FEB 10

Carbon dioxide emissions caused by environmentally unfriendly heating sources are considered by many to be a significant contributor to climate change. And, seeing as rural areas in east Asian countries apparently host an abundance of such devices, Japanese scientists are hoping to develop better heating solutions.

These scientists have been looking for a way to replace the millions of small, hibachi style portable heaters which burn charcoal in rural homes. Their proposed alternative solution is a biomass charcoal combustion heater, which they believe could cut annual carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 4.46 million tons.

Tests were run with charcoal prepared from Japanese oak (Quercus serrata) and from several waste biomass sources, such as a pruned tree branches, coffee waste and soybean fiber. It was found that, for wood charcoal, the heater’s thermal efficiency was about 65−86%, and for waste biomass charcoal species it was found to be in the range of 60−81% (compared to efficiencies of 46-54% for similar heaters in Turkey and the US). It was also noted that the CO concentration in the exhaust after the flue gas passed through catalyst was less than 5 ppm.

Check out the full article in Industrial & Engineering Chemical Research

Comments (3)

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link that works
written by wedwards, February 10, 2009

http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ie8006243

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written by Niels, February 14, 2009

Interesting development, but there may be some drawbacks to this biomass burning: http://oversight.house.gov/doc...110606.pdf

Any soot filters available for these heaters? ;)

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cool;)
written by emily, April 28, 2009

That is neat

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