[Stoves] Cooking on a Philips stove

[Ron Larson]

Paul:

1.    Thanks for very complete answers.  

2.   Apologies for getting last name spelling wrong last time.

3.  For clarification, a few more, picking from your message today


> The 
> reason I started involved in woodstoves in the first place that I could 
> not use the woodheating during summertime (the hout would get too hot) and 
> I wanted to be able to cook without being dependent on regular energy 
> supply.
    [RWL:  I don't recall hearing these two rationales before on this list - certainly not much.  Congratulations.  Both rationales can be used with solar cooking as well , and I knwo a few solar cooking friends - but you probably have the more convenient approach.

> 
> The woodheating has a thermal power of about 15 kW. Far too large and 
> wastefull for cooking alone during summer. But in winter I actually cook 
> on 'borrowed' heat. The heat is first used to cook and the low grade waste 
> heat is subsequently used for heating the house. So I use no energy for 
> cooking during the winter.  [RWL:  Also something I have to begin considering personally.   We don't see free energy very often.   Again good for you.
> 
            <snip>        

> 2) Can the woodstove be used for indoor heating.
    
            <snip>

> Mounting a chiney directly on the stove will be better but makes adding 
> fuel cumbersome and influences combustion efficiency. Still this would be 
> the best if one has no choice.    [RWL:   This list has not done a very good job in helping those developing countries with large space heating needs.  Here's hoping Philips/you will tackle that problem as time permits.  [Of course still hoping for some char output as well.]
> 
> Of course during start-up significant smoke is produced during the first 
> few minutes. For indoor demo's under smoke detectors the stove is always 
> on for more than 5 minutes. And quite dry wood is used.   [RWL:  Can you carry this early smoke problem a little further?  What do you believe is the cause?  I don't remember (possibly/probably repressing) this being a significant problem (especially compared to the problem when you begin consuming char.)]

        

> 
> 3) Status of the Philips project is that about 1000 stoves closely 
> ressembling my prototypes have been made and sold in India. Based on the 
> results it was decided to continue the project. That means a serious 
> industrialisation step is now underway. I cannot disclose prices but they 
> are mentioned somewhere in this discussion list.  [RWL:    How soon before those outside India might be able to make a stove purchase?   (My google search on "stoves" failed to find mention of a price - so maybe someone other than yourself can send me to the right place.)]
> 
> 4) My stove is designed to burn charcoal once created by the gasification 
> process. That makes continuous cooking possible. 'Cooking' runs of 4 hours 
> are no exception in my household. The only charcoal I make is by chocking 
> in a tin can the leftovers of cooking runs.  [RWL:  Do you feel that a market for char  (maybe $100/tonne [$0.10/kg]) would encourage users in India to do that choking? ]
>   
            <snip>
 

> 16) From my personal interest I know what 'terra preta' is, but I find it 
> hard to believe people will actively put charcoal in the soil in one place 
> on earth, while others are still digging coal......     [RWL:  Of course, most pushing "terra preta" would want the coal digging (and oil and gas drilling) to stop as well.   Maybe we will see a tax that will discourage its use - with that tax going to areas like TP.   But I wouldn't be surprised to see coal producers/users pay stove manufacturing groups like Philips - so they can claim a 100% offset, and can continue their mining/using.  Also many on the TP list are also anticipating that the soil benefits of char alone will be sufficient justification for producing char.

    Thanks for fine answers.  Best of luck in your next  larger-scale commercialization stage.   Ron





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