[Terrapreta] Tender offered for a design for a simple biochar cooker - or pre-made unit

[Rob]

Hello Terrapreta mail list members.

RE: TENDER FOR A DESIGN OF A BIOCHAR COOKER - OR SUPPLY OF PRE-MADE 
COOKER

I have just won limited government funding from an Australian 
government horticultural college to trial biochar, and have been 
granted access to a large planting area and resources for test 
plantings. The funding and resources granted is for work to be 
undertaken over the next two years (at minimum, can be extended 
depending on results) and will be undertaken by myself and a number of 
lecturers and a few interested students - and with some persons with 
soil related Ph.D.'s also providing general guidance.

So we have the (limited) funds, a lot of land on campus, the resources 
and the people in place - but we are missing something quite important 
- biochar!

My problem is in Australia there is no ready supply of biochar, and 
import restrictions prevent imports.

A few months ago, I met with Dr. J Lehmann while he was in Australia 
and explained this problem. Dr. Lehmann informed me viable SMALL SCALE 
cookers have been produced in the USA and elsewhere. Dr. Lehmann  
suggested such cookers if fueled by gas with temperature gauges at each 
gas head and some inside the cooker would be able to produce various 
grades of biochar (depending on feed stock) with enough accuracy such 
that successful mixes could be replicated by repeating the temperature 
settings at the gas heads (and checking the internal cooking 
temperatures are about the same). While such a set-up is not optimal in 
scientific terms, it would be enough for us to get started cooking up 
semi- controlled biochar and running growing tests in green-houses, 
shade-houses and in the field.

As I do now have confirmed funding I am after either:

(1) a proper design for a biochar cooker, where the design is of a 
cooker that has already been built and works, or
(2) an already manufactured unit that has already been built and works

and in both cases working along the lines Dr. Lehmann suggested 
(discussed above).

If anyone or firm is willing to tender me a price for such a design or 
a made up unit please let me know. If you know of an person or firm who 
might be interested please - please - pass on this email.

We are willing to pay for such a unit or design, but I stress we are 
after a small cooker at this stage, just to get us started and into 
growing trials - and please remember my funding is limited.

If a made up unit is intended please consider the sea freight costs and 
insurance costs to Port Adelaide, Australia.

We have extensive well equipped mechanical engineering shops and expert 
lecturers in all facets of manufacturing, materials and metal 
fabrication, so a made up unit could be supplied in parts and assembled 
here to reduce freight costs. We can also fabricate any cooker so long 
as the design is professional and detailed.

It is essential any design is of a cooker or made up cooker which is 
proven to work.

Subject to further discussion and analysis of benefits, we might be 
prepared to provide detailed growing test data in return - which may 
help a potential budding biochar oven manufacturer with useful test 
results to help their business along.  However, unless we must enter 
into a commercial arrangement with an oven manufacturer, we will be 
posting test results to share with the biochar community - and we look 
forward to the results of other member's work on a community database 
so we can post our results.

I look forward to any emails to further this tender request.

Also any suggestions, help, comments as to this endeavor is most 
welcome anytime - we need all the help we can get to make this biochar 
project work over the next two years, and further biochar knowledge in 
my home city: Adelaide, Australia.

My direct email is:
robfox at adam.com.au

Thanks for reading so far.

Rob Wyly
Urrbrae Horticultural Campus
http://www.tafe.sa.edu.au
Adelaide, South Australia.