Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands Energy Fair--- Stoves March 2009

7 March 2009 - 10:43pm

Marshall Islands Energy Fair--- Stoves March 2009 Michael Trevor, Marshall Islands,March 8, 2009

Firing Things Up

See slide show attached. I did this in conjunction with a Woman's Club, "Kare in Okrane." Essentially, "Women of the Break of Dawn," a reference to women getting up a the break of day to prepare for the family's day. We did have hundreds of observers and a strongly expressed interest. In this case the rocket stove had the clear edge. Burning fuel is what people understand. Women have been doing it at their grandmother's knee since childhood. The Solar oven probably came in second. Here it was much like a microwave. I had to constantly open it up and invite people to touch the pot. Ouch, that it hot, hey it does work. What can you cook in it? Sadly the TLUD was more of curiosity. . The kerosene/propane like flame did surprise people, and I repeatly brought up charcoal and terrapreta as a benefit over time. However, the small size and short burn worked against it. I simply switch between two to resolve this. Best Regards to all Michael Trevor mtrevor@ntamar.net

Charcoal in the ARC stoves in Majuro

13 December 2008 - 10:12am

Trevor

Charcoal in the ARC stoves in Majuro
Michael Trevor, Marshall Island, December 13, 2008

Charcoal From ARC

Fuel and Char

Prepping Flower Shoot Covers Utak

It was asked if the ARC's stoves here in the Marshall make charcoal Absolutely

I went back and looked after we had to use the stove because the propane ran out, here in town. you answer pulpy punky material or not yes the stove does produce charcoal.

The charcoal in the pictures is charred copra used to light the stove and the pieces of the flower shoot that even show the grain and structure of the original pieces.

The flower shoot cover Spathe or Utak is an often used fuel anyway. Ripped by hand into small strips it works particularly well in the ARC rocket stoves. Copra, dried coconut meat, is the major cash crop and source of income for most. Its use would be limited to only a few chips as a starter material.

I find a spritz of kerosene from a old 409 bottle or even a squirt of WD-40 does fine as a starter too. Various pieces of fronds and leaflets are really bio trash stuff and if they can be use effectively a really handy application.

As for char structure, after it goes through my blender I am not at all sure there is much left.
Remember I have been using Charcoal slurppees for a while. Charcoal, fish scraps if there are and a touch of 20/20/20 and a pinch of sugar.

So better cooking and may your terra preta plot grow too.

Michael N Trevor
Marshall Islands
mtrevor@ntamar.net

See:
"Cocos nucifera"

Marshall Islands

Rocket

Charcoal

Coconut Palm and husk

Copra

Utak

Cooking With The Aprovecho Rocket Stove in the Marshall Islands

11 December 2008 - 3:08pm

Trevor

Cooking With The Aprovecho Rocket Stove in the Marshall Islands
Michael Trevor, Marshall Islands, December 11, 2008

Frying with a little copra and udak

For some of you this may be old hat but for others maybe new bits of information

Marshall Islands

Rocket

Coconut Palm and husk

Fronds

Utak

Palm Fronds as Fuel in a TLUD (Top Lit Updraft)

7 December 2008 - 10:56am

Trevor

Palm Fronds as Fuel in a TLUD (Top Lit Updraft)
Micheal Trevor, Marshall Islands, December 7, 2008

Loaded Chopped Fronds

Remember in the rocket stove I am use very "pulpy" stuff.
In the TLUDS-- XL Woodgas and my tincanium ones--- they make charcoal. As for shell I have not tried it much yet in the TLUDS althought my son burned out the first XLWoodgas unit on it.

I think a mix of broken shell chips with the chopped frond piece may work very well.
The chopped frond pieces work well but the burn is rather short.

In industrial applications like a bakery I am sure shell would be fantastic if you could get enough.I think everyone else would get it first

Michael Trevor
Marshall Islands
mtrevor@ntamar.net

Chopped Fronds for Fuels

Light Off

Nice Burn

Introducing the ARC rocket stove to the Marshall Islands

6 December 2008 - 9:23am

Trevor

Introducing the Aprovecho Research Center (ARC) rocket stove to the Marshall Islands
Michael N Trevor, Enemanit , Marshall Islands December 6, 2008

Cooking on Rocket Stove While Still Starting Shell Fire

Hello from the Marshall Islands, thing are progressing just slowly

I thought you might like these attached pictures. Dean Still and his crew John, Todd and Sandra along with Dr Richard Zellar on their (Aprovecho) Board really went the extra mile to help me get the stoves here to test. It took over half a year to accomplish. I complement them for the extra effort.

Initial reaction has been very positive, even right thru the roof. The best appellation was "fabulous", and others say "really good" or its almost like a kerosene stove. This thing really has potential to help people. Even the Ministry of Health has taken an interest for a public health view.

The stove being used next to a "normal" open fire from shell is really illustrative. The entire pot of eggs and potatoes for a picnic salad cooked on pieces of 2 or 3 flower spathes while the other fire was still being built.

The nearly smokeless fire is obvious. The steaming pot shows well right next to the harsh acrid shell smoke. Pollution.Junction !!!.

As for the fuel the difference in labor should be noted, Susan simply walked across the yard
picking up three "utok" from coconut spathes on the ground and lit them. Juli the young man however had to pick up and haul in a partial bad of nuts. Then they were husked, cracked and the meat cut out. Finally he spend the entire time Susan was cooking just getting his fire going,

Please note Susan is not even using the stove correctly as the pot was just big enough the the skirt fell down the outside of the stove. I believe the skirt is not going to be popular even though I carefully explained its importance and use to hold heat against the pot.

Fuel shortage is not an issue here as in some places. Right now I am working our a combination of chopped frond pieces for an XL woodgas stove and then running the midrib sections through the ARC rocket stove. The looks to be a nice usage of what is usually trash that is burned.

Sincerely yours

Michael N Trevor
Enemanit
Marshall Islands
mtrevor@ntamar.net

Stovetec http://www.stovetec.net
Aprovecho Research Center http://www.aprovecho.org

Marshall Islands

Coconut Palm and husk

Utak