[Stoves] specialty fuels

[dr a d karve]

Dear stovers,
I just returned from a journey to Rajasthan, the province in India that is
supposed to be a desert. My journey took me right across the state. This was
my second visit, after almost 15 years. I was astonished to see, how green
the landscape was. The single most prominent species was Prosopis julilora,
the American mesquite. Not a single tree had a central stem. All had
multiple branches, arising right from the ground level. This indicated that
the original tree was cut down to the soil surface, and what one saw was the
secondary growth. This tree serves the population as fuelwood and in spite
of intensive cutting, the fantastic coppicing ability of this plant has
actually led to its multiplication and spread. In many places one could see
the original flora, namely a leafless Eubhorbia resembling a miniature
saguaro cactus, completely surrounded by Prosopis. In India, the law
prohibits one to cut trees, but in Gujarath state, just south of Rajasthan,
Prosopis juliflora grows so rampantly, that the government has declared it
to be a weed and has allowed people to cut it for firewood and for making
charcoal. Fuel oil costs about 60 US Cents per litre and Prosopis wood costs
only US Cents 5. One can get the same amount of heat from 2 kg wood as from
one litre fuel oil. As a result, many industries have started using Prosopis
wood as boiler fuel.
Yours
A.D.Karve

----- Original Message -----
From: rnv impex <rnvimpex at gmail.com>
To: Discussion of biomass cooking stoves <stoves at listserv.repp.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 29, 2007 9:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Stoves] specialty fuels


> Dean,
>
> If we can draw the line on just picking up DRY Sticks , for fuel --- no
> problem--
>
> The sad part is 2 Billion people ( The Poor ) are chewing up Green trees
and
> then letting it dry  for fuel.The dry Stick you saw was a twig of a Young
> Green tree not more than a month back.
>
> Further the Green to Dry  also converts to cash in the wood Market & so
on.
>
> Agri waste is the answer to my mind. I make Bio Gasifiers to fire Diesel
> Engines that
> produce Electricity thru an Alternator coupling.Age Old Formula 20% Diesel
> and 80 % 'Producer gas'- this gas also fires the Kitchen Stove!. I have
> powered 800 Bhp Diesel Engines and this is no BIG Deal -Mind You. On A
> bigger scale the Entire Village can be Powered. I was doing this In Burma
> till things got real hot there.Left before the Bullets started firing .The
> feed stock we used was RICE HUSK --Plenty going a begging.
>
> Nickey