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State of the Art in Rice

Husk Cook Stoves


Marc Par
Mechanical Engineering // Georgia Tech
Jan 2011 // ETHOS Conference

Saturday, January 29, 2011

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[Resource Opportunity]
[Properties of Rice Husk]
100 kW
($4000)

[Resulting Notable Designs]

0.8 kW
($30)

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0.3 kW
($20)

0.3 kW
($10)

World Rice Consumption 2008 (USDA)


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How much energy is


out there?
432,039 metric tons of rice consumed / year
x 0.6 milling rate
x 12 GJ / metric ton
/ 1.3 MJ to cook a meal
2 billion meals / year
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Properties of Rice Husk


Energy Content
Chemical Composition
Angle of Repose
Thermal Conductivity
Air Flow Resistance
Saturday, January 29, 2011

Properties of Rice Husk


or Understanding a Really Strange Fuel

Energy Content
Chemical Composition
Angle of Repose
Thermal Conductivity
Air Flow Resistance
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Low
High in Silicates
Causes Bridging
Can Put Out Fires
Darn High

Energy Content
Hull

3000 kcal / kg

Char
Ash

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Ash Chemical
Composition
Al2O3
6%
Fe2O3 CaO
1% 2%

MgO Losses
2%
9%

SiO2
80%

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Angle of Repose

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Thermal Conductivity

Test Results from ASTM testing by


R&D Services of Cookville,
Tennessee (Courtesy Dr. Paul
Olivier)

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Dr. Paul Olivier http://www.esrla.com/


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Resistance to Air Flow

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Pressure drop higher


than that generated by
stack effect in a natural
draft cook stove

Summary, courtesy of
Eldon Beagle
The high percentage of silica in rice hulls and the
peculiar silica-cellulose structure impede uniform
and thorough burning of the hulls in a combustion
process.
Eldon Beagle set a pile of rice hulls 300x500x50 on fire
and they burned for six months.
However, husk cannot be burnt easily or cleanly with
excess air, and energy recovery is very low as the heat
produced cannot be utilized in a beneficial manner.
Beagle (1978), p. 8. ,Velupillai (1996), p. 18., Ibid., p. 24. , Ibid., p. 25.
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It cant be done?

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Gasification
Two-stage
Cleaner burn
More fuels
Air-controlled

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Power Generation

$34 / kW
30-300 kW

Fluidised bed
Projects around the
world

Dr. Alexis Belonio

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Forced Air Batch Gasification

$113
0.8 kW

Requires a fan and


electricity

Blue flame
Easy to control
Batch operation

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Dr. Alexis Belonio

Dr. Paul Oliver


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Continuous Quasi-Gasification

$30
0.3 kW

Requires tapping every


few minutes

Continuous operation
Easy to start
Emissions?

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Natural Draft Batch Gasification

$20
0.3 kW

Chimney provides
necessary draft

Very little material


Batch operation

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Future?
TEG (or thermopile) to power fan
More autonomous continuous stove
Blue flame on natural draft stove
More options for cooking surface
construction

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smallredtile.com
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Sources

IRRI World Rice Statistics http://beta.irri.org/solutions/index.php?


option=com_content&task=view&id=250

Chemical Analysis of Rice Husk Ash: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3085035/Chemical-Analysis-ofRice-Husk-Ash

Rice and Straw Properties (Rice Knowledge Bank) http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/rkb/


index.php/rice-milling/contributions-and-references-milling/further-information-byproducts/
husk-and-straw-properties

No other plant offal even approaches the amount of silica found in rice husks. Beagle, E.C.
1978. FOA Agricultural Services Bulletin 31, p. 8.

Kaupp, A. (1984). Gasification of Rice Hull: Theory and Praxix.


Federal Republic of Germany:
GATE/GTZ. 303pp.

http://gasifiers.bioenergylists.org/content/continuous-flow-rice-husk-gasifier-thermal-application

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Sawdust stove image: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/1974-11-01/How-ToSawdust-Stove.aspx

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