[Stoves] Dung Berry Fireballs

[Crispin Pemberton-Pigott]

Dear Friends

The general approach to making these balls (all balls formed from wettish 
things) is to mount the drum at an angle looking rather like a concrete 
mixer (which is why it worked so well) and then turn it while adding the 
mix.  When the ball is large enough to roll down the rising face it will 
fall out the lip.  In other words, it is a continuous process that gives 
balls of the same size (approximately) and it is self-sorting: too small and 
it stays inside.

It is how small scale cement plants work.  The pan can be quite shallow 
(i.e. make two out of a drum) and you can form charcoal dust balls, 
coal+limestone, dung+grass balls (and so on) easily and quickly.  It is also 
cheap and low on labour demand (i.e. 'productive').

The 5 to 8 tons per day cement plants in India all have this system at the 
top.  Its potential for balling (briquetting) charcoal dust has gone 
unexplored for some reason.

Dr AD's extruder for small diameter fuel for the Sarai stove could probably 
use small balls of charcoal made in this way, using a small diameter 
'setting' for the output (i.e. change the angle) than the cement plants.

Regards
Crispin

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeff Davis" <jeff0124 at velocity.net>
Subject: Re: [Stoves] Dung Berry Fireballs

Maybe four casterwheels, two 2x4's, washer motor and a long V-belt. Caster
wheels are attached to the 2x4's and the barrel sets on the wheels with the
belt and motor turning it.


Jeff