Portage & Main Optimizer

[norts]

Came across a couple newer youtube videos for the Portage & Main Optimizer 250.
They're not customer videos - but I thought somebody might find some interest in them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osDwGXNhctw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1eLtmpaNlM&feature=related

 

[Singed Eyebrows]

Yes, that's an interesting boiler. Sure havent been any owners reporting in though, Randy

 

[norts]

I hear ya Randy... when it comes to customer feed back there is little to none! That's really the reason I posted the new videos... Hoping it would spark some comments.

 

[vinrum]

I spoke to a dealer last week about these units, and to my surprise. He was quite honest with me. He told me that there has been a great amount of creosote building up, causing the unit not to perform properly. He also stated that Portage and Main is trying to come up with a solution to the problem

 

[WoodNotOil]

From watching the videos I would also have a concern with their secondary combustion chamber. The gasser flame seems to be hitting the area pretty hard. On most indoor gassers the flame comes down and kind of wraps around never really making contact with anything other than the tunnel. Not all refractory is created equal and if that stuff they are lining the chamber with is not the stuff made for the highest temps, then I think it will chew right through it rather quickly. Designing a gasser is a finicky thing and takes a good deal of R&D. Sounds like they might still have some things to iron out...

 

[Singed Eyebrows]

From watching the videos I would also have a concern with their secondary combustion chamber. The gasser flame seems to be hitting the area pretty hard. On most indoor gassers the flame comes down and kind of wraps around never really making contact with anything other than the tunnel. Not all refractory is created equal and if that stuff they are lining the chamber with is not the stuff made for the highest temps, then I think it will chew right through it rather quickly. Designing a gasser is a finicky thing and takes a good deal of R&D. Sounds like they might still have some things to iron out...

Yes, agreed, the creosote problem almost has to be in the primary chamber though. I can't believe too much would survive the nozzle flame, Randy

 

[sdrobertson]

Unless some of the owners are burning wood that is to wet. If they can't get it to gasifiy then it would creosote really, really bad with all those 90 degree passages.

 

[WoodNotOil]

I love some of the new gasifiers that are being advertised as accepting large rounds or that the way it burns the bottom wood first helps to dry the rest of the wood. No wonder they are having difficulty... There are two things that will definitely kill gasification... wet wood and large rounds.... Its hard to get a good bed of coals when your logs are too big around.