Corn Stove projects- Transport instrumentation and ect Picture intensive

[Lordtimothy200]

Thought I would chronicle some of my Corn Stove projects in one thread. None of these idea's are new, just found inspiration from others who have come before. My wife says it is an mental condition I have- if it isn't broke, I will fix it till it is.

Stove: St Croix Auburn 2009 ish??
Fuel: Corn
Positive pressure stove
Currently no OAK installed- future project

Instrumentation
I like data and figuring out the best settings. To do that you need Data. To accomplish that I installed a Thermocoupler (Max6675) at the side of the combustion chamber and one on the fresh air intake. They are wired to an Arduino and Raspberry Pi (credit card sized computers) for Data logging and any future automation that might be needed. For the display I am using a Amazon Kindle Fire ($30 on Prime day) and a 3d printed box to mount it on the wall.

The display shows Temp in the combustion chamber and intake temp, in addition, temps and alarms from other area's of the household. Currently running 3 different Raspberry Pi's sending data to the display above the stove. Still working on connecting all of them, Temp, Fire and Alarms into one display.


Transport
I posted a thread last year about how I move my corn to the house. This year I got a upgrade with a metal Gravity wagon.

After we first put in the corn stove, two things happened. One, my wife threw a fit about the amount of dust that was floating up when filling the corn stove, and second, I am lazy. So hauling 5 gallon buckets of corn became to much work very quickly. To fix the dust and my lazy issues, we built a 25 bushel box on the side of the house that would feed the stove. Fixed the dust issue and meant I only needed to mess with the corn once every 10 days to 2 weeks.

To move the corn I use a leaf blower and 4" PVC pipe. Pneumatic conveyor. I need to fine tune some of the connections but just to many other projects right now. Takes about an 45 mins to setup, load and unload 20ish bushels of corn.

Future projects
Getting a good baseline of Pellets verse Corn on both poundage and burn time. I would like to know that ratio so that it will be easy to know what price to switch one way or the other.
Automating the damper to get the best burn.
Adding an OAK that I can switch from inside air to outside air
Building custom connections for better air/corn flow when loading and unloading the corn
Experimenting with drying the corn when it is either in the wagon or in the bin on the house

Hopefully someone can find something of use out of this thread, if not hopefully it is an entertaining read.

 

[Dataman]

Red Green: If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

 

[woodnomore]

I treat lugging 5 gallon buckets as a work out, I am excersizing. Then again I am only a year removed from burning wood so anything corn burning is easy.

 

[FirepotPete]

Nice setup. Of course you have the room for it. I think you would find that using a vacuum system to move the corn will clean it better than blowing it. I use a corn vac system with the vac head attached to a large shop vac, secondary tank with a blast gate that drops the corn into a 275 gallon IBC tote.

I was EPRI certified I&C tech in my previous life so I appreciate the instrumentation that you are installing to automate the readings of the stove. I'm just using old TI's and a note book.

 

[Lordtimothy200]

I did have a vacuum setup when I got my first load of corn. Took forever to move 25 bushels. Goes back to my being lazy.

It does a surprisingly good job on cleaning the corn, nice side effect, didn't even consider it when the design and building process was going on. Very few fines left from being moved twice with a huge volume of air. If I had to move the corn into an enclosure or basement, I would for sure use the vacuum system. Have to use that leaf blower to clean the porch after I am done filling the bin. Makes a LOT of dust.

 

[Overfireinthehole]

What happens when that bin of corn falls on your exhaust pipe while you have a good hot fire going?

 

[Lordtimothy200]

Well, if it falls at this point.............it likely would be because of an earthquake or one of my wife relatives visiting. Some of those relatives have their own gravity wells. Anyway back to the subject at hand. It is well anchored to the walls and with 4"x4". Been that way for about 5 years now and still solid.

 

[Lordtimothy200]

Just an update on new Corn/pellet stove projects. With my Corn stove set up, the exhaust pipe just exits straght outside. When the power goes out (very rarely) the house fills up with smoke post haste. Needed a solution and after cruising the forums here decided to get a UPS.

Found a old UPS on Facebook Market place for little or nothing. It is a 1000 SmartAPC with the option to have additional battery packs. Well I can never leave anything stock (wife says it is a sickness) so instead of replacing the bad the batteries inside, decided to purchase 2 deepcycle batteries. Wired them into the UPS and set r up next to the stove.

Took and old tote I had and put the batteries in there. Drilled a 3/4" hole in the side for a vent so during charging won't have those nasty fumes inside. Total cost was under $200 - $40 for the UPS and $150 for 2 deep cycle batteries.

The idea is to give me plenty of time to get the generator and if the power is going to be out for a while, should be able to shut the generator off now and then. It is a solid unit, tested it the other day and ran the Corn stove for 5 hours and still had 2 bars left on the batteries.
It was well worth it the effort for peace of mind.

 

[rickwai]

Nice set up. You cant beat a St Croix for burning corn! Just a side note. You have a negative pressure stove not positive pressure.
I have a gravity wagon and fill bags after running thru a gravity screen. It still lets some dust out when filling the stove.

 

[Lordtimothy200]

Yeah, noticed that after I reread the post last year. My first stove was a positive pressure one and swore I would never own another one.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Nice set up. You cant beat a St Croix for burning corn! Just a side note. You have a negative pressure stove not positive pressure.
I have a gravity wagon and fill bags after running thru a gravity screen. It still lets some dust out when filling the stove.

Exactly......

I'm in a different scenario with my corn because my corn has been cleaned and bagged in supersacks ahead of time and I mix in pellets at a 3-1 ratio to eliminate clinkering because my 6039-41 cannot drop a clinker and I've never built a clinker pot, I worked around the clinker issue. Don't mind the 5 gallon bucket issue, it is exercise, just like me mixing corn and pellets in the hay barn and moving a skid with 4 thirty gallon plastic garbage cans to the deck with the front loader to put in the stove in the house.

Me, I'm not into monitoring it other than it works and stays clean and I'm all good with that. I have enough 'monitors' on my farm equipment to watch and maintain. Don't need any more and being old, I don't like digital stuff anyway.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Yeah, noticed that after I reread the post last year. My first stove was a positive pressure one and swore I would never own another one.

Positive pressure units are ok, so long as you are always aware of the burnback issue. Stove manufacturers quit building them just because of that. Too much liability involved. My very first one long ago was positive pressure and I experience a burnback one time. Stinky deal, smoked the house up. Nothing better than opening a hopper lid and seeing a glowing mass of fuel in the bottom of the feed bin.

The key to any positive draft unit is of course, keeping the hopper lid closed and the seal in good shape. Suck versus blow is always best from a safety standpoint, always.

I remember back during the IBC days, it was always stressed about the hopper lid issues. There are still a few of us IBC members around. I sometimes wonder what happened to Mary and the guy in Milwaukee with the grain tank next to his house in town. You remember that? Looked like a rocket ship in his driveway..... I think he worked for the City of Milwaukee in public works, if my memory serves me right. Mary had an elaborate setup for cleaning and moving corn from a gravity wagon to her bulk bin, to her stove.

I've never had a gravity wagon with corn. No need, I just need a large farm tractor with loader capacity to move 2.5 ton supersacks and put them in the barn and of course drive down the road a mile to pick it up.

 

[rickwai]

Positive pressure units are ok, so long as you are always aware of the burnback issue. Stove manufacturers quit building them just because of that. Too much liability involved. My very first one long ago was positive pressure and I experience a burnback one time. Stinky deal, smoked the house up. Nothing better than opening a hopper lid and seeing a glowing mass of fuel in the bottom of the feed bin.

The key to any positive draft unit is of course, keeping the hopper lid closed and the seal in good shape. Suck versus blow is always best from a safety standpoint, always.

I remember back during the IBC days, it was always stressed about the hopper lid issues. There are still a few of us IBC members around. I sometimes wonder what happened to Mary and the guy in Milwaukee with the grain tank next to his house in town. You remember that? Looked like a rocket ship in his driveway..... I think he worked for the City of Milwaukee in public works, if my memory serves me right. Mary had an elaborate setup for cleaning and moving corn from a gravity wagon to her bulk bin, to her stove.

I've never had a gravity wagon with corn. No need, I just need a large farm tractor with loader capacity to move 2.5 ton supersacks and put them in the barn and of course drive down the road a mile to pick it up.

I was a loyal member of IBC. That is how I learned to burn corn. I got the plans for the cleaner I am still using on there. I even donated a couple times to help keep it going. And I do remember the rocket ship guy and I remember you. It was a great group. Im pretty sure I remember Kappel on there also. Its hard to believe we all have been hanging out for over 10 yrs!

 

[SidecarFlip]

I was a loyal member of IBC. That is how I learned to burn corn. I got the plans for the cleaner I am still using on there. I even donated a couple times to help keep it going. And I do remember the rocket ship guy and I remember you. It was a great group. Im pretty sure I remember Kappel on there also. Its hard to believe we all have been hanging out for over 10 yrs!

Don't forget RONA and his Bixby, he was there too... (and here). My 6039 was getting a bit wonky the last week or so, it was telling me it was time for the mid winter suck out (leaf blower) job, which I did yesterday, with the resultant black cloud and fly ash every where, including on me....lol I always get a huge cloud of ash in as much as my venting is quite long. From the stove, through the wall thimble to a 3-4 increaser Tee and then vertical 18 feet to a rain cap level with the peak of the roof, which actually gives me a nice natural draft when warm.

There was also a guy on there, an older fellow that had a long horizontal run that was always fiddling with his venting too. He's probably deceased.

What I find amazing is, I still have all the original venting intact except the 3-4 cleanout Tee increaser which I had to replace this last fall because the outer galvanized jacket rusted through. Not the stainless line, but the outer. I find that interesting because all my venting is the standard Simpson pellet venting, not the Pellet Pro multifuel which wasn't even in existence when I ran my venting and the venting I have isn't 'corn rate, it's pellet only and I've had zero issues in many years.

That was a long time ago but we both learned a lot. Back when I had the ESW 25 and sold it and replaced it with the true multifuel I have now.

Burn on baby....

 

[rickwai]

Yeah I do remember Rona! I loved that forum. I joined it in about '08 when corn was cheap and gas was expensive. The shop I work for had a bunch of St Croix stoves they wanted to get rid of. I bought one and loved it. I learned daily on IBC. Everybody was coming up with new ideas , or at least new to me. My wife still harasses me when I am on here. She still says "are you on I burn Corn again! " I love learning new things and sharing what I know.

I picked these up yesterday for $200 each. Both run and are not gummed up. They start up and the vac switch holds . and tube scrapers are free. I went for the Auburn that was listed. When I got there the old guy said I have another if you want to look at it. So I got them both. I will clean them up and check them over and put on a fresh coat of paint and flip them. At $200 I cant get hurt on them.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Yeah I do remember Rona! I loved that forum. I joined it in about '08 when corn was cheap and gas was expensive. The shop I work for had a bunch of St Croix stoves they wanted to get rid of. I bought one and loved it. I learned daily on IBC. Everybody was coming up with new ideas , or at least new to me. My wife still harasses me when I am on here. She still says "are you on I burn Corn again! " I love learning new things and sharing what I know.

I picked these up yesterday for $200 each. Both run and are not gummed up. They start up and the vac switch holds . and tube scrapers are free. I went for the Auburn that was listed. When I got there the old guy said I have another if you want to look at it. So I got them both. I will clean them up and check them over and put on a fresh coat of paint and flip them. At $200 I cant get hurt on them.
View attachment 273045

You are doing good, getting to be like Ssyko...lol If I had the time to get into the used and abused biomass stove market for resale, I might do that myself. The outfit in Toledo keeps bugging me about working for them and I believe they Harman and a few other brands. The owner wants me to become a fall-winter-spring service person, I really don't have the time or the ambition to do that. besides, I dislike interacting with 'duh' people anyway. and my plate is always full enough with my own business and farming.

Only stopped by to buy a sealing gasket for my overhead door, got talking to the owner and when he found out about what I heated with he got real interested. Should of kept my mouth shut....lol

Ron comes on here but infrequently, like Pete. Getting old now, youth has passed us by I guess.

 

[Ssyko]

I want the lil Element

 

[SidecarFlip]

I want the lil Element

Bathroom burner......

Rick is gonna have to go to HF and pony up for another HF dolly.....

 

[rickwai]

Bathroom burner......

Rick is gonna have to go to HF and pony up for another HF dolly.....

Thats funny! I had some reward cash at TSC I had to use by end of the month so I stopped there and picked up another. It is a little heavier built ending up being about $20 and it came with the middle filled in.

 

[Ssyko]

In the lab actually. I was looking at a friends lil Cleveland Iron Works PS20W-CIW. $849 delivered but i don't want to spend that much for an occasional heat source. lol i can get a doz. 25pdvc's this spring for that $$$

 

[rickwai]

I want the lil Element

The small one is a Lancaster. I got them both cleaned up and running yesterday. I just ordered door and ash pan gaskets for the Auburn. I had to do the Dist blower bearings on it also. The Lancaster needed a Comb. fan blade. It has lived in a garage and burnt corn here and there. It has so rust in it but it all works. Both were at a .1 or less when I tested them before doing anything. At .3 inwc for both after even with the gaskets being pretty worn on the Auburn. Air compressor and leaf blower at the same time cleans them right out

 

[SidecarFlip]

A double hit works good.... OUTSIDE. Not so much inside. When I do my 'suck job' bi season, I take my HF shop vac on the blow side and stick the blow nozzle in the round opening at the bottom of the 6039 and the leaf blower on the outside clean out tee and with a little coordination in my part, I crank up the leaf vacuum (I set up the clean out tee so the leaf vacuum sits on the deck by itself (Don't have to hold it), crank it up and go inside and turn on the HF vac and blow and suck at the same time (of course I clean the interior of the stove first). Works very well. In fact in the spring, when I do that and then pull the combustion blower out, the plenum is very clean.

Rick, you need to start spraying the interior of your stove with Stabil fogging oil after your spring shutdown. Goes a long way in preventing nitric acid vapor rust over the summer.... and run a couple bags of straight pellets in the early spring before closing it up for the summer. After about 20 years, I have very little acid pitting an I've never painted the interior of the fire box. In as much as you are a TSC Neighbor Club member (wife is too), get it there. In the oil aisle next to the fuel additives.

 

[SciGuy]

A double hit works good.... OUTSIDE. Not so much inside. When I do my 'suck job' bi season, I take my HF shop vac on the blow side and

Rick, you need to start spraying the interior of your stove with Stabil fogging oil after your spring shutdown. Goes a long way in preventing nitric acid vapor rust over the summer.... and run a couple bags of straight pellets in the early spring before closing it up for the summer. After about 20 years, I have very little acid pitting an I've never painted the interior of the fire box. In as much as you are a TSC Neighbor Club member (wife is too), get it there. In the oil aisle next to the fuel additives.

SCF,

Is there any interesting consequence to how the stove fires up the very first time the next fall after a spring time coating with Stabil fogging oil? I'm picturing the potential of a good deal of smoke and perhaps a minor explosive event as the oil first vaporizes and then ignites. I've witnessed plain old pellet smoke igniting with a enthusiastic whoosh more than once over the years.

Thanks for the tip.

Hugh

 

[rona]

Glad to see a few of us old goats still kicking. With low price of lp and nat gas it doesn't make much sense to invest in something that burns pellets that cost 5.50 a 40 lb bag. Still burning some corn but at 5.00 a bushel it seems to have lost its appeal as well.
Still playing with the different stoves is a learning experience and a hobby I enjoy. Remember IBC from when I first got into burning corn. Back then we had a dealer who sold Harman and St Croix. Corn was 1.25 back then and fuel oil was 4.00 a gallon. In a normal winter we would use 1000 gallons of furnace oil so I could replace the furnace oil with 150 bushels of corn at 190.00 which made paying for the stove pretty fast. As I remember the Indeck pellets were 4.00 a bag and people weren't real impressed with them either. over the years I owned Harman PC45, QuadraFire AE, several Bixbys including 115, Maxfire, 120 and UBB, Then I got a SC50 furnace last fall to tinker with. That's probably the last one I buy . I also had a couple SC Auburns that worked well but sold them .
The fellow who started this thread likes to work with data needs to get a Bixby and run Bixcheck with it. you can record anything the stove does or you can check it with your smart phone or laptop. Even start it with your computer or smart phone . It was way ahead of its time.

 

[Lordtimothy200]

If I can find a cheap Bixby in the area I would for sure. I am terribly cheap when it comes to things that are not necessities or things I am not going to make money with.