Sorry for the delayed response. Its not a perfect seal, but the bottom head from the water tank fits in the pipe snug. There is enough back pressure that oxygen cant get in.
It is a very good machine, but you should convert into a pyrolyzer, that means fumes emitted from woods are recovered. The tar collected has a very high value in the chemical industry.
Well it depends. Some wood makes pine tar or if you distill the gas by running it through a pipe and water condenser then it condenses into a liquid or gas. I think that’s how they make turpentine or other volatiles from wood.
Really nice design, and robust. I would put a longer pipe with some holes drilled in it to distribute the flames under the retort chamber more evenly. Also, you could turn it around on the trailer. This would allow you to tilt it backward for easier tighter filling of the retort chamber. With a charcoal retort you really want to pack it in there as tight as it will go.
You are right, it needs the pipe with directed heat. I was just worried about plugging the holes....Once the snow stops flying I'll bring it in and perform some much needed upgrades. Many Thanks
@buildfixeat I understand about the holes getting plugged up, but they don't have to be that small. They only need to be small enough so it doesn't dump all of the flames in one spot. You could also make it removable.
I like it! My challenge up here (Rye, Colorado) is trying to use tons of pine needles and pine cones to fuel the retort. And I mean tons. One year I collected 23 bags 55 gallons each to burn under the supervision of the Fire Protection District. (They were plastic, so I had to unpack them, and keep them) This was done at the local gravel pit away from the forest. So, I figure I might create several special chambers fillled with the needles assisted with either forced air though the center, or just a lot if drill holes in an iron pipe. Any time I've ever tried to burn pine needles they just soldered. During a forest fire I imagine they get so hot that they suck oxygen right in regardless of how piled up they are. Anyway, good design!
Recessed grips would be awesome on the inner plate. And perhaps keyhole slots on the inner plate so that it can be just pushed inwards and dropped into place without removing the nuts every time. Inspiring build. Looking forward to tweaks and refinements.
I like the way you reuse the volatiles instead of just venting them. I would set up that burner tube to extend toward the middle of the retort, or maybe seal the end and drill some holes spaced to give you an even heat.
One of the best builds I have seen 👍 I'll keep an eye out to see what tweeks you make. (1) I'd consider making a removable standpipe for the gas discharge hole in side the retort to keep char from falling in while burning, and a flat cap for that hole to keep char from falling in when you empty the char. (2) others already mentioned the extended tube with holes for a burner under the chamber. (3) If you still have the water heater outer shell, i'd put it over the outer tank and fill the gap with cheap fiberglass insulation. Google say's fiberglass melts at 1,300F, so should be fine, or go with rockwool which melts at 2,150f. Keeping the heat in should reduce your burn time.
