The Van Wert VA600 Project

David... wrote:I guess there is a lot of stratification in the boiler. Was a circulator running?

No stratification in this boiler. The boiler bypass is wide open and the pipe is hot hot hot and both returns are used. The boiler is laid out differently than a conventional boiler. Maybe that's why?

Rob R. wrote:Your high limit setting of 185 is my best guess for the cause of the out fire.

Your probably right but I'm hoping it is the timer setting. It's skipping timer cycles right now. If it goes out again I will bump the HI limit back up to 190.

This week is ideal weather for an outfire, very, very humid with highs in the 90's. It was 99 degrees here today with due points in the mid 70's.

I can't wait for Winter!

-Don

Meter reading today was, 3341.6 - 3322.7 = 18.9 hours, 2.70 hours per day, 27.0 pounds per day. Not really, the other evening the fire went out and the stoker ran all night. I guess we'll call this another tuning week.
I put a lot of the coal that was pushed out during the outfire back in the barrel. We might just make it a third week on this barrel full. With the air at 5 we have a lot less raw coal in the ash bucket. I bumped the air up to 6 just to see what will happen. Current settings are:

Feed rate = 10 pounds per hour
Air = 6.0
LO limit = 160
HI limit = 185
DIFF = 10
Timer = 2.0minutes every half hour

-Don

If it is already skipping timer cycles, I do not think the longer timer cycle will help. Granted when it does run it will be longer, but you will still be bumping off the high limit throughout the day.

Ptetty much every stoker boiler manufacturer recommends a high limit setting of ~200 for this reason

Rob R. wrote:Ptetty much every stoker boiler manufacturer recommends a high limit setting of ~200 for this reason

OK, Ill set the HI limit back to 190.

Another outfire last night. Not as bad as last week's, the ash pan was less than half full. I'm gonna blame this one on the 2+ inches of rain we got last night. I think that cooled it off enough to kill the draft. Good thing I like start'in and watch'in a coal fire! We'll start the clock over again, just for the record. 3345.8 Current settings are:

Feed rate = 10 pounds per hour
Air = 6.0
LO limit = 160
HI limit = 190
DIFF = 10
Timer = 2.0minutes every half hour

-Don

Don does the view window in this VW have a small air gap on the bottom for a ''wash'' like some others ?

Dave

Dave,

I didn't do an air wash on this fire view door. I don't think it would be a good idea because the door way is right in the exhaust path. I do have a plan to seal the door way off from the exhaust. I think that will help keep a lot of the ash off the glass.

-Don

I just ordered 5.5 ton of coal. The only reason I waited this long to order was I needed to do some coal bin repair.

On the one side at the bottom, a gap opened up between that bottom 2x4 and the plywood wall. I noticed this when I moved the been while installing the VA-600. There was coal under the bin. I jacked the one corner up a little to have a look. I cleaned the coal out of the gap. Then I screwed another 2x4 on top of the first 2x4 with 1/4" lag bolts. I caulked up the gaps then ran more 1/4" lag bolts with washers into the 2x4 from the outside. I also needed to cover the old auger hole and seal up the new auger hole. I made a cover plate out of a pine board and caulked it so fines don't leak out. Just about ready for 5.5 ton of coal!

-Don

Meter reading today was, 3355.8 - 3345.8 = 10.0 hours over the passed 6 days, 1.67 hours per day, 16.7 pounds per day.
In an effort to keep some of the fly ash off of the fire door glass I sealed the fire doorway off from the exhaust path. The exhaust first travels between these two boiler walls after leaving the fire box. I cut 4 plates out of 3" flat stock. These fit pretty tight so they are self supporting. I sealed them to the boiler walls with Boiler Putty. We'll find out how well it works tomorrow! -Don

Is your alteration to keep the glass clean working?

lsayre wrote:Is your alteration to keep the glass clean working?

YES!!!

Well at least over a period of one day. Right now it is way cleaner than with out the block off plates. It's even cleaner than the GJ fire view door after a day of running.

With the plates in there the glass is 8" away from the fire box. The fly ash is more interested in going through the slot in the side now. Most of what you see is reflections off the glass. I uploaded a video that describes this change.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4798SDbylWg&list=PLFU8SaWNbzx-riP8MZ8iWJ4g1_hcLDsHI&index=21

-Don

Meter reading today was, 3366.9 - 3355.8 = 11.1 hours over the passed 7 days, 1.58 hours per day, 15.8 pounds per day. It's been almost 2 weeks since we had an out fire. I set the timer back to 1.5 minutes every 30 minutes on Monday. I also bumped the HI limit up to 195.
I don't yet know what day or week my 5.5 ton will arrive so I only fill the barrel 1/3 of the way. Almost 2 weeks worth of ash. This is a #2 pan, I put in the bigger #3 pan. Should be good for another 2 weeks. It's been a week since I added the block off plates and they are doing a good job of keeping the window clean. This is after a week, you can still see what's go'in on. Cleaning is a once every 3 day thing now, if you really need to. Current settings are:

Feed rate = 10 pounds per hour
Air = 6.0
LO limit = 160
HI limit = 195
DIFF = 10
Timer = 1.5 minutes every half hour

-Don

Meter reading today was, 3378.0 - 3366.9 = 11.1 hours over the passed 7 days, 1.58 hours per day, 15.8 pounds per day. Exactly the same as last week. With these settings the stoker should run for 1.2 hours per day, 12 pounds per day, just on the timer.
Still waiting for our coal delivery. The block off plates do help keep the fly ash off the glass. It still gets fogged up in a few days though. -Don

Meter reading today was, 3389.0 - 3378.0 = 11.0 hours over the passed 6 days, 1.57 hours per day, 15.7 pounds per day. Looks like I must have fat fingered my calculator for the past 2 weeks, 11.1 hours per day = 15.8 pounds, not 15.6.
I put 6 buckets in the barrel yesterday. That should go until next weekend. I cleaned the glass off again. Pretty fire! -Don

What has the temperature been in the basement?
Now is probably the warmest it will get.

David

David... wrote:What has the temperature been in the basement?
Now is probably the warmest it will get.

David

The basement has been about 74 degrees all Summer. That's about 4 degrees cooler than last Summer. The insulation and jackets are doing there job well.

-Don