Court Rye: July 2008 Archives
In our search for all things biomass we've come across a few clever innovations. Recently we discovered a portable woodgas camp stove that uses biomass (sticks & shrubs) as fuel, the tagline being "carry the stove, not the fuel". We thought this was a great concept so we reached out the company iENERGY Inc (out of Virginia) and requested a sample. The owner was happy to provide us with two models including a small portable version (weighing just under 2lbs) and a larger stove along with battery packs and a solar adapter.
The wood gas stove functions much the same way that a blast furnace would. That being, fuel is supplied in the top of a metallic bucket with air being pumped up through holes in the sides and bottom. There is a tiny fan that pushes air through the base of the stove and it has two speed settings to control heat level. There is also a metallic handle for lifting and moving the stove around because it can get quite hot! The solar adapter comes separately and is used in place of two AA batteries which means you could hypothetically retreat into the wilderness for years and still cook with this stove... The benefits of this approach to outdoor cooking, verses a standard campfire or gas stove, are clear. The woodgas-stove burns much hotter, is more consistent, easy to control, and takes up less space. In many ways the stove could function even without the fan option but the blast furnace design definitely makes it easier to start and stop. It is our opinion that this product would also reduce the likelihood of a forest fire because of the way it restricts and focuses the flame.
The woodgas-stove is one of the most useful and functional biomass products we've seen in a long time but it's important to compare standard more traditional options to really determine that value. To do this we pulled out our old MSR Whisperlite Shaker Camp Stove which retails for $69.95. This stove is considered the standard in camping gear by many outdoorsmen and women and has been around for over 15 years. It uses a white gas fuel and can last several hours depending on the fuel tank size. There are several bottle sizes to choose from and the complete weight of the unit with bottle and fuel can range from 1.375lbs to 2.75lbs.
When comparing the size and space required to bring the Whisperlite vs. the Woodgas-Stove we determined that it's almost a tie. On the one hand, with the largest fuel tank for the Whisperlite vs. the smaller option Woodgas-Stove the Whisperlite is both heavier and takes more space in a pack. On the other hand, with the smallest Whisperlite fuel tank it would be both lighter and smaller but definitely would not last as long and ultimately would still cost more (for both fuel and unit cost). In many ways it seems like the Woodgas-Stove is a clear winner here; it's the cheapest option by far, retailing at $47.95 with no refill costs, but for people in very wet or snow covered locations without access to twigs and pine cones it might be a challenge to get started. The woodgas stove also gets a bit dirty after use since it is burning wood products; black soot accumulates at the bottom and edges. The unit does include a handy drawstring bag so the mess doesn't really present a problem, but to be fair it is a drawback. We also found that using a bit of "fire paste" or other lighter fluid product helped speed up the fire starting process when using damp biomass fuel and this would add to the cost and weight discussed earlier.
In conclusion, if you are into sustainability and cleantech and are on the market for a portable backpacking style campstove, we highly recommend the Woodgas-Stove by iENERGY. This thing isn't designed for base camp at Everest but it will impress your friends (especially with the solar option), save money, natural resources, and time (not having to refill a gas tank). Check out the different sizes and options at the Woodgas-Stove online store here and share your thoughts and feedback below.
The wood gas stove functions much the same way that a blast furnace would. That being, fuel is supplied in the top of a metallic bucket with air being pumped up through holes in the sides and bottom. There is a tiny fan that pushes air through the base of the stove and it has two speed settings to control heat level. There is also a metallic handle for lifting and moving the stove around because it can get quite hot! The solar adapter comes separately and is used in place of two AA batteries which means you could hypothetically retreat into the wilderness for years and still cook with this stove... The benefits of this approach to outdoor cooking, verses a standard campfire or gas stove, are clear. The woodgas-stove burns much hotter, is more consistent, easy to control, and takes up less space. In many ways the stove could function even without the fan option but the blast furnace design definitely makes it easier to start and stop. It is our opinion that this product would also reduce the likelihood of a forest fire because of the way it restricts and focuses the flame.
The woodgas-stove is one of the most useful and functional biomass products we've seen in a long time but it's important to compare standard more traditional options to really determine that value. To do this we pulled out our old MSR Whisperlite Shaker Camp Stove which retails for $69.95. This stove is considered the standard in camping gear by many outdoorsmen and women and has been around for over 15 years. It uses a white gas fuel and can last several hours depending on the fuel tank size. There are several bottle sizes to choose from and the complete weight of the unit with bottle and fuel can range from 1.375lbs to 2.75lbs.
When comparing the size and space required to bring the Whisperlite vs. the Woodgas-Stove we determined that it's almost a tie. On the one hand, with the largest fuel tank for the Whisperlite vs. the smaller option Woodgas-Stove the Whisperlite is both heavier and takes more space in a pack. On the other hand, with the smallest Whisperlite fuel tank it would be both lighter and smaller but definitely would not last as long and ultimately would still cost more (for both fuel and unit cost). In many ways it seems like the Woodgas-Stove is a clear winner here; it's the cheapest option by far, retailing at $47.95 with no refill costs, but for people in very wet or snow covered locations without access to twigs and pine cones it might be a challenge to get started. The woodgas stove also gets a bit dirty after use since it is burning wood products; black soot accumulates at the bottom and edges. The unit does include a handy drawstring bag so the mess doesn't really present a problem, but to be fair it is a drawback. We also found that using a bit of "fire paste" or other lighter fluid product helped speed up the fire starting process when using damp biomass fuel and this would add to the cost and weight discussed earlier.In conclusion, if you are into sustainability and cleantech and are on the market for a portable backpacking style campstove, we highly recommend the Woodgas-Stove by iENERGY. This thing isn't designed for base camp at Everest but it will impress your friends (especially with the solar option), save money, natural resources, and time (not having to refill a gas tank). Check out the different sizes and options at the Woodgas-Stove online store here and share your thoughts and feedback below.
Perhaps you've seen it. Perhaps you haven't. A local gas station opens a new pump offering E85 a new, environmentally friendly and renewable fuel source! Naturally, you think of filling up at that pump instead of the usual grades of gas. Word of warning: DON'T DO IT! Unless you're one of the few people driving the right car, called a flex-fuel vehicle, that is.
In addition to E85, which is a mixture of 85%
ethanol and 15% gasoline, another biofuel is becoming available at some filling
stations. It is called
'biodiesel'. Although both E85 and biodiesel are made
from biomass, there are major differences between biodiesel vs. ethanol and you can learn more about it from that link and a bit later in this article. Whereas E85 comes primarily from corn, biodiesel is manufactured mostly from crops like soybeans, rapeseed, and peanut oil and it can be used in diesel engines with little or no modification needed but it tends to be thicker than regular diesel so certain cars work better than others... Although biodiesel can be used in its pure form, it usually blended with standard diesel fuel. Blends are indicated by the abbreviation Bxx, where xx is the percentage of biodiesel in the mixture. For example, the most common blend is B20, or 20% biodiesel to 80% petroleum-based diesel. So, B100 refers to pure biodiesel."
Ethanol and biodiesel fuels produce fewer emissions. For further details checkout this PDF
It is worth noting that these biofuels burn differently than conventional gasoline. This is where putting it in your gas tank can burn your wallet. Biodiesel can be used in any equipment with a diesel engine without making any modifications to the engine. However, even diesel owners must watch for signs that fuel filters and systems are clogging, particularly when biodiesel is first used. Biodiesel can act as a detergent, which means that it can loosen deposits that are stuck in fuel lines and in the fuel tank, which in turn could clog fuel filters, injectors or other parts of the fuel system.
Vehicles that run on gasoline have spark-ignition engines. These engines use spark plugs to ignite the fuel. They are designed to use very thin, explosive fuel. Diesel engines are compression-ignition engines. Instead of a spark plug, they use high compression to ignite the fuel. They are generally heavier, sturdier engines that are designed to run on thick, viscous fuels like vegetable oil-derived biodiesel. That's why some people claim that biodiesel cars smell like french fries!
If you want to ride on the latest alternative fuel, you'll have to wait until your car can withstand the ride. And be sure to check the label before you put the spigot in your gas tank. The wrong fuel is a disaster for your car - and your budget.
In addition to E85, which is a mixture of 85%
ethanol and 15% gasoline, another biofuel is becoming available at some filling
stations. It is called
'biodiesel'. Although both E85 and biodiesel are made
from biomass, there are major differences between biodiesel vs. ethanol and you can learn more about it from that link and a bit later in this article. Whereas E85 comes primarily from corn, biodiesel is manufactured mostly from crops like soybeans, rapeseed, and peanut oil and it can be used in diesel engines with little or no modification needed but it tends to be thicker than regular diesel so certain cars work better than others... Although biodiesel can be used in its pure form, it usually blended with standard diesel fuel. Blends are indicated by the abbreviation Bxx, where xx is the percentage of biodiesel in the mixture. For example, the most common blend is B20, or 20% biodiesel to 80% petroleum-based diesel. So, B100 refers to pure biodiesel." Ethanol and biodiesel fuels produce fewer emissions. For further details checkout this PDF
It is worth noting that these biofuels burn differently than conventional gasoline. This is where putting it in your gas tank can burn your wallet. Biodiesel can be used in any equipment with a diesel engine without making any modifications to the engine. However, even diesel owners must watch for signs that fuel filters and systems are clogging, particularly when biodiesel is first used. Biodiesel can act as a detergent, which means that it can loosen deposits that are stuck in fuel lines and in the fuel tank, which in turn could clog fuel filters, injectors or other parts of the fuel system.
Vehicles that run on gasoline have spark-ignition engines. These engines use spark plugs to ignite the fuel. They are designed to use very thin, explosive fuel. Diesel engines are compression-ignition engines. Instead of a spark plug, they use high compression to ignite the fuel. They are generally heavier, sturdier engines that are designed to run on thick, viscous fuels like vegetable oil-derived biodiesel. That's why some people claim that biodiesel cars smell like french fries!
If you want to ride on the latest alternative fuel, you'll have to wait until your car can withstand the ride. And be sure to check the label before you put the spigot in your gas tank. The wrong fuel is a disaster for your car - and your budget.
Swift Enterprises
is a company focused on making piston style aircraft perform better...
while reducing their environmental impact, in that order. They
accomplish this by using biomass instead of traditional dirty fuels
with lead additives. Piston style airplanes (anything besides jets
basically) require Tetraethyl Lead in their motor fuels in order to
reach a high octane. The downside to using lead in gasoline is that
it pollutes the environment, and yet until now there have been very few
alternatives.
Swift Enterprises has developed a process to create synthetic
hydrocarbons using biomass which takes the place of refining crude oil.
This process allows Swift Fuels to replace current leaded additives,
increase the range of aircraft from 15 to 25%, drop pollutants by up to
20%, and produce 15% more energy all without the need for stabilizers. For an excellent rundown on more of the specifics of this operation check out this article at PBS.
Swift Enterprises has developed a process to create synthetic
hydrocarbons using biomass which takes the place of refining crude oil.
This process allows Swift Fuels to replace current leaded additives,
increase the range of aircraft from 15 to 25%, drop pollutants by up to
20%, and produce 15% more energy all without the need for stabilizers. For an excellent rundown on more of the specifics of this operation check out this article at PBS.
Around this time last year a team of engineering students at MIT created an electric battery that would charge using leaves and grass clippings - essentially biomass. The entire project only cost ~$2 because no precious metals were used but the down side is that it would take nearly half a year just to charge a normal cell phone!
While this product isn't all that useful in it's current state, discoveries from small experiments like this will lead to better composting and eventually biomass solutions for the masses. What if your home compost heap with rotten food, banana peals, and yard waste was feeding electricity into your home instead of just stinking up the yard? What if instead of emptying leftovers into the garbage disposal you put them into a biomass electric car? Furthermore, at the very basic level of composting, the end waste could still be used as fertilizer even after peak electricity had been generated using techniques similar to those demonstrated by this MIT team.
Other more recent breakthroughs in Solar technology at MIT are getting us even closer to living in closed loop energy environments.
While this product isn't all that useful in it's current state, discoveries from small experiments like this will lead to better composting and eventually biomass solutions for the masses. What if your home compost heap with rotten food, banana peals, and yard waste was feeding electricity into your home instead of just stinking up the yard? What if instead of emptying leftovers into the garbage disposal you put them into a biomass electric car? Furthermore, at the very basic level of composting, the end waste could still be used as fertilizer even after peak electricity had been generated using techniques similar to those demonstrated by this MIT team.
Other more recent breakthroughs in Solar technology at MIT are getting us even closer to living in closed loop energy environments.
Biomass Resources
State Programs
