[Stoves] Fuel Testing

[frank]

Paul,
Needless to say I would like to work with your stove and test the 
different fuels you mention. I may be able to come up with a few of my 
own as they come in the front door for other tests. But I need to spend 
more time thinking about compost and less time about stoves! because 
that pays the bills.

To keep everyone here happy (boss!) I would need to charge for testing 
your fuel but could cut you a real low price.
I would suggest:
Moisture (105deg.C), organic matter- ash (550 deg.C), Organic Carbon and 
Nitrogen (Leco), Fuel Density (sand or water),  Ash Density (I think we 
will find ~2.67 will work for all). All the calculations I suggest can 
come from that.  OR any other test package you suggest.

That way when you find a fuel that works we my be able to use that as a 
'target'.
My daughter and I would like to experiment  with a working stove at our 
home using the fuels we test.  We will need to get a stove, perhaps in 
exchange for the testing? : )   .

Regards
Frank
 

 
Paul S. Anderson wrote:

> Stovers,
>
> I just finished reading about 8 messages with great comments about 
> fuel testing.
> Observations are:
>
> 1.  Frank, please do not leave the Listserv.
>
> Quoting AJH <list at sylva.icuklive.co.uk>:
>
>> Mass of oven dry fuel minus ash times 18.6 gives
>> the energy content for most biomass and subtract from this 2.7MJ/kg
>> for every kg of water in the wood.
>
>
> 2.  If a kilo of wood has 10% moisture, then 0.27 MJ must be subtracted.
> 0.27/18.6 = 0.0145 = 1.45 %.  Seems like a mighty small amount.  Did I 
> miss
> something?
>
> 3.  Frank gave a detailed discussion on making measurements, that I 
> think are
> rather complex.  Instead, I have started doing something more simple.  
> Granted
> that I have a clearly defined size of fuel container in the T-LUD 
> units I am
> using.  (The stove unit is provisionally called "Juntos B+" because it 
> is a
> slightly modified version of the "Juntos B" gasifier that is described 
> in the
> LAMNET article (Chile 2004), seen at Bioenergylist  website.)
>
>     a.  Fuel chamber size is 10 cm diameter and 14 cm height of fuel.  
> Surface
> area of 78.5 cm2.  times 14 = 1099.5 cm3.   Call it 1100 cm3 or 1.1 
> liters.
>
>     b.  For each fuel sample (I have done only 2 so far, but expect to do
> many), I obtain the weight of the fuel that fits into the fuel chamber 
> and the
> weight of the remaining char + ash after the pyrolysis phase has 
> ended, giving
> total used fuel weight:  sum of pyrolyzed material + whatever char was 
> also
> consumed during pyrolysis + water (moisture).  (Note:  I have not yet 
> made any
> measurements of moisture content, and I might only make estimates 
> after I know
> my fuels better.)
>
>     (1).  Wood chips sundried:   200 g start - 28 g char+ash = 172 
> fuel used
>
>     (2).  Fireballs (paper)(from Jeff):  170 g - 28 g = 142 g fuel used
>
>    c.  Each test is conducted in identical conditions of 7 liter SS 
> pot holding
> 5 liters of water.  Starting temperatures are recorded, and temps 
> recorded at
> intervals   0,  2.5 min,    5 min,   10 min,  15 min,  end time.
>
> Both tests were conducted with about the same settings on the blower.  
> The
> objective was consistent moderate flame, neither trying for high heat for
> fast-boil nor for low heat for slow-simmer.  Such testing experiences 
> will come
> later, I'm sure.
>
> The first tests were practice and will be repeated, so please do not 
> be quoting
> these numbers.  Both fuels raised the temperature of the 5 liters of 
> water by
> 43 or 44 deg C., in 17 minutes for the woodchips and 14 minutes for the
> fireballs.
>
> I must say that I am quite impressed with the paper fireballs!!!  
> Credit for
> those goes to Jeff!!!!
>
> More results later, probably in an item for the Bioenergylist website 
> plus a
> note to the Stoves listserv.  Right now, constructive comments about this
> method to test fuels would be appreciated.
>
> Paul


-- 
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