Catalytic Converters for Coal Stoves ?

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smokeyCityTeacher
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Post by smokeyCityTeacher » Fri. Nov. 20, 2009 12:47 am

Why can't coal fumes be superheated by contact with exotic materials to enhance combustion and burn off toxic gasses ?

Isn't there some material that will react to the hot gasses and do something similar to cat converters in a wood stove ?

 
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009to090
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Post by 009to090 » Fri. Nov. 20, 2009 12:55 am

smokeyCityTeacher wrote:Why can't coal fumes be superheated by contact with exotic materials to enhance combustion and burn off toxic gasses ?

Isn't there some material that will react to the hot gasses and do something similar to cat converters in a wood stove ?
What toxic gasses? Besides, It would be clogged in 10 minutes with fly ash.

 
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Post by smokeyCityTeacher » Fri. Nov. 20, 2009 1:15 am

DVC500 at last wrote:
smokeyCityTeacher wrote:Why can't coal fumes be superheated by contact with exotic materials to enhance combustion and burn off toxic gasses ?

Isn't there some material that will react to the hot gasses and do something similar to cat converters in a wood stove ?
What toxic gasses? Besides, It would be clogged in 10 minutes with fly ash.
I was thinking of sulphur mostly (and any other gas that Al Gore does not approve of).
Also CO can be destroyed by high temperature burning.

I excerpted this below from a journal of something or other article about how the sulfur can be separated from the smoke and reabsorbed into the coal ash.

.....................
Abstract:
A process for reducing the sulfur oxide content of flue gases produced by combustion of sulfur-containing coal containing cations of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, or both, in ion exchangeable form. Flue gases containing sulfur oxides are recycled to contact coal awaiting combustion. Sulfur oxides are adsorbed on the coal during the contact step, react with alkali metal and alkaline earth metal cations, and are oxidized to form sulfate reaction products. When the treated coal is burned, these reaction products are retained in the coal ash.

 
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grizzly2
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Post by grizzly2 » Fri. Nov. 20, 2009 7:53 am

[quote="smokeyCityTeacher"][quote="DVC500 at last"][quote="smokeyCityTeacher"]Why can't coal fumes be superheated by contact with exotic materials to enhance combustion and burn off toxic gasses ?

I excerpted this below from a journal of something or other article about how the sulfur can be separated from the smoke and reabsorbed into the coal ash.

Then disposal of the ash becomes the new problem, No :?:

Besides, if it displeases Algore, I am all for it :P


 
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coaledsweat
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Post by coaledsweat » Fri. Nov. 20, 2009 7:55 am

Wood/coal combo units will have instructions to remove the catalyst when burning coal as it will destroy it.

 
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eelhc
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Post by eelhc » Fri. Nov. 20, 2009 8:38 am

Catalytic converters can be a PITA even for wood stoves. Need to be very careful what one burns in the stove, have to clean/replace it every couple of years...

I would like to see more widely available and cleaner gasification technology brought to coal. Here are some videos of coal gasification.


 
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brckwlt
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Post by brckwlt » Fri. Nov. 20, 2009 8:55 am

Wow coal gasification is awesome. I love this. Does anyone use this technology?

 
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wlape3
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Post by wlape3 » Fri. Nov. 20, 2009 9:12 am

It was was used extensively in the 1800's and early 1900's to produce gas for lighting before electicity took over. This is probably just a more refined process.


 
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SMITTY
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Post by SMITTY » Fri. Nov. 20, 2009 12:31 pm

I don't know how they plan on selling any of those with that terrible music! :sick: :lol:

That would be a fantastic substitute for my oil burner in my boiler. I'd just have to stick that gun in it's place. Probably big $$$ though ...
smokeyCityTeacher wrote:Why can't coal fumes be superheated by contact with exotic materials to enhance combustion and burn off toxic gasses ?
Isn't there some material that will react to the hot gasses and do something similar to cat converters in a wood stove ?

Why cost yourself more money? The whole point of burning coal is to keep that money in your pocket - why waste it? Cats on automobiles hamper their efficiency & power output - whenever I remove them, the vehicle has more power & gets better mileage. I'd imagine they'd do the same for your stove. :down:

 
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Post by franco b » Fri. Nov. 20, 2009 2:44 pm

For the most part it isn't lack of heat that generates CO but lack of air. Our stoves are expected to take a large charge of fuel and make it last for an extended time, so the characteristics of the burn will change over time and so will the need for over fire air to consume volatile gasses and CO. The setting that is right when the coal is first loaded is wrong when an hour into a burn. Too much air drives up stack temps. and too little results in unburned gasses. To improve hand fired stove efficiency some sort of automatic control would be necessary, perhaps electronic, to cope with the changing conditions in the course of a burn. A bi-metal thermostat to control air and a hopper to feed coal help to some degree.

The ideal way to burn coal or oil or wood is in a small very hot combustion chamber with the fuel added at a constant rate. Air and fuel mixture can then be set at the best settings for efficiency. This is done in coal stokers, pellet stoves, and oil burners, always bearing in mind there can be big differences owing to the design expertise of the manufacturer.

Richard

 
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Post by 9mmruger » Tue. Nov. 24, 2009 12:32 pm

grizzly2 wrote:
Besides, if it displeases Algore, I am all for it :P
I second those remarks. :)

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