[Terrapreta] Strong warning against "simple" charcoal kilns

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Max,

Try this?  When carbonacious organic wastes (biomass?) are left to decay in open air, they decompose into CO2.  When pushed underground into a landfill, some of the carbon molecules in the biomass decompose into Methane-CH4, which is also under the ground, and is often already being harvested.  In fact it is illegal to allow Methane-CH4 emissions from landsfills.  It can be economical to harvest the trapped Methane gas found in landfills.  There is quickly growing industry in harvesting ""landfill" gas.  Fecal wastes from animal feed lots is also are left mostly, to decay in open air, producing both CO2 and CH4.  Anearobic Digester systems can harvest the Methane from animal waste pools.

Now, the "charcoal-in-a-barrel" kiln?  Well, when biomass if pyrolyzed in open air (or limited amounts of air).  This pyrolysis reaction generates "producer gas" (H2:~20~, CO:~20%, CO2:~10-15%, H2O:~5%, Methane-CH4:~2-3%, and Nitrogen gas-N2:~40-45%)

Air is 19% Oxygen, 78% Nitrogen, Argon is next, and some other trace gases (like CO2 @ 383 parts per million).

The release of just the 2-3% Methane-CH4 content does more damage to the atmosphere than is ALL of the carbon were released as CO2.  This is because Methane-CH4 is a long-lived and far more potent contributor to the green house warming effect than is CO2 (23-62 times more potent, depending on how long of a time frame you consider).  The production of large amounts of charcoal using "charcoal-in-a-barrel' kilns (and the release of any substantial portion of the Methane-CH4 from the process would undermine Terra Preta Nova in a profound way.  Here we would be trying to mitigate climate and improve growing conditions, but while we tried we shot ourselves in the foot and advanced the speed of increase in the GHG warming effect.

This doesn't even mention other pollutants possible from charcoal production in cheap simple "charcoal-in-a-barrel" kilns.  These include particulates (carciniogens) and other toxic , air borne compounds.  Who ever "sits" sucking in smoke form a camp fire?  It also does not mention that there is an enormous waste of usable energy, due to the inefficiencies of this type of design.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane>

There are some who will dispute this claim.  I know that there are more who would support this.  If you must learn about charcoal in soil, then make some charcoal by any means, if you cannot get it from someone who can make it right, but advocating "millions" of these typoes of kilns is a bad idea.  Advocate "millions" of "Clean Charcoal Kilns" instead.

Regards,

SKB
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: MFH<mailto:mfh01 at bigpond.net.au> 
  To: 'Kurt Treutlein'<mailto:rukurt at westnet.com.au> 
  Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2008 6:28 PM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Strong warning against "simple" charcoal kilns


  I'm struggling to understand why "millions" of back-yard simple kilns
  producing char to be buried in gardens aren't better than not having any at
  all. More particularly if they are consuming household scraps and garbage
  that would otherwise find its way to landfill.

  Sit on our hands and wait for big business to develop squillion dollar char
  factories, or do something positive at a personal level?

  Max H


  -----Original Message-----
  From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org>
  [mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Kurt Treutlein
  Sent: Monday, 28 April 2008 9:21 AM
  Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Strong warning against "simple" charcoal kilns

  Hi folkes,

  Hands up all those who have "Strongly warned" against Folkes simple kiln 
  concept, who are NOT working on developing a sophisticated highly 
  efficient pyrolises system with the idea of marketing it to the world to 
  make the gigatons of bio-char we will need to reverse GW.

  Anybody???

  Kurt

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