[Stoves] Looking for a stove designed for larger amounts of biochar

[Alex English]

Dear A.D. Karve,

You have now been at this for a decade or so.   I, predictably, am just 
curious to know more details.
Perhaps it would be useful  information for others too.

Concerning your TLUD style kilns, can you share with us ;

1. how many of these kilns are active,
2. how much total charcoal all the kilns produce per year or season,
3. what percentage of ARTI charcoal briquettes are made with charcoal 
from these kilns,
4. how long it takes to earn back the purchase price of the kiln,
5. how long the kilns last.
6. are the number of these kilns in use still growing.
7. is there a subsidy for any part of this energy production-stove chain.
8. has the kiln been adopted beyond your region.
9. what is the bulk density of the charred cane trash as transported 
before being briquetted.
10. average distance it travels from field to market.
11. Are any wheels involved in the cane fields, either moving the kiln 
to the trash or the trash to the kiln.
12. Are there any concerns about the loss of nutrients from these fields.


Warm regards
Alex English

On 13/11/2011 11:18 PM, Anand Karve wrote:
> Dear Stovers,
> we are currently using 200 litre steel barrels for charring sugarcane
> leaves into charcoal. Our kilns work on the TLUD principle. Since
> sugarcane leaves are light in weight and difficult to transport, we
> send our kilns to the farm where they are harvesting sugarcane,
> convert the dry leaves into charcoal and bring the charcoal back to
> our briquetting facility. The gaseous part of the leaves is burned and
> exhausted. Being an ambient operation, we cannot harvest or use the
> energy generated by burning the gaseous fraction of the biomass. But
> since sugarcane leaves are in any case burned in the field itself,
> nobody mourns for the loss of energy.
> Yours
> A.D.Karve
>