Build a boiler using a cut-down lp tank for the burn chamber

[deanco66]

I am wanting to build a wood burning boiler & was thinking of taking an lp gas tank & cutting it down in length & using it for the burn chamber. Any pros or cons on this idea? Also have read about making it pressurized, but very low pressure (5-10lbs.)
I am no novice at welding & fabbing, just tired of paying my hard earned money to the utility companies when I have an endless supply of firewood.
I'm wanting to build my own to experiment a little & just can't see paying the price they want for an OWB.
Any comments would be of great help. Thanks

 

[Nofossil]

Us self made Engineers aren't exactly on the winning team around here...
I guess you're supposed to drop the $10,000.00 for a factory built boiler, rather than building Your Own....

I'd like to take polite exception to that thought.....

Most forum members have a pretty strong 'do it yourself' ethic, and given the current state of the art that's almost essential. There are several home-built boilers that have been discussed here, as well as a wide range of home brewed controls and instrumentation.

I've been on some automotive forums which consist mostly of rich brats boasting about the hot cars that they built. Turns out they aren't mechanics and never got their hands dirty except for a little ink stain writing the check to the tuner who actually built the car. This forum is not like that at all - virtually every system has an enormous amount of owner involvement.

You might have seen some posts that talk about the technical challenges in building a successful gasifier. My sense is that no one here wants to see anyone invest a lot of time and effort without a good understanding of just what's needed to be successful. There is a lot of technology involved. Building a high performance car requires new techniques such as playing with fuel injection maps - bolting on a Holley 4-0barrel just won't cut it any more. By the same token, wood burning technology has advanced. Taking advantage of that is more complicated than it appears.

My involvement and that of many others is largely to share what we've learned to make it easier for people who are interested in this field. Not everyone has the equipment and skills to build their own, but I've spent countless hours helping people who have done just that.

I say, learn all you can and go for it. Share your experiences and encourage others to do the same.

Best of luck.

 

[waynecub]

Bondo & deanco66

Last summer I decided that I would build a gasificaton burner, not boiler. With the help from many on this list I was able. Thank You Gentlemen.
I had a old Franks boiler that we had been using to heat our house for years. Every 3 to 4 hrs. you had to load it up with wood. It was very inefficient, lots of smoke, lots of ash and it liked to burn up wood.
I took the old Franks boiler and built on the side of it a burn chamber. This chamber would be the same size as the boiler. No more wood in the boiler, now the wood would go in the burn chamber. This is where we would like to have gasification.
This is a down burn system. The burn chamber sides are refractory and the bottom is all refractory. I cut open the bottom of the Franks boiler side, just below the water jacket. This is where the fire would inter the boiler from the burn chamber.
The boiler is still the same old boiler, it now has a gasification burner on the side of it. I have been running it for 8 weeks. It uses about 1/2 the wood, less than 1/2 the ash and the smoke, what smoke.
I have been a steel fabricator for 35 years. Building this gasifire was quite a challenge. The info that I got from this forum helped me allot.

Macus

 

[brad068]

Ayuh,...

That's pretty much what I'm doing,...

I posted this last year,...Bondobilt Boilerworks,… Model #1…

As you'll see,... Everybody is on the Gasification bandwagon now,+ regular plian ole Chunk wood boilers are out of style...

While I do see the possiblity of adapting this 1 to gasification at a later point,...
I'm just trying to get it Up,+ Running at this point...
Last night, I finished plumbing it with properly doped connections,+ pressure tested it for leakage...
It was holding 8psi then, We'll see this morning where it's at...

As you'll see in my old thread,...
Us self made Engineers aren't exactly on the winning team around here...
I guess you're supposed to drop the $10,000.00 for a factory built boiler, rather than building Your Own....



Mine is down to the wiring,+ the insulated cabinet,... Then it'll be drug into place, hooked up,+ Fired......

Good Luck with Your's,....

Bd, I have to say that I agree with Nofo.

A couple of years ago I was going to build just another owb thinking that life just couldn't get any better than that. Then I saw a Garn and as they say "The rest is History". There no such think as a cold fire so yes a owb does provide heat and for some wood is "free" but the complete burn, total lack of creosote, and a 20+ year (and still going) service record is hard to ignore. I figured that I have @$3500 in mine.

I hope you can incorporate gasification into your boiler cause it is addicting to operate.

 

[deanco66]

Marcus, any pics on your gasification burner? I am very interested in doing the same thing as well!

Garn, I've read some about your gasification burner as well. I am a newbie here, can you send me a thread where I can get more info & some pics if possible?

Bondo, you say you have cut up several lp tanks. What is the best method to do so? Also I haven't investigated enough to know the wall thickness of the tank. I have a 500 gal. lp tank that I bought for $50 & a 1000 gal. anhydrous tank that was used for lp gas that I give $300 for.

To all. I am looking forward to this project, this site looks to have an endless supply of info from all the members & your input is very much appreciated. Thank you!!

 

[WoodNotOil]

deanco66

You are definitely in the right place for what you want to do. Here is a thread that shows all the great help this forum can offer to someone trying something new https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/24064/

Good luck

 

[waynecub]

deanco66

If you give me your e-mail I will send you pictures.

Marcus

 

[deanco66]

Marcus, my e-mail is: [email protected]
Thanks!

 

[brad068]

Marcus, any pics on your gasification burner? I am very interested in doing the same thing as well!

Garn, I've read some about your gasification burner as well. I am a newbie here, can you send me a thread where I can get more info & some pics if possible?

Bondo, you say you have cut up several lp tanks. What is the best method to do so? Also I haven't investigated enough to know the wall thickness of the tank. I have a 500 gal. lp tank that I bought for $50 & a 1000 gal. anhydrous tank that was used for lp gas that I give $300 for.

To all. I am looking forward to this project, this site looks to have an endless supply of info from all the members & your input is very much appreciated. Thank you!!

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