AA130

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 11:50 am

coaledsweat wrote:
Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 11:35 am
If you are on 2 clicks and go to 3, it will ash 50% faster.
Gotcha, okay ;)


 
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hotblast1357
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Post by hotblast1357 » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 11:51 am

U would have to change a sprocket size? Or change motor RPM I guess.

Mine is simply controlled by ash temp. And only is powered on when fan is.

 
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Post by StokerDon » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 11:53 am

Thanks for posting that Lee. Now I don't have to dig through the report to find it.

10.6 pounds per hour for Buckwheat and 11.5 pounds per hour for Pea.

Another interesting point is that the efficiency increases as stoker run time increases.

-Don

 
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Post by lsayre » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 11:56 am

I can vouch that efficiency is terrible in the summer. I only need to use about 2.5 to 3 lbs. of coal per day to heat my DHW, but on a typical summer day my boiler consumes ~14.5 lbs. of coal. We are talking 20% or less for efficiency at idle.

I'm amazed at how no one tries to account for coal burned at idle sans me. The above indicates that inefficient idle burning can not "properly" be ignored. It is only during the winter that you can get close enough for government work by assigning all combustion of coal to fan driven combustion.

 
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Post by McGiever » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 11:57 am

hotblast1357 wrote:
Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 11:51 am
U would have to change a sprocket size? Or change motor RPM I guess.

Mine is simply controlled by ash temp. And only is powered on when fan is.
You now have variable hysteresis adjustment in controller to get same results towards ashing cycle.

 
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Post by hotblast1357 » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 12:05 pm

It doesn’t change ashing speed though.

 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 12:09 pm

McGiever wrote:
Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 11:57 am
You now have variable hysteresis adjustment in controller to get same results towards ashing cycle.
The AHS is the same. It has a fixed ashing motor speed, but it allows for the fine adjustment of both ashing initiation temperature and ashing termination temperature. I doubt that an AA in stock configuration has this level of precise temperature control and regulation, but it makes up for it by allowing for the adjustment of ashing speed. The AHS also ashes only while the fan is running, and also only when temperature justifies the need for ashing.

Remember though that when AHS attempted to speed up ashing (excessively, by replacing a geared drive with a direct drive) the consequence was puff-backs. The cure was to timed pulse the ashing motor on and off during fan operation, to use such pulsing to slow down the rate of ashing to a level that matched the older geared (chain) drive ash motor. Due to this lesson, I would be wary of ashing an AA too quickly. In the end AHS determined that direct drive with pulsing was less costly to manufacture than the older tried and true chain drive.
Last edited by lsayre on Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 12:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.


 
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Post by StokerDon » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 12:14 pm

lsayre wrote:
Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 11:56 am
I'm amazed at how no one tries to account for coal burned at idle sans me. The above indicates that inefficient idle burning can not "properly" be ignored. It is only during the winter that you can get close enough for government work by assigning all combustion of coal to fan driven combustion.
Your right Larry. I am still trying to get the hang of the "Peanut Roaster". For right now I can get away with just fan run time since I know the accuracy is not quite at the pound per hour yet. But it does give a good idea of how much we are burning.

This will soon change. Down here we have entered the shoulder season. Average daily highs are in the low 50's and night time temps are just above freezing. Not many HDD's.

-Don

 
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Post by McGiever » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 1:38 pm

hotblast1357 wrote:
Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 12:05 pm
It doesn’t change ashing speed though.
The AA remains unchanged from 1943.
AHS & Eshlands are newcomers and dropped the augers which drove them to have to drive the ashing another way that doesn't need to change the ashing speeds,
Changing motor speeds obviously would only add unnecessary cost since no gain is to be had over using first a percentage timer before later changing to a couple different digital adjustable hysteresis type control.

As you know this all works well, but still, an old fashion auger is hard to beat. ;)

 
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Post by hotblast1357 » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 1:52 pm

But what is the need to change the ash speed?

 
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Post by StokerDon » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 2:06 pm

hotblast1357 wrote:
Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 1:52 pm
But what is the need to change the ash speed?
You could also ask, What speed should you ash at?

3 hours and 55 minutes of fan run time over the passed day. That should come up to about 43 pounds. If you take into account 20 hours of idle at .5 pounds per hour it makes about 53 pounds total for this 24 hour period.

This is with the Axeman carrying the full house and DHW load.

-Don

EDIT: Sorry, it should be .3 pounds per idle hour. New total = 49 pounds per the last 24.
-Don

 
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Post by McGiever » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 2:25 pm

hotblast1357 wrote:
Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 1:52 pm
But what is the need to change the ash speed?
The ashing is controlled by the Anthrastat which is a simple, heavy duty temperature switch only.
Having no hysteresis adjustment control can cause dumping too much or too little coal on the fire and leading to either some "puffbacks" or even an "out-fire" occurring. Extremes in either direction, so to speak.

Getting the "clicks" right is the "sweet spot" when your ashing runs off the Anthrastat Switch.

Nobody changes it hardly, it is set it and forget it thing...unless you want to burn through summer for HW or do a little "freestyling"

HTH
Last edited by McGiever on Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 2:53 pm, edited 4 times in total.

 
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Post by StokerDon » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 2:46 pm

McGiever wrote:
Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 2:25 pm
The ashing is controlled by the Anthrastat which is a simple, heavy duty temperature switch only.
Having no hysteresis adjustment control can cause dumping too much or too little coal on the fire and leading to either frequent "puffbacks" or even an "out-fire" occurring. Extremes in either direction, so to speak.
Would it be correct to say that "Hysteresis" in this context is very much like the Differential on an aquastat? Where the ashing starts at 140 then stops at something like 150?

-Don

 
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Post by McGiever » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 2:47 pm

StokerDon wrote:
Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 2:46 pm
Would it be correct to say that "Hysteresis" in this context is very much like the Differential on an aquastat? Where the ashing starts at 140 then stops at something like 150?

-Don
Yes, exactly, Don.

Your added on digital controller has this feature. You did add it, didn't you?

 
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Post by lsayre » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 3:53 pm

hotblast1357 wrote:
Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 1:52 pm
But what is the need to change the ash speed?
To get the right amount of ashes removed in the limited time that the fan is running. The need is to remove sufficient ash to permit the replacement of consumed coal, no more, and no less. Your system is designed to do this without any need for regulating the ashing speed. You could however pursue this further by replacing the fixed speed ashing motor with a variable speed ashing motor. Or by changing the sprocket diameter and altering the chain length.
Last edited by lsayre on Mon. Mar. 19, 2018 5:25 am, edited 1 time in total.


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