<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">List:<div><br></div><div> <b style="letter-spacing: 0px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px;">ETHOS 2014 Thoughts</b></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>(a data dump - see also two earlier on first two days - none of my thoughts there. Hope others will add their thoughts - especially those who were going on to Cottage Grove for three-four days of further dialog</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>This mainly being done to keep Tom Miles and daughter Erin up on events at ETHOS. I learned from Tom’s sister there was nothing serious about their having to drop attendance. We missed them.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The following in italics uses format at <a href="http://www.vrac.iastate.edu/ethos/conference.php"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">http://www.vrac.iastate.edu/ethos/conference.php</span></a></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> Up to now this conference largely run by Mark Bryden, with help from Dean Still. Now a new Board elected (6-8?). The following taken from the above web site.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>Conference Themes (Five)</b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b></b></span><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>A. <i>Lab research, including:</i></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> </span><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>insulative materials</i>,</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> Mainly talks by Jon/Flip Anderson. These are floating bricks. Looked very nice. (hard, vitreous, but light) Use 50-50 mix of clay and sawdust (by volume). Not sure of firing temperature. I talked some with Alexis Belonio on replacing sawdust with char (we will both try different sizes downward from pellets). Others are making such bricks also. Char being of interest because it is easy to get everywhere.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Much discussion on whether ceramics are mandatory for long life, as no/few/expensive metals can stand up to high temperatures. TLUDs believed to experience considerably lower temperatures. Belonio says you are OK with metals in his stoves if metal doesn’t get red hot.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I was surprised that Jon and Flip often use unfired material for their stoves. Sacrifice efficiency (because of high density) for low cost.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> Belonio and I had several discussions about making light-weight refractory cement (not clay) stoves. He emphasized need for considerable silica to get high temperature strength - easily available from rice husk ash (not rice husk char). We will both try char as an ingredient. I have successfully used concrete blocks for TLUD operation (but no life tests). Cement could be simpler to construct at remote villages.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Considerable emphasis on needing to cut costs a great deal for cooks using three-stoves - which are often better than the claimed new stove.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> </span><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>efficiency testing</i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">, Some new lower cost equipment coming from Aprovecho. Four of new regional testing centers there (Nepal, Senegal, China, XX). I think these regional centers will be big help in getting more involvement by knowledgeable combustion/pyrolysis experts.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> </span><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>emissions monitoring</i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>,</i> Same for Aprovecho (Sam Bentson). Report that he had achieved all 4’s for Tiers with a charcoal using stove. Main secret was paying attention to reflectivity.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> </span><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>safety updates and design issues</i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">, Safety not covered explicitly but several reminders that it is one of eight areas getting a tier rating.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The idea of thermal diodes (heat pipes) did not come up at Ethos- but I talked about this with several people, because of dialog on a different list. The idea could allow multiple cook pots on a single central flame - for either TLUDs or rockets. Look this up on Wiki and the idea should be easily understood. Idea in use in many solar devices. I don’t think in any biomass cook stoves. (True?) Used along Alaska pipelines by the tens of thousands (to keep permafrost).</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>More rocket stoves seen using vertical wood pieces, with “automatic” feeding. Dale Andreatta is finding there is an optimal angle for the grate depending on fuel dampness.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The Save 80 stove (German) had good looking design for sunken pot (skirt design looked right). They are selling a complete package - stove, pot, haybox. This violates the “principle” of having $10 stoves - but just might give the lowest annual cost. Can’t use this stove for some higher temperature cooking - but saw photo of frying eggs</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>One example (Kirk Harris) using a sacrificial insert (too soon to report anything) - but increases cost by less than 50 cents - and could add years to lifetime (with replacements only when needed).</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I heard very little on chimneys this time.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Agreement (?) that ceramic grates for rockets were much better than metal.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> </span><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>gasifier advances</i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>,</i> Belonio showed several videos of very blue flames. I received conflicting guidance on why blue occurs. Belonio reported that his burner cap design was developed for potential buyers in place he has been working (Philippines, Indonesia, XX) have strongly favored LPG stoves - and they all had the multiple small holes in rings. To get acceptance of wood, he needed his stove to replicate the LPG “multiple “flamelet” design. He knows of no other stove design using this approach (not possible with rockets, but all TLUDs could).</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Dean Still especially was complimentary of new design idea from Kirk Harris who presented and demonstrated on several approaches to point secondary air downward (with a third controllable supply). Someone said that the Phillips stove had something similar with downward pointing secondary air (and they invested extensive engineering expertise ) with fans.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Disagreement on whether to add insulation in place of open channels for preheating secondary air with TLUDs. Kirk Harris collecting data soon to (he believes justifies insulation over preheat). We see both approaches also with rockets.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <i>hayboxes/insulative cookers,</i> This is an old idea,. Aprovecho has pamphlet. Can be done anywhere at low cost with about 50% fuel savings (or more). One demonstration given. Stove companies and GACC need to get more behind this, because of potential big savings in fuel.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <i>solar cookers. </i> Essentially nothing this year. Considerable discussion of large use of wood for water heating, which can be done during the day. Need more on hybrid systems.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">B. </span><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><i>Field experience</i></b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">, <i>including monitoring of: performance, indoor air pollution exposure, health impacts, user satisfaction, time and socio-economic impacts; awareness raising; stove promotion; involvement of volunteers and local universities; lessons and modification to approaches.</i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></i>Several talks along this line. I think general agreement that in-field surveys may not be really capturing use of new stoves accurately. Agreement that existing water boiling tests are not indicative of what happens in real kitchens - but I saw no data on how far apart they are - and such comparisons should be relatively easy.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Paul Anderson mentioned an upcoming leasing program ($0.33/mo [$4/year]), in exchange for 200 gms char per day average. (char to go in soil) Uganda?</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Missing were talks by folks at CSU (budget problems), who along with Aprovecho, have sizable grants from DoE. Some but not enough from Dean on what Aprovecho has learned in that DoE program (he is writing a report).</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Elmar Dimpl (working with GIZ (?) with regional test center in Senegal) reported on unsolved problem of badly polluting a large part of capital city Dakar by smoking fish. (big export item for Senegal.) Later discussed with several as we looked at an (intentionally) smoking TLUD. Thinking one can make char while creating smoke. Major health issue now for women tending (flipping the fish) over long raised “trenches”. Anyone have solution?</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Short discussion on finding ways to better use cell phones in stove field testing, etc.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><i></i></b></span><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><i>C. Efficiency versus effectiveness, and resulting design implications.</i></b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> Michael Johnson and a few others from Winrock and Berkeley Air had interesting new material on how to go between stove tiers and WHO standards for amount of permissible cooking at different tiers to meet the WHO standards for CO and PM2.5. Would end up with recommendations for using different stoves for different tasks to minimize daily exposure to pollutants. (Agreement that new stoves do not replace transitional stoves.) This process driven by health issues, not so much efficiency or climate (I think) - but could.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b></b></span><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><i>D. Technology standards: key parameters, constraints.</i></b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> I talked twice with Drs. Ranyee Chiang and Michael Johnson, who seem to be the main international leaders in this stove standards effort. There is a meeting in Nairobi (?) very soon, where they will go into detail not possible in a few minutes at a meeting like Ethos. I mentioned my desire to see more on a) lab testing reporting time use by testers, b) stove lifetimes, and c) annual costs.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b></b></span><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><i>E. Policy issues: role of U.S. partnerships and international donors, country-level leadership, subsidies versus commercialization.</i></b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>One nice new feature was two people from Cummins - there to see if it made sense for this (big) company to become more active in GACC activities. I hope they and others do join.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>GACC activities explained by Ranyee, Julie Ipe - on documentation at GACC, and John Mitchell of EPA, woking closely with GACC. Best understood by going to GACC site (a big news item was that they will soon add a catalog of stoves.) I believe progress still being made in increasing funding. </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Had several long talks with Ted Redelmeier of Toronto, who gave Saturday 20-minute breakout talk on big picture use of stoves to make charcoal (later called biochar) for climate reasons. Introduced new (to me) terms of C- - and C++ Ted uses latter to identify fossil releases into atmosphere, with C- - as the sequestration possible from char-making stoves.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Sum up: I hope others will add their take-aways - for the benefit of those who couldn’t make it. Ron</span></div></body></html>