Design and construction of mobile Biochar Kiln for small farmers

Abstract

Abstract Biomass is a renewable energy that attracted the global attention. Biochar is a product of pyrolysis of agricultural biomass under limited oxygen condition and the fire is lit at the top of the biomass. There was a variety of method or technique to produce biochar. A simple, practical and affordable unit of pyrolysis kiln was designed and fabricated to ease the small farmer to produce the biochar efficiently at low cost. Biochar samples were prepared from the pyrolysis process by using waste wood from the harvest site. Furthermore, pH level, surface area and other biochar characterization had been studies through laboratory test. Surface area of biochar observed through Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Gas emission was observed during the trial run of the pyrolysis kiln. The portable biochar kiln can be constructed easily by the small farmer by using available metal. This is one of the methods which utilises the biomass efficiently and use it as soil nutrient supplement. This approach is more environmental friendly compare to open burning of waste wood at the harvest site. The general performance of the portable biochar kiln is satisfactory and is suitable for burning the waste biomass to produce biochar.