[Stoves] Fuel Testing

[frank]

Crispin,

I agree and my note was poorly written. In fact this is the point of my 
procedure. I picked pine for the generic wood burning stove because it 
burns hot, quick and puts out a lot of PM. So it seemed to me to be a 
good fuel to work with while making changes to the design of the stove. 
But, as you state, one type of stove.

My thinking is that stove designers should have several bins in the back 
yard that are filled with fuel from the different parts of the world and 
used when designing stoves. If the basic characteristics of the 
different fuels are known than the different fuel types can be simulated 
with local stuff. I think i could formulate a simulated dried Yak dung 
from cow manure if I knew the ash, density, water, carbon densities.  I 
could wash half the cow manure and re-mix to the original to get the 
properties right. Perhaps add 'ash' material and press-dry to the right 
density. Many fuels could be simulated with local stuff in this manor.

So i think what would help is if the different areas would gather data 
during a full year on the properties of the fuel they use. The data 
would be moisture, density, ash particle size etc... so the stove labs 
could start making the fuels.

I also think if I was to continue along the lines of characterizing the 
fuels based on these mostly physical properties that we could know what 
happens when  a match is placed along a corner.  We could add a burning 
test that goes something like this: will it hold a fire when a match is 
held for 5 sec, 15 minutes. Will it smolder. Does it produce a lot of 
smoke. A list of physical and burning properties that together describes 
the fuel. I think the 'simple' stuff is getting lost amongst the complex 
calculations. This simple stuff is most important. The complex list of 
fuel proximate analysis results seem to be rarely used when designing 
stoves because fuel is oftem a mixture and so different within the same 
group.

As much as I would like to spend my time full time studying stoves, I 
must leave this group because I have so many other projects I need to 
work on to pay the bills.

I learned a lot.

Thanks
Frank






.  




Crispin wrote:

>Dear Frank
>
>  
>
>>If I worked in a stove lab that tested stoves where the
>>stove could be used in many parts of the world I
>>would test using one inch pine.
>>    
>>
>
>If you did, your stove that worked well in the lab would not be the same at 
>all in the field, particularly when it comes to induced air flow, 
>temperatures of surfaces and thermal conduction.  That's a  pretty big 
>change.
>
>If you were taking the trouble to select your firewood by species, for 
>subtle differences in burning characteristics, think how much difference 
>removing the water would make!  Far more than choosing Maple over Oak.
>
>Regards
>Crispin 
>
>
>
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-- 
Frank Shields
Soil Control Lab
42 Hangar way
Watsonville, CA  95076
(831) 724-5422 tel
(831) 724-3188 fax
frank at compostlab.com
www.compostlab.com