126&sr=8-1" target="_blank">www.amazon.com/Rocket-Mass-Heaters-Superefficient-Woodstoves/dp/0966373839/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294866126&sr=8-1</a> </span><br>
<br>If I do not hear back from you, I may send this email again, in case it ended up in spam boxes.<u><br> The recipients of this email are: </u><br><div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sjoerd Nienhuys</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><a href="http://www.nienhuys.info/ics-wood-stoves.html" target="_blank"> www.nienhuys.info/ics-wood-stoves.html</a> </div>
<div><font face="Verdana, Geneva, 'Trebuchet MS', Lucida, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 14px;">Geres <font size="2"><a href="http://www.geres.eu/en/household-energy/42-activites-nrjmenages-maroc-equi-bois" target="_blank">www.geres.eu/en/household-energy/42-activites-nrjmenages-maroc-equi-bois</a></font> </span></font></div>
<div>Afghans For Tomorrow <a href="http://www.afghans4tomorrow.com/" target="_blank">www.afghans4tomorrow.com</a> </div><div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpYjjarm_Bo" target="_blank">www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpYjjarm_Bo</a> </div>
<div>
<font face="arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial;">Prakti design / gtz <a href="http://www.praktidesign.com/images/stories/prakti_gtz_khorog_ceramic%20tadjikistan.pdf" target="_blank">www.praktidesign.com/images/stories/prakti_gtz_khorog_ceramic%20tadjikistan.pdf</a></span><br>
<font style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" size="2" color="#003333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Sanu Kaji Shrestha</font> <a href="http://www.fost-nepal.org/" style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">www.fost-nepal.org</a><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);"> </span> </span> <br>
Richard Stanley <a href="http://www.legacyfound.org/" style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">www.legacyfound.org</a></font></div><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Dr. Bernard Amadei</span> <a href="http://www.ewb-usa.org/about.php" target="_blank">www.ewb-usa.org/about.php</a><br>
<span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Peter Scott <a href="http://www.rocketstove.org/" style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">www.rocketstove.org</a></span><br>
High Atlas Foundation <a href="http://www.highatlasfoundation.org/" target="_blank">www.highatlasfoundation.org</a><br></div><div> <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/13475796" target="_blank">http://www.vimeo.com/13475796</a><br>
Amy B. Smith <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_B._Smith" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_B._Smith</a><span><b></b></span><br>
Rok Oblak <a style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);" href="http://www.mdulastove.wordpress.com/biomass-briquettes" target="_blank">www.mdulastove.wordpress.com/biomass-briquettes</a><br>
Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <span><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.newdawnengineering.com/website/opening.php" target="_blank">www.newdawnengineering.com/website/opening.php</a></span></b></span></div>
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<span><Rocket_Mass_Heaters.pdf></span></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>