[Stoves] ***SPAM*** Re: [Biochar] Box-Kiln for improved charcoal production, Adam 21.12.020 Youtube

[Nando Breiter]

I like this design Chris. A very simple afterburner could be constructed as
follows at no / little cost.

Find a small steel barrel ( 30 gallon ) and cut out both ends so you have a
hollow tube. For a larger kiln like that shown in the video, it might be
better to have 2 cut out barrels and tack weld them together to form a
longer hollow tube to contain the flare.

The holes where the stovepipes exit will need to be closed/eliminated.
Instead, place the barrel between where the stovepipes were so that the
edge of the barrel is perhaps 20-30 cm in from the edge of the box. Find
the center point of the barrel circumference with the barrel in position on
top of the box and put a mark there.

If you seal the bottom edge of the box-kiln with soil, you might be able to
get away with a single 10mm hole to allow the gases to escape. If not,
you'll need a larger hole, or a straight line of 10 mm holes, enough so
that the gases escape out the hole(s) rather than being pushed out from
underneath the box-kiln edge. (In a 200 liter barrel kiln, a single 8mm
hole is plenty. The gases come out under some pressure, but that helps to
mix air with the gas stream.)

Find 2 pieces of firebrick. You'll place them either side of the hole(s).
Make some legs for your afterburner, perhaps a tripod modeled after the
*Spacex* landing legs on the booster, so that there is about a 10 cm gap
between the bottom of the barrel and the top of the box-kiln. That gap will
allow air into your afterburner.

Set the firebrick and afterburner barrel aside. Load and start the batch on
fire. When the lid is closed, place the firebricks on either side of the
hole(s) leaving the same gap as the diameter of the hole(s), so the wood
gas contacts the firebrick on the way out. Place the *Spacex Afterburner*
centered over the holes and firebrick. Then with some kindling, start a
little fire on top of the kiln box next to the afterburner. Add some long
sticks so the ends are in the fire. Then gently push the fire to the edge
of the afterburner with one of the long sticks, and then a bit under. It
might take a bit of fiddling, but the gases will ignite, and the exhaust
will be clean. Take one of the sticks that has an ember on it, before your
fire under the afterburner goes out, and place it where the gas is exiting
the kiln, on top of the firebrick. The gas flow will keep the ember glowing
and the ember will keep the gas flame lit.

Once the afterburner has been burning for a while, perhaps 20-30 minutes or
so, the firebrick should keep the flame lit without an ember at the end of
a stick. A stainless steel wire mesh, or just stainless wire bunched up in
a tangle, suspended or jammed in the barrel over where the gas exits, will
also help to maintain the flame.

While the above approach fits with the simple DIY character of the kiln, a
more sophisticated afterburner is certainly possible.

[image: afterburner7.jpg]

See the stick? The ember at the end is helping to maintain the flare. In
the beginning of a batch, the wood gas will have some moisture content, so
the flare tends to go out without support of some kind.

[image: afterburner8.jpg]

I used a stovepipe here, but it's not really necessary. It's more difficult
to weld, and it's going to fail where it's getting red hot. So I think
using 2 connected barrels is better.

[image: afterburner9.jpg]

The flare here is being maintained by 2 firebricks positioned either side
of the gas exit hole. Once the firebrick gets hot and the moisture is out
of the wood gas, it worked well for me.

[image: afterburner6.jpg]

Clean stack.


Use heavy leather welding gloves when placing and maintaining the
afterburner. Avoid windy days.






On Wed, Dec 23, 2020 at 8:20 PM Ron Larson <rongretlarson at comcast.net>
wrote:

> Chris and ccs
>
> Thanks for a good response.
>
> We have to strongly argue against “smoldering” kilns for anything called
> biochar.
>
> I endorse your request for funding to add the afterburner.
>
> Ron
>
>
>
> On Dec 22, 2020, at 11:54 PM, dr.adam <scda2 at ymail.com> wrote:
>
> Dear All,
> yes, its better not to use "smouldering kilns", but "retort kilns"
> instead.
> However as long as ring kilns are used, the "box-kiln" might be a better
> alternative,
> because a "box kiln" can be easier fitted with some insulation (= better
> efficiency) and also they are more suitable to fit an "afterburner"?
> I do not have an own workshop, i paid all expeneses from my private pocket
> to build this prototype.
> So let see if we find some organization which funds the 2nd stage to
> modify and integrate an "afterburner" in it?
> *Cheers*
> *Chris ADAM*
>
>
> On Wednesday, 23 December 2020, 01:43:17 CET, Ronal Larson <
> rongretlarson at comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
> List , Frank, Chris, and other ccs
>
> I take Frank’s message to contain a concern for the excessive smoke with
> Chris Adam’s kiln.   I agree.
>
> Chris - at 2:30 of your video on the box kiln,  there is a note saying
> that one can add an after-burner.  If, you’ve done that - can you send
> anything on the improvement?
>
> Ron
>
>
>
> On Dec 22, 2020, at 6:04 AM, Frank Strie <frank.strie at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Thanks for the link to the trading company Kobus Venter,
> From your website I see that you also have invested many years of hard
> work and commitment.
>
> Interesting images on this book cover :
>
> https://woodsmithexperience.co.uk/product/making-charcoal-and-biochar-a-comprehensive-guide
>
> …”There are chapters on the heritage skills of earth burns, the enduring
> popularity of metal kilns and the future represented by the charcoal retort.
> *Biochar* – or *small particle charcoal* – is heralded as an ancient but
> rediscovered ‘super substance’. It can increase soil fertility and
> productivity whilst locking up carbon into the ground. This book looks at
> the ongoing discussion and weighs up the evidence.”…
>
> From my personal and practical experience over the past 13+ years on this
> topic, the  big difference between the classic charcoal ring kilns with
> lid, air inlets and 4 to 6 pipe chimneys (I have a big one, but it became
> obsolete for us some six and a half years ago),  is the air pollution /
> smoke emissions, condensations and lower carbonisation temperature.
> When I  compare this old fashioned smothered, “smouldering burn” with the
> optimal open burn, in deep cones & ring kilns without lid and without
> condensation we get very different results.
> When it comes to Biochar for soil improvement, quenching with nutrient
> rich liquid (if available) or water will result in very different products
> to snuffing the char dry.
> The particulates from black carbon / dust is another reason why I would
> not suggest to hold on to this practice.
> Producing dry charcoal for fuel (carbon oxidisation) as the main / primary
> product objective  is therefore fundamentally different to the intentional
> production of high quality, fit for soil medium purpose, soil conditioners
> and  nutrient enriched Biochar.
> The debate and the action continue, and that’s just fine …
> * Frank* again
>
> *From:* main at Biochar.groups.io <main at Biochar.groups.io> *On Behalf Of *Kobus
> Venter
> *Sent:* Tuesday, December 22, 2020 9:06 PM
> *To:* main at biochar.groups.io
> *Subject:* Re: [Biochar] Box-Kiln for improved charcoal production, Adam
> 21.12.020 Youtube
>
> Flattered that my company VUTHISA is being mentioned in the video. Just
> have to point out that the small TPI metal kiln pictured is actually being
> sold by a UK company:
> https://woodsmithexperience.co.uk/product-category/charcoal-kilns-equipment/page/2/
>
> Also note our kilns are now all being lined with various types of
> insulation so we don't advocate using a system where any part of the flame
> interacts with a metal surface similar to this pizza oven:
> https://vuthisa.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/20201130_131434.jpg an
> example of a refractory cement cast in a mould.
>
> I really love the ideas coming from Chris Adam - we often talk and
> exchange ideas - that's the way it should be.
>
> Wbr
>
> Kobus
>
>
>
>
> <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail>
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>
> On Mon, Dec 21, 2020 at 6:49 PM Tom Miles <tmiles at trmiles.com> wrote:
>
> *From:* dr.adam <scda2 at ymail.com>
> *Sent:* Monday, December 21, 2020 3:51 AM
> *Box-Kiln for improved charcoal production, Adam  21.12.020  Youtube*
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRRNVc3zqAU&t=6s
>
>
> *Dear All,*
> i was uploading the video clip of the new "*box-kiln*" i developed lately.
> Give it a "like" and/or add some comment if you want,
> *Thanks*
> *Chris ADAM*
> ----------------------------
> Hallo,
> habe gerade den Youtube Clip zu meinem "Box-Kiln" (Kastenmeiler) auf
> Youtube gestellt,
> gebt ein "like" dazu, vielleicht auch einen kurzen Kommentar wenn ihr
> wollt..
> Lieben Gruß
> Chris A.
>
>
>
> --
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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