Kiln engineering
Designing and evaluating decentralized production technologies for farms, forestry operations, and community-scale enterprises.
- Flame-curtain systems
- Controlled-draft designs
- Indirect-heat retorts
Researcher · Engineer · Founder · Advisor
Building practical systems for a carbon-smart future.
I develop accessible biochar production systems that connect engineering, economics, material performance, and adoption—turning agricultural and forestry residues into useful carbon products.
EngineeringLow-cost kiln systems
PerformanceApplication-specific biochar
AdoptionEconomics & extension
87field production trials
3kiln archetypes evaluated
27countries reached through BIS
5×extension poster awards
A systems perspective
Research that moves from the kiln to the field—and into practice.
I am a forest products and sustainability scientist with more than eight years of research and field experience spanning biomass conversion, techno-economic analysis, wood utilization, carbon management, extension, and technology adoption.
My work asks a practical question: how can we make high-quality biochar production technically sound, economically realistic, and accessible to the people who manage biomass residues?
Current rolePostdoctoral Research Associate, Purdue UniversityWood Research Laboratory · Indiana Wood Utilization Team
Research platform
Integrated biochar systems
Four connected areas shape my research program.
Material performance
Connecting feedstock and process conditions with the physical and chemical properties required for specific applications.
Techno-economics
Translating yield, labor, capital, and operating conditions into decisions producers can act on.
Adoption & extension
Building training, decision support, and communication pathways that move sustainable technologies beyond the laboratory.
Signature concept
Application-Specific Biochar Engineering
A specification-driven framework for matching feedstock, production conditions, and material properties to the intended end use—because biochar should be designed for purpose, not treated as one uniform material.
Selected scholarship
Publications
Peer-reviewed work spanning biochar systems, sustainable charcoal, biomass conversion, wood products, and extension.
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Biomass Futures
Operational performance and cost-performance trade-offs of low-cost, farmer-scale biochar kilns
Lead author · Kiln performance · Techno-economics
Biomass and Bioenergy
A comprehensive characterization of tender coconut waste biochar
Thermochemical conversion · Material characterization
Journal of Cleaner Production
Advances in sustainable production of biochar and biochar-based nanocomposites
Critical review · Biochar materials · Environmental applications
Energy for Sustainable Development
Sustainable charcoal production drive in rural communities in Ghana
Lead author · Energy systems · Adoption
Leadership & enterprise
Science is more useful when people can access it.
Beyond academic research, I build organizations that make knowledge practical: advancing responsible biochar adoption, guiding graduate applicants, and helping partners design credible biomass and carbon strategies.
FounderBiochar Innovators Society Inc.
A global research, education, and engagement network connecting producers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and communities across the biochar value chain.
Visit BIS ↗Founder & Graduate Admissions AdvisorGradMastery Academy by Francis Asare
Practical, globally informed guidance for graduate school applications, funding searches, supervisor outreach, and competitive application materials.
Visit GradMastery ↗Founder & Principal ConsultantFrancis Asare Biochar Systems Consulting (FABIOSY)
Research-led advisory services for biochar production systems, feasibility, material applications, training, and strategic partnerships.
Explore consulting services ↓Biochar Innovators Society
Global knowledge.Local application.
95+stakeholders
48country representatives
47volunteers
Graduate admissions & funding
Helping ambitious applicants compete globally.
Through GradMastery Academy, I help students and professionals identify suitable graduate programs, approach potential supervisors, develop persuasive application materials, and pursue assistantships, scholarships, and other funding opportunities worldwide.
Explore GradMastery ↗Program & supervisor strategy
Finding programs that align with an applicant's background, research interests, career direction, and funding needs.
Application materials
Guidance on CVs, statements of purpose, research statements, personal statements, and recommendation planning.
Funding readiness
Positioning applicants for research and teaching assistantships, scholarships, fellowships, and funded graduate opportunities.
Global applicant support
Clear, practical guidance for navigating unfamiliar admissions systems and communicating professionally across borders.
Advisory & consulting
From concept to a defensible biochar strategy.
Technology selection
Kiln concepts, feedstock fit, operating requirements, and scale-appropriate production pathways.
Feasibility & economics
Cost structure, minimum selling price, scenario analysis, and producer-centered business models.
Research collaboration
Experimental design, field evaluation, material performance, and technical publication support.
Training & engagement
Workshops, extension programs, producer education, and international stakeholder engagement.
Selected recognition
AAASJoshua E. Neimark Travel Award
Purdue UniversityCharles H. Michler Scholarship
TeachingCIE Teaching Academy Award
ExtensionFive FNR poster awards
Start a conversation
Let’s turn biomass challenges into practical carbon solutions.
Available for research collaboration, biochar systems consulting, speaking, technical review, organizational partnerships, and graduate admissions advisory.