Micro-gasification: Cooking with gas from biomass - Amper

Micro-gasification: Cooking with gas from dry biomass
Daxu (China)
In China quite a variety of modern gasification systems using straw and other crop stalks
seem to be developed. Most are more comprehensive downdraft systems that can be operated
for 24 hours a day for water heating in combination with a radiator for space heating
and remote table-top burners for cooking. Some even have sophisticated features like remote
controls for gas ignition and knobs for power control, just like an LPG burner. It is not
always apparent for a non-Chinese-speaker, who is a producer and who is a trader represented
on the internet. Various websites refer to the same product. It is very interesting for
areas with adequate purchasing power and cold climates with need for space heating.
The one Chinese TLUD is the Daxu Stove Series which apparently reached sales exceeding
25,000 units since 2006. It won the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy in 2007.
Target area: Yangqing County, NW of Beijing
Fuel type: (Briquetted) crop residues like
straw etc., any solid biomass
Designed by: Mr Pan Shijao
Retail price: In 2007 it was Y 1,000 (ca. 90 €),
in some areas subsidized by government
to Y 50-200
Numbers sold: Over 25,000 (by April 2007), current
figures not known
Start of production: April 2005
Manufactured by: Beijing ShenZhou Daxu Bio-mass
Energy Technology Company Ltd.
Contact: Zhu Yan, Assistant to GM
zhuzhulinda@126.com,
http://www.szdxbj.cn/
Address: Beijing Shenzhou Daxu Bio-energy Technology Company Ltd
No. 6, 5th Floor, Beijing Technology Centre
A48, Suzhou Street ,Haidan District, Beijing, China
Phone +86-10-51051697, Mobile Ms Yan +86-1391091245
Product. capacity: Not known
Short Description: Width 340 mm, Length 340 mm, Height 780 mm, Weight not known,
but heavy, not portable. Stove to be installed, with chimney. Can
have added water and space heater features, assembly for one or
two cooking pots.
Features: Burn rate 2 kg/hour
Char-making: Not fully known, probably burns to ash.
User feedback: Faster than coal, clean, less smoke, can make hot water, cheap to
run on biomass briquettes
Accidents reported: None known.
Performance data: According to data found from comparative tests done by the Centre
for Entrepreneurship in International Health and Development
(CEIHD) it had the highest efficiencies of all stoves tested (41% with
loose straw, 42% with straw briquettes).
Further info: Product catalogue (Chinese): http://www.dxkj888.com/ArticleShow.asp?ArticleID=109.
Case study and general info on http://www.ashdenawards.org/winners/daxu and
http://www.bioenergylists.org/files/TLUD_Gasifier_in_Ashden_Award_for_Enterprise_2007-09-
19.pdf, Video on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x65M9zX4gAo
Other comments: According to a report on http://childrenofshambala.org/pdf/FR%2077%20-
%20Fuel%20Efficient%20Stoves%20-%20Pilot%20Project.pdf, a group that wanted to do comparative
testing of various stoves in China in 2009 had difficulties to obtain a stove from the factory. Once
they explained that they were no competitors, stoves could be purchased. More details in the report.
HERA – GIZ Manual Micro-gasification Version 1.01 January 2011
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