What is wood pyrolysis?

Wood is thermally degradable and combustible material. The solid fuel combustion process involve major four processes: evaporation of moisture, volatile release/char formation (pyrolysis), char oxidation and volatile combustion (oxidation). Pyrolysis is an important phenomenon in combustion of wood. Pyrolysis refers to release of volatile from wood leaving behind char. As soon as volatile are released, they are subjected to oxidation resulting in a exothermic reaction.

Pyrolysis of wood is typically started at 200^oC and last till 450^oC.  Pyrolysis of wood is essentially an endothermic process. Heat transfer from a heat source causes temperature of wood to rise. As temperature of wood increases, wood starts to show some physical and chemical behavior. Chemical bonds begin to break at temperature >100^oC. Between 100 and 200^oC, wood becomes dehydrated and releases water vapor and other noncombustible gases. From 200 to 300^oC, wood components undergo serious pyrolysis and significant amount of combustible gas (especially CO and tar) are released. Around 300 to 450^oC, highly flammable volatiles are produced. In this range, pyrolysis of wood results in overall low char residue. At temperature > 450^oC, all volatiles are emitted leaving behind char. Flow of released volatile towards unpyrolysed fuel result in heat transfer between two heating the fuel and subsequently cooling volatile. Thus, secondary pyrolysis also begins due to these interactions.

These volatiles and char when oxidized release significant amount of heat. These heat would be used for pyrolysis process. Thus wood burning process initially requires a heat source and later can sustain itself if proper flame temperature is maintained.

Wind Power Distribution

Square root of three

I feel I will always be a lonely number like root three
A three is all that’s good and right
Why must my three keep out of sight
beneath a viscous square-root sign?

I wish instead I were a nine
For nine could thwart this evil trick with just some quick arithmetic
I know I’ll never see the sun as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality
When, hark, just what is this I see?
another square root of three
has quietly come waltzing by
together now we multiply
to form a number we prefer
rejoicing as an integer
we break free from our mortal bonds
and with a wave of magic wands
our square-roots signs become unglued
and love for me have been renewed

#Harold&Kumar

PTA, PDA & India's Intentions

You might have learned a lot about PTA, PDA & PPA. You may have heard in news about PDA done by Nepal with India (Upper Karnali, Arun III). You might have heard about PTA as well. You may have seen press conference on advantages & future aspects of PDA & PTA, load shedding ending plans from Nepal government and you might also have seen interviews from persona who are against these treaties. How much will we talk about individual relation? Even simple problem is to be solved after looking at correlation of different factors on output. Then, why is there individuality on PTA & PDA? PTA may have a positive or negative impact seen separately and so does PDA. Let’s think about their interrelation.

Today, we need around 3500 MW suppressed electricity and we have 700 MW on this season. Even, 1600 MW is required to end so called current load shedding at today’s date. We did PTA with India. Now consider, India is ready to sell us additional 900 MW. Now 900 + 700 yields 1600. Will load shedding end? Will there be 24 x 7 electricity at our home? Won’t we have to keep on checking whether all our devices are charged or not? Will that day come, if India lends us 900 MW? The saddest portion is the answer to that question, “NO”. Load shedding will not decrease but it will radically increase. Consider some facts: only 40% population is connected through national gird, cooking on electricity is cheaper than fuels and bio gas, we have 700 MW power developed by Diesel generators for irrigation purposes in terai area. Won’t remaining population ask for electricity in coming 5 years? Won’t we be cooking rice in rice cookers and using ovens when we have electricity and supported by fact that cooking is cheaper on electricity (provided wisely used). Won’t new industry open in next 2 years, if you have full electricity? Won’t those diesel generators be replaced by electric generators and pumps? For all these purpose, in today’s date, India will have to sell us 3000 MW electricity? Will the country (India) which produces 15000 MW be able to sell us 3000 MW? India is never a reliable seller in case of electricity as shown by our history. And still, the major challenge will be, “Can our current economy buy 3000 MW?” As the supply increases, demand also increases. But with PPA or PTA, supply ceases after certain point, but the demand will of course be increasing. Then again what? “LOAD SHEDDING”. PPA might be a short term solution but eventually, it can’t end LOADSHEDDING.

The only thing which can is our own resources. As stated earlier, the demand will rise, until around we reach 10,000 MW or even more as shown by research documents of professors of IOE, Pulchowk. And, difficulty again arises, when we think we can’t build the world’s cheapest project, upper Karnali. As studied, it will cost Rs.100/Watt for building that project. 4200 MW and just 2 km artificial tunnel for that shows why upper karnali is termed as “Jewel of the Crown”. But, we are doing PDA of upper karnali with India (GMR) and the project is being suppressed to 900 MW. Many people replies with a line, “Something is better than nothing.” But have we ever imagined, this something will increase load shedding more than this after coming 10 years and we will have no resource to end load shedding then. It may be true, PDA individually may end the energy crisis. But here, the fact is PTA & PDA are paralleled. They say “Nepal will buy electricity from India until Nepal produces more than sufficient for itself, excess would be sold to India.” And they parallelly say, “PDA must be done.” With upper hand on our major hydro resources, Upper Karnali, Arun III & Pancheswor, they ask to sell when we have sufficient. Will we ever have sufficient, when our major resources are being dropped from its full capacity to smaller capacity? Can we ever sell electricity to India? PTA and PDA are not parallely possible. Since, we have signed on both treaties, it is most dangerous seeing from a technical eye for future perspective.

What does in total 2000 MW electricity mean for India? Nothing. According to sources, they need 8 lakh MW in coming 10 years. So, electricity which we will be selling to them will be of no value to them. But still, India (ND Modi) is referring towards doing both things parallely, why? India doesn’t want electricity from Nepal. They want WATER from us. NM has once said, “पानि , नानि  और जवानी  पाहाड के किसी काम का नहि।” This statement apparently was indirectly directed towards our water. Don’t you believe? Then look at these stats: With Run of River project, India doesn't have to pay nothing for Nepal. But with reservoir project on upper karnali, they have to pay us 50 billion per year (1/10 th of Nepal’s current Budget). They want that water for free. So, regardless of load shedding on their country and our, they are eyeing on our water. Nepal’s electricity will never be a aid for India by signing PTA & PDA together. If they are built by Nepal, Upper Karnali alone can aid 100 billion to our economy whereas when built by India, we will only get 4 billion as revenue. And when calculated, we are giving 72 billion subsidies for GMR to build upper karnali (900MW) alone whereas the total cost for 4200 MW project is 400 billion. Looking at another way, power developed in Nepal will be purchased by India in low price (Monopsony) and same electricity would be sold to Nepal in higher cost. So, we are simply being made Foolish by India. Subsidies of 72 billion, just 4 billion revenue per year, no payment for water and finally, we have to buy at higher cost  the same electricity. Then what’s the point in doing PDA & PTA together? Aren’t we being foolish?

It’s now time to think. It’s now time to act. We need to save our major projects like Upper Karnali, Arun III. It’s now time to think. It’s now time to act. 

(Many facts learned from Prof. Dr. Hari Prasad Pandit Sir & Ratna Sanchar Shrestha Sir)

Power : Energy

How can you say, who is powerful? What are the criteria? And what shall it be? Is it money that makes a person, a society or a country powerful? Is it the military force that makes a country powerful?  Or Is it our fear that makes that particular organization powerful? Why America is always the powerful country? Why is UN so powerful? Why are Reserve Banks so powerful? Is it space invading technology that makes NASA so powerful? Why is government so powerful that they take control over us(public)?

No money, no military force and no constitutional power makes that something very powerful. Our journey of power dates back from the strength on fist of the caveman to the oil mines of Iraq and nuclear energy of Russia. ENERGY, ENERGY and ENERGY is the only thing that makes these things so very powerful. Someone who controls the energy controls its periphery. Government control energy of the country, that’s why it is powerful. USA controls most of the oil mines and nuclear plants, that’s why it’s powerful. China is increasing their energy resource, that’s why it’s growing to be a powerful nation. Anyone, who controls energy, controls food, money and water, the most important aspects of human life. Why are we (Nepal) going back? Cause we are low on energy.

If we need to develop ourselves and this country, let’s think about energy first. Let it alone be hydro power or may be with any other sources. But unless we increase our energy capacity, we are never gonna be developed. Bigger countries will always try to suppress our growth. Recent example is PDA signed with India (Especially Upper Karnali). No country can see another one growing more powerful and to control this, they tend to control our energy.

The reports of highly qualified professors were suppressed. Many important discussions on energy were neglected. Why? Higher energy resource was trying to supress lower energy resource. We need to make a change as a student of energy, as a citizen of country not to let any other thing take control over our energy. After-all ENERGY is one thing, that makes us powerful. Not nuclear weapons, nor big banks and neither international organisations, ENERGY , ENERGY and ENERGY is the only key.

Solar Water Heater: A Research Introduction

In a world where there is desperate search of alternate source of energy to avoid energy crisis in the near future,solar energy has proved to be one of the most effective form of alternate source of energy.Solar energy which is termed as perpetual source of energy is an infinite source of energy and if can be easily manipulated,it can be the main energy source and power earth for many years without any crisis and without degrading nature.Solar water heater is also one of the widely used application of solar energy which uses radiation from the sun to heat water.

Hot water which doesn’t seems like a big issue actually can be considered as one of the important need of people.People use hot water to drink,take a shower,may be wash dishes or clean clothes or other purposes.It is believed that an average American citizen uses 20 gallons of hot water per day which is nearly equal to 120 liters.The energy required to heat such amount of water can be imagined by thinking of time it takes to boil small amount of water to cook one noodle.So lot of energy and also money is being spent in heating water.So solar water heater is one of the important alternate energy source for heating water which saves money and never the less environment.

Due to its many advantages over other water heating sources like fossil fuel,petroleum products or burning wood, its use is increasing throughout the world.But to make it the prime energy source,its efficiency and performance should be increased.So our goal in this research is to increase the working efficiency of solar water heater,provide better insulation for heated water in reservoir tank and provide user with heated water at constant temperatue even though the temperature in the surrounding varies.We purpose to accomplish this goal by adding extra layer of insulation outside reservoir and filling this layer with wax which also stores the extra heat energy from heated water during hot parts of the day and supplies this energy to water which is less heated during cold parts of the day.

Overrated word: PASSION

 My first blog and the title seems little fuzzy. For all of you there, I am Ayush Parajuli as per my citizenship record, currently studying in Pulchowk Engineering College, willing to be a Mechanical Engineer. 

धेरै मान्छे लाइ आफ्नो PASSION अनुसार को काम गर्नु छ । सायद आमिर  खान को तिन मुर्ख ,"Three Idiots" नामक चलचित्रले पनि हुन सक्छ। दुइ चार वर्ष अघि सम्म, S.L.C  मा छोरा  छोरि  बिषिस्ट श्रेणि मा पास हुने बित्तिकै बा ले भन्थे ," बाबु अब साइन्स पढ्नु पर्छ ". बिस्तारै समय परिवर्तन हुदै छ,  सहर का अभिभावक अहिले भन्छन , " बाबु तलाई जे मन पर्छ तेइ पढनु, आफ्नो PASSION अनुसार पढनु।" लाग्छ एउटा PASSION भन्ने trend नै चलेको छ। 

के छ त तेस्तो यो PASSION मा ? के हो बास्तबिकता मै यो PASSION  भनेको ? 

Passion for me is a motivational factor of life, which will keep you asking to do hard work consistently when no one gives a fuck, what you are doing with your life.  It keeps on moving your life even though when everything seems to be another way. 

संसार मा मिहिनेत नै सबै कुरा हो। तेसैले येदि कुनै कुरा ले मिहिनेत गर्न प्रेरित गर्दछ भने त्यो कुरा को पछि लाग्नु नराम्रो पनि त हैन।

And the most important thing is that, PASSION is not something, that you find at childhood and carry during your whole life. Life might have something for you, that you haven't ever imagined of. You may not get chance to live with the WORK you thought you loved (your PASSION), but PASSION doesn't die there. A new PASSION will rather born there. Just you have to learn to love and give respect to everything you do. PASSION may be the thing that motivates you but at the end of the day, it is something that can be created and destroyed by your own will.

Anyone willing to play tennis if ends up studying science or MBBS or even may be Engineering , doesn't mean you can't be successful at that stream. Just don't give up your hardwork  for beginning period, and eventually a seed of new PASSION will be planted. And then Passion will guide your hard work.

Thus, PASSION can be created and destroyed at your own will. Hard work is the fertile soil for PASSION and PASSION is the water for that fertile soil. So, they are inter connected. No one ever can live without a PASSION and love. So, stop thinking about the DAMN word and love whatever you are doing currently. Never let that character inside you which wants to do hard work to be in shade. PASSION is every where around there, you just aren't able to see it, just because your hard working character is somewhere is a dark closed room. Let's open that door. 

Are you willing to give up the over rated word: PASSION ?