An integrated, semi-automated approach to thermochemical conversion research for sustainable farming systems

An integrated, semi-automated system is presented for the rapid and efficient testing and production of research-scale quantities of biochar. This biochar, produced from agricultural waste materials, can easily be incorporated in future sustainable livestock farming systems. These farming systems will be able to diversify farm income by generating a consistent, predictable, marketable product. Before biochar is incorporated into production systems, it needs to be assessed for its potential to improve soil or crop systems or produce energy. To assess the potential of biochar and proceed quickly from experimental design to experimental results, a variety of analytical instrumentation, control technologies, and processing technologies were brought together to decrease analysis time and double production of a wide variety of biochar types.