[Stoves] Energy from whole coconuts

[Paul S. Anderson]

Dear Ian,

You ask a very interesting question.  Here are some miscellaneous thoughts:

1.  Instead of drilling through one end, probably better to drill 
through a side
and to pass all the way through (i.e., end up with 2 holes) for better 
drainage.

2.  Probably far far better would be to saw them in half so that they can
air-dry much better.

3.  Alternatively, de-husking the coconuts would leave you with the much
higher-energy-value shell and copra, and that can be smashed/cracked much more
easily than when the husk is on.  There are good fuel uses for the coconut
shells, and if the copra is still attached (but dried), that might become a
good fuel.

3.  In addition to finding ways to harvest the energy, you need to have a use
for the thermal energy.  Fiji does not need much (any?) home/space 
heating. What are the established users and uses of heat in Fiji and 
what are they
currently using as fuel?  That is the competition.

4.  More information about the realities of the coconut industry in Fiji could
be revealing.  What "wastes" are accumulating at the factories?  What is being
done currently with the shells of the coconuts that are harvested and
processed?

I am sending this message also to others who I know are working on coconut
issues.

Paul

-- 
Paul S. Anderson, Ph.D., Geography professor - Emeritus
Telephone:  USA-309-452-7072 (residence and office)
Internet site:  www.ilstu.edu/~psanders
For my gasifier stoves info, go to:
http://bioenergylists.org/contributors#Paul_Anderson


Quoting Ian Vincent <vincent at igrin.co.nz>:

> Hello everyone
>
> I live in a large coconut plantation area on Taveuni Island, Fiji and we
> have a 'huge' surplus of unharvested waste coconuts. I can get them for
> free if I collect them myself, or can buy them @ US$5 per  100.
>
> Strikes me that these whole nuts contain a large amount of energy, both as
> oil and as wood material. They also contain water of course. One idea was
> to open each end, perhaps with a 25mm drill, or bigger, drain the water,
> then have hot flue gas passing through the hole and the 'copra', thus
> drying it . At some point the 'copra' which is the coconut meat containing
> the oil would dry and could/would ignite. Then what, I am not sure. How to
> harvest this energy?
>
> Some of you folks know a lot more about this stuff than I do, so thought I
> would pose the question."What alternatives are there for harvesting the
> energy from whole coconuts".? Are there any existing designs etc for
> cooking stoves burning whole coconuts?
>
> Feedback appreciated
>
> Ian
>
>
>
>
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