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Waste oil burner kiln

Started by black, December 14, 2015, 02:36:07 PM

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black

Has anybody ever tried using a waste oil burner to heat a kiln?
I was on a farm the other day were I saw a container with a diesel burner in.
There was no heat control, so they just heated it max. They dried Silver/Grey Poplar for there personal use.
The guy said 3 days and its dry. His dry and our dry might be different I think.
It is a 6m steel shipping container with a vent on the roof and the burner pipe runs through the container.

black

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

GeneWengert-WoodDoc

I did see one direct oil fired kiln in Virginia.  I have seen 100s of direct fired natural gas kilns all over.  Certain species can tolerate high temperatures without a problem.  The main issue that the final moisture content is hard to control...an hour or two of over drying a load...maybe it needs only 22 or 23 hours, can result in the wood being 5% too dry, which means more warp and more machining difficulties.
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

tyb525

Surely a thermostat to limit the max temp could be installed, and possibly a timer to shut it down after so many hours, just in case you're not around to turn it off at the optimum %MC? Or, instead of shutting it off completely, it could lower the temperature to just warm enough to maintain the mc.

I'm know the commercial kilns have features above and beyond these, but it seem it would be fairly easy to do this with a homemade setup also.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

black

I was thinking using a 40ft refrigerator container (insulated) and running the pipe from the back to the front. Then make 4-6 vents on the roof that stays open for heat and moist to escape permanently. The heat wont run away that much if vented continuously. The only thing I see a problem with is uneven heat in the container. The outlet pipe would cool the more it moves away from the burner. I don't have any experience with burners so I don't know how things will react. The fans will vent moister.
It could be easier running water pipes through the container and controlling the heat with the water circulation. A simple valve to cut the water flow to the container if it heats too much and the waste oil burner runs 24/7 at the same speed.

tyb525

I'm wondering if a torpedo style heater could be converted to burn waste oil. The hot air could be directed through a simple duct tube to help spread out the heat. Those can be put on a thermostat also.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

beenthere

tyb
I think the torpedo heater would spew black smoke out in your area you want to heat. Some cleaner fuel still spits out burned gasses and the smell and oily coating gets spread around the room.
A vented heater seems would be a better solution for used oil.
Or a modified torpedo that vents directly outside, and just heat a plenum with it.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

GeneWengert-WoodDoc

Direct oil heaters do indeed cover the lumber with black oily substance.  Besides the black color, I have heard complaints when planing, as it is slippery so feeds poorly.
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

Gearbox

Waste oil at best is iffy if left unatended for any long time . Most truck shops I have seen using oil Have to clean them almost daily and then still have problems with them going out . They seem to work best if they can be left burning all the time .
A bunch of chainsaws a BT6870 processer , TC 5 International track skidder and not near enough time

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