The Use of Biomass in High Efficiency

Curing tobacco causes deforestation in developing countries around the world. In Bangaldesh, curing tobacco is responsible for 30% of deforestation. Many approaches have been taken to curb tobacco related deforestation, including afforestation, solar power, and energy efficiency. The Rocket Barn, an energy efficient curing barn, has shown promise. However, the Rocket Barn still uses firewood. This investigation tests two Rocket Barns designed to be fueled by rice straw and Sesbania respectively. A total of three trials were run in parallel to a control. The SFC values for the Rocket Barns decreased by 34.5% and 10.7% for each Sesbania and rice straw. They fuel efficiency index improved by 22.6% and 21.6%. The buying price was $0.13 higher per kilogram higher for rice straw and $0.01 lower for Sesbania. The payback period for retrofitting an existing barn into a Rocket Barn was 2.55 and 1.61 seasons for dhaincha and rice straw respectively.