# Let's see your combustion chambers!



## danjayh (Nov 10, 2012)

I know there are a few picture threads out there already, but I wanted to start one specifically for people to post pics of their burn chambers. I'm curious to see different designs, how clean you guys keep it, and I just thought it'd be fun to have a pictures thread that's a little different than the usual. It's dark here right now (and my boiler is outdoors), but I'll post one of mine as soon as I can. If you have more than one boiler, or don't have posted in your signature what type of boiler you have, please let us know along with the picture!  I'll leave it up to you guys whether you want to go empty, full, fire or no fire, or maybe more than one.  If you do show a fire, let us know what you're burning!


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## ozzie88 (Nov 11, 2012)

danjayh said:


> I know there are a few picture threads out there already, but I wanted to start one specifically for people to post pics of their burn chambers. I'm curious to see different designs, how clean you guys keep it, and I just thought it'd be fun to have a pictures thread that's a little different than the usual. It's dark here right now (and my boiler is outdoors), but I'll post one of mine as soon as I can. If you have more than one boiler, or don't have posted in your signature what type of boiler you have, please let us know along with the picture! I'll leave it up to you guys whether you want to go empty, full, fire or no fire, or maybe more than one. If you do show a fire, let us know what you're burning!


 This is called a Durf boiler, [sounded good for home made]  an up draft boiler with 2 peep holes to look threw. one photo is bottom chamber other is top,flames are almost clear white hot, I think you can tell difference


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## danjayh (Nov 12, 2012)

ozzie88 said:


> This is called a Durf boiler, [sounded good for home made] an up draft boiler with 2 peep holes to look threw. one photo is bottom chamber other is top,flames are almost clear white hot, I think you can tell difference


 
Very nice!  Sorry I haven't posted mine yet, but it blew the breaker the other day.  Upon further investigation, I realized that it'd sprung a small leak, and the water level sensor was wet.  Currently trying to figure out how to deal with this  (the reservoir is spray-foamed on the Maxim, which makes everything 10x harder).


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## heaterman (Nov 12, 2012)

danjayh said:


> Very nice! Sorry I haven't posted mine yet, but it blew the breaker the other day. Upon further investigation, I realized that it'd sprung a small leak, and the water level sensor was wet. Currently trying to figure out how to deal with this  (the reservoir is spray-foamed on the Maxim, which makes everything 10x harder).


 

Sorry to hear that Danjayh. I ran into a guy this fall with one of those that he fought for 3 winters and finally gave up after welding it the second time. He has a stack of repair bills an inch deep for failed controls and other electronics.  It's now sitting disconnected behind his shop. CB wouldn't do anything about it.


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## danjayh (Nov 14, 2012)

heaterman said:


> Sorry to hear that Danjayh. I ran into a guy this fall with one of those that he fought for 3 winters and finally gave up after welding it the second time. He has a stack of repair bills an inch deep for failed controls and other electronics. It's now sitting disconnected behind his shop. CB wouldn't do anything about it.


 

Turns out it was an easy fix, just a loose sensor allowing a small leak.  Probably trauma from moving it (I got it second hand).  The guy I got it from had been using it for 5 years with before he moved out of the house (and sold me the boiler); I think all he ever replaced was the burn pot and agitator paddle (CB upgraded those from steel to stainless, due to problems with burning pellets).  I'll post my picture as soon as I have it!


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## 2.beans (Nov 14, 2012)

Now that your all fixed up here's a picture. (Didn't want to rub it in) I know the back refractory is bad I have the replacement for it just not the time.


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## danjayh (Dec 11, 2012)

I'll finally stop being lazy and post mine.  It's not as clean as some of you keep yours, but I hate cleaning it, and it's been idling periodically during the day with the weather swings we've been having...  Usually there's more ash in the burn pot, but I had just poked it around with my stirring rod when I took this.


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## Hobartian (Dec 11, 2012)

The picture below was taken looking down into the primary burn chamber of my heater based on the design of Professor Richard C. Hill.

The combustible gases created in this chamber are directed into a secondary chamber where they are burnt.   However I have no way of photographing the burning in this chamber.


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## Fred61 (Dec 11, 2012)

Hobartian said:


> The picture below was taken looking down into the primary burn chamber of my heater based on the design of Professor Richard C. Hill.
> 
> The combustible gases created in this chamber are directed into a secondary chamber where they are burnt. However I have no way of photographing the burning in this chamber.


 Glad to see that it's holding together for you. You must have really done your homework. Seldom is something as complicated as that assembled and successful on the first try. It could easily have been "works but fell apart" or "she doesn't heat that good but she's a thing of beauty."


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## Hobartian (Dec 12, 2012)

Hi Fred61,

 I am not Robinson Crusoe.   This summer I am rebuilding the crumbling primary burn chamber paying more attention to following the manufacturer's instruction on curing the refractory.   I am also going to make a number of modifications to the system to improve efficiency.   One modification is to restrict the flow of water to the heat exchanger when starting from cold so that the temperature of the fire is maintained at a high level.   As the water temperature increases a valve will meter water from the storage tank into the heat exchanger so that  the temperature is maintained at a predetermined level.

My heater is a hobby and I'm no threat to the established manufacturers.


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## ozzie88 (Dec 12, 2012)

Hobartian said:


> Hi Fred61,
> 
> I am not Robinson Crusoe. This summer I am rebuilding the crumbling primary burn chamber paying more attention to following the manufacturer's instruction on curing the refractory. I am also going to make a number of modifications to the system to improve efficiency. One modification is to restrict the flow of water to the heat exchanger when starting from cold so that the temperature of the fire is maintained at a high level. As the water temperature increases a valve will meter water from the storage tank into the heat exchanger so that the temperature is maintained at a predetermined level.
> 
> My heater is a hobby and I'm no threat to the established manufacturers.


 hello, they have a new type of material which they clam will hold up[c-cast]     http://www.rsifibre.com/products/c-cast.php    and also why would the temp of water make a difference in how it heats?  Just wonder the reson behind this?


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## Hobartian (Dec 13, 2012)

Hi Aussie88

To answer your query about why the temperature of the water can effect the efficiency of a wood fired boiler I will quote from an online article about gasifiers.


_Dual combustion chambers. Many of the wood gasification models imported from Europe employ this technique. These units are designed to operate properly when they burn a load of wood in one continuous burn and transfer the resulting heat to a water storage container (usually 400 gallons or greater) where it is stored until the heat is needed. _


_In these systems, the gases flow down through the fire into a secondary chamber where firebrick (or a ceramic material) creates the superheated environment necessary to complete the efficient combustion process. Keeping this secondary chamber at high temperatures is key to the performance of the overall system, hence the need for one continuous burn so that this chamber does not cool and lower the boiler efficiency. _
_The heat exchanger is close to the secondary chamber and if the temperature of the water is relatively cold (Below 110 F) it will rob too much heat from the secondary chamber and thus effect the secondary burning process. _


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## woodsmaster (Dec 14, 2012)

Burning white ash.


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## EffectaBoilerUser (USA) (Dec 14, 2012)

Good idea!

I've attached photos of the primary and secondary chambers on my Effecta Lambda 35kW (both new and after a few thousand hours of operation).

Notice the primary chamber has tapered walls (wider at bottom than top) to prevent bridging of wood and smoke evacuation port above the door opening.
	

		
			
		

		
	









Notice the stainless steel burner (for incoming air) inside of the ceramics and the stainless steel afterburner and fully water jacketed secondary chamber (no refractory cement in floor) for maximum heat transfer of 2000F to water!

Look forward to seeing other primary and secondary chambers!


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## EffectaBoilerUser (USA) (Dec 14, 2012)

Here are some photos of my Effecta Lambda 35kW with almost 3,000 hours on it!


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## stokes79 (Dec 15, 2012)




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## danjayh (Dec 2, 2013)

<bump> It's a new year, thought I'd see if there's any new people who want to participate in this thread?  I just love seeing the the designs of all the different machines that we have!


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## Hansson (Dec 2, 2013)

Hot like hell


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## danjayh (Dec 2, 2013)

Hansson said:


> Hot like hell



Nice pic!  Was that right after it came off idle?  The flames look kind of 'whispy' to me.


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## Hansson (Dec 3, 2013)

It never goes on idle.
The flames change when I open the door.
When the door is closed I got a blueflame


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## BoiledOver (Dec 3, 2013)

The split looks fresh cause it was just added this morning. Originally there was a full thickness brick cut to length that fit under the horizontal split. Using the split brought the entire refractorty forward just enough to get it off of the rear wall.


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## huffdawg (Dec 4, 2013)

BoiledOver said:


> The split looks fresh cause it was just added this morning. Originally there was a full thickness brick cut to length that fit under the horizontal split. Using the split brought the entire refractorty forward just enough to get it off of the rear wall.
> 
> 
> View attachment 119362



Do those two extra bricks work good ?  Does that help with the burn or are you using it to help stop refractory erosion?

Huff


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## BoiledOver (Dec 4, 2013)

huffdawg said:


> Do those two extra bricks work good ?  Does that help with the burn or are you using it to help stop refractory erosion?
> 
> Huff


 
The fire bricks work as desired to accomplish refractory protection, blast direction and packed ash buildup. The back end has the same arrangement.

In the first weeks of burning, the secondary chamber was used as stock. What resulted was packed ash on the inside of the door and on the back wall. The door matters very little but on the other end I believe it keeps heat transfer from reaching optimum levels. In the EKO 25 the upper 4" of backwall has water behind it at the same area as the hx tubes begin. At the door it would be a matter of refractory deterioration.

Beginning in the back of the combustion chamber is a 1/2" space, 1 split standing on end, 1/2" space, 1st refractory gutter, 2nd refractory gutter, 1/2" space, 1 split standing on end, and then the door close against that split. When running at full strength there are blasts coming out both sides at both ends against the side walls before heading to the tubes. There is also a good amount of blue overspilling from the top of the gutters.

I wire brush the sidewalls of the secondary chamber before each fire is started and the hx tubes when the flue temps show a sustained increase, maybe every ten days. This unit has been in service since September of this year and one gutter has become two pieces while the other gutter shows a crack which will probably split this month.

Does all this make a huge difference? Probably not, but, I do believe it is slightly more effincient in heat transfer and definitly will protect the door refractory.


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## huffdawg (Dec 4, 2013)

What temps are u seeing when you decide to clean?   My refractory  gutters as you call them were in about 6 pieces in the first three months . I suspect they were a little wet when new.   My door is also getting a little gouged out . I try too keep the fan on the lowest speed that I can get gasification on. I burn soft wood it really seems to burn hard.


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## BoiledOver (Dec 4, 2013)

huffdawg said:


> What temps are u seeing when you decide to clean?   My refractory  gutters as you call them were in about 6 pieces in the first three months . I suspect they were a little wet when new.   My door is also getting a little gouged out . I try too keep the fan on the lowest speed that I can get gasification on. I burn soft wood it really seems to burn hard.


 
The reading on a magnetic stove pipe thermometer, 10" up from the tee, cruises at 290 F when clean. When cruising and the reading shows 330 F, the tubes get cleaned.


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## hobbyheater (Dec 5, 2013)

Refractory Burn Chamber





Complete Refractory Base , less the heat exchanger.




The fire !


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