Technology for a sustainable future: 2009

25 September, 2009

Preparation of a stainless steel coil for the Russian stove

(This document was generated using Google Translator and then correcting some errors from the original spanish article).

Recently I showed you how to get better performance from a wood stove, using a Masonry Heater.
Yet I realized I could get even more performance (the accumulator design is not very efficient), and could benefit even more from the heat from the flames by adding a similar coil placed on the other stove my parents to recover more heat for other uses.

Underfloor heating
Hopefully, this floor was rebuilt in 2003 I had the great idea of putting underfloor home heating.

(of which I only keep this photo) made with copper pipes covered with dough and small amount of cement to make it loose and allow expansion of the tubes.
The technique of using the floor instead of radiators is the best way to heat your home for several reasons:

Being a greater heat-emitting surface the water temperature can be much lower so the energy efficency is between 15 and 20% higher than with other systems.
By the same reason, solar energy systems can be used to transfer heat energy from the sun roof to the rooms of the house, for its performance at low temperatures (around 20 to 40 º C).
The comfort is higher, since heat is evenly distributed and from the bottom up ... it is a pleasure going barefoot with the flagstones at 25 º C! Soil is also the heat accumulator, thus heating it for several days, we will be warmed up for two days.
We eliminated the pesky radiators, usually placed next to windows covered with curtains so the losses through the glass are accentuated. All this is avoided.
When working at low temperatures we can use cheaper plastic materials and is often used PE.

The disadvantages of this system are almost nonexistent. It may be mentioned that requires more work and labor (if done at the moment of building the house could be even cheaper) and that if there is a leak it is difficult to repair (could involve a large surface lift) and it is inappropriate to use soil with low transmission of heat as wood.

On my system I should have isolated the soil below the radiant tube, since underneath is the rock of the mountain to which is transmitted 30% of the heat and taking longer to reach temperature. The good thing about this is that if the soil is heated to 40º C (which requires several loads of wood in the stove), the soil will remain hot for 24 hours ;-).

07 March, 2009

Heat accumulator: Increase the performance of the wood stove (Russian Stove or Masonry Heater)

In this post we will see how to get more performance from a wood stove smoke passing through a vertical loop firebricks and do not involve maintenance.

Recently, I spoke of the "Russian stove" , which is simply a low heat oven or built with bricksrefractory and gives a great performance and comfort for heating.

However I made the mistake of assuming that the narrow passage I left still allow the passage of smoke (considering 4 meters in fire that made shooting), but the smoke is cooled much and slowed both passing the shot was almost zero,introducing a lot of smoke in the room every time the door would have and it was very difficult to remove.

So since I had to disassemble the entire block bricks, took the opportunity to completely change the design because putting cast iron stove out from the wall it was a botched it had more disadvantages than advantages; this time the put-in wall, and on it, the heat accumulator block smoke, leaning against the wall by an arch .

I've always liked the brush fires; when I was little I was soup on the couch in front of the fire in my parents' house; careful with the crackle of firewood and comforting warmth, causes drowsiness;-).

I learned from the mistakes of the previous experiment, with the new design and I hope to have more advantages:

Avoiding the maintenance, with a simple circuit favoring vertical soot fall within the same range.
Better take advantage of the space and the brick is flush with the wall, plus it is prettier.
Increase the shot, making a larger even than the smoke outlet of the stove step, which prevents the smoke comes out of the great door of the stove I have chosen.
By using more bricks to the accumulator increases the stored heat and hours of comfort.

The only downside is that its performance is reduced by 10% (not recessed stove so easily and quickly releases the heat), heat up more slowly home. Still, a daily charge burning temperature sufficient to maintain at 18 ° C with 7th outside.

The nice thing is big refractory bricks which are highly resistant to shock, so I could disarm them,removing the refractory mortar with a pickaxe or hammer. It took me six hours to clean every drop and a Chinese work.

After placing the stove in place and discussing how to support the brick arch, I saw that I couldput bricks in the space between the concrete wall and the stove, so I have decided to support the weight distributed between the bricks and wall, to minimize the cut to be made in the wall.

To the right I have chosen to put two vertical bricks instead of lying, and I think it will be well placed enough to support the weight and stress.

More mass must be put on top of the curve to be doing. It is better and stronger if purchased or prepared bricks wider on one side than the other, but it takes more money or work.

To hold the bricks as you would have used by placing pieces of brick. It would have been much better if he had made a wooden template which then could remove, but I hoped to do guesswork and has been my right hand a little fall lr. so there is a lag of one centimeter. Although it has not been so bad for the first time I do one.

Attention: In my case this solution is suitable for the wall on which rest the 250 kg.Brick is solid concrete and stone. If you want to do the same and the wall is brick,build good columns on both sides with refractory bricks lying, supporting the arch in them.

The part of the center, with the mouth of the chimney is the most difficult, leave the hole but putting bricks wide as possible for resistance to the whole arc. Then the weight of the bricks will go around the center, so I'm not worried that the area can support less weight.

A note: It would have been stronger still mixing short and long bricks to prevent the continuation of the line of cement in the binding of both rows, as has been weaker for that part.

Do not forget to place fiberglass or rock wool (an insulating support that high temperatures) in the gaps left between the flue outlet of the stove and bricks.

We hope one day it has begun to harden the dough and we can lay bricks until a flat base, with bricks cut in half to reduce the use of mortar as possible.

We're raising the tower, laying bricks in the path of smoke, forcing him to go out and toward the center, so that the entire block into contact with the heat of the smoke, yes, always keeping the minimum smoke evacuation step.

I have been very conscious step to do so sufficiently to favor the natural fall of excess sootinto the mouth vent the stove itself. This way I avoid having to put records accessible for cleaning.Although there is also the possibility of getting dirty enough to stop smoke freely, I think it will take several years and can always drop the last row of bricks for cleaning.

The width of the passage for the smoke I have left is greater than before; but does not have to be excessive, the bricks must go coil supported at least two centimeters; heat may crack but between the weight of the other and mortar will not fall.

You have to leave a little space between the wall and the bricks that allow them to cool and heat the room, an inch is enough. I have not stopped and the heat is not released from the bricks so easily, making it less efficient.
Furthermore, in the mortar spare not used; it is important that there are no gaps where the smoke escape. You can always pick up the remains after the palette. It is also important not to leave any meeting without mortar and use a rubber mallet to set them right.

Finally arriving at the fire escape, I closed with big old bricks, using fiberglass to seal the gapsbetween the pipe and the bricks.
In this post I have not repeated some of the advice given or information on the Russian stove, I invite you to also read the above for more information.

Between the stove and the arch is a hole through which emits a lot of heat and partially shut, putting a grill with holes for the top. Keep in mind that the metal expands more than the mortar or refractory brick, so that should not be put between the stove and bricks.

Try to remove all that is between the stove and let the bricks to dilate freely.

And in this video you can see how it works; shoots much better and use is practically the same. I do not he could have ended at a better time: is back to snow in my area.
I hope that it do not give me any more problems for many years.