CERCS™ CharTrac

BIOCHAR FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION

CERCS CharTrac is a mobile app for individuals, projects, and enterprises creating biochar who wish to document and quantify their climate-friendly efforts to put carbon back into the ground.

CERCS CharTrac is a mobile app designed for convenient use by individuals involved in clean (energy efficient) cookstove and kiln operations that yield charcoal for separate (non-heating) uses. 

Charcoal from clean cookstoves can be collected and used to displace/reduce a manufacturer’s need for inefficiently-produced charcoal, and this yields quantifiable carbon emission reduction credits in addition to the carbon emission reduction credits from efficient cookstove use.

On the other hand, charcoal from kiln operations can become carbon-sequestering biochar when optionally treated (inoculated or charged) and properly dispersed/interred in soil.

CERCS CharTrac is a progressive web app that runs in the web browser on phones, tablets, and desktop systems.  The Google Chrome web browser currently offers the best user experience.

Metadata, numerical data (weights from weighing scales), GPS coordinates, photographs, videos, text narratives, etc.

The data is captured, encrypted, digitally signed, and stored in an immutable database.  Your records are permanently attached to your user account.

Currently, the app is free.  We are developing a model whereby the app developer can recoup some costs for servers, data storage, etc.

CERCS™ CharTrac is a progressive web app that enables woodgas project and enterprise operators equipped with mobile devices to capture, collect, encrypt, and securely store operations data to an immutable database in near real time.  The app features user accounts, project spaces, user roles, strong security features, and a supervisory review process for all data submissions.

In addition to normal operations data, the app collects administrative metadata for purposes of configuration, quality assurance, and quality control.

The data management strategies of CERCS CharTrac are designed to improve data analytics, develop a data governance policy, and establish an audit trail for internal QA/QC processes, regulatory compliance, and third-party verification purposes.

One of the essential QA/QC features of CERCS CharTrac is the scheduling of periodic charcoal sampling and laboratory testing, with managed tracking through the use of barcoded packaging and seals. And when an independent analytical testing lab uses the web-based CERCS JupyterLab notebook to report the results of an analysis, that data is transparently  ingested to the CERCS immutable database and linked to all relevant operations data.

Users of CERCS CharTrac are individuals (solo biochar makers) or supervisors and operators of charcoal-yielding woodgas projects and enterprises. Each individual will have one or more of duties, as listed below.

Operator Duties
  • Cookstove Operator
  • Kiln Operator
  • Weighing Scale Operator
  • Storage Operator (Provides Volume Measurements)
  • Data Recorder (Using Paper or Other Non-App Medium)
  • Data Recorder (Using CERCS CharTrac)
The identities (names) of all operators are recorded by CERCS CharTrac for each operation, as well as the date, time, location, equipment barcodes, biomass type, weight of charcoal yield, volume of charcoal yield, storage vessel, optional seals, transportation information, inoculation/charging data, and siting information (GPS, etc.). Data submissions are digitally signed, encrypted, and securely transmitted to immutable databases managed by Bitmaxim Laboratories. Photographs and operator narratives are generally included with these data transmissions.

Sample Screen-Captures From CERCS CharTrac

CERCS™ CharTrac Global Deployment