Table of Contents

ABSTRACT

Drought in the Philippines is becoming intense and farming is getting expensive and risky, especially for smallholder farmers. Exploring various options for extracting water from the ground is undoubtedly a necessity especially now that the cost of fossil-based energy sources is continuously increasing. This study attempted to develop a low-cost and clean technology for pumping water that made use of the vacuum created as steam condenses inside a sealed container. A prototype system was developed, making use of the steam generated from a developed system originally intended for the steam pasteurization of mushroom fruiting bags. The study yielded a working prototype and proof of concept which opens opportunities for smallholder rice-based farmers, especially those involved in mushroom production as an additional source of income, to pump water and maximize the use of the heat generated from the processing of rice hull and other biomass farm residues into carbon-sequestering biochar.

Keywords: biochar, drought, rice hull carbonizer, steam vacuum, water pump