For the new 50Kwh gasifier generator set, making new fuel…
Testing how to cut, to chop and how to charcoal it…
Installed the new Vinegar collector/condenser…
Starting this set tomorrow morning…
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Very exciting! Are you using the vinegar for pest control?
Is this primarily for vinegar collection? I imagine to make charcoal this way is expensive?
Hi Bill,
Nope, this is just for testing/teaching how to obtain good endproducts; high quality charcoal, activating process, selective distilling of the vinegar components… ( and fuel for the gasifiers 
)
tomorrow i go for 1000 degree celcius and will know how much fraction i get.
Measured input = 5Kg
To find what i get out…
Also checking on the size and the quality from/for the activated carbon.
My system / charcoaling, already passed the Pharma (USP) requirements/quality
Now to design a full industrial set…
Meanwhile, playing around…
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Hi Jason,
Trying to find any way’s to put this vinegar to work yes… including pest control.
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Do you know what the temperature reduction should be between the jars? Or do you have a way of measuring? I’m just curious of how you came up with the length of vertical pipe.
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Hi Bill,
At this moment i have no exact set point, yet.
The length of the pipes is chosen , for starters, to keep the collection area small/short for each fraction.
The point is to make a “farmer useable system” that provides some benefits for those who occupy themselves with charcoaling and been venting the smoke with no collection at all.
Making the fractions smaller is just a gut feeling ( based on earlier testings )
A full fledged charcoaling set would have about 7 collection lines with 6 fractions each…
Each time a dedicated temperature range…
Its now to put the theory aside and doing it practical… and then observe the outcome…
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I can’t wait to see the results. I will be diligently following this post. Will you be using an infrared thermometer to see where the temperature drops are? I’m eagerly waiting for a video.
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Now, this went well… ( or not so )
The whole factory knew (smelled) what i was doing… so, now they have some “bamboo smoked” rice noodles…
I had to stop the test after 1,5 hours and at 400 degree celcius, the oven was not tight neither was the drum for making charcoal…
I did put a suction fan and tried to quickly build a filter to absorb most of the smoke, but at no avail… Need to retest in a airtighter way and with less bamboo ( 1 kg instead of 5 kg )
The set was heating up to quick, but still, the obtained results are indication for the correct path to follow.
Next setup/test will be:
first extraction/collection in temperature range ambient to 100ºC
then extraction and collection per range of 100º (100 to 200, 200 to 300 and so on )
The same as the final system will be…
But, here are some clips from startup untill to much smoke…
I will shrink the pictures later and post them
Enjoy…
First: the fumes start to come at oven temperature 70ºC
Then following up:
Drip leaking on a coupling…
different temperatures different smoke in different bowls…
Cooling down the oven, but look how the smoke behaves…
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Thanks for the pictures and videos Koen.
In fractional distillation, isn’t the distance between collection points have different temperatures? If that is the case, the temperature between jars 2 and 3 will be similar, no?
I am curious as to what you’ll do with what you’ve collected here.
Thank you.
Bill S.
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Making the fuel… chopping the bamboo with the new cutter. needs to be automated dough… but nice playing around
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i cut the bamboo rings now in a certain lenght and then split them in 8 pieces…
after that, they go in the charcoaler…
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Koen, that size is perfect for a TLUD charcoal making stove. Use the gases for cooking, dump out the charcoal, and then put it into your electric oven/vinegar collection system. It would require less power to finish off the char to perfection. It would be interesting to see how much vinegar might be collected (if any) after it was used to power the TLUD stove. Here is a slide show plus description underneath of the stove I just finished using this morning. This stove has been in constant use for 4 years now, and is the best one in my collection. It has made bags and bags of good charcoal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHms7E0VAio&t=3s
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Koen
That is a perfect low tech splitter
I am going to copy it for use on up to 6" wood chunks and since I am about 3 times her size and can use a larger hammer
Now I just need to find some of that tough ash wood for a punch
Inspirational!
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Hi Koen , thanks for uploading the video’s and pictures all very interesting to see , always a shame when you have to stop due to not wanting to upset other people around you working with fumes and smoke .
Can i ask why are you getting your wife to chunk the bamboo even smaller ? would putting the whole bamboo ring in your oven be good enough , it is pretty small to start with from what i can make out .
Cheers Dave
Hi Dave,
The bamboo gets chunked up into pieces before they get charred because:
1: This fuel should be driving the 50Kwh system, needing about 25Kgs per hour.
2: crunching charcoal into suitable pieces @ that amount is a very dusty business and the losses are high.
3: No need for sieves and finding ways to use the charcoal dust and out of specs .
4: These little chunks can be handled more convenient then the charcoal ( i relation to automatisation )
5: easy to charcoal these little chunks in my retort system ( more even and faster )
overall, we think that chunking them up before could be the better way to do, but lets wait for the results , future will tell.
Trying to do more with less ( trying to optimise, not to maximise )
The sawing produces sawdust, obvious, amounting to 15% if i saw them to 20 mm long, is going to be something special: cellulose insulation, bamboo dust instead of paper dust. the heat from the charcoaling proces will be used to boil the bamboo dust/waste, the sugar residu’s going into a methanisation process i have here.
Any byproducts, bamboo waste, will be used as fuel, the remaining ashes going to the ciment industrie, the eventual char/ashes mix is going into a fertiliser project ( biochar/terra preta )
So many things going on… getting older in a fast pace… but lovin every moment…
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Hi Ray,
You’r right and even more, i was/ am trying to build a easy working copy from your system, suited for the farmers needs here… i will keep things updated during the progress
Good idea! This might allso work for other wood.
How do you plan to chunk later to feed that 50kwh beast?
My advice is look in to rebak chunkers. It wuld be ideal for your job.
The blades first compress the bamboo tube, thus spliting it at least 4 times. The blade then cuts it.
Allso, a question l have always wanted to ask you. How come you dont use wood gasifiers to power the big stationary engines?
I mean the buty of charcoal is obvious, but wuldnt wood gasification be more economic/cleaner?
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Hi Kristijan,
I am building an automated version of my wife , thats how
Building a raw wood gasifier could/would be advantage, but, the operators skills from the intended audience…
I can build and run it, but could a “normal” person do it ? Only skilled and motivated people i guess…
I stick with charcoal coz it has less hurdles to jump…
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