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FORCE Technology

Guideline May 2OO5

Barbecue coal and ba coal briquettes -

Determination of heating me in Standard cylinder

Ref. ; FQRCE Technolog y. A5-L6826 145-15969: 2005

 l.Introduction
The described method of testing of barbecue coal and barbeue coal briquettes has been developed on the
basis of a recognized demand for more user-targreted testing of the products.

Existing national standards and regulations in the arear as DIN 51749, SS 187210 and DVN 5180, state
requirements and tests methods of more material specific parameters as heating value and the content of
fines, ash and carbon in the products. Most of these parameters are definitely relevanf securing the quality
of the producB, e.g. that a charcoal has a sufficient degree of carbonization and that briquettes do not
conhin unnecessary amounB of fillers. The prohlem h, however, that such material specific information
does not give the users the opportunity to compare different products on the market with respect to the
propeties of the products when used in a barbecue. For o<ample, a declared high heating value does not
necessarily guarante that the product will provide a long cooking time in a barbecue.

2. Definitions

Sbndard heating time,

is the time in minutes, by which a barbecue product can maintain a
temperature of more than 180 oC in a specified Standard cylinder, using the
specified ignition and start-up procedure.

NOTE: Trm is a relative measure, to be used for comparison of present

producb. The actual possible cooking time of a product depends of several
csnditions as e.g. the design of the barbcue, the amount of product usd,
i
the itemis) placed in the hrbecue and the procedure used by the user.

To is the time where the test sample is glowing thoroughly in the lgnition-
cylinder.
i

T*rt is the time when registration of the temperature in the Standard cylinder
stafts. The time from Te to Tsrart is laid down to be 5 minutes + 2 minutes.

Max. temperafirre, tno is the highest temperature, in oC, registered in the Standard cylinder after
T"t"rt.

3. Principle
1 kg of the prcduct is ignited in an ignition-cylinder, which is placed on the grate of the Shndard cylinder.
When the whole sample glows, the ignition<ylinder is removed and the glowing product is splead on the
grde. After putting on the tid of the Skndard cylinder, the temperaftrre in the Standard cylinder is
rqistered from Tr66to T$0, From the registered temperature-time sequence the Standard heating time T6n
and the Max. temperature t*o is read.

4. Apparatus

4.llgnition-cylinder
Cylinder prgpared of 2 mm steel plate and with an inner diameter of O 150 mm r 2 mm. Height of cylinder
t
275 mm 25 mm. It is mnvenient to provide the cylinder with two holes at the top in such a way that a
levercan be inserted. See fig. f.

NOTE: For cornpact brirluettes a height of 250 rnm is sufFrcien$ for charcoal products with low bulk density
a height of 300 mm is necessary.
4.2 Standad cylinder
Cylinder prepared of 2 mm steel plate and with an inner diameter ot fi 250 mm + 2 mm. Height of cylinder
190 mm *
2 mm. The cylinder shall h equipped with a guideway for a thermocouple, placd 170 mm * 2
mm from the bottom. See fig. 2.

The cylinder shall be equipped with a well-fitting lid, prepared in the same materialand provided with a
centrally placed smoke hole of fi 40 mm + 2 mm. See fi9. 2.

The rylinder shall be supplied with a grate, with an aren equal to the arm of the bottom of the Standard
cylinder. The grate shall k prepared of steel bars, fr 4 mm, with a distance of 15 mm + 2 mm between the
bars (measured from tfie centre of the bars). This equals 13 bars. The grate shall be provided with 4 legs in
such a way that the grate is having a clear height above the base of 100 mm + 5 mm. Se fig. 2,

In fig. 4 is shown an example of a Standard cylinder with grate and lid.

\
4.3 Ash tray
A circular or a four-edged tray of heat-resistant material of such an extent that ash and coke pafticles falling
thnrugh the $rate are collectd.

4,4 Safety box

The test is to be carried out under mntrolled conditions (see Cl. 6), which among other things will involve a
test facility with exhaustion for the removal of developed smoke. As the pouring out of the ignited product
{C1.7.2) may cause violent sparking and flame developrnent the use of a safety box is recommended.

Such a safety box may e.g. be made out of light-alloy metal tubing, fi 500 mm. The box should be provided
with a lid or a bottom piece and with two slib, placed with a distance of 180 o (opposite each other), for the
lever of the ignition-cylinder, se fig. 3. The slits may be provided with two indents in such a way that the
lever can k retained in two psiUons, see example in fig. 5. When the ignition-cylinder is to be removed,
the safety box is put over the ignition-cylinder. The lever is lead through the slits in the safety box and the
ignition-cylinder. The ignition-cylinder is carefully lifted, hanging in the lever. The lever is placed in the first
indent in the slit of the safety box and remains there until all glowing sample has fallen down on the grate.
Then the lever is lifted to the second indent and remains here until spark and flames can no longer be
observed (through the slib). At this time the safety box and the ignition-cylinder are jointly lifted and
removed to a fireproof suppoil for cooling down.

4.5 Spark/flame lid

During the ignition of the sample (Cl. 7.1) flames and sparks may also mcur, being a risk for the exhaustion
installation. Therefore it is reommended to piace a lid in about 1 - lYz meters height above the top of the
ignition-cylinder, e.g. S the means of a retort stand. Alternatively a paftly sliced safety box (4.4), allowing
observation of the ignition process can be used.

4,5 Plastic container

With a volume of 10 litres, e.g. a plastic bucket.

4.7 Measuring glass

With a volume cf 100 ml.

4.8. Wash bottle

4.9. Gas burner

4.10 Thermocouple and"Uata logge

Thermocouple suitable for measuring temperatures between 100 "C and 800 oC and with a reading of at
oC.
least + I A data logger with the possibility of rqistration for at least every semnd minute shall be used
for the collection of the registered temperatures.
 t

i.. i

5. Reagents

5.1 Firelighter
Petroleum (standard naphtha), Merck no. 1.097 18 (boiling noint 180 - 220 oC, flame point 60 "C).

I ur
I1 nl z;s'zsmrir
lHl
il-ill
Fig. 1. Ignition-cylinder witn lever

25A mm0

Grate

Fig 2. Standard rylinder with lid, grate and ash tray.

4
.t
 illl
Lever

Fig. 3. Example of a safety box (with ignition cylinder inside the box)

Example of Standard with grate, ash tray, lid and ignition-cylinder.

Fig. 5. Example of safety box (and lever).

5
 5. Test condiUons
The test shall be canied out under controlled conditions, i.e. by an ambient temperature of 15 oC - 35 oC
without drarght and wind influences. The ignition and buming out of the harbecue @ucts will generate
spark and srnoke. Therefore the test also should be carried out in a place with fireproof support and with
exhaustion to the exterior. The exhaustion shall be able to remove the generatd smoke but may maximum
create an air velocity of 2.m/s around the test arangement. The exhaustion should be provided with a
baffle (as in a welding booth) an'd should be placed at least 3 meter above the test arrangement.
a
By igniUon and pouring out the glowing samples, violentsprking and flame devdopment may happen
Propr precautions to secure'personnel, exhaustion system and sunoundings against flames and sparks
therefore shall be taken, see cl. 4.4 and 4.5.

7. Procedurc

T.l Ignition \pbtion

Place a representative of I kg t 0,05 kg of the product in a container (a.Q. Add to the sample,
evenly distributed, 100 ml + 1 ml firelighter (5.1), using a wash bottle (4.8). Let the sample remain for 10
minutes to absorb the firelighter.

NOTE: Samples with low bulk density will form more than a single layer in the container. In such cases the
sample should be weighed in one container and then successively be transferred to ano0rer container,
adding the 100 mlt 1 ml firelighter in instalments.

Place the grate of the Standard cylinder (4.2) on the ash tray (a.3); place the Standard cylinder in the
middle of the grate and the ignition-cylinder (a.1) inside in the middle of the Standard cylinder. Transfer the
sample to the ignition-rylinder, ignoring possible fines falling through the grate. Place the spark/flame lid
(4.5) or conesponding safety arrangements agninst sparks and flames. Ignite ttre sample by holding a
flame from a gas burner up against the bottom layer in the ignition-rylinder. The flame shall be hold here
until reliably glowing of the bottom layer is observed, normally in about 30 seconds. Note if longer ignition
time is necessary.

NOTE: Samples packing closely together in the ignition-cylinder, as e.g. samples with a high content of
fines, could be difficult to ignite.

7,2 Measurement
When the whole of the sample glows, i.e. when also the top layer in the ignition-cylinder glows, remove the
ignition-cylinder. The ignition-cylinder shall be removed in such a way that the sample falls down on the
grate. Use a safety box (4.4) or other precaution against the generated flames and sparks. Spread the
glowing sample with a metal bar to an even layer on the grate. Put the lid on the Standaffilinder and. ,
mount the thermocouple through the guideway ln the centre of the Shndard cyfinder and 170 mm above
the grate.

Note: The glowing-through time, i.e. the time from the ignition of the bottom layer with the gas flame to
.l glowing through to the top layer, is about V+ - Yz hour. For samples packing closely together in the ignition-
I cylinder, the glowing-through time may be in the order of t hour. The glowing-through time therefore
should be noted.

The time from the obseruation of glowing-through of the stilfih in the ignition-qlinder, T = To, to the start
of the registration of the temperature in the Standard cylindr, T = T.a,t is 5 minutes + 2 minutes.

Fromi.t ,t the temperature in the Standard cylinder, at the prescribed position, shall be registered at least
every second minute, until'the registered temperature has fallen to 180 oF,T = Tug, or below.

6
8. Repoft
The registered temperatures frcm T = T.e,t b at least T= Tr* for a test are depicted. In Annex A is shown
an example of such a depictbn. On the basis of the registered time.temperature s€quence is further
reported:

Max. temperature, t*"* being the highest temperature registered after T16,1, to the nearest 10 oC;

Standard heating time, Trss being the number of minutes after T"66, where the temperature has fallen
to 180 oC or below, to the nearest 10 minutes.

Possible special circumstances of relevance for the obtained results observed during the test shall also be
repofted, e.g.:

- 'The sample tested had a very high amount of fines,,;

- "At the ignitioftvery violent flamdspark/smoke generaUon was observedl
- 'The product was difficulf to ignite; the gas flame had to be hold for 50 secondsl
- 'The product was difficult to ignite; the glowing through time was t hour,,;
- 'The'ash rsidue after the test contained large amounB of unburned prcduct".

Apart from this it is recommended to supplement the determinatjon of heating time with material specific
determinations as e.g. content of fines, ash and volatile matter according to the present national standards
and rqulations.

9. Precision
Evaluation of the precision of the method on a repeatability level has been canied out for two very different
barbecue products: a compact hard coal briquette with rqular and stable ignition and burn-out qualities,
and a light charcoal product with a high mntent of small pieces (< 20 mmlcausing difficulties foi the
ignition and an unstable bum-out due to packing together of the partictes. For each of the two products,
five determinations have ken canied out at different times by the same operator with the same equipment
using the specified procedure. The obtained averages and standard deviations are shown in table 1.

Product Max. temperature. L-- Standard heating time, Tt"o

Average, Standard deviation, Average, Standard deviation,
oc oc
minutes minutes
Compact briquette 400 B 274 4
Light charcoal 444 L2 90 16

Table 1' Average and standard deviation for 5 repeated determinations under repeatability conditions.

10. Literature

DVN 5180, Approved 1984.12.03. Trckul og trakulsbriketter. DANSK VAREFAKrA NEVN. (in Danish).

DIN 749.
5t Grill-Holzkohle und Grill-HolzkohlebriketB. Anforderungen, Pnifungen. (in German).

SS 18 72 10. Tr5kol och tr5kolsb,riketter - Krav och provningsmetoder. (in Swedish).

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