Riots, Rain and Running the Gasifier

"The project gantt chart has gone out the window!"

I am sure that I am not the first person to utter these words while working on a project, especially in international development.

All projects have unexpected delays and hurdles that you did not see coming but I have found that this is especially the case in India. Monsoon, weddings, so many festivals and holidays - sometimes you have to go with the flow, have a chai and respect that time is more elastic here. 

It's a lesson that I have learned this month...



One of these unexpected delays happened to me while coming back to Himachal Pradesh via Delhi during the Ram Rahim conviction. This hit international news so I am sure you have heard of the infamy of the case. Rioting had put Delhi under curfew and with the borders closed no transport was going North. At the start of my project, I would never have expected social unrest to be a cause of delays. Alone and holed up in the Delhi hostel for the next week gave me time to reflect on life in India and my project. There are always factors outside your control, and weather is definitely one of them. 

Hindsight is 20:20 

Monsoon in Himachal Pradesh brings rain like nothing I have ever seen before - and I am from Scotland! This is not your usual tropical monsoon where it rains hard for only a few hours per day. It rained hard for ten consecutive days at one point and there were major issues here with landslides. 

It is hard to do anything manual outdoors at this time of year. Locals told me that on the 15th of September the monsoon would end. I was seriously skeptical as I looked out into the ominous skies, fog and my mouldy clothes that such a precise date could be accurate. But low and behold ... the 15th came around and glorious sun came out. As soon as I could, I set up my biochar gasifier outside and was raring to make some char!! (note to self: always listen to local knowledge) 

The rains also made it harder to source biomass (the raw material for making biochar). Many families collect wood for monsoon in May to keep it dry, any construction waste that is stored outside is subsequently soaked through and pine needles start to fall in May and subsequently start to decompose at a rapid pace. One of my biggest regrets was not starting to collect waste biomass when I first got here (a couple of weeks before the start of monsoon). But my initial focus was on research and gasifier design, and it honestly had not crossed my mind.

My only option for the first trial batch of biochar was to secure some off cuts from a timber yard and to leave the construction and forestry wastes I collected in the sun for a few weeks in the hope that they would dry out somewhat after monsoon.

Receiving Help From Local Stakeholders

Lata is a local lady from Chenny, a tribal community living on the hillside below Naddi. She is the key stakeholder in my project and the prototype filter will be based at her home to prevent grey water leeching into her kitchen garden. It was important to me that a community member is involved in the project. This way a connection to the filter and the dangers of grey water can be seen in the community. Also this ensures project sustainability, when the project is handed over to local stakeholders and no longer relies on NGO resources.

Much of my manual work in the project is carried out in her home often with her looking on in curiosity and amusement. There is much local knowledge and practical skill that I can learn from Lata and although we come from very different backgrounds we always seem to find something to chat about in very broken english/hindi combo.

She showed me how to use a daraat/daatari knife after she saw me struggling to cut wood with a saw. A daraat knife is a curved knife that the women take into the forest to cut fire wood for their homes. Looks easy to use but let me tell you it requires skill, experience and lots of tricks that come with a lifetime of practice. The wood was swiftly chopped in no time into equal blocks perfect for the gasifier! 

With the help of Gulshan, Local Liaison and Logistics Manager for EduCARE India, we started the process of making some biochar.

We raised the gasifier up on bricks to let air flow in underneath to sustain the fire and lit it from the top. We could clearly see the pryolysis front move down the drum with time. Using a TLUD gasifier is more environmentally friendly than traditional charcoal manufacturing. A number of polluting gases are produced during the pyrolysis of biomass, but in the gasifier these are all burned before they can escape into the environment. At the same time the combustion of the gas provides the energy that drives the pyrolysis, so you don't need an external heat source.

As soon as the pryolysis front reached the bottom of the drum we moved it to a pit to cover the base in mud, smothering the air holes and extinguishing the fire. We doused the drum with water and let it cool. 

The next step once it is cool enough is to pour out the biochar and check the result.The yield of biochar was approx 75% by weight which was not bad for a first try.

There was still some unburned wood but i was concerned that the gasifier would run for too long and the biochar would start burning up and turning to ash. As a precaution I turned it off early. But next time I will be more confident in judging burn times.

Here are the results:


Even with delays the production of biochar was a good milestone in the project. Once the pieces of biochar where separated out, it was weighed and crushed according to the design parameters. 

Biochar Design Parameters for Water Filtration 
(see http://www.aqsolutions.org) 

There are some important considerations when using biochar for water filtration. Not all biochars are created equal. Even with limited resources, I tried to ensure these were at least estimated to the best of my ability.

Char particle size     

An important factor influencing the uptake of trace organic contaminants by char is particle size. Small char particles are more effective at removing dissolved contaminants than large particles because there's more exposed surface area, and contaminants have  a shorter distance to travel into pores. Crushing char is an easy way to make the particles smaller, but very fine char powder causes clogging, so we sieved the char to remove the dust and fine particles, which are still useful as a soil enhancer. 

Temperature of char and adsorption capacity
  
High temperature (≥ 850 °C) chars, in particular those produced from high-draft top-lit gasifiers, have approximately ten times the dissolved organic contaminant adsorption capacity of intermediate temperature (500-850 °C) chars according to Dr Kearns of Aqueous Solutions. This can make a great difference in the practicality and economics of building and operating biochar adsorbers. I didn't have a themocouple to measure temperature but research suggests that there is a correlation between temperature and mass loss. From looking at the mass of biochar I produced i would estimate that it is a intermediate temperature biochar. I think this is something that i could improve with further research and understanding of the gasifier.

Contact time between char and water   

In addition to char adsorption capacity, the amount of contact time between water and char is also an important factor in contaminant removal.

Char replacement frequency 

The lifetime of the char filter media depends upon the quality of the char (a function of the pyrolysis temperature and feedstock), as well as the characteristics of the source water and the efficacy of  the upstream treatment steps (gravel and sand filters). In rural India, these factors can have a high degrees of variability and uncertainty. Since char can be generated locally and inexpensively, I will design for a conservative approach, designing for a large filter size and frequent char replacement.

It hasn't been all messy work with biochar....

I managed to fit in a bit of travelling with a visit to Rajathan and a night under the stars in the Thar Desert for my birthday (obviously with cake and fireworks to top it off). Definitely a birthday to remember!

CHALO, CHALO, CHALO!

The word chalo means 'let’s go' in Hindi and I think perfectly sums up the theme of this month. After weeks of research, I was finally ready to start making some biochar!  The plan was to focus on product development and then community engagement. I had read multiple resources, spoken to many experts in the field and used up most of my mobile data watching Youtube videos of people around the world making their own biochar. Feeling inspired, I was ready! There are multiple ways to make biochar but i wanted to go with something tried and tested.

For water treatment purposes, you want char with high micro-porosity and a lot of surface area for SOCs (synthetic organic chemicals) to bind to. In production, your feedstock needs to reach temperatures between 650 and 950 °C. This removes the naturally occurring tars and oily components in your biomass, while converting the remaining carbon-rich material to a graphite-like structure.

My sketches for the TLUD gasifier

I decided to go with a Top Lit Up Draft Gasifier (TLUD). Using a gasifier is more environmentally friendly than traditional charcoal manufacturing. A number of polluting gases are produced during the pyrolysis of biomass, but in a gasifier these are all burned before they can escape into the environment. At the same time the combustion of the gas provides the energy that drives the pyrolysis, so you don’t need an external heat source.

Put simply this is how it works:

Images sourced from http://www.biochar-bangladesh.org/technology_tlud/

The TLUD gasifier is filled with the sustainable forestry biomass. The portion that contains the feed biomass is called the fuel bed. Air can enter the drum through multiple holes at the bottom (primary air) and at the top of the drum, above the fuel bed (secondary air). The gasifier is lit from the top of the fuel bed. An ignition front is formed that moves down through the fuel producing wood gas and leaving unburned biochar above.  The ignition front is supported by the air (primary air) that enters the bottom of the drum.The wood gas is flammable, and burns at the top of the TLUD. This gas flame is supported with air (secondary air) entering through side-holes near the top of the cylinder.When the ignition front reaches the bottom of the drum, the smoke-producing reaction is complete, and the gas fire goes out. At this point, the process must be stopped by smothering and quenching with water to prevent the biochar from burning.  

Animation showing ignition front in gasifier ( Source: http://www.biochar-bangladesh.org/technology_tlud/)

Back home, it’s easy to get your hands on just about anything if you’re willing to pay for it. Here I do not have that luxury. A lot of things aren’t easy to source, so I’ve been forced to improvise and think of creative workarounds.

The challenge of this project is to make the technology low cost and affordable for local people.I have been inspired by India’s use of circular economy, and I certainly wasn’t going to be purchasing a brand new steel drum. So off i went on a scavenger hunt. This was a challenge and at times I felt frustrated. But with the help of our Local Resource Person, I managed to find an old steel drum in the depths of a local’s outhouse.
Finally, things were looking up! I had the base for the gasifier. The next step was to get it fit with a lid and a flue pipe which would have to be done at a metal works (can’t say i have ever tried welding but now was not the time to experiment!)

Living on top of a mountain has its difficulties, especially during monsoon season. Seriously, it has torrential rained for 8 consecutive days straight! The easiest mode of transport is walking as often the roads are taken out by landslides. Hauling the steel drum to the metal works was a challenge. There are no tuk tuk drivers in the area and taxi drivers didn’t want to put my lovely but dirty drum in their car. I contemplated rolling it 4 km down hill in the rain until a local suggested his motorbike. Yes! Me on the back of his bike precariously balancing the steel drum on the exhaust while gripping onto it with both hands. The things you do in the name of engineering! Thankfully it wasn’t far and at a snails-pace (avoiding all dogs, cows and people on the steep road)  we all made it to the welders safe and sound!

 Once at the metal works, came the task of translating my ideas and sketches to the welder. I realised quickly that he understood what i was trying to achieve and we got carried away chatting about best design. Unfortunately, even though i agreed with his suggestions the cost was a separate issue. So next came the hard talk of compromise. I wanted to compromise on cost by reducing some specification while not reducing the robustness of the design.

It was exciting to see something you have designed be built in front of your eyes especially when it was such an effort to source and transport materials. I think i was a bit of a curiosity to the guys at the metal works. Trying to explain my project to them over chai by the end of the day they were calling me the ‘mad scientist’ I will take that as a compliment, i guess! Haha.  

Outside of work fun .... 

Myself and other interns from Himachal Pradesh and from our other centre in Punjab met in Amritsar this weekend for some much needed sun and to soak in some of the culture. The Golden Temple has been on my India bucket list for ages and i was not disappointed! That night we slept and ate in the gurdwara, which has been a highlight of my India experience.

The golden temple is home to the world's largest free kitchen. Apparently, it can serve food for up to 100,000 - 300,000 people every day! At the Langar (Kitchen), food is served to all visitors regardless of religion or background.

We sat down to eat on carpets on the floor and watching what the others are doing I see that an elderly man raises his hands into a cup shape into which a rapid volunteer drops a hot chapati that he then plops into the metallic tray in front of him. Next to him is an woman wearing a green sari raises her hands next and is offered the same. I do the same. On either side of us are hundreds of others, all seated cross-legged, and all with the same metallic tray.

After some sightseeing, sweat and fierce sun,  I was happy to return to the cooler mountain temperatures. Never thought i would be happy to see some rain! I hope that in my next blog, I’ll have some biochar to show you… wish me luck!

Paani - Every Drop Counts with EduCARE INDIA

“Become friends with people who are not the same age as you.

Hang out with people whose first language is not the same as yours.

Get to know someone who does not come from the same social class as you.

This is how you see the world.

This is how you grow”

As an engineer, I have always been passionate about simple, novel technologies that have a positive impact on people's lives and on the environment. I decided to leave my job in Edinburgh, UK and come to India to start a project with EduCARE India in Himachal Pradesh. This was my biggest test, to see if i had what it takes to move into the International development sector. I wanted to be challenged and pushed far out of my comfort zone not only personally but as an engineer. Based in the rural village, Naddi, at the base of the himalayan mountains was about as far away from an office job as it gets!

I came to India with an open mind and tried to have no preconceived notions of what I felt could be improved. My time spent living with my local host family, surrounded by views of the himalayas, was one of the best experiences of my life. This community-applied research not only helped me build my project but gave me the opportunity to see how the family lived and get to know them. I was amazed by the indian hospitality as they encouraged me to sit with them while they made momos to sell in their shop, drink chai together and humoured my extremely limited hindi.

It was here that I started to formulate my project after witnessing the vast volumes of greywater (wastewater from sinks, clothes washing and other hygiene purposes) that are discharged from homes in the village and leach into the environment, potentially contaminating food and drinking water sources.There is no collecting nor treatment system in place. Several taps are out in the open, without any sink to collect the water, and are used to do the laundry/hygiene purposes. Some other taps, in the bathrooms and kitchen, are linked to a pipe from which the water goes out directly in the environment.

                                                                  

Chemical contamination of water is a worldwide problem however, through research, I found that there are very few locally managed, sustainable, low cost household treatments available in rural and remote locations. While bacteria typically represent the most immediate health problems a variety of chemical contaminants such as pesticides, industrial waste and even household chemicals can impact the safety of water and on the environment. Long term chronic exposure to chemical contaminants can lead to cancer, kidney and liver issues and diseases of the reproductive systems. Therefore the development of effective, affordable  ‘green’ technologies for chemical contaminant removal in remote rural areas such as Naddi is important to me.

One of the biggest challenges in engineering development is ensuring local sustainability and creating a lasting impact long after the project is complete. Many development projects are formed with good intentions but are not always suitable for the community. My project is still in its very early stages but I am passionate about utilising a local waste residue and involving the community in  building a water treatment system that is sustainable. Through other development work in other countries I found out about biochar….

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Biochar is charcoal created from plant matter.
For example, biochar can made from heating agricultural or forestry residue. Biochar filters work similarly to carbon filters which have been used for thousands of years as far back as the ancient Egyptians. Can’t get much more ‘tried and tested’ than the ancient Egyptians! Local biochar is ideally made from agricultural and forestry residues and/ or sustainably harvested renewable woody biomasses whereas most commercially made carbon are made from non renewable coal. But what forestry residue could I use in Naddi, that was sustainable and easily available? In Himachal pradesh, pine needles are identified as major cause for forest fires, causing immense threat to environment, forest biodiversity and local economy. The needles that fall cover the ground in thick net and prohibit air to pass across, thereby, hindering the growth of grass on the ground. This phenomenon leaves no option for the local community other than setting the needles on fire; else it becomes almost impossible for them to feed their cattle. The needles, being highly flammable in nature, not only pollute the environment by burning themselves, but also take entire biodiversity into their gulp. I have only been in Naddi for a month yet i have witnessed one major forest fire.

I am excited to see the development of this project and live in a country so different to my own. I know that working in rural India will have its challenges and frustrations but that is all part of the process. I hope to develop my skills as an engineer beyond the textbooks and excel spreadsheets!

It has not been all work….

Life as an EduCARE India Intern has not been all work.  I am really enjoying working with the Naddi Girls Club and getting to know the girls in the community. Even though it is so hard to keep them focused, this excitable bunch of girls are always able to make me laugh. Introducing me to Hindi and Punjabi music and trying to teach me Hindi, then giggling when i get it so wrong! I can’t bare to part with their drawings and soon the intern house will be covered in their awesome artwork! #artissubjective

I have found that team bonding in the intern house has been vital. Especially since you all live and work together like a family. We managed to fit in a team round trip to Delhi and the Taj Mahal in a weekend (yes, that is a 500 miles by bus!). The rickety government overnight bus was an experience with 12 hours squashed, sweaty and feeling like a hair dryer is blowing on your face all night while the person next to you snoozes on your shoulder. You get to know your fellow interns pretty well after that experience. But seeing The Taj Mahal made it all worthwhile…. SEE YOU NEXT MONTH :)