Double Stack TLUD Biochar Kiln For Homestead Charcoal Production
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- Breakdown of a small double stack TLUD kiln for making charcoal at the homestead scale. The primary burn chamber is a 7.5 gallon steel drum. Holes are drilled in the bottom for primary air intake. This barrel is lit at the top, causing air to be drawn in the bottom and pulled up through the barrel (hence Top Lit Up Draft). Above the primary burn chamber sits a secondary retort, from which volatile gases are baked out of carbonaceous material and reinjected into the gap between the primary burn chamber and the secondary retort - the "secondary combustion zone". All of the heat generated serves to bake the material in the secondary retort.
This system could be improved a number of ways - namely by maintaining a more consistent cross-sectional chimney area all the way up through the kiln, and by wrapping the various chambers with insulation and using the heat of the primary burn chamber to pre-heat secondary air.
This charcoal will be fully hydrated, washed, and then inoculated with an aerobic compost tea, some source of nitrogen, as well as calcium to become biochar (biologically inoculated charcoal), before being incorporated into potting soil and garden beds. Biochar is a great way to make permanent improves to your soil fertility that can literally benefits your family for many generations. This is just one way to make charcoal at a home scale - there are many other methods, each of which is uniquely suited to different inputs and desired end-use cases. Bottom line - don't just burn your slash piles - turn them into biochar!
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Interesting design, I use a beer keg for the primary chamber, the handle holes are just the right size for secondary air, I've experimented with different things for the secondary chamber, I've settled on putting the chimney through the actual chamber welded round the base with holes drilled into the chiimney inside the secondary chamber for off gassing, having the fuel all a similar size works best for an even burn, either chipped wood or sticks split to a similar thickness, tho you didn't have any oils visible on the surface of the water so it looks like you did OK even with some larger chunks, thanks for sharing
A beer keg is a great idea for the burn container - those are insulated, or at least have an air gap, correct? I'll see if I can get my hands on one of those. If you have a system I'd love to see a video of it in operation!
@@thesovereignhomestead Nah they're not insulated, but they are made of stainless steel so will last forever, I won't be burning til summer since I use woodchip and need to dry it out in the hot sun for a few days, if your feedstock is all diff sizes/big chunks a 55gal drum on it's side with a 10" wide slot cut in the side is a simple design that works, primary and secondary air comes in over the top into the slot but 10" slot restricts burn enough to form char, as an ash layer forms add more fuel, repeat until full, still needs quenching when flames stop but is the easiest big batch design for large chunks, and you can just roll it over to empty it, there's a vid on YT of a farmer loading it from a front loader can't remember which channel tho!
@@glassbackdiy3949 Yes! I have actually made and used one of those side-cut 55 gallon drum style kilns - it was a lot of fun and very hot to manage that burn. Pretty cool how the flame practically gulped air in that design. Happy burning!
Bailey Square
I wonder if you're getting so much smoke because there is not enough secondary air to burn off the exhausted gas. Perhaps a bigger gap between the two barrels or more holes in the smoke stack. I love the idea of the retort within the top barrel. It uses the primary burn to heat the contents and adds its own gasses to be burned increasing the heat. However, it may be adding to the oxygen deficiency problem which exacerbates the smoke issue. Thanks for sharing your ideas.
I agree - either not enough secondary air, or it isn't sufficiently pre-heated (insulating the jacket would help), or not enough mixing, or some combo of all three I think. More experimentation required - next one I get to build I'll measure the various CSAs and publish their ratios to at least show other what doesn't work :)
Another way you can start the flame is put some rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle, just lightly spray the top and then light with a match or lighter wood-burning twig.
Will try this next time - thanks!
@@thesovereignhomestead to be honest I've never tried rubbing alcohol with wood splits, but it works great with wood chips like the Western red cedar pet bedding. It leaves no contamination.
What containers are these from? I can not find anything in a decent price range to use.
The main barrels are 7 gallon barrels that a client had a bunch of and he gifted me two - similar to these: bascousa.com/pails-and-buckets/open-head-steel-pails/filter/capacity:7-gallon.html
The smaller internal retort I did purchase and was a stainless steel pail with lid - something like one of these: www.thecarycompany.com/containers/pails/steel/open-head
Just make sure to measure your various diameters and ensure you've got consistent cross sectional area between an outer pail and an inner retort pail to maintain good draw - something I need to dial in better with my next one. Good luck!
Ara Mall
🙏💅
Is there a reason for NOT showing us the char directly in your contraption !??
Instead you skip your viewers directly to the already quenched and washed char...!?
Could it be that there have been.... lets call it.....
unwanted large amounts of ASH ??!
What you are willing to show, but above all what you obviously haven't shown,
arouses the worst suspicions in an average misanthrope like me!
Thanks for sharing your video with us... the world is already better with people like you and I....your design is obsolete and/or inefficient ....you are wasting wood .. there is no need for a burner stage