DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF A SMALL SCALE PROCESSING CHARCOAL KILN

The design and evaluation of a small scale processing charcoal kiln was done in order to improve the existing practices employed by many local people in the carbonization of different Agricultural biomass (oil palm kernel shells, Coconut shells, Date palm stalk,Shea tree stalk and wood) to obtain charcoal. Charcoal making is the transformation of biomass through the process of slow pyrolysis. The process takes place in four main stages governed by the temperature required in each stage. The charcoal kiln is made from a cylindrical mild steel of 5mm plate thickness and it has five components which are the chimney, heat chamber, cover, burning chamber and the seal. The charcoal kiln was successfully used for the carbonization of the biomass of oil palm kernel shells and coconut shells. The time required, quantity of the biomass and temperature where factors taken into consideration during the carbonization process. At 90mins, 10kg of oil palm kernel shells totally carbonized at 629°C and yielded 2.738kg of charcoal. At 60mins, 10kg of Coconut shells totally carbonized at 656°C and yielded 1.768kg.