<div dir="ltr"><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px">Dear Ron and others,<br>Elsen and his partner visited us to have a look at our charring process. We received them at Pune railway station, but because they came from Africa, we expected them to be black, which they were not. We did not have mobile phones at that time, so it took us quite a while to make contact with them. From Pune, we drove to Phaltan, to our Institute. At that time we made charcoal by using the oven and retort process. The visitors described to us the process which they were using. It more or less matched with what you have described.<br>Yours<br>A.D.Karve </blockquote></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">***<br>Dr. A.D. Karve<br><br>Chairman, Samuchit Enviro Tech Pvt Ltd (<a href="http://www.samuchit.com" target="_blank">www.samuchit.com</a>)<br><br>Trustee & Founder President, Appropriate Rural Technology Institute (ARTI)<br></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Oct 14, 2016 at 10:25 AM, Ronal W. Larson <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:rongretlarson@comcast.net" target="_blank">rongretlarson@comcast.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div style="word-wrap:break-word">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<div><br><div><blockquote type="cite"><div><div><blockquote type="cite"><br><span class="m_3682938674526380752Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><snip; then Andrew said, re Elsen Karstad and Elsen’s Kenyan company “Chartist”, yesterday></blockquote><span class=""><br>As I said Chardust in Kenya initially did it in a simple down draught burner.<br></span></div></div></blockquote><br></div><div><span class="m_3682938674526380752Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><b>[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. </b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><span class="m_3682938674526380752Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>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. </b></div><div><b><span class="m_3682938674526380752Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>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.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><span class="m_3682938674526380752Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><b>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..</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><span class="m_3682938674526380752Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>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. </b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><span class="m_3682938674526380752Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>Tom Miles can probably correct a few errors above. Hope this can get also to Elsen - who did some fine early work.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>Ron</b></div><br></div></div><br>______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
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