Uses for "Waste Heat"? 1

[GlassMann]

I have a glass melting furnace which burns approximately 1GPH of waste oil, which is rated @ 140,000BTU per gallon. Anyway, I'd like to use the exhaust heat for "something". The flue temp is 1200-1300 deg f. I figure heating air and/or water would be relatively simple using heat exchangers. What about generating electricity? Would a steam engine be the way to do it? Would it even be worthwhile? Any ideas?

Just wondering...

Thanks

 

[a31ford]

Glenn, Sorry,

I should clarify myself,

1) The entire process of gasification, is suted to many feedstocks, wood, coal, straw, grain, oil, etc. it's not just wood based.

2) The methods of each feedstock differ somewhat (some are better in an updraft unit, others in fluidized bed.

3) It was just a thought, as heat is still paramount in gasification, driving an IC engine is a secondary process.

Guess I'm "Jumping the gun" as I look at it, "waste oil" will shortly be a thing of the past. (perdiction is less than 10 years).

Greg

Regards,
Greg,

Called "Mr. Fusion" by the Locals

 

[GlassMann]

Greg,
I think gasification is a great fuel source. It uses waste products which might otherwise either just be dumped and decay, or be ineffeciently burned for heat. I'm still interested in gasifying oil but just haven't seen anything about oil yet. I've been needing to get a standby generator anyway for powering the house and shop since we have frequent outages here in the mountains.
I hear what you're saying about oil's days are numbered, but it's the fuel I'm already working with and I can switch to wood later if I need to. There's a lot of logging here but I'm not set up to handle a lot of wood right now. How much wood does your system consume? And how many hours between overhauls?
I'm looking forward to seeing your website when it's up, keep me posted on it. Also I noticed that you where looking for burner systems for you wood gas. You said that everything you'd found was for nat or propane. Why won't wood gas work with those types of burners? Charles A Hones Co has a multitube of burner designs that you should check out, they are for propane & nat but you might pick up an idea or two there.

Thanks,
Glenn

 

[a31ford]

Glenn,

Oil is being gasified, however, only in the crude form, I would guess that the same principals apply, and yes they are different from wood.
My system basicly has 3 "speeds" at this time, as we have had to move back to a "co-combustor" unit due to feedstock problems with the engine fired unit, I'm still wanting to go that route, but winter, the store of chips we have are way to wet to deal with now (should have covered them
The co-combustor version uses anywhere from 8-20kg/hr (about 17-43lbs/hr) not quite a turndown ratio of 3 to one.

The engine based unit runs 20-50kg/hr (43-110lbs/hr).

Both gasifiers work nicely, it's the feedstock problem that we have to deal with (I guess I could go purchase dry woodchips, but that would offset what we are trying to do), and I can use the money for a shelter for the wood chips net summer. It's too bad that in all my planing, I never thought of the excess rain we had this year.

side note: we could use the larger unit, but I would be a slave to it, trying to dry the chips to the point of being able to auger them up into the hopperbottom bin (4 ton unit), since this is not the intended "job" I wish to do this winter, we are moving back to the co-combustor, of last winter, where I know we can achive the required supply of dryer woodchips quite easyly.

Well, Now I know... cover your feedstock

Greg

Regards,
Greg,

Called "Mr. Fusion" by the Locals

 

[persnipoles]

Hi Glassman,

Just a thought. Since you're specialty is glass, it should be mentioned that borosilicate glass cylinders with graphite pistons has worked with stirling engines. Lower conductivity than metal, but it runs unlubricated & these guys mention that it saved machining time.

http://www.stirlingsouth.com/richard2/quadring.htm

A question on my mind is what pressure could a 4mm wall borosilicate glass tube with a ~1" bore could take. Otherwise I'd do a project like that just for fun if I had the time or justification.

 

[PHILMOODY]

HI, I ALSO USE WASTE OIL TO FIRE MY HOMEMADE METAL MELTING FURNACE. ONE IDEA IS TO HEAT YOUR INTAKE AIR AND GET MORE HEAT OUT OF YOUR OIL SO YOU COULD REDUCE FUEL CONSUMPTION. (NOT THAT IT REALLY MATTERS USING CRANKCASE OIL OR VEGGIE OIL)