#Cashew outer shell how to#
#Cashew outer shell trial#
#Cashew outer shell series#
#Cashew outer shell crack#

How to get even roasting? Build a steel mesh drum, put it in a box with a window and fire away! However, the bursting of the liquid from the shell coats the glass, which is not sustainable. It might not be ideal for CNSL removal but it makes a great fish frier! Also, the focal point is so hot that the CNSL on side facing the sun bursts out, but on the sides the liquid remains (think about how much solar energy you get at sunset versus noon).

However, you need to stand in the sun constantly waving this contraption. The smoke is acrid and heavy and wafts across the neighbourhood, to the detriment of the health of all involved.įirst prototype… steel mesh on square tube - aka what happens when you stick the nuts in the focal point? They burst! There’s no fire. The shells and the fluid are all the fuel the fire needs to burn and smoke like crazy all day long.

#Cashew outer shell crack#

Once the cashews are cooled, the women crack them open and extract the kernel. They’re removed from the fire, dumped on the ground and doused with collected rainwater.Ĭashew processing is a family affair. Once they are sufficiently heated, they burst, and the CNSL spews forth and everything catches fire. Traditional cottage industry processing involves heating the cashew nuts in a perforated pan on an open flame. CNSL may be used as a resin for carbon composite products and as petrochemical substitute, etc. WikipediaĪs such, CNSL has a value on par with refined petroleum products, making it a potentially interesting source of income. It is used in tropical folk medicine and for antitermite treatment of timber. It is a raw material of multiple uses in developing drugs, antioxidants, fungicides, and biomaterials. The liquid is highly acidic, flammable and quite toxic!

Inside the shell, between the outer shell and the edible kernel on the inside is a dense spongy pith, filled with a remarkable cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL). The cashew nut grows on the bottom of the fruit of the cashew tree. If you’ve ever wondered why cashews are so expensive it is because they are a very weird nut whose processing must be very careful. The Philippines is one of the major cashew producers in the world, especially considering the size of the country. We’ll solve that by diverting the flammable gas that emerges from the chimney to the bottom of the drum.Ī surprisingly sharp dividing line between converted and unconverted charcoal. 90% of the coconut shells were converted to charcoal, with only the shells at the bottom of the drum remaining uncarbonized. This application might triple the income from coconut shell byproducts for small farmers.Ī very successful test run. No longer will they burn up most of their coconut shells to get bit of charcoal. This application is particularly exciting for me because this is a way to displace a huge amount of dirty emissions and increase the earning potential for coconut farmers. Some of the team during the second test of our coconut charcoal maker, after we tested it without insulation to get a baseline. How would you like a smoky charcoal business in your neighbourhood? My initial calculations indicate 6kg of coconut shell makes 1kg of coconut shell charcoal, which is in line with UN averages for cottage industry charcoal making. Improved is a relative term… this is more efficient than building a great big fire and then dousing it with water or smothering it with dirt or sand, as is done in many places around the world. The hard shell of the coconut is on par with many hardwoods in terms of energy density and it is often converted into charcoal by burning it in an oxygen deprived environment (pyrolysis).Ībove, an ‘improved’ steel drum charcoal kiln. Tropical paradise that it is, The Philippines has an abundance of coconuts.

#Cashew outer shell series#

Below, a series of pictures showing various rough prototypes, stakeholder context and some fun around the workshop. We’re currently developing two new applications for making charcoal and removing Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL). We’ve built two hybrid oven/roasters, very similar to those we’ve deployed in Kenya, though with a few notable improvements to stability and durability around the light window and the door. We’re in a very interesting phase here on the outskirts of Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao, Philippines.

#Cashew outer shell trial#

Prototyping: beautiful (sometimes frustrating) and creative (sometimes repetitive trial and error iteration) prototyping! Building innovative new solutions to problems presented to us by our partner and their stakeholders on the ground. Solar charcoal, cashew nuts process and new evolutions Sao Tome and Principe (Français) | English Martin (French part) (Français) | English Central African Republic (Français) | English