I am from an other small beautiful country in the midle of europe wiriten with s.
So cool you have the exact same plan as me. I actually got an old slurry tanker with a nicely sealed door at the back. Yours must be similar. What design are you planing?
I was just confused because most of the other retort makers use a design (enxter retort) where there is an inner and tank and an outer tank. so that the heat can go all around the inner tank. But it is muc…h easier to build with just a fire room along the bottom of the pipe.
From the tank runs a 3inch pipe down to the destributer for the gases. From there 2inch and then 3/4 into the fireroom. The burner pipes have holes of 8mm.
Today I have spent 10 Hours to try and get the process started. But I only got some shy flames out of 2 of the 5 Burners. But by far not enough to get to the the point of it running without added fuel. I had the fireroom so hot that the tank was partly glowing.
So I think heat was enough.
I just dont know what is not right. Does anyone have some advice? Thanks
Do I see a steam vent on top? How many hours did it take to get rid of all of the steam. Even 20% moisture is very many gallons of water that must be driven off. Don’t send gas down to burners until you can ignite the gas at the steam vent on top.
Thanks for all the advice so far. I see I did some mistakes. The steam outlet is just about 4 Inch. That might just slow down the steam to much to get out eficently. Still I do think that in 10 hours of heating it should get out.
Then I did try and start the burner while there was still white smoke (water). I should wait till the steam turns into like mustard coloured. Is that correct?
thanks
Yes, on letting the steam vent until burnable mustard colored smoke comes out. I would add some fire brick to the walls of the fireroom (we say firebox), a grate, a door and a blower.
Bruce, l have to dissagree. Firebrick on the inside will decrease efficiancydrasticly. It will protect the metal thugh.
Like sayd by others, the problem is to litle heating surface. Even when it gets to auto-burn mode, the surface where the burn takes place is to small and will likely overheat.
Please educate me. My maple syrup boiler works much better with firebrick than without. Firebrick not only protects the metal, but gives me a much hotter fire against the retort. Fire brick only goes on the sides to concentrate the fire and direct heat upwards. What am I misunderstanding?
Well the fire burns hotter because the brick works as a kinda insulator. It distributes the heat more evenly (good for stoves, boilers…) but allso prevents some of it to absorb in the metal.
With a evaporator/boiler/stove there isnt much problem with lower fire-brick-metal/water heat conduction because you have a much greater heat transfer efficiancy. Its a difference if there is water on the other side of the wall or a 600c enviroment…
My kiln had the same problem. It had to litle surface heated. It took it 8 hours of warming till it auto egnited. Look at Tone"s new kiln, the entire kiln wall is warmed. He reports he starts geting burnable gas after just a couple of loadings of warm up fuel. No need for firebrick there, as the gas flames can be distributed over large surface. Better to gently heat a large surface then heat a small surface extremely hot. My thick kiln floor gave way after just 2 burnings, it got yelow hot!
Yes I can see. Should have listened to you in the first place Kristijan. I need a larger surface to heat. It was just so much easier to build like that. So I have to find a way to change it without having to rebuild the whole thing. I was even thinking about a system with pipes and a ventilator to have the air circulating in the wood room. But the pipe diameter would probably need to be massive to have some sort of an effect.
The burner will also have to cover the whole area of the kiln.
What about the cooling of the gases. Is that a problem?
Thanks guys
This is what l plan to do. Have the actual flame box inside the tank. Not even welded, just a metal box siting in and a chimney going out. This box will be concidered a consumable.
