There is a fine line between being genius, and being crazy. I will let you all decide which side of the line I am on with this idea.
Okay, here is the deal, I am good at coming up with concepts, but how good the concepts are, can be quite variable. I only have a cursory knowledge of these different component technologies, so I am hoping for some experienced help putting this idea together, hopefully for the benefit of many. This design is intended for placement in a full height basement, but could be adapted to other areas too.
What I want to do is build a rocket heater, using the J tube design. Then, instead of leaving the heat riser exposed, and putting mass around the exhaust tubes, I want to do it the other way around. I want to put mass around the heat riser, and put heat dissipating fins on the exhaust tube. In the mass, I want an
oven above the heat riser, the hot end of a Stirling Engine on one side, and the hot end of a
wood gasifier on the other side of the heat riser. This will give the Integrated System a bit of hight, and a relatively small, rectangular
footprint. It would look rather like a large (steampunkish) fireplace, but could actually be more centrally located in the room, and not necessarily relegated to a wall, like a normal fireplace. The exhaust tube will exit out the bottom center of the back of the mass. Then an elbow will take the exhaust tube straight up to the ceiling, and then another elbow will take it through the outside wall of the building, slightly angling the tube down on the way. The heat dissipating fins will be on the straight runs of the tube. What would really be great, is if there could be a
greenhouse on the other side of the wall, for the exhaust to vent into, but that would be optional.
I am thinking that it might be possible to actually use insulating layers of mass, to divide the overall mass into zones. Then with internal, moveable plates that are insulating on one half, and heat conducting on the other half, we could somewhat control how much heat is going into each zone. That way we could channel most of the heat produced by the Rocket Heater to any one of the Integrated System's various functions.
Last, but certainly not least, is the air intake tube. Instead of having the
feed tube of the Rocket Heater open to the room, so that room air is being used for the combustion, it just makes sense to use a tube to bring in outside air. I saw a
video on YouTube where a guy used such a tube. However, the intake tube on our Integrated System will be insulated up to the feed tube, to keep it from cooling off the room air. But, before the intake tube gets to the feed tube, it will make a slight detour, and totally enclose the cooling fins of the Stirling Engine! I think that this will accomplish two important functions. First, it will preheat the air with waste heat from the Engine, so that the air has less of a chilling effect on the rocket flame. And second, it will greatly increase the heat differential between the hot and cold ends of the Stirling Engine, which
should translate into substantially more mechanical movement.
I am guessing that the
wood gasses would give off some heat into the room, at the time they are being collected from the Wood Gasifier.
I figure, that if we can put this all together so that it works well, it will be exactly what many people that are, or want to be, off the grid, need. In essence, what this system will do, is use one of the most efficient combustion units known, to produce heat that can be used to gasify wood, and/or produce mechanical power for various applications, and then heat your house with the waste heat! Sure, it will only be enjoyable to run in the cold weather, but think of all the use it would get then!
I will try to do up some sketches soon, of how I envision this thing looking.