Scientists Develop Ultra-Efficient Biomass Charcoal Heater
Millions of people around the world heat their homes with charcoal burned on small grills. Now a group of Japanese scientists has developed a biomass charcoal combustion heater with a thermal efficiency of 60-81 percent— a big step up from current biomass stoves, which have an efficiency of 46-53 percent.
- » See also: US Arpa-E Funding Enlisting Cyanobacteria to Make Fuel For Humans
- » Get CleanTechnica by RSS or sign up by email.
The heater could be especially useful in Japan, where biomass is a plentiful source of renewable energy. According to scientists, large-scale use of the biomass charcoal combustion heater could potentially cut CO2 emissions by 4.46 million tons.
While most of us focus on the efficiencies of central heating for our homes, there are millions around the world using a more basic method for heat.
Significantly improving the thermal efficiency of charcoal heaters and stoves will have a significant effect on lowering CO2 emissions and reducing pollution.
This article is raising more questions than it informs.
What is that source of abundant biomass? How is that
biomass turned into bio charoal? The efficiecy rating is
about the same or less as with using wood pellets.
Are they actually using biomass charcoal or pellets
and if so would the same furnace be able to use pellets? Is this new heater idea actually commercially
viable? Was this article written by amateur dabbler?
Real facts please.
If the charcoal making process is commercialized by burning the tar and pyroligneous acid produced during carbonization in a boiler. As pyrolysis is an exothermic process and only sensible heat to raise the temperature is needed for carbonization. By utilizing the heat from tar and pyroligneous acid the charcoal making process can be made energy efficient and sustainable.