- Technology that can be built with mostly locally accessible and affordable resources, such as Earth and steel, tools and labor, for biochar 'Carbon Removal in a Cascade of Uses' (CRCU) ending up in a permanent C sink that meets the 'Inertinite Benchmark' of Random reflectance (Ro)>2% for a half life of 100 million years

- ideal additional criteria
    - easy to operate   
    - design principles eg. Modular, scalable, durable/rugged, solid state, ideally electronics free/minimal 'green' electronics, lightweight etc.  
    - built with  
        - green materials eg. 'Greener steel'  
        - unpowered/low powered electric tools, powered with renewable energy   
    - artisanal OR industrial OR artisanal AND industrial scales/type of manufacturing  

Biochar applications 
    - if the Biochar is used for filtration of toxic wastewater, then the end C sink should be hard infrastructure eg. Charcrete, roof tiles, charclay blocks, indoor render, indoor floors, benches et al
    - if the Biochar is still non-toxic (and 'Soil Food Web' friendly) at the end of a cascade, it can be added to compost or directly into the soil for growing systems
- an example of some cascades could be
    1. wastewater (storm water, mining etc.) treatment with heavy metal/dyes/antibiotics/ag chemicals removal->hard infrastructure (linear)
    2. air filtration->water filtration->urine/bokashi sewage treatment->bokashi compost->growing system->biomass->harvesting->biomass waste->more biochar (circular)

General

• Australian/other made
• Carbon negative biochar production using photosynthesis/biomass and Pyrolysis to help cool the climate
• almost completely clean emissions
• useful for survival to meet economic uncertainty and basic to more complex needs
• easy to operate
• no electronics needed...pure mechanical solid state analogue joy with no moving parts during operation for minimal wear and tear
• high quality and durable/corrosion resistant steel
• many applications for biochar
• save money on water and ag/hort inputs
• possible to cascade Biochar use (see above), and 'get more from less' (CRCU)
• possible Biochar barter if inflation/stagflation takes over

 

Navigator TLUD stoves

• possible green fuel supply eg. Sawmill waste from a certified FSC forestry operation for wood pellets; rice husk pellets from rice dehusking (at any operation scale); other biomass pellet feedstock options
• various burner sizes made from 304 chimney flue for the Navigator stove series designed and built thus far (eg. 'Light' V2 (4") (see the 'Navigator Stove' page), 12L stainless bucket 'Hormuz' V1 (4" and 5") (see the 'Simple Survival System' page) and 20L stainless bucket 'Awesome' V2 (4" and 5") (see the 'Bush Survival System' page) or a burner (4" and 5") (see the 'Navigator Kitchen' page) for a standard stovetop configuration (eg. Stainless Mesh sitting on besser blocks plus oven tray (with burner) beneath for a quench at the end of a burn)

 

Flame Cap 'Algorithm' Panel Kiln (see the 'Flame Cap 'Algorithm' Panel Kiln' page)

 

• V2: standard Corten (HW350A) 1.55mm sheet + mesh (whatever works), for fabricators or DIY with appropriate tools and training for the required skillset eg. plasma cutter/grinder and stick welding

• V3: standard Corten (CW300A) coil + roll former for wave corrugated panels
• easy logistics (with a bit of muscle) eg. pallets for distribution and ute/trailer/truck for field application

• environmental fuel eg. Mobile (bring the kiln to the feedstock) or semi-permanent (central location on a small property/network of small landholders)
• custom build volume (end width (standard panel/grinded standard panel) and side panel pair numbers) and geometric configuration (long, U, T, +) of kiln

 

ACRT AND THE CARBON REMOVAL MARKETPLACE (CRM)

 

How does it all work?
A CRM platform provides an interface between Biochar suppliers, using a biochar kiln for biochar production, and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) credit buyers. This interface is built around a protocol that, if followed, permits access to an associated registry (usually by the same company) where the CDR credit exchanges take place. The Biochar kiln needs to be able to interface with the digital Measurement, Reporting and Verification (dMRV) criteria in the protocol. For distributed biomass waste residue, the 'Algorithm' V2/V3 could perform very well by bringing the kiln to the feedstock. The following is what I consider to be important points in this system:

• possible CDR credits via the Carbon Removal Marketplace (CRM) eg. farmer co-operatives, farmer distributed/aggregated networks (eg. Isometric); biomass to biochar conversion service businesses, individual biomass to biochar conversion (CRM platform startup opportunity eg. a flexible CRM platform and dMRV that can lock on to every job without geographic or aggregate/project constraints); with 'Algorithm' Charistas

• I believe that it's a tradeoff between ideal dMRV protocol and kiln deployment acceleration. The 'perfect' dMRV is going to slow down everyone! puro.earth, carbonfuture.earth and

• https://registry.isometric.com/module/biochar-production-distributed-small-scale/1.1 are leading the world - but are too complicated. For eg., expensive emission testing equipment for a large 'Algorithm' V3 panel kiln is next to useless when the 'flame cap' operating system is already proven as a low Carbon emission technology/system
• In order to simplify the dMRV frontend more complex IT using Machine Learning/AI might be needed at the backend but is definitely possible - basically, a paradox of complexity 
• a company could sponsor a kiln (minimum 6 panels) with a kiln purchase 'loan'. The sponsor could get a share of the CDR credits during paying back the kiln 'loan' by the Charista until the kiln is paid off in full then the Charista both owns the kiln and collects all the CDR credits from biochar production (ideally, without CDR credit skimming by the associated CRM platform)
• The dMRV. In the case of using farm (agriculture/agroforestry) 'waste' biomass residue for biochar feedstock, ideally, the dMRV (inside a CRM platform/app and aligned to a standard/protocol such as the following one, in principle) would use:
  • biochar volume as the main measurement metric, calculated from the kiln volume + biochar top level using AI, from which Carbon mass and tCO2 removed can be calculated and is 1FA. Mass calculations before a quench are dangerous and after a quench inaccurate, difficult, more hardware eg.scales and another step simply not needed, in my opinion
  • no 'biochar bags' with QR codes, overcoming the logistics bottleneck of centralised biochar/biochar fertiliser production, which requires biomass to be transported to the kiln(s) and bags to be transported back to farmers, since the kiln can be taken to the feedstock and biochar left at the place of production for the farmer to do with it what they want
  • emissions testing, that shouldn't be needed if the kiln is using 'Flame Cap' operating software and is operated correctly (with professional training)
  • moisture content of the feedstock, measured with a digital moisture meter, should be less than 15% to majorly cut down CH4 emissions during a burn
  • geotagged kiln, which can be done with a combination of a smartphone GPS and RuuviTag Pro '4 in 1' bluetooth sensor, which measures temperature, humidity, air pressure and motion. All these metrics can be used for FA too. One sensor per kiln. Water protection level: IP67. Rugged. Hackable at the backend with API.
  • realtime automated and encrypted data collection using IoT eg. thermocouple, sending data over the internet. I can't see how this is practical in many scenarios where there is limited Internet access. I think offline data collection is essential but increases the chance of fraud. IR/thermal imagery could replace the humble thermocouple 

    (which only indicates if a burn has taken place) using a dual image (from either a smartphone IR + camera sensor or separate bluetooth IR sensor connected to a smartphone) with timelapsed photos/IR with Geo:Date:Time stamping

  • I'm reluctant to recommend hardware I don't have but I took an interest in Flir's Lepton 3.5 camera with a thermal resolution of 160 x 120 which can use the Flir Pro app (hackable at the backend with API). The Ulefone Armor Mini 20T Pro seems like a good fit but they are not cheap.

  • Overall, all the hardware needed could be included with the 'loan' mentioned above: a 6 panel 'Algorithm' V2/V3 standard unit, Ulefone smartphone, Ruuvi tag and digital moisture meter. 

• The Charista could provide a free biochar production service to the farmer and keep the CDR credits as payment for their work. The biochar production service business owns the kiln panels, with the flexibility of assembling a kiln to match the volume of biomass residue for a given job

• conservation work eg. Fuel reduction, removing woody weeds etc. can also use a similar service model to that mentioned above. There's a possibility here for some of the biochar used to plant trees, shrubs etc. in the local bush (near the kilns) and the remaining biochar bagged up (yes, biochar bags with QR codes) and distributed and sold to the local market

 

BIOCHAR DURABILITY/PERMANENCE IN THE dMRV

 

The other half of the Carbon removal equation is the 'Half life' of biochar residence time determined by the 'Inertinite Benchmark' mentioned in the ACRT definition, which could be calculated with possibly an OTS digiscope (with user sample preparation), smartphone, app and lab (at the backend, using AI) which I call the 'CharLife' (see the 'CharLife' web page). I'm hoping that the 'Half life' measurement could be integrated into the above dMRV protocol with financial value added to CDR credits for biochar produced with a longer 'Half life' for increased permanence of Carbon sequestration.

 

CONCLUSIONS

 

I have no intention to build a platform based on the above dMRV protocol as I am deeply underresourced but hope this can inform developers and kiln manufacturers to build one based on this (and possibly other) criteria. 

 

Maybe, after researching this website, you will see different tech priorities, or adaptations, for the local or global marketplace. The above tech priorities for TLUD and Flame Cap ACRT are what I've distilled from many different stove and kiln designs, builds and prototyping with extensive market research BUT, the market is different everywhere although there are common human needs and biochar applications that will help many people live a better, greener and more secure life.

 

If punters want to commercialise any of these designs, I'd appreciate letting me know. Especially since, in my opinion, the two key ACRTs are still under R&D: the Navigator 'Hormuz' V1 has not yet been tested and the Flame Cap 'Algorithm' V2/V3 Panel Kiln have not yet been built and tested. Maybe there's an opportunity here to collaborate on R&D and commercialise together?

 

Any feedback please get in touch via the contact form on the 'Contact' page...