[Terrapreta] Overview on biochar production methods

[Jeff Davis]

Adriana,

All good information and advice.

In the future I plan on using an IC engine and generator to test the gas.
Easy to measure how much electric produced.


Jeff



> Jeff,
>
> Quality of the gas is a whole separate issue. We do measurements before
> and after our gas clean-up so we use the European tar sampling procedure
> (which involves impinger trains, filters and gas meter) to 'drop out'
> and larger chain hydrocarbons so they can be quantified and so they
> don't foul up the analysers.  We then have a suite of gas analysers
> including a GC. It is a reasonably expensive exercise to get set up and
> maintain, but the only way to know what you have.
>
> A straight hydrogen meter is cheaper and will tell you something,
> perhaps a good place to start. Hydrogen however is often not the crux of
> the energy content in a pyrolysis gas, so you may be left feeling like
> you missed something.
>
> Adriana.
> BEST Energies
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jeff Davis [mailto:jeff0124 at velocity.net]
> Sent: Friday, 17 August 2007 1:34 PM
> To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Overview on biochar production methods
>
> Hi Adriana
>
>
> Adriana wrote:
>> If you know the mass of the wood in and the mass of the charcoal out,
>> then the balance will be what has volatilised into the gas phase so
> you
>> know the mass of gas out.
>
> True but your gas quality can vary. It would be possible to have just
> CO2
> and N2. I like H2 rich gas.
>
>
>>It is very hard to control yield in batch
>> processes unless you bring down the temperature in a nitrogen
>> environment to prevent combustion.
>
> My process is continuous. I'm thinking the SV will control yield.
>
>
>> Moisture content is easy to do yourself (if you have a scale).
>
> I'm with you here. I did that with an old microwave oven and scales.
> Sometimes my sample gets carbonized :)
>
> I don't fell I do a good job with what I have to work with and it would
> be
> nice to out source some of this work.
>
> Too costly but nice to check out:
> Moisture Determination Balances
> http://www.coleparmer.com/catalog/product_view.asp?sku=0100270
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jeff

-- 
Jeff Davis

Some where 20 miles south of Lake Erie, USA