I only had time today to cut out and dry fit the moat wall. Ran down for a tank of CO2/Argon. Will resume welding tomorrow.
This is awesome art to me Pepe, i envy your crafts
Hi Pepe
Just a thought you need to be able to get under the cone basket to scrape out the debry that will collect there, but do it with out having to lift the basket out, so have access ports to under the basket. Nipple with end caps or sockets with plugs.
Thanks
Patrick
Hi Koen,
Thank you for the kind words. Patience and perseverance at work here. Hopefully it will be functional art, lol.
Hi Patrick,
I planned to cut the cone basket into two parts(maybe 3) that could be installed/removed through the lid opening. I’ll make a cone the same size out of 16 gauge metal (quick and easy) to test this. I planned to run a weld bead on the base plate to keep the pieces from sliding toward the firetube opening. I definitely have a few kinks to work out before I do the finish welds. I thought the barrel bung idea installed around the perimeter would work also, something I could get a suction hose in. Maybe 3 or 4 gasketed 3" x 4" plates screwed onto the hopper housing just above the moat wall height.
Thanks for reminding me and the tips.
Pepe
Here’s part of the 75%, hiccups in gas production during manual grate shaking.
Pepe
Morning Mr. Pepe,
Thanks for the video .
Often when shaking the grate it will do just as designed and release the ash and small fine material at the grate allowing the gasifier to breath easier . This in turn will though the fuel / air mix rich. By adjusting the air mix at the same time shaking the grate the mix may stay correct .
Also many times when shaking the grate the fines fall out and small char from above will quickly fall in it’s place and maintain the same vacuum or resistance thus keeping the correct air mix.
I think in the video when the motor was about to stall it was because of too rich gas mixture .
Hi Wayne,
Thanks for the comment. I think you are correct about the mixture, I tend to run it rich for no particular reason. I’m shop bound now until the glacier moves out then I’ll set up outside and get in some run time. I installed a vibrator after this vid and ran several hour + runs without using the grate shaker at all and it seemed to run fine. I don’t have it on a timer yet so when it slowed down I ran the vibrator for 10 secs and it picked right again. Dan Cox commented that he seldom uses his grate shaker since installing his vibrator. Come on spring!
Pepe
I finally got back to the shop and took a few more steps on my monorator hopper and a new filter canister.
The first 4 pics are my filter, a 16" diam water heater 30" tall. You remember to save all your cutouts, right?
Pic 5. I changed this to 1/8" thick by 1 1/4" high. It will probably corrode eventually, so the thicker the better.
Pic 6. I laid out and cut all the cleanout port covers from a piece of the same radius. Should be a nice fit.
Pic 7. I laid out and cut 3" x 4" cleanout ports. I sized them so I could reach in easily.
Pic 8. I laid out the hole arrangement and gang drilled the covers. I placed the covers over the port and
spot drilled a couple corners, dropped in some bolts to hold the cover and finished drilling the rest
of the holes using the cover as a template. Worked well, just take your time.
Pic 9. All holes drilled and bolts snugged with a nut from below.
Pic 10. Tack weld all the nuts to the inside of the filter wall. Cover bolts with anti seize to protect them.
Pic 11. One down.
Pic 12. Cleanout ports completed. I’ll make some Dan Cox gaskets for these covers. I will locate the
condensate drain/s underneath the ports. Patrick, I’ll start tumbling my fuel as I dry so that
should help with the debris. I’ll also attach a coarse screen somehow on the drain/s in the moat.
It may be overkill with the bolts, but that could be a big bomb! And lastly, next time I’ll number the
pictures as well, sorry about that.
This is my temporary condensate sump arrangement. The short nipple will be welded to a drain hole in the moat in the monorator mounting base. The rest of the parts just screw to it in succession. Later I can unscrew the parts and run any drain system from the gate valve shutoff to any point. The 2" diam tube is 32" long and contains 100 cubic inches or 1.73 qts. I US quart equals 57.75 cubic inches. I’m toying with shortening it some and eliminating the elbow for a straight down drain arrangement with an inline shutoff. I don’t like the way it sticks out, too easy to snap off, I figure anything over a quart is good.
Dan C, I remember you not liking some of the filter results. I’m basically going to shoot the gas in at the bottom and pick it up at the top. I’m going to use dry pine needles as before with some flat baffles to route the gas. They seem to collect well. I like your lid latches and will probably build same. OK, see you, I’ve got to make some gaskets now.
Pepe
Edit: I put the straight tube together and will go with it. The length is now 29" with a volume of 91 cubic inches or 1.57 qts. This design can all be screwed on or off the gate valve in one piece without hitting the base leg.
Hello Fellow Gassers,
I’m ready (I think) to (gulp) button up my monorator hopper. Here’s a few pics of the test fit and alignment of the components. It appears to be right on. The grate went in just snug and aligns right on with the firetube opening. I’m leaving it in one piece. I’m happy with the fit. The unit is 67" tall.
Pepe
Hi Pepe
Looking very nice, just need to add some cooling tubes, trust me they work !
Thank Patrick
Howdy Pepe,
I’m really liking that build!
I would recommend a larger drain, at least 2".
Alot of tar and wood bits will plug a small passage quickly.
I would weld in a minimum 2" nipple and reduce it to use what ya have, Unless ya have a 2" or larger valve handy, bigger is definitely better in this case.
Can’t wait to see how it works… Gotta build a new hopper soon.
TerryL
Pepe,
I get it now. your monorator is similar to the original monorator. That is the reason you are funneling with metal rods.
Did you put an access door in case of the plugging of the liquid outlet and the removal of fines that may fall through the rods? I plan on making an additional hopper with a wide low profile. It will interchange with the hopper I currently have designed for my unit without cooling tubes as well. Just a double walled hopper. Steve U. brought up the idea for a ‘cheese grate’ for the inside wall.
i really like your handy work. i’m building a new hopper for my little unit same style as yours when i get some of my other projects done.
when the drops of water run down the bottom of the rods do you have something to cause them to fall in the gutter, does the gutter lip touch all the rods so it will strip the droplets off. you could test it with a spray bottle and just mist the rods and see what happends
Hi Pepe; Man, Thats looking really nice! You do nice work, congrats…Dan
Hello Fellow Gassers,
Thanks to all for your comments. Patrick, I’ll run it like this for now in its original form as per picture below. It’ll be easy to add cooling tubes later., lol. Terry L, I thought about making it bigger, then I didn’t think about it but now I will change to a 1 1/2" nipple, add a 1 1/2" union and then reduce to what I have. Much easier to do it now as I can remove the base plate and stick it under the drill press. Thanks for the prod. Bill, I took the idea off the picture I’ve posted below. Yes, the access doors are my cleanout ports. I made them big enough to stick my lower arm in to clear the gutter. Dan S, I thoroughly enjoyed putting the grate together. No the rods don’t touch the gutter. I sort of dismissed that rundown, but now I will add another ring to catch the drops inside the gutter area. Good catch, lol. Next time I’ll make the gutter higher to meet the rods or as in the picture below where it looks like the gutter is sloped back toward the center to catch the droplets. Dan C, I’m chompin at the bit to put a fire in this thing. Your videos are a great asset to the site.
Thanks for the article about the history and use of the monorator. I now understand why you are building it. This was cold weather stuck inside time well spent. It may be time for me to copy you if this thing works as well as I expect it to. Dan
Terry, Pic 5. I only had 1 1/2" fittings, it’s a lot better than it was. I had to shorten the 2" pipe to 26" and the volume dropped from1.57 qts to 1.41 qts, still pretty good. Thanks. Dan S- Check out Pics 1-4. I put in a drip ring that should drip just inside the gutter wall. I marked a drip line on the rods, tacked a rod, and heated it red, then bent and tacked my way around the grate. I’m sure it will help. Thanks again. Design wise I was hampered by the existing mounting studs from the old hopper. Keep these space and clearance needs in mind when you design and build. . I can reach the studs but it’s tricky threading the nuts on in the tight space. I may have to use a deep well socket and tighten it with small vice grips. I ran a die down the threads so at least they’ll get down fast. Did I tell you I’m having fun? Pics 6,7 This is some flat rope gasket I found at a local hdwe store… It’s 9/16" wide and 3/16 thick and the last 8’ on the roll! I’ll run it 2 deep staggering the joints. I’m committed, I choke, gasp, welded the mounting plate to the hopper, I’ll tackle the hopper lid next.
This was just a double post
