[Stoves] Char from coir Re: Biochar Inquiry

[Richard Stanley]

Michael:  Busting up coconut shell to my experience, takes some heavy duty machinery whether  hand driven or not.  
Our TMC thresher masher s chopper that emerged with help of the Uganda Industrial research institute would do it but its heavy 75kgs all steel ad requires some pretty close tolerances fine for managed use by techn savvy folk, but not good for just putting in a village setting, un managed by such. 

 

Our mini TMC (developed for use here in Central America)is less technically sensitive, more manageable in the field with less skills and lighter at 25 kegs but it is not 
designed to handle coconut husks. 
 
would not. 

Otherwise I'd just get ahold of a 5hp hammer mill with a 10 - 12 mm screen hole size. If you can get one with a  chinese diesel or its old lister precursor, it'll run on used /waste veggie/cooking oil all day long. 

Richard 

On Apr 16, 2014, at 3:10 AM, Michael N Trevor wrote:

Actually when dealing with coconut husk there are two elements
coir which it the fiber and then the pith light weigh sawdust like stuff left over after mechanically separating the two.
As is husk is rather large in volume and not very dense making is a rather low grade fuel. The extracted fibers have a great many uses. I believe here, it is the pith that is left over that is being discussed. This can be resinated and turn in to a Masonite like material. It is also used as soil amendment and it can be compressed into densified pellet as fuel.
 
Shell on its own is a great fuel however it is also a superb charcoal as well. A process  that can reduce shell into a easily used
gasifier fuel to produce charcoal will be a double winner.
 
Over all husk and shell are pretty tough stuff and it takes some pretty serious machinery to slice dice chop and grind into useable by products
 
Michael Trevor
Majuro Marshall Islands
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