Well the good news is this is getting some thought at least. I know my thoughts these days are not very coherent. My observations also were not made on a gas producer but rather several of the wood stoves we have going. The children noticed that as I put the wood in the firebox, the flames lick my hands and arms. Whilst I am yelling at them to do their chores or what not, I don't even notice the hair burning off my arms or feel the flames against my hand. Meanwhile, if I simply hold my palm out in direct line of sight of the orange coals (no flames) I cannot maintain the position more then an instant. Thats the observation. What it made me realize is that the intervening gas between my hand and the coals isn't absorbing the IR component from the coals. If it were I would not feel a line of sight blast of heat. The gas, whether it be air, CO2, CO, or laughing gas, is invisible to the IR. When I say cataylst, its with a bit of tongue and cheek. Iron absorbs the IR. You notice that as soon as the fire box door is closed. Putting iron in the way of the coals would stop the IR, and the gas would have a chance to absorb that heat by impingement or flow across the iron. A related observation is how ash IS NOT invisible to IR. A slight ash covering and the coals are all but useless. This is making me think of improved grate shapes.
________________________________ From: derek schulze <[email protected]> To: Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and gasification <[email protected]> Sent: Fri, December 17, 2010 8:47:08 AM Subject: Re: [Gasification] heat transfer properties.... I doubt very much that iron could act as a catalyst (in the pure sense of the word) as a catalyst is not supposed to participate in the reaction only facilitate it. Iron will quickly oxidize (give up electrons) and in the words of Harry Potter "Disapparate". As for different wavelengths and I presume resonance frequencies is what was being referred to, our bodies as we should all know have a rather large component of water in them (yes even in skin). What is likely more applicable with regard to your superhero hand is that shorter wavelengths (blue) are more likely to reflect (scatter) from the surface of your skin while longer wavelengths are more likely to penetrate the surface (perhaps only a millimeter). What you feel is quite different from what energy might be present. The trick is in absorbing that energy - enter the debate of shinny side tinfoil - sorry I'm kidding... As for iron and its effect - although not technically catalytic it might have a desired effect of thermal storage in the reactive zone (red hot) which could enhance conversion, but I would suspect material blockage etc... Just how much it would help I'm not sure. -Derek Schulze On Wed, Dec 15, 2010 at 9:36 PM, Bruce Jackson <[email protected]> wrote: > Before I forget this yet again... > > Is it possible that the zone that produces heat, needs a catalyst like > iron? > My uninformed opinon (without reviewing my heat transfer tomes) would be > that > the gas is invisible to the infrared component. I suspect the gas is only > picking up heat from conduction. I don't know the percentages of which > components are domainant (thats the home work part), but if the IR > component is > significant, then its being lost on the gas. This especially if the ash is > what > the gas impinges on. > This idea occurs to me from watching the fires. I can hold my hand in the > flames but I can't hold it near the coals because I am picking up too much > IR. > BPJ > > > > _______________________________________________ > The Gasification list has moved to > [email protected] - please update your email contacts to > reflect the change. > Please visit http://info.bioenergylists.org for more news on the list > move. > Thank you, > Gasification Administrator > _______________________________________________ The Gasification list has moved to [email protected] - please update your email contacts to reflect the change. Please visit http://info.bioenergylists.org for more news on the list move. Thank you, Gasification Administrator _______________________________________________ The Gasification list has moved to [email protected] - please update your email contacts to reflect the change. Please visit http://info.bioenergylists.org for more news on the list move. Thank you, Gasification Administrator
