I've read about various adaptations for the
rocket mass heater (such as its use as a
water heater); but I haven't seen a discussion of combining a
rocket mass heater with a biochar retort. As the temperature with the barrel is certainly sufficient to pyrolzye
wood, I was wondering whether an enclosed chamber of wood, either on top of the barrel or surrounding the barrel could be used as biochar retort. Naturally the enclosed wood chamber would require a vent/tubing outlet for the syngas/hydrocarbons/CO/H2O generated - which might theoretically either be fed back into the burn chamber or be used separately to heat water. I don't know if the heat of the pyrolyzing wood would impact the efficiency of the
rocket mass heater, and wondering if anyone has had
experience with this or tested designs to accomplish it.
It seems as if this might be a way of increasing the thermal output while producing biochar. Or this idea is stupid... and
should be considered as my candidate for stupid the post of the month award.
If it's been discussed, and I lack the basic search skills that should be required to use the internet, my apologizes..... I am genetically stupid
Larry