This design compared to other kilns on the medium scale can reduce kiln cost, save feedstock processing time, can be easily manufactured, is feedstock agnostic, wins on logistics, is more easily assembled and can be adapted to feedstock/Biochar requirements with modular expandable volume.
It's basic panel design and predicted reliable performance could be suitable for generating Biochar Carbon Removal credits from an integrated CRM platform. Read on...

TECH SPECS
- South Australian available steel:
    - 1.55mm (or 2mm) HW350 Corten 'Weathering steel', 1210 x 2440 standard sheets
    - Durable structural steel, weathering for outdoors (can be left assembled), no steel rot
- Standard 'V panel' sides 1150x1150 with 4 x 30mm 90 degree folds
- Standard 'End panels', 1160x1180, with 3 x 30mm 90 degree folds, dual prongs for anchoring into soft ground/earth, measuring strip on one end panel to aid volume measurements

-measuring strip: welded onto one end panel (inner side, with folds on outer side), could use some 100mm length pieces of 10mm Reo bar, horizontal, spaced 50mm apart vertically, central. Could spray paint them silver with high temperature paint (600deg or ?higher) before welding
- both 'End panels' and 'V panels' will use 25x25x2 square tube 'X reinforcement' using a laser stitch weld (or MIG/TIG) on same side as folds

- 'U leg system' per 'V panel' for stable load bearing
- Could have a U shaped 'bolt on' handle central and on top of the top fold for moving a panel around. 'Bolt on' handle can be removed for pallet logistics and is stronger than welds

- Modular/Expandable

    - Volume for 'standard' unit is 1317 litres (2 ends, 2 pairs of 'V panels', maximum capacity with no truncation) then add 659L volume per additional pairs of 'V panels'

- could add truncation to increase overall volume too but not as stable as 'U leg system' at 60 degree position
    - kiln length also determined by the length of the biomass feedstock and amount available eg.bamboo, hemp straw, kelp, vine wood etc.
- Weight: 35kg/sheet, so, just under 17.5kg per panel + weight of 'X reinforcement ' + weight of 'U leg' (for 'V panels')

- weight should be OK for Oz 'Workplace, Health & Safety' (WHS) as there are now no upper weight limits. Heavy but should be manageable by one person carrying panels using the handles over short distances.

- Panels will fit on a standard 1165x1165 Oz pallet - perfect for shipping logistics

Biomass preparation
Eg.pulled up old vines on a vineyard block
- vine wood arranged in windrows
- kiln assembled in between windrows

Assembly
- Drop the first end panel in
    - Folds pointed away from the V panels/fuel chamber footprint
    - pound the top of the end to drive the prongs in (with the club hammer)
- assemble the sides/pairs of 'V panels'
    - add pairs of 'V panels' using 'U leg' system for support at 60 degrees
    - 2 steel 'C clamps' per outward facing and sloping adjacent 'V panel' folds for additional stability
- drop in and pound the second/last end panel in, folds facing outwards

Operation
- fill the kiln half full with thin biomass waste
- light at the top (using firelighter gel if you can get it)
- create a bed of coals
- add the first layer
- wait until top ashes a little
- add next layer and repeat until the kiln is full up to the top edge
- flame almost goes completely out
- quench

    - add a thick layer eg. 150mm of soil (from prepared nearby swales) to quench the top layer of the biochar and wait until there is no flame
   -clear a 3 metre area on one side of the kiln then carefully remove the 'V panels' on the same side
        -  for each 'V panel', grab the top handle (wearing a welders glove) then stand behind the 'U leg' (a 575mm reach) and slowly drag the panel backwards/away from the biochar until the panel is clear from the falling biochar mix then put the panel aside (need to test)
    - rake out the biochar and soil top layer with a steel rake
    - use water, urine, more soil, manure etc. to completely quench the biochar
    - Once the biochar mix has has cooled down after quenching, Permafert can be made, engineered for each crop going into the swales, by adding/spraying on different product/DIY combinations for inoculation eg. liquid sea kelp, microbes, molasses and fungal spores...
    - The Permafert can then be added to nearby swales to fill them up to the ground level, with round clay berms on either side

   
DONE

NOTE: in the swale scenario above, the biochar is unmilled. This should be OK for many but not all plants. For eg., fruit trees such as figs (which are growing well with unmilled biochar) and Agave (my Agave attenuata grow great in unmilled biochar) should be OK, but possibly not for perennial herbs (which are growing great in milled biochar in Permafert in my herb garden) and vegetables (some, but not all I've tried to grow, grow well using milled biochar in Permafert), legumes and grains (more research). I would speculate that the root system characteristics of every cultivated plant eg. structure and size of feeders, and how they normally interact with soil has a lot to do with the ideal combination of biochar piece sizes, which also affects soil/Permafert porosity and drainage. There is a crossover here between botanical, ag/hort and biochar research.

Biochar is EXPERIMENTAL!

- add a 'U leg system' to each side panel
 - each vertical leg top anchored at 200mm in from the lateral edges and 100mm from the top
        - 304 door hinges
            - needs a tough weld eg. Stick welding as it would be partly load bearing on leg/hinge

            - attached to galv square tube 'blocks', same tube as legs and 'X reinforcement'
        - for legs, same galv square tube used for blocks and 'X reinforcement'
            - 1050 length
            - 60 degree cut at top end of leg for leg/panel interface and load bearing through the entire leg
            - 60 degree cut at bottom of leg
            - 8mm hole drilled 50mm in from end of leg (through 2 opposite tube sides) for tent peg anchoring

            - 700 bottom square tube cross piece connecting both legs at the base for stability which makes a 'U' shape. Sits flat when U is extended
            - default position for storage or transport will fold parallel to and sit against the panel outer surface

        - pros
            - soft ground (tent pegs) or hard ground (no tent pegs) kiln operation
            - no pounding of star pickets needed
            - more stable than vertical star pickets
            - easier for 1 person assembly compared to star pickets or no weld Galv legs (possibly wedged under the top folds at 60 degs)
        - cons
            - if truncation needed could use vertical star pickets without using U legs (which are designed for 60 degree load bearing), or if truncation is used in every burn then don't need U legs

Standard outer dimensions of the panels, sides and ends, are practical since standard sized sheet metal sheets are readily available and should work exceptionally well with the standard Ozzie (or larger) pallet for logistics. It will also standardise easy volume calculations, whether it be manual or AI. Every other aspect of the Algorithm is open to design interpretation, testing and development eg. steel, panel bracing, handles and legs/supports.

Basically, a decentralised manufacturing Industry 4.0 concept - except, it would be artisanal manufacturing (as opposed to 3D printing) around the world  (local jobs, low logistics C footprint) with initially a non-commercial Creative Commons license used until an 'appropriate' (eg. cutting, folding & welding) and 'standard' (eg. outer panel dimensions and 'Object detection' reference points) kiln design is engineered that can be built in most places, is steel agnostic, and can be integrated with the CRM idea mentioned below. If we get that far, then the license will be reviewed, possibly using a commercial Creative Commons license for the kiln.

The Algorithm can be moved between the fabricator and destination on pallets using existing logistics infrastructure in Oz probably in most cases. The top 'bolt on' handle can be removed from all of the panels, with side panels laid horizontal and vertically stacked ends (prongs facing upwards) in order to fit within a standard pallet (1165 x 1165) footprint for shipping.

At point of collection/destination for shipping, after the panels are removed from the pallet(s), the handles can be 'bolted on' to the panels for work.
The Algorithm can be horizontally stacked for lower numbers of panels or vertically stacked for larger numbers of panels in a vehicle tray eg. Ute or small truck or trailer attached to average powered passenger vehicles.
The Algorithm can be transported to a field and between fields with ideally a ute and around a field with a ute, tractor and trailer or quad bike and trailer (for a standard unit), depending on the ground condition and what's available.
The top handles can be used to move each panel between the vehicle and kiln assembly site. The panels can be easily placed in position for assembly of the kiln in field.

For eg. for a standard Oz single cab ute, 21 pairs of 'V panels' (with U legs) plus ends, maximum for one trip

-This amounts to 13, 829.316L at max biochar height with no truncation

For eg2. for a standard Oz dual cab ute, 15 pairs of 'V panels' (with U legs) plus ends, maximum for one trip

-This amounts to 9,878.083L at max biochar height with no truncation

For a price of 100 Euros per tonne of CO2e removed (currently being debated, which may go up) and using my program at the end of this page, as of 12/1/25, that would amount to AUD$1223.44 per burn for a maxed out/full single cab ute and AUD$873.89 per burn for a maxed out/full dual cab ute.

There would be 750mm between the edge of the vertically stacked panels and edge of tray for both a single cab and dual cab ute to store tools, fuel and whatever else is needed that can fit in the gap.

As the Algorithm is at the build phase of R&D (I'm building one for the 2025 biochar season) this design may need to be modded for future iterations/generations. For eg., I can't guarantee the panels won't warp for a given (?any) feedstock although I have tested 1.55mm Corten panels in the 'Flat Modular Biochar kiln' which were smaller without 'X reinforcement' but did not warp. Any feedstock with a moisture content below 15% is going to test the engineering limits of this kiln. Mistakes lead to more learning, so if you can't wait until I've tested my first one, can access manufacturing and are prepared to lose some money if some/all the panels warp, go for it - but I doubt they will warp. You can always mod the panel(s) design for stronger reinforcement (or for future variations if the initial design fails). There's also a possibility of using thermal cogeneration for power during a burn using a heat exchanger on one end of the kiln coupled to a Stirling engine or ORC.

If we can get a group working on the same tech, it will be much faster R&D. The main bucks will be in kiln manufacturing, kiln sales, possible biomass waste removal service for farmers, biochar sales (or farmer keeps it) by Charistas and Biochar Carbon Removal credits for Charistas. There's also a Carbon Removal Marketplace (CRM) angle too.

The CRM idea I am thinking about at the moment is a 'Plug n Play' concept for the Algorithm. The idea is that the Algorithm would be CRM platform agnostic, and could connect to, integrate with, and possibly build upon a digital Measurement, Reporting and Verification system on a platform using a data pipeline (from a thermal/visible camera->app->cloud data warehouse->front end) while providing 2FA for investor confidence (with cash flowing in the opposite direction to the Charista) but how this exactly works would need to be taken on a case by case basis. There would be room for variations of the hardware as mentioned above for the Algorithm, be smartphone agnostic (preferably rugged with a big battery), a standard thermal camera eg.Flir One Pro and a standard data pipeline built and maintained by my team for possibly an annual fee to use the service.

Initially, I'm hoping to build a lean team of volunteers with an understanding of python for data science including a data engineer (plus me after I finish my training and hopefully get a paid job), a data scientist and a data analyst eg. Uni students, GitHub etc. (I'm not ageist) who can use the project as a portfolio piece to further employment AND especially Charistas prepared to build an Algorithm and share their experience. 

We can all build the prototype system and aim to commercialise as soon as possible.

Who knows, it could lead to something awesome? To misquote the 'Burn' (2018) book title, by Bates and Draper, 'using fire [and data] to cool the Earth' - and get paid to do it? Bring it on (with no contract)!

What do you think?

If you're interested...please use the 'Contact' form and send me a message and I'll get back to you promptly.

Here's also a link to a blog about flame cap panel kilns on this site:

https://www.permachar.net/2024/08/01/panel-kilns-the-future-of-low-cost-high-volume-medium-scale-biochar-production/

This is a long hand program I wrote - needs to be coded in Python but it gives you an idea of what's possible. Any feedback is welcome on the 'Contact' page:

- Volume of biochar
    - pairs_of_V_panels = ?
        - question asked to Charista and confirmed with long shot photo of kiln
    - length_of_kiln = pairs_of_V_panels x 1150
- Volume of an equilateral triangular prism = area of base triangle × length of the prism
- for a full kiln with biochar up to the top
    - triangle_side_length_a = 1150
    - triangle_height_a = 995.929
        - also described as sqrt3/2 x a
    - Volume_of_a_triangular_prism_a = 1/2(triangle_side_length_a x triangle_height_a) x length_of_kiln
        - this needs to be converted into litres:
        - Divide by 1x10^6
- for a not full kiln with biochar below the top, the triangle side length needs to be determined, which will still be an equilateral triangle. Here I need an equation...
    - height_of_biochar_b = ?
        - determined from measuring strip from long shot of kiln
    - triangle_side_length_b = height_of_biochar_b/(Sin x 60)
    - Volume_of_a_triangular_prism_b = 1/2(triangle_side_length_b x height_of_biochar_b) x length_of_kiln
        - this needs to be converted into litres:
        - Divide by 1x10^6
    - Volume_of_biochar = Volume_of_a_triangular_prism_b
- CO2 in tonnes removed by a burn
    - mass_yield = 0.17
    - Carbon_fraction = 0.85
    - CO2e = 3.67  
    - CO2e_in_tonnes_removed_by_a_burn = (Volume_of_biochar x mass_yield x Carbon_fraction x CO2e) /1000
- AUD earned from 1 burn
    - current_cost_of_1_tonne_of_CO2e_removed = ?
        - need to reference an online cost per tonne in a function
    - current_exchange_rate_for_AUD = ?
        - need to reference an online exchange rate in a function
    - AUD_earned_from_1_burn = current_cost_of_1_tonne_of_CO2e_removed x current_exchange_rate_for_AUD x CO2e_in_tonnes_removed_by_a_burn
- Results
print("CO2e in tonnes removed by a burn")
print(CO2e_in_tonnes_removed_by_a_burn)  
print("AUD earned from 1 burn")
print(AUD_ earned_from_1_burn)