US20060288996A1

US20060288996A1 - Compressed coconut organic material smoking medium and fuel

Info

Publication number: US20060288996A1
Application number: US11/186,889
Authority: US
Inventors: Felipe Roxas; Cora Roxas; Joseph Ruivivar
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-06-23
Filing date: 2005-07-22
Publication date: 2006-12-28

Abstract

SMOCONUT (with or without added wood chips) is produced by compressing processed coconut material into a compact solid dehydrated material. It is positioned primarily as smoking medium and alternative fuel for the following applications: COOKING, SMOKING and GRILLING OF FOOD. FUEL FOR WOOD FED FIREPLACE FUEL FOR WOOD FIRED BOILERS FUEL FOR KILNS FURNACES FUEL FOR ANY SIMILAR COOKING AND FUEL APPLICATIONS. SMOKING MEDIUM FOR AGRICULTURAL APPLICATIONS AS PEST CONTROL AND INSECT REPELLANT SMOKING MEDIUM FOR MEDICINAL APPLICATIONS

Description

Compressed Coconut Organic Material Smoking Medium and Fuel is 100% natural material derived from the coconut coir, fiber or crushed shell taken from the coconut tree. This solid smoking medium and fuel has been processed and designed primarily but not limited to cooking, smoking, grilling of foods, smoking medium for agricultural applications as pesticide or smoking medium for medicinal applications. Depending on the need for this solid smoking medium and fuel, product can likewise be customized to make it compatible with wood fed stoves, wood fired boilers and furnaces and as logs for fireplaces and similar heating applications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For hundred of years people from the Pacific Island has been using the dried coconut material fuel for various applications such as cooking, smoking and grilling of foods; smoking skin rashes as medicinal applications; fuel of furnaces in pottery making industry and on some occasions as fuel for wood-fired boilers and similar applications.
The growing awareness of mankind on the need to conserve natural resources has prompted many countries to ban the cutting of trees. This resulted to the limited availability of firewood in the market. Similarly, the quest for a natural and organic cooking, smoking, grilling and heating medium as an alternative to chemical laced charcoals, wood chips and fire logs proved to be the driving force to invent and develop a natural, organic and human and environment friendly product.

EXPERIMENT—Feb. 10, 2004

Objective:
To invent a human and environment friendly solid fuel as an alternative for petroleum laced cooking, smoking and grilling fuels and to produce a solid form of natural and organic fuel made from coconut material.
The product is designed for various applications such as cooking, smoking and grilling of foods; fuel for wood fed fireplace, fuel for wood fired boilers, kilns, furnaces and similar applications.
Materials:

1. Coconut coir, chopped coconut fiber or crushed [powdered] coconut shell.
2. Empty tin can container (4.5″ high with the diameter of 3″) with punctured holes around the cylindrical perimeter.
3. 2 pieces of round wood (¾″ thick with the diameter of 2⅞″)
4. 1 block of concrete brick
5. 4500 pounds hydraulic floor jack.
6. Steel pipes with elbow and T connectors, assembled, welded and formed into rectangular equipment with horizontal and vertical length of 15 and 21 inches respectively. The top center part of the equipment (where the T [¾″] connecter is attached) has a protruding 5″ pipe with a 2¾″ diameter cylindrical [GI pipe reducer or adaptor] and the round wood at the end, pointing down to the floor. The base is made of a steel pipe where both ends were connected to the two vertical steel pipes (see attached picture page 6).
Procedures:
1. Coconut coir and fiber was cut and chopped into small pieces. [for coconut shell, shell is crushed]
2. Cut, chopped or crushed coconut material is softened and sterilized by steaming or boiling it for 15 to 30 minutes.
3. Water was drained and the material was partially dried in preparation for the compression.
4. 1 piece of round wood was placed at the bottom of the tin can.
5. Tin can was filled with the hot, sterilized, cut and chopped coconut material.
6. Then the round wood attached to the GI pipe reducer that is connected to the pipe at the center top was placed and pressed down by hand from the top of the container.
7. Additional sterilized material was added until the container could no longer hold it.
8. A brick was placed on top of the head of the hydraulic jack that is placed beneath the cylindrical tin can.
9. Using the hydraulic floor jack, the tin can was pushed upward thus compressing the coconut material between the two round woods placed at both ends of the tin can. During this process, remaining moisture was expelled through the punctured hole at the side of the tin can. (see picture page 8).
10. The compression continued until the initial 4.5″ material was reduced to 1.5″ solid and dehydrated solid coconut material.
11. The processed coconut material was removed from the container and left for 2 weeks further drying or dehydration and ensure it will not de-compress or break.
12. After two weeks, the result of the experiment was successful, solid dehydrated organic coconut material stayed solid and firm.
13. The processed solid coconut material was lighted for further analysis and as a result, the following observations has been established:
- a. It only took about 1 minute to get it lighted and ready to smoke food.
- b. When burned in several layers, a bluish flame is being generated on top of the clean white smoke that it produces.
- c. For a volume of 64 cubic inches, it took about 2 hours to turn it into ash.
- d. The ash residue is very minimal and no traces of soot has been noticed.
14. Further experiment was done by mixing the coconut material with various kinds of wood chips including crushed coconut shell (about 25% of the total capacity of the container). Following the procedures 1 through 6, a solid dehydrated organic material was produced. Similar result described from procedures 7 and 8 was accomplished.

Claims

1. The experiment led to the discovery for various applications of the dehydrated, compressed solid coconut material as smoking medium, natural and organic fuel. The processed coconut material applications shall be named COMPRESSED COCONUT MATERIAL NATURAL SMOKING MEDIUM and FUEL, or “SMOCONUT”.

2. “SMOCONUT” (with or without added wood chips). The “SMOCONUT” is a 100% natural, organic product derived from coconut materials for the following applications:

1. COOKING, SMOKING and GRILLING OF FOOD.

2. FUEL FOR WOOD FED FIREPLACE

3. FUEL FOR WOOD FIRED BOILERS

4. FUEL FOR KILNS FURNACES

5. FUEL FOR ANY SIMILAR COOKING AND FUEL APPLICATIONS.

3. “SMOCONUT” (with added organic or non-organic chemical compound) to be used as:

6. SMOKING MEDIUM FOR AGRICULTURAL APPLICATIONS AS PEST CONTROL AND INSECT REPELLANT.

7. SMOKING MEDIUM FOR MEDICINAL APPLICATIONS.