What is a good way to create some co2 ?

[skyhook]

I'm planing to operate a plant nursery in future. now I can only dream.

I read that some green house input carbon dioxide. So I'm looking into the cheapest, cleanest and safest way to produce some CO2.

I can burn some paper or dried leaves. but it may create monoxide, and probably dioxins. In enclosed space, it can be hazardous.

The aquarium people use sugar and yeast to ferment in a bottle. I probably need something with a bigger scale.

They are burning some oil or fuel to create CO2. However, it seems to be quite wasteful.Some oils are quite cheap actually, however I will consider cheaper options if there is one.

What do you think of the above methods ? and is there any other methods of producing CO2 for a greenhouse or shadehouse ?

Thanks.

[Mr Skeptic]

If you use a furnace to heat your greenhouse, just dump the CO2 from the furnace into the greenhouse. If your house is nearby too, you could pipe the CO2 from your furnace as well. Aerobic decomposition of organic material will also produce CO2. Or you could burn something extra.

[SH3RL0CK]

If you use a furnace to heat your greenhouse, just dump the CO2 from the furnace into the greenhouse. If your house is nearby too, you could pipe the CO2 from your furnace as well. Aerobic decomposition of organic material will also produce CO2. Or you could burn something extra.

 

I think that may be dangerous if anyone will be entering the greenhouse as furnaces might exhaust CO rather than CO2. Yes, it would be cheap, but proper precautions should be taken if doing this. And you don't want to be running the furnace in the summertime.

 

There are several chemical reactions which could be done relatively cheaply that would be safer. I would suggest looking into this instead of using the furnace or at least during the warmer months.

 

It probably within the realm of google to find out where these greenhouses that input CO2 get their supply. I'd suggest starting there first.

[PaulS1950]

Baking powder and water comes to mind...

[Newbies_Kid]

If the green house has extra space why don't you breed some chickens or rabbits maybe.. so you no longer need to produce CO2 manually. All fresh and natural... plus, you get fresh & hot fertilizers too..

[Duelix]

Try to buy a pure methane gas tank. When you burn it, it will produce CO2 and H2O. No potential toxins.

[insane_alien]

Try to buy a pure methane gas tank. When you burn it, it will produce CO2 and H2O. No potential toxins.

 

well, except from CO, soot and other agglomerations of partially burnt carbon if you're burner isn't set up right. not to mention un burnt methane.

[Duelix]

Or you can unpop many, many, soda cans.

[insane_alien]

or buy a big ol block of dry ice. or a fire extinguisher.

[dragonstar57]

get a whole lot of diet soda mentos

[dragonstar57]

well, except from CO, soot and other agglomerations of partially burnt carbon if you're burner isn't set up right. not to mention un burnt methane.

and helium

[insane_alien]

the helium will only exist in trace quantities as it is typically extracted for other uses as it is valuable.

 

that and it doesn't exist in massive concentrations in the source methane either.

[John Cuthber]

"it doesn't exist in massive concentrations in the source methane either. "

Actually, sometimes it does.

http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_ARTICLEMAIN&node_id=928&content_id=CTP_006343&use_sec=true&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=e8d99806-79d0-472f-a89a-8e9f9c8fc8e1#P17_1560

On the other hand, they don't use those wells for methane production without stripping the (valuable) He out.

Since He isn't toxic it's not relevant to the question in hand.

 

The best way to get cheap CO2 would be to find someone who is currently blowing it up the chimney and collect it from them.

[JTA]

Baking powder and water comes to mind...

 

Might want to try replacing the water with some vinegar...

 

... Also, C02 can be purchased in pressurized tanks from gas suppliers. The same suppliers that sell gasses like acetylene, oxygen, helium, etc should be able to help you out... You would just have to hook the tank up to a timed regulator of some description and let the system do its magic...

[lemur]

If you did composting within the greenhouse, wouldn't that generate some CO2? I don't know how much it would be, but it would be handy to have your compost in there when and where you need it anyway. . . but probably the posts about soda are the most relevant - put a sign on your greenhouse that says "burping area" and have lots of parties:)

Edited January 30, 2011 by lemur

[SMF]

Brew lots of beer in the greenhouse.

[PaulS1950]

Might want to try replacing the water with some vinegar...

 

Baking soda requires an acid; baking powder only needs water which lessens the chances of by-products that are unwanted.

[alpha2cen]

The green house must be designed specially, because CO2 is heavy gas, and most them are in the bottom of the house. At night plant needs certain amount of oxygen to breath. Good way is to make compost in the green house. During the fermentation period CO2 and heat are emitted from the natural fertilizer. One problem is farmer's health problem by microorganism. Whenever farmer goes into the greenhouse, sufficient ventilation is required.

Edited February 15, 2011 by alpha2cen

[John Cuthber]

Last time I checked, one of the defining characteristics of a gas was that it filled the whole of the container it was placed in.

If you were to carefully add CO2 from the bottom of the greenhouse then you would get some layering for a while, but convection currents and diffusion would soon mix it up.

With a lot of CO2 in the air, the farmer will have problems regardless of the presence of any micro-organisms. He needs oxygen.

[Blahah]

As others have suggested, an active compost heap in your greenhouse works well, and is fairly common amongst the old guys on my allotment. You need to make sure you're adding fresh material frequently, and turning the pile once a week or so. If you leave it longer it will slow down or you'll get some anaerobic decomposition - not what you want in a closed space. If you get a really good compost system going it actually heats up the greenhouse significantly as well, giving an added benefit.

 

If you actually want to run a commercial greenhouse this way you're gonna need a consistent source of compostable material that isn't too far from your compost system.

[Sorcerer]

Didn't bother to read all the replies, but add HCL to CaC03 (limestone), is an easy way.

 

Might want to try replacing the water with some vinegar...

 

... Also, C02 can be purchased in pressurized tanks from gas suppliers. The same suppliers that sell gasses like acetylene, oxygen, helium, etc should be able to help you out... You would just have to hook the tank up to a timed regulator of some description and let the system do its magic...

 

That doesn't make sense either it's baking SODA and vinegar, ie sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid.

[John Cuthber]

Didn't bother to read all the replies,

Should have.

[Moontanman]

They do make a device that used propane from a grill type propane tank to make CO2 for the purpose of forcing plant growth in confined spaces.... I suggest you by a High Times magazine, lots of ads for those "Home Growing" supplies.....

[Djordje]

Baking powder and water comes to mind...

 

Baking powder and acetic acid is better, but the quantities released are quite small.