Tried something with my nozzle

[genedarrell]

I have a Biomass 40. I had noticed that I was getting ALLOT of coals in the refractory every time I went to fill it. It would take about 2 1/2 scoops with the ash shovel to get most of it. After reading what you guys were talking about their nozzles getting worn and letting the coal bed fall thru. I was at work yesterday, work at a food plant, and saw some stainless belting we took out. Decided to cut a piece and put it in the bottom of the burn chamber over my nozzle. It seemed to gassify fine with no issues. This morning when I went to reload before work, I was down to a few large chunks of coals in the burn chamber and the only thing in the refractory chamber was about a coffee cup full of fine ash.
Does anybody think this is not good or a reason why I wouldnt want to do this?

 

[Fred61]

I say use it until it burns out. You may want to grab another good sized length to have on hand for replacement. The only problem is that you are not protecting your nozzle from wear as much as you would with an overlay brick as had been discussed a week or so ago on this forum.

 

[genedarrell]

I just went to my fab shop and they cut me a 1/2 thick plate with the nozzle hole cut out of it that will cover the whole nozzle brick. Then I thought I would put the belt on top of that. Sorry, should of included that too...

 

[Nofossil]

Keep us posted. The temperatures on the top side of the nozzle are probably a LOT lower than the temps about 6" farther down. I've destroyed a fairly impressive range of materials in the secondary chamber.

 

[Mike T]

This is something I have been seriously considering myself. I actually scoop the coals up and put them back into my Biomass 40 upper chamber and get much longer burn times.
I was thinking of buying some steel mesh from Home Depot but that stuff looks even better.
FWIW- i have been searching the forums and some others have tried it with good results, others have mixed feelings. I think I will try it when I find something suitable.

 

[genedarrell]

I obviously have not ran it long enough yet to see if it increases my run time on a load but the reduction is coals/ash is very nice change. I will post pics of the stainless nozzle cover yet tonight.

 

[maple1]

I would LOVE to get some of that stainless belting - I've been looking around for stuff to try with not a lot of luck, that stuff looks like it was made for this. I've been using a fireplace grate for a while now but it's getting burned away more with every fire, it won't last me the winter. Was thinking pieces of stretch metal but haven't gotten to that yet.

Only thing I can think to add to what you've done, is get a layer of ashes on top of your bricks first before you lay anything in. Ashes make a great insulator & wear barrier.

 

[goosegunner]

It will be interesting to see how that holds up. The nozzle in my Econoburn glows orange.

gg

 

[mikefrommaine]

I've been using a grill grate. It definitely cuts down on the amount of ash in the lower chamber. Can't say I've seen longer burn times. But I have found the grate tends to clog up with ash. Enough that I got tired of cleaning it and just took it out.

 

[jebatty]

I had noticed that I was getting ALLOT of coals in the refractory every time I went to fill it.

A good idea worth pursuing, if coals falling into the tunnel and not being burned is an issue.

I don't know the control that shuts down your boiler, but it would seem to me that a) it is shutting it down too early before all the coals have burned to ash -- and the solution would be to set it (as for the Tarm) to a lower temperature that triggers the fire out shut down,or b) you are ending your burns due to long idle cycle that mimics a fire out signal to shut down. Some coals would be normal, in my experience about the same as two broken up charcoal briquettes for the grill, although it is not unusual for me to see no coals in the refractory tunnel. I made a half-moon rake in the contour of the refractory and I pull out the dusty ash laying in the bottom of the tunnel before I start the next fire, about 1/2 cup. Been doing this for 5 heating seasons, now into the 6th, and refractory remains in good condition.

 

[weiland13]

I just did something similar on my eko 40. I cut a piece of 3/8" thick duplex stainless steel on our waterjet. I cut a 3/4" x 12"slot in the center. I was having the same issue with nozzle erosion. I have been using it about a week now. So far everything is mint. I also replaced the lower bricks with a stainless fabricated lower chamber. I have been using that for half a year now and it is holding up great.

 

[genedarrell]

I have continually been increasing the number of coals in my lower chamber. I am normally a pretty logical guy but for some reason, until reading the forum, never crossed my mind that the nozzle opening was getting wider. DUH Anyway the coals were just falling through, it was not shutting down but producing so much it could not burn them before they got covered up. Anyway here is the picture of the nozzle I cut from 1/2" stainless plate and installed last night.

After installing the plate I loaded the boiler and ran it all night. I did see a reduction in the amount of wood I burned over night, but time will tell if its truly a reduction in consumption. The last picture is the ash found in the lower chamber this morning. This was along the same lines as I saw when I had the stainless belting in the night before. The problem I saw with the belting is the holes were a little small. One species of tree we burn here is red elm. It burns really well in fireplaces and wood stoves and I occasionally will put it in my boiler, but when it burns it produces a crystal substance and it wants to fill those holes in the belting. And yes I do know that the right side refractory wall needs replaced and should be here this next week.

 

[Fred61]

Am I wrong in my theory that if there is a piece of charcoal in the lower chamber and your boiler is "tuned" to the degree that all the oxygen supplied is burned upon secondary combustion that the charcoal piece will not be consumed due to lack of one of the elements it takes to produce fire? Those coals in the lower chamber seem to just glow and not disappear.

 

[genedarrell]

I do not think that is the case. The reason is that until recently i had WAY to much air going in. I had the two upper baffles into the wood chamber clear open, the secondary air open 3/4" and the main air control on the front of the middle door all the way open. The coals would fall down there so easily and quickly that they would be covered up and then yes, they would not get o2 and burn the rest of the way.

 

[JP11]

Coals seem to get baked to dust in the secondary area. I only end up with clinkers in there if I monkey around with the fire and they fall down thru after the burn.

Sometimes I'll leave a pile of them in the bottom to get blasted again. Mostly I just rake em out.

If you really had OCD.. you could screen your ashes and throw the wood back in. Probably about the messiest BTUs you'd have though.

JP