[Terrapreta] Making charcoal in a barrel

[Robert Flanagan]

OK Guys,

This is the last mail from me for a while so with this one no one is right
and no one is wrong if we take it from small scale to large scale.

*BUT IF YOUR GOING TO MAKE CHARCOAL IN A BARREL THEN TRY AND BURN AS MUCH OF
THE OFF-GASSES AS POSSIBLE!*
Will that keep you happy Sean?

And here is another tip on how to do that.

Mark out  ten fairly evenly spaced holes around the bottom say 40mm up.
Then measure sixty fairly evenly spaced holes around the top of the
barrel this time about 60mm down from the rim of the barrel (Typical ratio
is between 5-6:1 Secondary to Primary air, depending on the resistance from
the internal gasses)
The get a 10mm drill bit and go and drill each of the holes you marked out.
Now take the drill bit out of the chuck after it cools and on the top holes
put the bit through each hole and put a kink in the hole by pushing down
45deg to the right (This should allow internal gasses to pass over while
pulling clean air in) and if your barrel is facing the wind you should get
your flame to swirl. If you achieve this then you have greatly increased
your chances of fully combusting the gases, as the gas is kept in the
reaction zone longer enabling it to fully break down and release most of
it's heat.
The reason for doing this is to create a little extra air in the bottom
(Primary Air) to assist in the reaction until you have a good charcoal layer
built up (Some of the biomass will reduce to ash but its a small trade off
for the heat given off to assist the rest of the reaction)
The holes on the top are to provide clean air (Secondary Air) to assist in
complete combustion and flame retention.
When you've got a good charcoal layer going you and just put some soil over
the holes on the bottom of the barrel to block the air getting in. And when
you barrel is full again seal and leave until it's cool before breaking it
up and mixing it into the soil.

Breaking it up is very easy if you have a cement mixer on hand, just add
charcoal + soil (Just do dampen down the dust) and put at least two rocks
and turn on. The rocks will slowly break the char and mix it with your soil
at the same time.

Anyway that should get the more active of you going and the arm chair
activist talking for a few weeks! I don't expect to receive email during the
coming days so no point attacking me until I'm back on line (SKB).

Rob.




Robert Flanagan
Chairman & President
Hangzhou Sustainable Agricultural Food & Fuel Enterprise Co., Ltd.

Skype "saffechina"
Tel:   86-571-881-850-67
Cell:  86-130-189-959-57
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