Enhancing charcoal Production: Improvements in the traditional brick kiln and product properties
Traditional brick kilns are typically characterized by prolonged carbonization durations, which limit their suitability for efficient community-scale charcoal production. This study aims to reduce the overall production time by introducing structural enhancements to the kiln design, including the in...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Case Studies in Thermal Engineering |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25008949 |
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| Summary: | Traditional brick kilns are typically characterized by prolonged carbonization durations, which limit their suitability for efficient community-scale charcoal production. This study aims to reduce the overall production time by introducing structural enhancements to the kiln design, including the incorporation of double-layer walls for thermal insulation, a raised floor to facilitate airflow circulation, and integrated grooves to optimize internal heat distribution (C2-C4). The results indicated that the improved kiln successfully reached a maximum core temperature of 500 °C within 90 h of operation and reduced production time by 58.8 % and firewood consumption by 58.3 % compared to traditional kilns. The dual-wall kilns maintained internal temperatures approximately 11.6 % higher than those recorded in the single-wall kiln (C1). Charcoal yield averaged 22.1 %, with moisture content ranging from 3.0 % to 5.1 %, and a calorific value reaching 32.17 MJ/kg in the optimal configuration (C4). Physicochemical analyses confirmed significant improvements in BET surface area (216.40 m2/g), iodine number (422.3 mg/g), and pore structure development in C4 compared to C1. SEM imaging revealed enhanced microstructural porosity characterized by mesoporous network formation. The resulting charcoal met international quality standards (ASTM, ISO, and European specifications), with ash content below 2 %, volatile matter between 22 and 27 %, and fixed carbon content of approximately 69 %. These results demonstrate that the improved brick kiln, incorporating double-wall insulation and optimized airflow design, offers a durable and practical solution for sustainable charcoal production in rural contexts. |
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| ISSN: | 2214-157X |