SIMPLE CHARCOAL MAKER...

["Tom Reed" <tombreed@attbi.com>]

Dear AllKohlers:

Whether you are in bioenergy, stoves, or gasification, you can't get thermal
energy from biomass without passing through pyrolysis, so this
http://www.velvitoil.com/Charlog.htm
is a fascinating experiment we can all learn from.

1)  It is a clear report of the two experiments with nice pics and I could
repeat them without problem in my back yard in less than a day.

2)  What a wonder is the Web that hundreds of people could share this
experience with Greg and April in a day.  And probably a dozen or more will
try some variation in a few days.

3)  An impressive yield of probably good cooking charcoal from a zero cost
(except labor) apparatus.

4)  I don't know many people who keep such good records (but I have a number
of notebooks full).

                                                              MY COMMENTS
AND SUGGESTIONS

Making cooking charcoal is exothermic, and so carries itself through to an
"end point" at about 450 C.  Therefore, many different processes have the
same "end point".

Greg and April didn't say much about smoke or using the gas, but I will.  IF
you have very wet wood (20-30% MC) you probably need to light it on the
bottom, since wet wood is hard to light.  In this case, you burn a lot of
the charcoal just to get the wood dry, then that wood not yet burned easily
carburizes to good charcoal.  This is the classic (10,000 yr?) beehive
method of charcoal mfgr.  Unfortunately, during the drying stage the steam
comes out mixed with combustible gas, so is very hard to flare.

If you have dryer wood (0-20% MC), consider top down burning.  In this case
you build a small fire at the top  of the charge with dry sticks/tinder.
Initially it burns its own volatiles to make charcoal, but this charcoal
sits on top of the charge below and dries it, pyrolyses it, ignites the
gases and gasifies them so that the volatiles pass up through the hot
charcoal and are quite combustible (could be used for cooking, baking, brick
making etc.) The "top down" pyrolysis reaction than passes quite regularly
DOWN through the charge and releases gas steadily for an hour or day,
depending on container size.  Have a good seal at bottom (airtight door?) or
top (the drum lid) to extinguish the fire when it is done, or the incoming
air will keep it hot for days!

If you just wish to flare the gas cleanly, weld/stick a lenght of stovepipe
into the middle of the drum lid to make a draft and put many holes in the
stovepipe near the bottom to mix air into the gas stream for clean
combustion.

I hope that Greg/April will want to try these variations and report back to
us with words and pics....

Yours for blacker charcoal...

TOM REED                    THE BEF GASWORKS


----- Original Message -----
From: "Greg and April" <gregandapril@earthlink.net>
To: <bioenergy@crest.org>; <gasification@crest.org>; <stoves@crest.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2002 2:42 PM
Subject: Re: GAS-L: Fw: RETORT FOR CARBONISING COCONUT SHELLS - REG.


> I think that this web site can get people started, it is about how to make
> charcoal at home.
>
> http://www.velvitoil.com/Charlog.htm
>
> It has a few other links, but, not many.
>
> Greg H.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tom Miles" <tmiles@trmiles.com>
> To: <bioenergy@crest.org>; "gasification" <gasification@crest.org>;
> <stoves@crest.org>
> Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2002 13:33
> Subject: GAS-L: Fw: RETORT FOR CARBONISING COCONUT SHELLS - REG.
>
>
> Forwarded to the list. What sources do we have for retorts to make
charcoal
> from coconut shells?
>
> Tom
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: diamond
> Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2002 12:51 AM
> Subject: RETORT FOR CARBONISING COCONUT SHELLS - REG.
>
>
> Dear Friends,
>
> I am really struggling to find a low cost retort suitable for carbonising
> coconut shells.
>
> Please enlighten me if a retort is available for carbonising wood and
could
> this be used for carbonising coconut shells also.
>
> It will be greatly appreciated if you could kindly oblige me with the
> company names and addresses who are manufacturing reliable low cost
charcoal
> retorts.
>
> Kindly note that I need a simple retort capable of carbonising coconut
> shells only and not generating electricity
>
> I am eagerly awaiting for your kind help and assistance
>
> Thanks & best regards
>
> A.S.IBRAHIM
> DIAMOND CONVERSIONS PVT LTD.,
> A-60, Industrial Estate,
> Mettupalayam, Pondicherry (South India)
> Phone: 00 91 413 275319
> Fax     00 91 413 248346
> Email  aminchem@satyam.net.in
>
>
>
>
>
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