Biochar SHaCK
Integrating Sustainable Heat Storage with Biochar Production
Introduction
The Biochar SHaCK is an innovative system that combines biochar production with efficient heat storage solutions. This design not only addresses waste management and soil enhancement through biochar but also provides a sustainable method for heat storage and utilization in community settings.
Understanding SHaCK
The SHaCK is a project developed by Waste Free ’23, aiming to offer a zero-fuel, zero-pollution cooking solution that is community-designed, built, and managed. It leverages solar energy to store heat in materials like sand, providing a reliable and sustainable cooking method. For a comprehensive overview, refer to the SHaCK: an Overview page.
What is Biochar?
Biochar is a form of charcoal produced through the pyrolysis of organic waste materials in a low-oxygen environment. This process not only reduces waste but also yields a product that enhances soil fertility and sequesters carbon, contributing to environmental sustainability. In the Biochar SHaCK design, biochar production is integrated, allowing communities to process organic waste efficiently. Read more.
The Biochar SHaCK Design
The Biochar SHaCK integrates the principles of the traditional SHaCK with biochar production, creating a multifunctional system. Key components include:
Sand Heat Battery: Utilizes sand to store heat generated during the biochar production process.
Biochar Production Unit: Incorporates a pyrolysis chamber where organic waste is converted into biochar, releasing heat that is captured by the sand heat battery.
Steam Extraction Tubes: Embedded within the system to harness steam generated during the process, which can be used for cooking or other applications.
Combining Biochar Production with SHaCK
By merging biochar production with the SHaCK system, communities can achieve:
Efficient Waste Management: Transforming organic waste into valuable biochar.
Sustainable Heat Utilization: Capturing and storing heat from the pyrolysis process for cooking and other uses like electricity generation with a steam turbine.
- Soil Enhancement: Producing biochar that can be used to improve soil health and fertility.
Construction Guide
For a detailed, step-by-step guide on building your own Biochar SHaCK, please refer to the following presentation. You can also watch this video guide.
This resource provides comprehensive instructions, ensuring communities can construct and benefit from this sustainable system.
By integrating biochar production with the SHaCK design, communities can harness renewable energy, manage waste effectively, and promote environmental sustainability.
Biochar SHaCK Development
Biochar SHaCKs with steam electric generators are being built in Nairobi, India, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Thailand, and the USA. It is all open-source. Plans are being published, and our team can assist any community or organization working towards a waste-free future.
The Biochar SHaCK project is making significant progress, with global collaboration driving innovation.
Following the building guide and with the help of our qualified engineers, the design is being built up. Previously, a small biochar SHaCK setup was built. The recent goal is to develop a low-cost, open-source steam turbine that can convert biochar SHaCK’s waste heat into usable electricity. Sand battery captures and stores the waste heat which produces steam to produce electricity. Developing small Biochar-SHaCK produces 1 to 5kw electricity.
🔹 Current Developments
✅ Material Procurement & Fabrication
- A 1mm aluminum sheet is being sourced for turbine disks.
- Team members are experimenting with hand-cut disks and using scrap materials for accessibility.
✅ Assembly & Testing
- A turbine frame has been built and tested with compressed air, showing successful rotation.
- Steam generation tests are ongoing, with a focus on heat retention and pressure control.
- Experiments with propane-heated sand for steam generation are ongoing.
- A Small Size Biochar SHaCK is set up to get turn biomass into biochar and produce electricity with the steam from the turbine. Below are images of Small Biochar SHaCK Setup with [ 1 ] Exhaust Pipe, [ 2 ] Biomass-Burner Box, and [ 3 ] Steam Tubes.
✅ Technical Improvements
- Research into 3D-printed turbine designs for casting in aluminum or cast iron.
- Testing high-pressure water input to optimize performance.
🔹 Next Steps
🔸 Fine-tuning steam pressure to maintain consistent turbine rotation.
🔸 Connecting the turbine to a generator for electricity production.
🔸 Finalizing 3D designs for casting and scalability.
Got questions?