cb1: a first attempt at a corn burning stove

[robmock]

Here are some pictures of a corn burning stove I slapped together.  Several months ago, I hassled a couple fieldlines members to post it for me, and since then I switched servers and my site went into the crapper.  

http://mockster.net/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=119

Anywho, here are the pics, and  I DO intend to add more text and pics as I take them.

http://mockster.net/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=72

[Norm]

  Looks like something I could make with a car

heater blower motor and a worm drive from an

electric window motor.

  Your first attempt? not bad for that, usually

my projects end up being several attempts before

or if I ever do get it right.

  What do you do with the cobs?

 or do you buy the corn?

              ( :>) Norm

       

[electrondady1]

thats a real nice piece of work ! can you give any details about the auger?/motor/speed control?

 

[Kevin L]

So you just have a thermal imaging camera laying around the house.  Those are major cash, wish I had one at my disposal.  We had one at my previous job, and my understanding was it was around $80K, but it was purchased in the early 90's, so prices may have come down some.  Still nice work on the furnace.  Do you have any regulations or insurance issues with a home brew furnace.  I was seriously considering it last winter but decided that if we had a fire for any cause, the insurance company may not cover it do to not having a certified unit in the home.

[robmock]

Just logged in after long absence.  Here are replies to comments...

The infrared pics were taken by an acquaintance who works for the local megamonstercorporation.  He gets to sign it out from time to time.  I think he said it was closer to $40K.

The auger is a 2" tulip bulb planter I got from Forestry Products.  It sees a fair amount of heat; in fact a few kernels blacken and start to burn a little shortly before they fall into the pot.  It's plain steel so who knows how long it'll last.  sfsg

I have no idea about whether or not I'm breaking any laws with this thing.  I wonder if there would even be any that apply directly and leave me no wiggle room.  So far I only run it when I'm present in the barn where I can keep an eye on it.  

I have watched the temperatures closely and am very comforatble that it is safe.  I exceeded all the codes about clearance to flammables, also going above and beyond with extra steel sleeves between floors and to the outside in addition to the stainless class A pipe that trasitions to outdoors.

As I have it set up, the corn needs an (at least intermittent) forced air supply to keep it going.  [I think]There can never be enough air in the corn supply tube to support an unintended burn.  When I go to local vendors and check out their stoves, I feel totally fine about mine.  I've seen them where the corn hopper has the kernels blacken along the shared wall with the burn chamber.  With current air/fuel mix, as soon as I turn it off, the fire fades and is out in a minute.

I'm not to the point yet where I would leave it on overnight.

[robmock]

This link currently works to see the pics:

http://mockster.net/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=118

When I was first running it, I would have the timer turn off the blower a while.  It would support a burn but would build up a big daddy clinker.

This winter I added more air holes to the burn pot and choked the fan down a surprising amount.  Now I feel I am at a very good "magic mix" of air and fuel.  The fan is on almost all the time and about a dozen kernels fall in every 35 seconds or so.

Is there a way to clean up my previous postings?  I hate those dead links being there.

[willib]

Rob How did you get an IR image of the stove?

[robmock]

A friend of a friend works at a huge corporation in Midland, Michigan and he can apparently sign this camera out on occasion.  

[robmock]

Here's a pic with a magic heat unit added on.  Anybody know if burning corn will wear out the tubes prematurely?  A guy at a corn stove store told me that burning corn produces chemicals that corrode metals faster than when burning wood.

[MagZ]

I heat with corn currently, I switched from oil heat to corn past fall and I must say it works great. My stove is a Harman PC-45 on which I have modified the controller to allow for a external digital thermostat for lower hysteresis. When you burn corn you will get sulphur in your chimney pipes - so you might want to get some good quality pipes. I am venting with a 4 inch double insulated stove pipe right through my concrete foundation with a rain cap on the outside.

The Harman can be looked at like a mini furnace, it will start and stop itself completely on its own - just like your oil or gas furnace would.

I burn about 3 tons of corn per season in a 2100 sqft building. The corn stove provides all the heat. The harman PC-45 can burn corn, wood pellets, wheat, rye, soya beans, cherry pits, grass pellets,etc.... you use different burn pots for the different fuels. All t timers on the harman stove can be set via dip-switches for the different fuels.  My corn is grown in the fields all around me...

Cheers, MagZ