Building a Gasification wood Boiler

[ozzie88]

I seen alot of you guys buy a wood boiler then add storage,DHW tanks etc. Is anyony building there own wood gasification boiler?? I am, and so far having good luck. Lots of welding and things to sort out to make it work all automatic as far as heat control,venting, over heat control etc. I have good ideas on some of this. And have found places to get some switchs and controls.

Chuck

 

[ozzie88]

What I did first was take a new yorker oil boiler and cut bottom burn chamber off and make one to burn wood. It is 20 x 20 tank on top with tubes. I used all honeywell controls for water temp and used the becket burner [fan only] for forced draft. This was 2 years ago and works fine but have alot build up in chimmy and clean once a month. I did alot reserch on new gasification boiler so decided to build one. So far I took a wood stove 1/4 plate and is 24 long 18 wide and 26 tall. I got some 5/16 plate added 6inch on top make taller and made a 1 1/2 inch water jacket around sides. Cut and fit fire brick inside and two 5/8 panels for fire chambers on top. This will be an up draft burner not quite as good as down draft but should work good? I also got old propane tanks for water storage. I cut hole in top of one added baseboard heat sections with fins 3/4 about 20 feet then welded top back on for DHW. I use the old controls and heat switchs for over heat control and DHW tank control. I think I have all bases covered.
I have photos comeing of all work. Ask questions or give advice, I learned alot on this and will help anyone if I can,,Chuck

 

[brad068]

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/11262/

I almost forgot that I sent these pics in

 

[Gasifier]

I seen alot of you guys buy a wood boiler then add storage,DHW tanks etc. Is anyony building there own wood gasification boiler?? I am, and so far having good luck. Lots of welding and things to sort out to make it work all automatic as far as heat control,venting, over heat control etc. I have good ideas on some of this. And have found places to get some switchs and controls. Chuck

I wish I had the metal working skills you guys have. I never learned to work with metal. I like working with wood. A couple of questions for you. How much money and time do you think you will have into building your Gassification boiler? If you figured in say $30/hr. for your time, then added the money in for the material. The only reason I am asking is I am curious how much money you will save from buying say an $8000.00 gassification boiler you can buy. It would be interesting. What do you think the efficiency comparison will be? How many BTUs do you think you will end up with? More power to you, I think you can save yourself some serious money and then add in the satisfaction of doing yourself. That is awesome. Or priceless, as the TV ads say.

What I did first was take a new yorker oil boiler and cut bottom burn chamber off and make one to burn wood. It is 20 x 20 tank on top with tubes. I used all honeywell controls for water temp and used the becket burner [fan only] for forced draft. This was 2 years ago and works fine but have alot build up in chimmy and clean once a month. I did alot reserch on new gasification boiler so decided to build one. So far I took a wood stove 1/4 plate and is 24 long 18 wide and 26 tall. I got some 5/16 plate added 6inch on top make taller and made a 1 1/2 inch water jacket around sides. Cut and fit fire brick inside and two 5/8 panels for fire chambers on top. This will be an up draft burner not quite as good as down draft but should work good? I also got old propane tanks for water storage. I cut hole in top of one added baseboard heat sections with fins 3/4 about 20 feet then welded top back on for DHW. I use the old controls and heat switchs for over heat control and DHW tank control. I think I have all bases covered.
I have photos comeing of all work. Ask questions or give advice, I learned alot on this and will help anyone if I can,,Chuck

I would really like to see the post with your pictures. Hope it all works out great for you. Does it hold a lot of water itself and/or are you adding storage?

I almost forgot that I sent these pics in Approximately how much water does that thing hold? Nice work. How long have you been running this monster. Did you add storage with it? Approximately how many BTUs does it put out?

Thanks guys. Very interesting.

 

[ozzie88]

As far as questions I will do my best. The wood stove I got for $100, 1/4 plate, the propane tanks were free, about $75 for electric bill welding, I traded extra torch head for the 5/16 steel plate I made water jacket out of, about $500 for fittings,insulation,firebrick[$2 each] cir. pump, welding rods etc. and labor I be guessing, see I have VERY bad back I only work on it 2 to 4 hours every other day or so when I can so you see i work slow. Thats why I am building this I cant afford to buy one or buy fuel oil.I say $2500 labor. efficiency from what i reserch be around 80%, The boiler it self hold 35 gal. and storage only 150 gal but should be ok for me. The boiler i built 3 year ago works good just alot build up in chimmeny and load it every 3 to 5 hours, this one be two stages [gasification] more storage and two coils for DHW also. I used an new yorker boiler top tank and the controls to regulate water temp and the becket [fan only] for draft.I have preasure valves, over heat switch,and vent draft control that works with fan. I pre heat outside air before it sent to boiler dont use inside air,more efficiency.
Here one photo or boiler I hope to get in basement this week, I am useing log splitter I built to lift in to house[made a beam for it].

 

[ozzie88]

The top tank with fire tubes will be welded to the top of this bottom burn chamber, Be all controled with temp switchs for on at 140 and off at 180 degrees. If over heat switch for on at 200 and off at 180, the DHW tank with coils will cool first so it is switched for pump come on at 150 and off at 170 to even out tanks temp.[flow switch cost to much] this will work good for $7.00 bucks. The outside air will work with fan to open and close with draft, it will be preheated with the heat from air after it goes threw boiler but before up chimmeny. So I am putting heat back into fire chamber it self. I have two relief valves and am adding one more expansion tank for water, It all lined with 2inch firebrick and alumina board for fire chambers,top chamber needs to have a choker and swerel effect to burn correct which I did. The idea is to run stove hot but not as offen and keep from small fires but still have it be able to restart by itself. i will be putting more photos as I build this thing. I use 7018 for most welds and 6013 for not so good fitting pieces to fill in.

 

[ozzie88]

The air has to be able to be controled and adjusted, I have a 1/2inch x 3inch, vent in bottom under the fire and then a 1 1/2inch pipe to inject heated air into the top of first chamber, then the second chamber will get a third blast of heated air to burn second chamber gas witch also is choked and the air twist around for complete burn,

 

[brad068]

The air has to be able to be controled and adjusted, I have a 1/2inch x 3inch, vent in bottom under the fire and then a 1 1/2inch pipe to inject heated air into the top of first chamber, then the second chamber will get a third blast of heated air to burn second chamber gas witch also is choked and the air twist around for complete burn,

Is the steel pipe in this pic right in the middle of the secondary chamber?

Unless that is a piece of exotic pipe from on of the retired space shuttles, I would look at doing something different.

 

[Gasifier]

So for under $3500 you will have yourself a wood gassification boiler. That is great. I wish you the best of luck with it.

 

[ozzie88]

About the pipe in second chamber, I should have explaned more, it just a templet that has a side cut out to curve air flow, i am getting some kilm post different sizes to fit so I can adjust air flow. I am hopeing the kilm materal will hold up it suppose too. I might not even need it but a person I talk to on line siad it be better for air flow in second chamber,[something like a garn?]