Continuous production closed retort charcoal reactor

An apparatus for producing charcoal, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a furnace;
• (b) a retort tube extending substantially horizontally through the furnace;
• (c) a screw element extending through the retort tube, the screw element comprising a generally helical flight;
• (d) one or more gas vents penetrating the retort tube;
• and,
• (e) a sawdust feed system connected to deliver sawdust to an inlet end of the retort tube;
• wherein the flight comprises two or more sections separated by one or more longitudinally extending gaps wherein the flights of the screw element are removed;
• the gaps are coincident with one or more vents;
• an exhaust gas collection system comprises a system of pipes is connected to the retort at positions coincident with the vents;
• and wherein a first longitudinally extending gap adjacent an inlet end of the retort tube has a length of about 8 inches to 24 inches beginning at about 20 inches to 48 inches from the inlet end of the retort tube and a second longitudinally extending gap adjacent the outlet end of the retort tube has a length of about 8 inches to 24 inches beginning at about 136 inches from the inlet end of the retort tube.

A method for producing charcoal, the method comprising:

• (a) introducing organic material into an inlet end of a generally horizontal heated tubular retort, the retort having at least one gas vent at a position spaced longitudinally from the inlet end;
• (b) carrying the material to a volume in the retort adjacent the vent;
• (c) advancing the organic material through the volume by introducing more of the organic material into the volume;
• and,
• (d) after advancing the organic material through the volume, delivering the organic material through the retort to an outlet end of the retort wherein the organic material is substantially converted to charcoal before it is delivered to the outlet end of the retort,
• maintaining the retort at a substantially constant temperature and controlling the quality of charcoal delivered at the output end of the retort by varying the rate of feed of the organic material through the retort by controlling the rate of rotation of a screw having flights extending to an upstream side of the volume.