Very clever adaptation of the Kon Tiki Kiln

[Norman Baker]

                  

Guys;

It is not well explained here but this is the cleverest idea I've seen in a long time. Jens Raberg developed the Kon-Tiki kiln for attachment to the three point hitch on a large tractor. The kiln is run as you normally would run a Kon-Tiki. After a burn is completed, the biochar is quenched with snow and water just enough to put out the flames and further pyrolysis. Then, the PTO attachment is turned on, apparently rotating a spreader disk on the bottom of the Kon-Tiki, and the farmer drives through his field spreading pristine biochar as he goes. This is the kind of common sense adaptations farmers need. Ideally suited for the organic grower and farmer. Theoretically, it would be possible to charge the char in place in the Kon-Tiki and spread needed organic fertilizers on the field at the same time. 

Anyone out there up for doing this? It would take some steel fabrication skills but the results would be incredibly worthwhile.

Norm

		Jens Råberg April 1 at 12:34pm
Making biochar wit the kon-tiki method in something made for spreading artificial fertiliser after a tractor. A very good first expirience.  Before charing the hole in the bottom was filled with sand to eliminate air coming in from below.  Generally we tried to not use large or wet pieces late in the process.  Pic 1. Made a chimney of wood that was lit from avove. After just 10 minutes no smoke could be seen..  Pic 2. After some time. We added firewood when the top layer was slightly ashed. At adding there was often a little smoke. The side where the wind came from got the oxygen poor gasses and burned slowly. Therefore it got finer wood. Largely we followed the strategy to not add coarse or weet wood at the end.  Pic 3. Late in the process some minutes after adding wood. A little smoke can be seen.  Pic 3. Before quenching the we let the process go a bit further than otherwise with more ash.  Pic 5. After quenching with snow there is snow left on the top. The temperature remained high in the bottom so further quenching was done with water. Very little water went though.  In the end of the charing a long thin iron rod was used to feel weather the charing was complete .After the charing the damp char was crushed with a spade still in the funnel. It worked like a charm. No dust in the air.  There is now char in the bottom of the bucket in the kitchen for food scraps. When full it will be emptied in the compost that will afterwards be used as soil amendment.  There might be farmers who have this kind of fertiliser spreader in such a bad condition that they aren't even trying to sell them.

[Francesco Tortorici]

Norm,

I am not sure that he spreads this biochar with the spreader.  From his narrative, it looks like he is only using it to burn:  

There is now char in the bottom of the bucket in the kitchen for food scraps. When full it will be emptied in the compost that will afterwards be used as soil amendment.

There might be farmers who have this kind of fertiliser spreader in such a bad condition that they aren't even trying to sell them.

Have you reached out to him?

~Francesco

We know more about the stars overhead than the soil underfoot.

Leonardo Da Vinci

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[Norman Baker]

Francesco;

That is exactly what I surmised from his narrative. But, when you read his narrative he has to plug a hole in the bottom of the Kon-Tiki. And, if you look at the pictures carefully, he has constructed some sort of a retainer mechanism on the bottom of the Kon-Tiki to hold the char before spreading on the land. Still, this is a good catch. I will reach out to him to see if this is what he is doing but, he does talk about spreading artificial fertilizer - which I assume means biochar. I posted on Facebook. We will see what he has to say.

Norm

On April 26, Dave Muehliesen and his organic gardening class are coming here for a tour and demonstration of the gardens and the kiln and the biochar urinal. Tentatively they are to arrive at 9 AM. And, apparently they are coming from Fort Flagler. Although details have not been solidified, I do not know if they are planning a one day or two day trip from Olympia. Are you available? They have not been quite forthcoming on what their plans are or how long they're going to be here, but we will feed you lunch. 

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