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Author: Subject: Preparation of Charcoal by the Slow Pyrolysis of Wood Scraps
WangleSpong5000
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[*] posted on 20-4-2018 at 16:55


Quote: Originally posted by Bert  
There you went again. Yes, you want a went, not a great, gaping rent.If the went is too large, gas pressure from the pyrolysis will not sufficiently pressurize the wessel and conwection may allow Oxygen to enter. This results in a small charcoal brazier, rather than a charcoal retort. When using a sealed can over a fire, you may put a small hole in the BOTTOM of the can, then the wented gasses will be ignited by the fire and add even more heat to the wessel.


Post sources please, preferably signed by no less than 7 scholars, 4 in the relevant field of discussion, 1 Dr of Logic, 1 Dr of Statistics, 1 Dr of supercalifragilistics... or it didn't happen...




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[*] posted on 20-4-2018 at 17:00


Heat saw dust in a pipe in a hot fire (via air fed coal, for example).

Allows venting or burning of fumes.

Reduces oxygen exposure so less conversion of carbon to CO/CO2.
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[*] posted on 20-4-2018 at 17:57


Look for Takeo Shimizu' description of traditional small batch charcoal production for shell lift BP from hemp stalks.

Many, many descriptions of traditional European batch production charcoal burning under heaps of earth. Up to half of the wood was wasted... Europe was largely deforested from the wood demand of such processes by the the 16th century. So some enterprising guys in the low countries substituted dug and dried PEAT- and got rich from cornering all the local heat intensive industrial processes.

Then came engineers and efficiency. The industrial age developed more economical practices, moving big sheet Iron retorts through a furnace horizontaly by rail in a continuous production.

Henry Ford had a waste disposal problem- All the oak wood scraps and sawdust from left over from production of the wooden bodywork on model T automobiles. His friend Mr. Kingsford gave him an idea about how to merchandise his waste material to Americans as leisure time cooking charcoal- and turned his trash into profit, after virtually everyone had ceased smelting Iron with.charcoal.

In the 3rd world even now, you will find VERTICAL furnaces built into hillsides where the movement of stacks of materials is from top to bottom, the waste gasses from calcining lower levels serving to preheat the newer stacks of materials coming down the chimney.

Enjoy your charcoal. You are at the tail end of a long tradition-


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[*] posted on 20-4-2018 at 20:33


I made another attempt and out of about 100g of wood (fresh green wood) I got 10g of a fine black flowing powder.



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[*] posted on 21-4-2018 at 03:04


There is a simpler and more portable way to make charcoal, without a hair dryer or a fire pit and it's clean too (no visible smoke). It's called a TLUD (Top-lit Up Draft) woodgas stove. It was developed to help poor people in third world countries, but as charcoal is its byproduct, it quickly gained popularity among organic gardeners, who use it to produce "biochar" (biologically activated charcoal) to be added to the soil. It can be made from two tin cans of slightly different sizes. I made my own in like 20 minutes and after a few burns I have two cans of charcoal.

Here are a few links, that will let you understand and build your own TLUD:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-lit_updraft_gasifier
Manual how to build TLUD (pdf)
TLUD in action, with glass combustion chamber (YouTube)
How to build TLUD from tin cans (YouTube)

Attached images show my TLUD and some charcoal I made with it. First, inner can, where biomass is loaded. At the bottom, primary air inlets are visible. There should be only enough primary air to sustain pyrolisis (actually, I made too many holes). At the top, there are secondary air inlets. When a bigger can is put over this smaller can, secondary air is drawn from the bottom by a slit between the cans, as it goes upwards, it gets hot from the walls of the inner can, then as hot air enters via holes at the top it mixes with woodgas and burns quite clean. No visible smoke if biomass is dry and ratio of secondary to primary air is correct.

The charcoal that comes out of TLUD is completly dry. All tars etc. get vaporized and burnt as woodgas.

Second image shows complete assembly, with a third can as a chimney, to increase draft and to be able to put a pot on top, i.e. to boil water (I use my TLUD as a camping stove, too).


inner_can.jpg - 76kB full_assembly.jpg - 133kB charcoal.jpg - 86kB
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[*] posted on 21-4-2018 at 03:22


IDK if this has been said but there are 2 ways to make charcoal without a blower or complex burning container. First off there really is no reason to use a blower in this endeavour and will just end up causing the can to melt and the fuel to burn too fast. The heat produced from a normal wood fire is plenty to turn the wood into charcoal, just fill the canister (with a small hole in the top) and drop it in the fire.

Another method is to burn some wood and then take the hot coals and fill a container about 1/3 full of hot coals. Fill the rest with dry wood or sawdust and put the lid on it. place the container where you pulled the coals from (should still be pretty hot and probably some more coals). Allow to sit for 4-6 hours and then remove the charcoal that is above where the coals were.

I've done both a number of times and it works very well and is very easy.
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[*] posted on 21-4-2018 at 07:19


May I recommend a old pressure cooker for the vessel, and a vacuum pump to pull a vacuum in said chamber and keep it for the whole time

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[*] posted on 21-4-2018 at 07:32


Quote: Originally posted by XeonTheMGPony  
May I recommend a old pressure cooker for the vessel, and a vacuum pump to pull a vacuum in said chamber and keep it for the whole time


Why so much hassle with a vacuum pump? There is no need for vaccum to make charcoal. Simple, two can gasifier works very well, as I described in my post above.
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[*] posted on 21-4-2018 at 08:44


Quote: Originally posted by XeonTheMGPony  
May I recommend a old pressure cooker for the vessel, and a vacuum pump to pull a vacuum in said chamber and keep it for the whole time


I am going to have to report you to the society for the prevention of cruelty to vacuum pumps.
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[*] posted on 21-4-2018 at 09:46


Please don't call the RSPCVP.

I'll change the oil in mine immediately.




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[*] posted on 21-4-2018 at 11:38


Too late PETVP has already started a protest and will be outside your place of work soon to harass you



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[*] posted on 21-4-2018 at 11:45


Phew !

If they think i have a place of work, i'm safe.

Edit:

Well, depends on if they can find me in 2,500 square kilometres,.

[Edited on 21-4-2018 by aga]




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