[Stoves] Burning coal in cookstoves

[AJH]

On Fri, 28 Dec 2007 14:11:56 -0800, Tom Miles wrote:

>(We burned up to 2/3 wet wood with coal
>at which point we were "burning" 1/3 wood, 1/3 coal and 1/3 water.)

Strangely I found wet wood chips were able to moderate the combustion
of whole car tyres in a similar way, yet rubber tyres have very high
volatiles!

Interesting also that the (alkali) wood ash reacted with the sulphur,
isn't dolomite (limestone) used to the same effect?

In the case of the TLUD it may be possible to put a layer of
pelletised wood ash on top of the coal (or coal plus wood mixture) to
catch the sulphur. Or indeed add ash to coal briquettes.

If you consider how coal is formed you can see how it can have a high
load of heavy metal salts and these may volatilise, this talk of
arsenic as well makes me think that cleaning up the combustion may
lead people to breathe too much of these cumulative poisons, where at
present the acrid fumes make them avoid it?

AJH