[Stoves] re Report on Improved Dung burning stoves in Tibet

[Jeff Davis]

Dear List,

On Friday 25 August 2006 11:30 pm, nari phaltan wrote:
>     1. Cow dung is an excellent source of fertilizer and it is really a
>    waste that it is used for burning/cooking. In western Maharashtra where
> I live, most of the farmers realize it so they mix it with agriculture
> residues and sell it as fertilizer (excess) or use it in their farms.

Yes, it is my understanding that it is best to compost it before applying it 
to the land.


>Those who have biogas plants use it in
> them for producing both fertilizer and fuel (biogas).

Now that's an interesting point. We get fertilizer and fuel. The only thing is 
that biogas suffers from a poor turn-down ratio.

I'm not sure if the inverted down draft gasifier will burn dung, but for now 
lets say it will. Furthermore lets say that Kevins manure tea is feasible.

So here is the "what if": What if we burn manure  in an inverted down draft 
gasifier and the manure was washed (manure tea, optional). Now we get fuel 
and two by-products that would be used for soil enrichment, charcoal from the 
gasifier and manure tea. Furthermore a solid fuel is much easier to store 
than a gas fuel like biogas. Moreover charcoal (soil enrichment) can be 
stored for a vary long time if need be.

If we were to venture further from our comfortable way of thinking, we could 
use Kevins manure tea to grow algae. Now we are making interest on our manure 
tea investment. More biomass, less CO2 and more O or should that be O2?

Your friend,

Jeff

-- 
Jeff Davis
Somewhere 20 miles south of Lake Erie, USA
http://www.velocity.net/~jeff0124