March 1997 Gasification Archive

From a7196001 at msv.cc.iwate-u.ac.jp Sat Mar 1 01:43:52 1997
From: a7196001 at msv.cc.iwate-u.ac.jp (Myles Mac Donncadha)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Knowledge of Lambiotte continuous retorts?
Message-ID: <199703010646.PAA13284@msv.cc.iwate-u.ac.jp>

Hi all,
Has anyone experience they'd like to share with regard to Belgian-made
Lambiotte retorts?
I believe its usually more of a charcoal producer than a gasifier so please
excuse me for knowingly straying away from the gasification theme.
Regards,
Myles Mac Donncadha

From bedwards at iastate.edu Sat Mar 1 11:25:39 1997
From: bedwards at iastate.edu (bedwards@iastate.edu)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Re: HTW Syn-Gas Gasifier
In-Reply-To: <961231133157_73002.1213_FHM52-2@CompuServe.COM>
Message-ID: <9703011633.AA06069@isum2.iastate.edu>

Tom wrote:
> Where are all you 60 guys (sorry, humans) listed as members of
> gasification. I would like to have a short note on each of your interests and a
> comment on what you would like to see more of here in GASIFICATION. STOVES
> (with about 30 members) is ten times as active as GASIFICATION.
>
> Have a great New Year and new year, TOM REED

Tom,
I'm in Ames; where are you? ;-> Seriously, I've been lurking while trying to
catch up on a serious backlog of mail that accumulated last fall.

I'm a grad student in forestry (emphasis in agroforestry) with a definite
interest in rural development. To that end I'm interested in all kinds of
renewable energy (especially wood) particularly (very) small scale
applications. In terms of gasification, *I'd* be interested is seeing a
discussion of applications small enough for to power trucks or tractors.
Robert Brown (Mech. E. here at at ISU) was not encouraging during a visit we
had a while back--dirty fuel, low efficiency... But suppose labor is
abundant, wood is free for the cutting, money is scarce and liquid fuel is
expensive and/or inconvenient (remote location)? Comments?

Bill
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William A (Bill) Edwards | It's you and me against the world.
bedwards@iastate.edu | When do we attack?
If these aren't my very own views I want to know who the heck's responsible!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From REEDTB at CompuServe.COM Sat Mar 1 18:33:06 1997
From: REEDTB at CompuServe.COM (Thomas Reed)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Knowledge of Lambiotte continuous retorts?
Message-ID: <199703011839_MC2-11E5-F15E@compuserve.com>

Thomas B. Reed 303 278 0558 V Colorado School of Mines
1810 Smith Rd., 303 278 0560 FX Department Chem Eng
Golden, CO 80401 ReedTB@Compuserve.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Myles:

I have long known OF the Lambiotte (or SIFIC) charcoal maker. It recycles
heat from the gases given off and requires no external heat source. Makes
over 30% charcoal.

There are 5 pages of description of Lambiotte in "Industrial Charcoal
Making", FAO Forestry Paper No. 63, obtainable from FAO (c 1985), ISBN
92-5-102307-7.

If you find out anything more, please forward to me.

Yours truly, TOM REED

From REEDTB at CompuServe.COM Sat Mar 1 18:36:26 1997
From: REEDTB at CompuServe.COM (Thomas Reed)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Use of FID detector to detect tars in gasifier gases
Message-ID: <199703011842_MC2-11E5-F167@compuserve.com>

Thomas B. Reed 303 278 0558 V Colorado School of Mines
1810 Smith Rd., 303 278 0560 FX Department Chem Eng
Golden, CO 80401 ReedTB@Compuserve.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Jim:

Thanks for your great data on FID sensitivity. I tend to agree with you
that the Methane and other HCs will interfere with detecting smaller
amounts of tar. I am forwarding your letter to others in gasification to
see if anyone else has ideas for a "tar meter".

I like your qualitative idea of looking at the sparklers. I am having
lunch with Das on Monday and will discuss it with him.

Congratulations on working with Karpuk and TDI. I have always liked him
and admired him as a competent engineer. Hope it works out ......

Your netpal, TOM REED

From REEDTB at CompuServe.COM Tue Mar 4 16:26:28 1997
From: REEDTB at CompuServe.COM (Thomas Reed)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Tarless Gasifier Demo
Message-ID: <199703041630_MC2-121A-1D71@compuserve.com>

Thomas B. Reed 303 278 0558 V Colorado School of Mines
1810 Smith Rd., 303 278 0560 FX Department Chem Eng
Golden, CO 80401 ReedTB@Compuserve.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stovers and Gasifierers(?):

Glad to hear from Pete concerning the rate of propogation of the "flaming
pyrolysis" zone in a pile of woodchips. While the discussion applied to
"gasifier stoves", it applies even more in the "GASIFICATION" node, so I'm
responding in both.

Just as "burning velocity" of gas/air mixtures is central to understanding
the use of gaseous fuels in Bunsen and other burners, Markson and I in 1982
discovered that the "propogation velocity" of a burning "flaming pyrolysis
zone" is central to understanding the behavior of the "stratified downdraft
gasifier". (I believe it was Ali Kaupp and maybe Bob Reines at UCDavis who
coined the name "open core" gasifier as an alternative to "stratified
downdraft" about 1984. I have never understood what an "open core" was - I
hope someone can enlighten me.) Incidentally, the propogation velocity is
very difficult to predict, but obviously depends a great deal on moisture
content, which is probably why downdraft gasifiers require <20%MC for good
operation. Other early names associated with this work are Wallawender at
Kansas State, the Buck Rogers Co. and the very earliest the Chinese rice
hull gasifier.

The term "stratified downdraft" (as opposed to Imbert/nozzle stabilized
downdraft) comes from the plug flow of the fuel, first through the "flaming
pyrolysis" zone, making CO/H2 rich combustion gases, then as char through
the reduction zone with the gases passing the same way at about 0.2-1 m/sec
(superficial velocity).

The "Transparent Gasifier" was first built at NREL/SERI about 1982, based
on a patent of mine from MIT. Thin gold, 20 nm thick, insulates as well as
an inch of Fibrefrax. We market a transparent furnace that will go to
1100C. Cost <$1,000. We built several transparent gasifiers and have a
lot of video footage showing the flaming pyrolysis and reduction zones.

We originated the term "flaming pyrolysis" by analogy to "flaming
combustion", a very old term. FC is the combustion of gases in an excess
of air, as in a match or candle flame, where the products are largely CO2
and H2O. FP is the combustion of gases (from pyrolysis) in an excess of
fuel, where the products include a lot of CO and H2 as well. Glad to see
the term is surviving without dilution.

All of this was covered when it was still fresh in my mind in disgusting
detail in our "Handbook of BIomass Downdraft Gasifier Engine Systems",
(Reed and Das, 1988, Chapters 4 and 5, available from the BEF Press). (End
of commercial).

There is to be an energy fair in Boulder (People's Republic of) in May this
year and Das and I believe it is possible to make a gasifier with low
enough tar to run a Honda 3kW generator with NO scrubbing. I gave him a
copy of Bhatacharya's Two Stage (Tarless) gasifier paper yesterday. Any
suggestions (other than it ain't possible)?

Best to all, especially PETE, who starte this train of thought ... TOM
REED

From REEDTB at CompuServe.COM Sat Mar 8 07:49:17 1997
From: REEDTB at CompuServe.COM (Thomas Reed)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: stoves-digest V1 #108
Message-ID: <199703080756_MC2-124A-80C5@compuserve.com>

Thomas B. Reed 303 278 0558 V Colorado School of Mines
1810 Smith Rd., 303 278 0560 FX Department Chem Eng
Golden, CO 80401 ReedTB@Compuserve.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Mort:

Self heating charcoal manufacture: You can find any result you want on
this subject in the literature. Antal has published figures on the "heat
of pyrolysis", showing it can vary from several hundred + to several
hundred - kJ (kcal?).

The reasons for the diversity are many - come visit for more. The
principle reason is that SLOW pyrolysis of MASSIVE wood produces minimum
volatiles, maximum charcoal, which is the exothermic part of pyrolysis.
(Vaporization of the tars and PLA is endothermic.)

The most convincing evidence for self heating is the experience of the
charcoal industry itself. If you put a carload of scrap wood in a kiln and
monitor the temperature of the kiln and the center of the wood pile,
initially the woodpile lags behind the kiln - to about 275C. At this point
the TC in the pile catches up with the kiln and passes it, reaching about
425 C, even if you turn the kiln off.

We make a product, Sea Sweep, an oil absorbent from wood. An important
part of our process is quenching the wood before pyrolysis is finished to
preserve the structure.

On the other hand, at high heat transfer rates, the surface of each
particle can be incandescent while the center is still cold!. Under these
conditions the outer regions of the charcoal are gassified by the emerging
CO2/H2O and char yields are very low.

So you can see your question opens a large CAN OF WORMS, much of which is
not yet explored.

2) Sulfure. I have no proof, but I don't think the miniscule sulfur will
stay in the charcoal during metal reduction. It sure doesn't during
gasification.

From REEDTB at CompuServe.COM Sun Mar 9 09:04:10 1997
From: REEDTB at CompuServe.COM (Thomas Reed)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Re: Measuring stove airflow.
Message-ID: <199703090909_MC2-124E-384B@compuserve.com>

Tom Duke said:

"I have a peace corps volunteer friend in Nepal. She is living with some
villagers. Their house is filled with smoke because of cooking on an open
fire inside the house. She is concerned about the effect of smoke on the
small children."
~~~~~
Tom, what a tragic tale of smoke and woe you tell for your friend. The
village women will cough out their lungs & burn out their eyes before they
are forty, burning wet wood, straw and dung in closed huts. (Ask Kirk
Smith the consequences of breathing the equivalent of ten packs of
cigarettes per cooked meal!) Sad to say, these conditions apply to over
half the women in the world. This is "THE WORLD COOKING PROBLEM". (If men
did the cooking maybe they would try to improve cooking conditions or the
fuel or the technology.)

I've had some personal experience being exposed to smoke and spending a
season hacking and coughing. I'm no longer devil-may-care about breathing
smoke. My occasional co-author, Agua Das is working on a charcoal project.
Last time I saw him he was hacking and coughing. I asked if it could be
smoke .....could be! Any other personal experiences out there? H&C are
the hazards of combustion/gasification research. Beware!

Twelve years ago at a conference in South Africa (with Tom Miles Jr., our
webmaster) I saw the palls of smoke that hang over the black homelands. I
decided to work on "gasification for cooking". The inverted downdraft (aka
charcoal producing stove) is one result which Ron and I hope will lead to
cleaner cooking. Village gasifiers (Shandong, China, see Ralph Overend)
may also help solve the problem.

The more I get to know about the golden triangle of
pyrolysis/gasification/combustion, the more I feel there is a simple
affordable solution for these problems. But predictions and papers are
plentiful, significant experiments few and far between. I spend ten hours
at this computer for every hour I can scarf off to run a new test. There
is no money available to solve the world cooking problem and most
scientists haven't a clue about the fundamentals of PGC.

So I hope we can continue to make forward progress in this most important
area. Meanwhile, Tom, I hope you will get feedback from your Peace Corps
volunteer so we can appreciate the magnitude and dimensions of the problem.

Yours faithfully, TOM REED

From bhatta at ait.ac.th Mon Mar 10 20:19:26 1997
From: bhatta at ait.ac.th (Prof. S.C. Bhattacharya)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: No Subject
In-Reply-To: <199703041630_MC2-121A-1D71@compuserve.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.970311081823.6584B-100000@rccsun>

H. Michael-Kim (EFEU GmbH, R & D for Energy and Environment, D-5830
Schwelm) reported development of "Three-phase wood gasifier system
EASIMOD" some time ago. His gasifier design was claimed to produce "tar-free"
gas.

Does any body know about the status of this gasifier or the email address
(or fax number) of Mr. Michel-Kim?

S.C. Bhattacharya

-------------------------------------------------------------------
S. C. Bhattacharya Voice : (66-2) 524 5403 (Off) Professor 524 5913 (Res)
Asian Institute of Technology Fax : (66-2) 524 5439 GPO Box 2754, Bangkok
10501 516 2126 Thailand e-mail: bhatta@ait.ac.th
-------------------------------------------------------------------

On Tue, 4 Mar 1997, Thomas Reed wrote:

> Thomas B. Reed 303 278 0558 V Colorado School of Mines
> 1810 Smith Rd., 303 278 0560 FX Department Chem Eng
> Golden, CO 80401 ReedTB@Compuserve.com
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Stovers and Gasifierers(?):
>
> Glad to hear from Pete concerning the rate of propogation of the "flaming
> pyrolysis" zone in a pile of woodchips. While the discussion applied to
> "gasifier stoves", it applies even more in the "GASIFICATION" node, so I'm
> responding in both.
>
> Just as "burning velocity" of gas/air mixtures is central to understanding
> the use of gaseous fuels in Bunsen and other burners, Markson and I in 1982
> discovered that the "propogation velocity" of a burning "flaming pyrolysis
> zone" is central to understanding the behavior of the "stratified downdraft
> gasifier". (I believe it was Ali Kaupp and maybe Bob Reines at UCDavis who
> coined the name "open core" gasifier as an alternative to "stratified
> downdraft" about 1984. I have never understood what an "open core" was - I
> hope someone can enlighten me.) Incidentally, the propogation velocity is
> very difficult to predict, but obviously depends a great deal on moisture
> content, which is probably why downdraft gasifiers require <20%MC for good
> operation. Other early names associated with this work are Wallawender at
> Kansas State, the Buck Rogers Co. and the very earliest the Chinese rice
> hull gasifier.
>
> The term "stratified downdraft" (as opposed to Imbert/nozzle stabilized
> downdraft) comes from the plug flow of the fuel, first through the "flaming
> pyrolysis" zone, making CO/H2 rich combustion gases, then as char through
> the reduction zone with the gases passing the same way at about 0.2-1 m/sec
> (superficial velocity).
>
> The "Transparent Gasifier" was first built at NREL/SERI about 1982, based
> on a patent of mine from MIT. Thin gold, 20 nm thick, insulates as well as
> an inch of Fibrefrax. We market a transparent furnace that will go to
> 1100C. Cost <$1,000. We built several transparent gasifiers and have a
> lot of video footage showing the flaming pyrolysis and reduction zones.
>
> We originated the term "flaming pyrolysis" by analogy to "flaming
> combustion", a very old term. FC is the combustion of gases in an excess
> of air, as in a match or candle flame, where the products are largely CO2
> and H2O. FP is the combustion of gases (from pyrolysis) in an excess of
> fuel, where the products include a lot of CO and H2 as well. Glad to see
> the term is surviving without dilution.
>
> All of this was covered when it was still fresh in my mind in disgusting
> detail in our "Handbook of BIomass Downdraft Gasifier Engine Systems",
> (Reed and Das, 1988, Chapters 4 and 5, available from the BEF Press). (End
> of commercial).
>
> There is to be an energy fair in Boulder (People's Republic of) in May this
> year and Das and I believe it is possible to make a gasifier with low
> enough tar to run a Honda 3kW generator with NO scrubbing. I gave him a
> copy of Bhatacharya's Two Stage (Tarless) gasifier paper yesterday. Any
> suggestions (other than it ain't possible)?
>
> Best to all, especially PETE, who starte this train of thought ... TOM
> REED
>
>
>

From yourfirst.yourlast at SheridanC.on.ca Wed Mar 12 12:07:13 1997
From: yourfirst.yourlast at SheridanC.on.ca (Your Name)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: penpals
Message-ID: <33270B45.839@sheridanc.on.ca>

HOW CAN ONE GET INVOLOVED IN NETPALS?

KATARZYNA.WIERZBICKA@SHERIDANC.ON.CA

From REEDTB at CompuServe.COM Thu Mar 13 13:46:00 1997
From: REEDTB at CompuServe.COM (Thomas Reed)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Cratech??
Message-ID: <199703131353_MC2-1288-3935@compuserve.com>

I have a paper, circa 1994, by Joe D. Craig of Cratech, Inc., Tahoka Texas
on "Development of a New Generation of Small Scale Power Plants".

Does anyone know if CRATECH still is active?

Thanks, TOM REED

From tmiles at teleport.com Thu Mar 13 22:27:03 1997
From: tmiles at teleport.com (Tom Miles)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Cratech??
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970313192909.00761910@mail.teleport.com>

Joe Craig was at Bioenergy 1996. Is he in the Nashville directory
(Bioenergy, that is)?

Tom

At 09:30 AM 3/13/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Thomas B. Reed 303 278 0558 V Colorado School of Mines
>1810 Smith Rd., 303 278 0560 FX Department Chem Eng
>Golden, CO 80401 ReedTB@Compuserve.com
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Dear Gasification:
>
>I have a paper, circa 1994, by Joe D. Craig of Cratech, Inc., Tahoka Texas
>on "Development of a New Generation of Small Scale Power Plants".
>
>Does anyone know if CRATECH still is active?
>
>Thanks, TOM REED
>
>

From REEDTB at CompuServe.COM Mon Mar 17 16:04:28 1997
From: REEDTB at CompuServe.COM (Thomas Reed)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Re: Sucron process
Message-ID: <199703171610_MC2-12BB-7656@compuserve.com>

Thomas B. Reed 303 278 0558 V Colorado School of Mines
1810 Smith Rd., 303 278 0560 FX Department Chem Eng
Golden, CO 80401 ReedTB@Compuserve.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry:

Regarding gasification vs sacharification, "Right On!". I'm with you. I
have probably the only methanol ever made by gasification in my "museum",
left from our oxygen gasifier at NREL in 1984.

Unless we spend money on alternative energy like we spent it on moonwalks,
it will be a long time before these projects become "commercial". (Yet
look at the commercial communications satelites now!).

This is one of the reasons I feel obliged to live to 100. Racketball
anyone?

TOM REED

From REEDTB at CompuServe.COM Mon Mar 17 16:05:27 1997
From: REEDTB at CompuServe.COM (Thomas Reed)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Reminiscences on a Stove Program in Nepal
Message-ID: <199703171611_MC2-12BB-7678@compuserve.com>

Thomas B. Reed 303 278 0558 V Colorado School of Mines
1810 Smith Rd., 303 278 0560 FX Department Chem Eng
Golden, CO 80401 ReedTB@Compuserve.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kirk, G &S:

I very much appreciated Kirk's comments on the Nepalese stoves and, as an
inventor, I would like to add a few caveats.

Yes, invention is often inevetable when new materials or other fabrication
technologies become available, witness graphite clubs, rackets,
rockets,....; the internet building on PCs building on chips building on
the transistor,..... .

HOWEVER: Sometimes the missing link is a vision or an accident or better
understanding. I have always wondered why the hula-hoop was invented in
the 1950s when hoops had been around hundreds of years.

I invented a GOLD FURNACE which uses a 20 nanometer layer of "transparent
in the visible and >99% reflective in the IR to replace an INCH of fibrous
insulation. The key link was my realization that the radiative losses are
100 times higher than the convective losses, so reflecting radiation makes
the furnace possible. There are several thousand of these around (made by
TransTemp) in Chelsea Mass.

The top ignited stove that Ron and I work with is (a) not obvious and (b)
clean and steady relative to conventional bottom ignition. It came from
lying awake at 3 AM in South Africa in 1955.

So..........While there is a great deal of truth in what Kirk says, there
is NO SUBSTITUTE for understanding and thinking and puzzling and reading
and cogitating.

Cheers, think, TOM REED

From REEDTB at CompuServe.COM Mon Mar 17 16:05:30 1997
From: REEDTB at CompuServe.COM (Thomas Reed)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Re: chip stoves
Message-ID: <199703171611_MC2-12BB-7679@compuserve.com>

To add to what Art said about chippers:

Hammer mills also make "chips", but they should more properly be called
"stringers" or "sliver" since there is little cross grain cutting.

Yesterday Ron Larson and I were talking about the undknown effect of chip
size on combustion rate and speculating that a pile of 1/2" chips would
burn a lot faster than a pile of 2" chips. For the last two years I have
been working from a few bushels of 1/2" chips from NREL. They are gone and
I am having a hard time finding more. I have gone to nurseries etc. and
they tend to have more stringers than chips. (Costs money to cut vs
smash).

Yesterday, while on a hike on the HIGHLINE CANAL with my wife we saw a
small pile of perfect chips and took a sample. I'm thinking of visiting
the park administrators to find where that chipper is in use.

A world expert on chipping is TOM MILES Jr. - Senior claims to have
invented the perfect angle for cutting, derived from the beavers teeth. Is
that correct TOM?

More thoughts, sources? TOM REED

From REEDTB at CompuServe.COM Mon Mar 17 16:06:59 1997
From: REEDTB at CompuServe.COM (Thomas Reed)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Re: Sucron process
Message-ID: <199703171613_MC2-12BB-7662@compuserve.com>

Thomas B. Reed 303 278 0558 V Colorado School of Mines
1810 Smith Rd., 303 278 0560 FX Department Chem Eng
Golden, CO 80401 ReedTB@Compuserve.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry:

Regarding gasification vs sacharification, "Right On!". I'm with you. I
have probably the only methanol ever made by gasification in my "museum",
left from our oxygen gasifier at NREL in 1984.

This is one of the reasons I feel obliged to live to 100. Racketball
anyone?

TOM REED

From mheat at mha-net.org Mon Mar 17 17:30:49 1997
From: mheat at mha-net.org (Norbert Senf)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Reminiscences on a Stove Program in Nepal
In-Reply-To: <199703171611_MC2-12BB-7678@compuserve.com>
Message-ID: <332DBA0B.6139@mha-net.org>

Thomas Reed wrote:
>(snip)
>
> The top ignited stove that Ron and I work with is (a) not obvious and (b)
> clean and steady relative to conventional bottom ignition. It came from
> lying awake at 3 AM in South Africa in 1955.
>
(snip)

For another interesting take on top ignition, check out:
http://www.wood-heat.com/topdown.htm
--
--------------------------------------------------------
Norbert Senf email: mheat@mha-net.org
Masonry Stove Builders mheat@hookup.net
RR 5, Shawville website: http://mha-net.org/msb
Quebec J0X 2Y0 fax: 819.647.6082
voice: 819.647.5092

From REEDTB at CompuServe.COM Wed Mar 19 16:40:18 1997
From: REEDTB at CompuServe.COM (Thomas Reed)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Top down gasification
Message-ID: <199703191645_MC2-12D6-DFFC@compuserve.com>

Norbert Senf (at Masonry Stoves) allerted me to your "top down" article on
the WWW at http://www.wood-heat.com/topdown.htm. I'll recommend it to all
our CREST stove and gasification people. I read it and printed it out to
show my wife. Then I saw your main page. Great. Do you have any
objections to my putting your "Top Down" article in our STOVE node? I'll
wait for your OK.

Here is a poem I sent out to CREST members a year ago. Feel free to add to
your list:
~~~~~~~~~
Here is a poem I came across in my files - it was our Christmas card in the
palmy days of renewable energy.

WOOD HEAT
Beech wood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year.
Chestnuts only good, they say
If for long its laid away.
But ash wood new or ash wood old
Is fit for a queen with a crown of gold.
Birch and fir logs burn too fast,
Blaze up bright and do not last.
Is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould -
Een the very flames are cold;
But ash wood green and ash wood brown
Is fit for a queen with a golden crown.
Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke.
Apple wood will scent your room
With an incense like perfume.
Oaken logs if dry and old
Keep away the winter cold.
But ash wood wet and ash wood dry
A king shall warm his slippers by.

Oak logs will warm you well,
If theyre warm and dry.
Larch logs of pine wood smell
But sparks will fly.
Beech logs for Christmas time;
Yew logs heat well.
Scotch logs its a crime
For anyone to sell.
Birch logs will burn too fast,
Chestnut scarce at all.
Hawthorn logs are good to last,
If cut in the fall.
Holly logs will burn like wax,
You should burn them green.
Elm logs like smouldering flax;
No flames to be seen.
Pear logs and apple logs,
They will scent your room.
Cherry logs across the dogs
Smell like flowers in bloom.
But ash logs all smooth and gray,
Burn them green or old,
Buy up all that come you way,
Theyre worth their weight in gold.
From Tree farm by John Estabrook
*****
(However, remember, all wood has the same (+/- 5%) heating value on a DRY,
ASH FREE basis. )

Does anyone have any modern comments on the advice of this piece?
~~~~~~~~~
Sad to say, no one had any comments.

My field is gasification. I "discovered" the top burning advantages for
gasification in 1985 and have been developing improved cooking stoves for
third world countries since then. We finally got a "blue" cooking flame
last year.

Nice to know the principles of science --- and wood burning --- apply
across the board to gasification and combustion and ......everything.

Keep up the good work -----if you're ever in Denver, look us up....

Yours truly, TOM REED

From REEDTB at CompuServe.COM Mon Mar 24 07:54:21 1997
From: REEDTB at CompuServe.COM (Thomas Reed)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Woodchips and spit
Message-ID: <199703240800_MC2-132B-DA85@compuserve.com>

I was hoping you would ask!

My deceased colleague, (Harry LaFontaine, ne Jensen) was a member of the
Danish underground and had 1,000 stories - (some of them possibly fables
like from his GGGrandFather, mother's side).

Early in the war Denmark made gasifiers to operate trucks, fishing boats
etc. They were fueled with wood blocks, but if the blocks had more than
20% moisture the gas would be weak and tarry. The government set up a
squad of "wood block inspectors", complete with uniforms, epaulets etc.
They would go to the stores selling bags of wood blocks, pull out their
resistivity meters, and if the blocks had too much water they could fine
the store owners or shut them down.

Wood is like a bunch of drinking straws lined up together, and above 20%
moisture these straws are full of water. After a year or so it was
discovered that if you spit on one end of the block and blew through the
other end you would see bubbles - if the straws were empty. If they were
full of water, you couldn't blow bubbles.

Overnight the squad of inspectors was disbanded. Too bad for bureaucracy,
good for gasification.

Try it! And don't be caught buying or burning wet wood!

Tom Reed

From REEDTB at CompuServe.COM Mon Mar 24 12:03:17 1997
From: REEDTB at CompuServe.COM (Thomas Reed)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Water in biomass
Message-ID: <199703240801_MC2-132B-DA89@compuserve.com>

I believe bone dry wood requires so little heat to pyrolyze that the whole
mass "smokes", while the air supply can only keep up with one part. 10% or
more water localizes the action.

I have seen this effect in both combustion and gasification. In any case,
bone dry wood is very rare except in plywood plants.

This discussion of water in wood has been most interesting. Have we hit
bottom yet?

Tom Reed

From REEDTB at CompuServe.COM Mon Mar 24 21:58:52 1997
From: REEDTB at CompuServe.COM (Thomas Reed)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:16 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Re: Drying at low temperatures
Message-ID: <199703242202_MC2-1338-8DA1@compuserve.com>

Thanks for your always insightful comments.

Does anyone have any kind of address for Joe Craig? Need to include in
book.

Thanks, TOM REED

From REEDTB at CompuServe.COM Mon Mar 24 22:06:46 1997
From: REEDTB at CompuServe.COM (Thomas Reed)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:17 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Re: Drying at low temperatures
Message-ID: <199703242204_MC2-1338-EE9B@compuserve.com>

Thanks for your always insightful comments.

Does anyone have any kind of address for Joe Craig? Need to include in
book.

Thanks, TOM REED

From tmiles at teleport.com Tue Mar 25 00:27:10 1997
From: tmiles at teleport.com (Tom Miles)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:17 2004
Subject: GAS-L: Re: Drying at low temperatures
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970324213218.0071ae44@mail.teleport.com>

Tom,

Jim Kuester should know. I think he may have provided funding through the
Western Regional Biomass Program.

>From an NREL Excite search:

5.1 Arizona

The Western RBEP and the University of Arizona are developing equipment to
make cotton stalk harvesting economical.
Cotton stalk residue provides overwintering habitat for common pests like
pink bollworms and bollweevels. State regulations
prompted by concern about insect infestation require the disposal of cotton
stalks following harvesting. Consequently, there is
great interest in using the residues recovered from cotton fields for
energy production. The joint project aims to develop a
commercially acceptable system using conventional agricultural equipment to
harvest, handle, and transport the residue. Test
sites include the University's 80-acre experimental farm at Marana, 25
miles from Tucson, and a commercial cotton farm near
Yuma.

CONTACT: Dr. James Kuester, Department of Chemicals & Biomaterials
Engineering, Building B210, Arizona State
University, Tempe, AZ 85287-6006. tel: 602/965-5071. fax: 602/965-0037.

Regards,

Tom

At 10:04 PM 3/24/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Thomas B. Reed 303 278 0558 V Colorado School of Mines
>1810 Smith Rd., 303 278 0560 FX Department Chem Eng
>Golden, CO 80401 ReedTB@Compuserve.com
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Dear Harry and Gasification Group:
>
>Thanks for your always insightful comments.
>
>Does anyone have any kind of address for Joe Craig? Need to include in
>book.
>
>Thanks, TOM REED
>
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
Tom Miles, Jr. Thomas R. Miles
tmiles@teleport.com Consulting Design
Engineer
http://www.teleport.com/~tmiles/ 5475 SW Arrowwood Lane
Tel (503) 292-0107 Fax (503) 292-2919 Portland, Oregon, USA 97225-1353

From JCCVATO at aol.com Sat Mar 29 10:56:16 1997
From: JCCVATO at aol.com (JCCVATO@aol.com)
Date: Tue Aug 31 21:07:17 2004
Subject: GAS-L: wood gasification
Message-ID: <970329110344_281811923@emout07.mail.aol.com>

Hi, Im looking for any source of information on wood biomas gasification. I
understand you have a video concernig the issue, please send me more
information to: jccvato@aol.com

BioEnergy Lists: Gasifiers & Gasification

March 1997 Gasification Archive