permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

Vinton Lawrence wrote:
> The photo is cow dung patties that are used for fuel. In Tibet, the 
> patties are stored (and protected) in the form of walls and/or as 
> extensions to parapets on buildings. In this configuration, they also 
> act as a form of insulation to limit heat loss from the walls.

The anthill-like mounds shown in those pics were out of doors;
I assume in Kurdistan in Iraq. They looked to be a solid mound
with loose pies stacked on top. Interesting that they are used as fuel 
as opposed to fertilizer. Maybe plant material is not readily available 
to burn, likewise charcoal. I wonder of there are tree species they 
could grow and coppice for heating and cooking fuel. This seems to be a 
good case for widespread use of rocket stoves that could use fuel
harvested from coppiced trees.

I have an outdoor wood fired stove I use for supplemental heating of 
water and cooking. It is made of several cast steel semi brake drums
stacked (3 of them) with a steel ring reducing the opening to 8 "
and with smoke exhaust ports just below through the openings in the top 
drum used for brake adjustment. This all sits on  large section of steel 
I beam as a firebox. This unit heats water really fast; 3 gallons 
boiling in no time using a modest amount of fuel. If the whole unit were 
encased in a steel box with plenty of ceramic insulation and had a roof 
over it, it would be even more useful So, message is, look at scrapyards 
for recyclable truck brake drums for hybrid rocketstove construction
for heating large quantities of water for household use. Wrap it with a 
copper coil or some kind of water jacket for other water heating 
options. If you could add a feeder section where primary combustion 
occured that might work even better. AAMOF I have two big 3' sections of 
I beam I could weld together to make a rectangular tube to add a feeder 
to the brake drum column. That might offer interesting possibilities.

             Large Pot
             ========
             <      >smoke exhaust port
             |      |
             |      |
             |      |
             |      |
             |      |  <<<--- rocket stove chimney, insulated
             |      |
=============|      |
    firebox         |
=============||||||||