Wednesday 22 July 2009

Carbon Alchemy

The external carbon that we oxidize to enable our own carbon cycle. What is the relationship?



It performs well as a stove.
burns about an hour
40% yield charcoal, biochar

Monday 13 July 2009

Backyard Experiment - Carbon Biocycling

The backyard experiment.
From Composting proceses
The organic cycle?

I have had this machine for many years. It has a 9 horse power engine, chips wood up to 3 inches in diameter, Its brutal to use.
I wonder if the shredded garden waste can be sieved, the larger woodier used to gasify and power the machine, the finer stuff composted.


From Composting proceses

So many ways to compost,
This is a two year project.
An old computer fan circulating air through an agg drainage pipe at the base.
Avoid anaerobic zone, evaporate excess moisture.
A membrane to contain liquid and keep tree roots out.
screened inoculated char about 25-50%,
fill for a year, mature for a year.
Think it will be a good compost.

Making Charcoal - biochar for the compost
From Reforming Charcoal wood gas stove
This is a retort pyrolyzing 10l wood chips,
Can this energy be usefully used,heat water, run a machine, cook food.
The char needs to be matured in some way.
The PAH in the fresh char inhibits worms, may be mildly toxic to soil and life?

From Vermicomposting
A worm farm, can recover liquids as well as solids.

From Vermiponics

A vermiponic system makes use of the worm liquor.


Processing growing mix
From Vermiponics
A rotary sieve used for mixing up soils.
A versatile work area.
A propagation enclosure.

This is also part of this carbon cycle.
From Vermiponics
Food is that light and the way.
without it we die, it connects us with the earth.

This is the carbon cycle that we need to understand its sacredness.

Sunday 12 July 2009

Smoke burner



From Reforming Charcoal wood gas stove


A new stove, Its A smoke burner,
pyrolysis reduction oxidation.
This is art as well as science.
Design create, observation, tune - next.
A process of learning.
What am I trying to achieve?
Efficient controlled combustion, Charcoal, knowledge.
Heat for cooking and heating.
biochar for composting, creating stable soils.
Alchemy exploration
Carbon = life ?