[Stoves] [MHAtech] Re: Top lit updraft combustors

[Norbert Senf]

On Mon, Dec 18, 2017 at 5:42 PM, Ronal W. Larson <rongretlarson at comcast.net>
wrote:

> Norbert et al,  adding the stoves list.
>
> See inserts.(snip)
>
>
> I modified our own heater as an experiment, changing it over to the new
> Austrian eco-labelled air specification, and using airtight hardware to
> eliminate or reduce the use of the flue damper. Also as an experiment, I
> have been shutting the air early and harvesting the coals the next morning,
> putting them into an airtight ashbucket until they are cool. Burning
> roughly 7,000 lb of 20% moisture hardwood last winter, in 60 lb batches, I
> made roughly 500lbs or so of biochar. I have not heard of anyone else doing
> this yet.
>
> *[RWL3:  Not clear yet - is your approach safer?*
>

Yes. If I have an airtight stove, I can control the flow with the
combustion air inlet and effectively stop the flow in the chimney. If the
stove is not airtight, chimney draft will suck in "false air" through the
leaks and bleed heat, thus lowering efficiency. The whole system is
depressurized by the chimney, so no possibility of leakage into the room.


>
> * If optimized for char-making (and safety), instead of 500/7000  (roughly
> 10% in energy terms), might you have gotten up (energy terms) to 15 or 20%?*
>

Good question. Makes sense that you could increase the yield through R&D.
Would 20% be considered a high number for yield?

-- 
Norbert Senf
Masonry Stove Builders
25 Brouse Road, RR 5
Shawville Québec J0X 2Y0
819.647.5092
www.heatkit.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.bioenergylists.org/pipermail/stoves_lists.bioenergylists.org/attachments/20171218/10e32aec/attachment.html>