Solar Powered - Rocket Mass Heater – For Wood Kiln – Greenhouse

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Location: Victoria British Columbia-Canada

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posted 12 years ago

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Solar Powered - Rocket Mass Heater – For Wood Kiln – Greenhouse

That's right, like we don't already have enough real and imagined incarnations of the RMH, I give you the SOLAR ASSISTED RMH which could help even out diurnal temperature fluctuations in SOLAR KILNS and GREENHOUSES.

Solar kilns are quite common, particularly amongst small millers and hobbyists. They capture solar heat each day and move the heated air around in a manner that promotes optimal drying without mold or cracking. After dark, they slow down and then with the morning sun, they start up again. This is great in most locations during the long days of summer but as winter approaches, the nights are longer and there is a greater chance of mold developing. A RMH could serve to provide a suitable environment day or night, summer or winter.

In winter, it would be a simple matter of firing as needed. The kilns are already outfitted with fans to move the heat around and vents for moisture. In a typical set up, the solar collection area is on the roof, so that fans and ducting must be used to send it down to the wood. The RMH would be on the floor where fans and natural convection would be all that is required to utilize the heat.

In spring, summer and fall, many solar kilns are able to gather more heat during the day than can be safely utilized. Heat is sometimes vented without being utilized in the drying process. It's important that the wood not dry too quickly, since cracking and case hardening can result. If hot air from the solar collection area were blown through the RMH during times of surplus, it could be used at night. This would allow the kiln to work efficiently, 24 hours a day. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Situation --- I have a nice flat spot for a greenhouse/kiln which is beside a steep, south facing hill. The lower slope beneath the kiln is a perfect spot for the solar collector since this will allow heated air to move up to the kiln without the aid of fans. The air stream could be split up as desired so that it doesn’t dry out one corner of the kiln excessively. During the peak solar period, most of that hot air could be ducted through the RMH and /or a Trombe wall,storing heat for night time use. The solar panel could serve as a roof over a patio on the hillside. It's a nice spot but gets too hot on summer days. Would also make a nice winter refuge from the rain.

I may go two storeys tall. The bottom would be a simple box similar to a shipping container. This is where the lumber would be dried. The upper portion of the building would have great views of the valley, so it should be used for people. It could be a little cottage or a mostly glass house which would be used more in the cooler seasons. During summer, the upper structure would get too hot for human habitation with the full southern exposure and a kiln beneath which could reach temperatures of 120 F. I imagine that the upper building would be the perfect spot to dry firewood in summer. Fast, uncontrolled drying is great for firewood since it promotes cracking which in turn promotes faster drying with the increased surface area.. This Cottage/kiln would dry firewood much faster than would occur outside. The lay of the land would allow level entry from the up hill side. In September, the super dry firewood could be moved into the house or garage and the glass house would be available for other uses. This space would not need a separate heating system since the floor would always be heated. A portion of the floor could be left uninsulated, with just a thick mat separating the cottage from the heat of the kiln below. Removal of this mat would allow heat to radiate from beneath. I envision using this space as a foul weather refuge for campers who show up aboard my bus. They could forgo setting up tents and simply lay their mats on the heated floor. More hardy campers could camp on the lower patio under the solar panel. This last paragraph was quite a digression !

allen lumley

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Location: Northern New York Zone4-5 the OUTER 'RONDACs percip 36''

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posted 12 years ago

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Give us more ! by my count green houses using Rocket stoves combines three disciplines, Rockets, Cob-though often minimally, and green houses! Adding solar kilns adds another layer, though I think that there are many locations where local traditional practices combined with high humidity, will block acceptance of co-located kilns and green houses . I really look forward to personal growth in this area !
Anyone want to add Bio-char ?

Pyro-matically yours Allen L.

Success has a Thousand Fathers , Failure is an Orphan

LOOK AT THE " SIMILAR THREADS " BELOW !

Dale Hodgins

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Location: Victoria British Columbia-Canada

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posted 12 years ago

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allen lumley wrote:Give us more. I think that there are many locations where local traditional practices combined with high humidity, will block acceptance of co-located kilns and green houses .
Anyone want to add Bio-char ? Pyro-matically yours Allen L.

The back of a greenhouse is a great spot for pre drying very wet or frozen wood but there comes a point where a working green house and finish drying cannot coexist.

As for the bio-char, that will be the subject of my next topic. It concerns burning the volitile gasses from the retort in either a RMH, hot water system, cob oven , hot tub heater or wood fired pottery kiln. All of these things would serve to use up a never ending supply of wood that I am paid to dispose of.

I like these kilns. http://timbergreenforestry.com/Solar%20Cycle%20Kilns.html

Now. picture the upper solar collector being 10 feet in front of the building and 6 feet lower than the floor. Convection would move the heated air. With the panels removed, we have a flat platform for my cottage on top of the kiln. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This thread discusses the use of a the thermal mass of a RMH or a Russian Fireplace when no fire is lit. RMH/Air Conditioner/Trombe Wall/Exhaust Fan https://permies.com/t/9598/stoves/RMH-Air-Conditioner-Trombe-Wall

Check this out. Charcoal/Bio-char Production – Utilizing the volatile gasses, reducing pollution and fire risk https://permies.com/t/19523/stoves/Charcoal-Bio-char-Production-Utilizing For me, this would be the ultimate way to heat a greenhouse, wood kiln or any other wood hungry gadget. It involves using the waste gasses from charcoal and bio-char production to power all of them with wood gas. I get paid to dispose of wood waste, so this would put me into the charcoal business as well.

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