[Stoves] Pressed biofuel - and Fire balls. Testing

[Crispin Pemberton-Pigott]

Dear Frank

We learned from Tom Reed that the superficial velocity (average, as if there
is no fuel) through a combustion bed is a number to watch. There is in the
coal stove a need to track the actual velocity of air through the pile of
fuel because it affects the cooling of the particles (coal lumps) and how
the volatiles are brought to the flame.

I was talking to a student yesterday who is interesting in modelling coal
combustion in a CFD project with some others.  There is extremely little
work like this going on. At the Univ of JHB we are also going to offer a
couple of scholarships for modelling because there is basically nothing to
start working with.

The air speed through the voids is going to be very important to the heat
transferred from particle to particle which determines a lot of things about
how coal burns.  The voids and packing density and air velocity are no doubt
going to be as important to wood burners as well.

We should sit with a pencil and paper in ETHOS. Are you coming?

Regards
Crispin

-----Original Message-----

Dear Crispin,

Thanks for the encouragement   The numbers are not so meaningful until I 
can get the procedure down the way I want it and is approved by others 
(no secrets in chemistry). Then I need to do a lot of testing of 
different biomass materials. Then see if they relate to burn.  Then work 
with packing void space and optimum air flow. Something like that.

Frank