Controlled kiln and manufacturing system for biochar production

A controllable biochar kiln with feedback control loop, comprising:

• a drum, a lid and a floor together forming a combustion chamber configured to contain feedstock for conversion into biochar;
• ribs positioned on the floor to define separate quadrants of the combustion chamber, the separate quadrants otherwise open to adjacent quadrants;
• a plurality of air inlet pipes, wherein a separate air inlet pipe is associated with each of the quadrants of the combustion chamber;
• a damper for each of the air inlet pipes, a valve position of each of the dampers controllable to adjust an amount of airflow in each of the separate quadrants;
• an outlet configured to release smoke from the combustion chamber;
• at least one air vent formed in a sidewall of the drum;
• a blower having a variable speed motor controllable to adjust an airflow rate;
• a plurality of sensors to measure conditions in the combustion chamber and generate sensor data based on the measured conditions;
• and
• a controller configured to operate the dampers and blower in combination, based on the sensor data, to provide more air flow in one of the quadrants of the combustion chamber while at the same time providing less air flow in one of the other quadrants of the combustion chamber.