[Stoves] Traditonal Charcola Making Process / retort / CCS-lite

[Bruno M.]

Just to ad the ( working) website link to :
KPCU (Kenyan Planters Coffee Union) in Nairobi         www.kpcu.co.ke/

and their KAHAWA Coal page:

www.kpcu.co.ke/services/coal.asp
         Introducing the KPCU's economical and eco-friendly "KAHAWA COAL":
         ...

Grts
Bruno M.
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At 09:15 4/07/2007, Chris  Adam wrote:
>Ron Larson schrieb:
> > Crispin (cc Tom, etal):
> > I haven't been following as well as I might, but I like that there is a
> > terra preta (charcoal) aspect to this discussion.
> > I think you may find that a suitable kiln system  for your stove firing
> > can be built around the downdraft charcoaling method developed by 
> Elsen Karstad.
> >     I visited his site (   www.chardust.com      ) a month ago, 
> but it would not pop
> > up today.  Accordingly,  I am copying Elsen as well.  For others new to
> > this, there are lots of references to his down-draft design in 
> old archives
> > of this list - and maybe Tom can cite the best.
> >
> >     Briefly, Elsen developed a system where bagasse or wood chips 
> are spread
> > out on many grates, and workers keeps enough un-charred material 
> in place so
> > that one never sees a red glow. ........................................
--------
>NEW:
>I have seen this method which is called "open pit carbonization " (i
>guess?) in 1986
>at KPCU (Kenyan Planters Coffee Union) in Nairobi.
>It's a very unhealthy and labor intensive and unsatisfying task to spread
>the coffee husks in the glowing char!
>However-KPCU is still producing
>the famous KAHAWA coal briquettes since that time!
>
>To avoid this unhealthy procedure for the workers i concepted the CCS-lite,
>a continuous tower on the base of 3 oil drums welded together. Coffee
>husks are
>falling through the chimney into a "hot-zone".
>This CCS-lit  should be very efficient- because the bio mass gets
>pre-dryed already
>in the hot gases- while falling down into the system!
>You can see a sketch + photos under: www.biocoal.org
>I guess a prototype could be build for about 5000 Euro.
>Best
>Chris Adam
>--
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