baanboo Hatfield

Attached is a picture of the bamboo off cuts we have. These are left over from our work. Would it be possible to use these straight in the 55 gallon TLUD?

Today I tried the oven with a rice husks, it didn't really ignite, there was lots of smoke so after more than an hour I put it out with water. The rice husks seem to have burn't whether I end up with biochar or ash I'm not sure, the drum was hot over it''s whole length.

I think the rice husk may to fine, not allowing enough air, bamboo or wood may be a better choice. From what I've read starting the TLUD's takes practice, so any pointers would be much appreciated.

I'll be using it to make biochar/charcoal

It would primarily be used for bamboo, however as I need biochar and have rice husks, I would also like to use these.

I am in the process of building a biochar gasifier like the one shown here http://biocharproject.org/biochar-technology/tlud-gassifier-awesome-modifications-karl-frogner-phd/

As a fuel I have bamboo offcuts, some are long peices that will need to be cut down, while others are peices of 1.5" - 2.5" and 6" long 12", these are from the base of the pole and are almost solid. Most of the bamboo is dry, some is still a bit green however.

I also have access to tons of rice husks. These are very fine particles, smaller than wood chips, but nothing like sawdust. They are very uniform.

Does anyone know if these fuels can work and what are the best steps to ensure success? I chose this gasifier because I already have the 55 gallon drum and because it has lots of adjustments for air flow, so I figured it may be suited to a wide variety of fuels.

Any help is much appreciated.

Yes, they can't stand wind, which is why don't use overhead fans, instead having ones that can be moved around. Our house is open without screens,we find fans and coils work well.


Keeping dark areas to a minimum is important, the kitchen is the worst area due to all the cupboards.

Here in Thailand, we are familiar with mosquitoes, in some parts of the country the carry malaria and dengue fever.

The most effective method to keep them away is electric fans, combined with burning citronella lemon grass coils.

There are also lemon grass sprays available here.

Mosquitoes love dark areas, especially under tables and chair, so best to lay with your feet up.

Hi Dale, thanks for the info. We are growing a variety of trees, mainly fruit.

We do have bamboo, probably enough on the property to use. The block is fairly level, with a gentle slope in the lower part (furthest from the house).

My main concern is the level of the water table. We only go to the property on the weekends. I took a look on Saturday, the well level is now less than a meter from the surface and this is the high part of the block. If it was the same level throughout, then the lowest part of would be underwater, which it isn't. Nonetheless, using a tap system may not be possible as the system may over flow.

I'd also been considering using bio-char (burnt rice husks) at the bottom of the tank and possibly in trenches as you suggest, as water would flow easier through the char than our clay soil.

Leucaena is common here, however we don't have much room for planting. I had been considering putting the worm farm next to a young mango, as these have deep roots. We grow a lot of bamboo, which is a thirsty, heavy feeder however the roots are no more than 600mm deep. If I used biochar, it may draw water up to the roots?

Thanks for the compliments. As for the mozzies, the only netting we have is over the beds. I don't beleive it's possible to keep them out, screens generally fail one way or another. We use fans and coils to keep them away.

We used a lot of the exisiting property, including the slab, some of the walls and columns. The first two shots are from similar angles at the front, you can see the window remains.

Here are some pics from the build.

I'm looking for a simple blackwater treatment system for a house in Thailand. We are not restricted by govt/council regulations, however a dry composting toilet wouldn't be acceptable for cultural reasons.

Worm based systems interest me, particularly the one below, which we could build from concrete rings.


http://www.omick.net/other_toilets/other_toilets.htm
Below are some relevant points/questions:
- The system would be for a single toilet, not greywater, another toilet may be added in the future.
- The toilet is not a standard flush, instead a small bucket is used for a manual flush using only a couple of liters.
- Our block is about 1.6 acres.
- We use well water for everything except drinking. The local (unenforced) rule, requires septics to be 50m from a well. Can anybody advise a safe distance for a worm system?
- Our area is tropical, with about 2,000mm rain. It's never flooded but the water table get's quite high in the wet season.
- Can anyone recommend min safe depths for sub soil drainage?

I hope I haven't provided too much information, Any help is much appreciated.