[Stoves] Ethanol stove project(s) in Africa

[Crispin Pemberton-Pigott]

Dear Paul

I am not yet entirely moved by your assessment regarding protecting things.
I have tried EVERYTHING in my efforts to bring technologies to the masses
and will continue to hold out the possibility that a patent or design
copyright or trademark or copyright may be the thing that brings in an
investor who has the muscle to brings things to market. I am still willing
to try.  So far not much has worked!

>There is significant effort in Malawi with UNDP backing.  A consultant will
be
>hired for a 1 or 2 month study (probably yet this year), including analysis
of
>ethanol stove types.

I am aware of it and it includes assessing the way forward, gearing up for
mass production (a plan for it) and a good look at the viability of an
ethanol stove industry.

To date the product has been supported by a number of sources of funding.
The problem I see is that the scale of production was not sufficient to get
the stove cost down and the efficiency up (design issues).  The availability
of fuel is a big problem so it might fly, but somewhere else.  This has to
be looked at. As far as I know the tenders have not been opened yet.

Quoting Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <crispinpigott at gmail.com>:

>It is encouraging to me that Corrie has arrived at an approach similar to
...

Yes it was confirming.  I told him to look up the stoves site with your
instructions to confirm what he could.

>...Instead he should seek collaboration and possible business 
>relations with others who could assist him instead of compete with him.

He has incorporated a really interesting idea into his stove that offers
something of value to a stove owner. I have not seen or heard of it before.
Although the flame pattern is similar - even to the hole sizes, it is not a
Lily Stove in other respects.

>If he can make quality items, I could be interested in 
>having him work on production aspects of the Lily 
>stoves, perhaps as a joint venture of sorts, possibly with some
>combination of his and my technologies.

That remains a possibility.  He is a skilled professional with a really nice
machine shop. He can produce for you and still be an inventor. Spinning
metal is a very inexpensive production method for relative medium
quantities.  The tooling is cheap.

>if "He has been making them for some years" and therefore 
>has already revealed his innovations a year or more earlier.

I am not so sure about that.  He has been busy but not very public.

>I would like to see one of Corrie's alcohol stoves, and I 
>would like him to make one of mine, but with his skills and
>materials.

There is at least some possibility that I can organize something.  I pass
through Colin Barnes' territory and Colin passes through Corrie's.

>I hope that both Philip and Corrie will have their stoves to Malawi for the
>evaluation and testing.

>Other ethanol stoves that should be there are:
>Gel fuel stoves  (perhaps 4 or more different models)
>SuperBlu stove
>CleanCook stove
>Pressurized alcohol stoves, (including the one by Anil R. of Phaltan,
India.)
>Trangia campstove
>"Fondue-type" open alcohol stoves
>   and what else??

Blue Wave
Maybe a Corrie Cooker??

Maybe not - it is not a market ready product yet, but it is a very safe
device burning liquid ethanol (not gel).

Oh - you can send an SMS to Corrie at that number because it is a cell
phone.

(corrie:  +27-83-310-2995)

Regards
Crispin