Anthony Donner

LOOKs great,
question ? what do you use for a grate/pellet basket in firebox for pellets to burn 8 hrs ? do you have a pic or demensions of grate/pellet basket?
thanks

where is it? I don't see where you posted the pic or plans ?

Alex,
sorry I haven't got a picture and video yet...been busy, but I have found that by widening the gaps in the grate to 1/4 in they do not build up with ash... but they do burn faster and hotter I use 1/8 in 309 SS for grate/basket material, the only problem that I have found this way is that the ash does fall through but buids up on bottom of burn chamber... it doesn't cause a problem with running the stove but it does want to burn the grates out,cause when the hot ash sits there and touches the grates it is like glowing red and deteriorating the grates....so far the longest I have ran it is maybe 5-6 hours...the weather here isn't cold enough to burn all night yet, but I think this is the principle I will use for my unit because I can scoop out ashes from underneath the grate...I am trying to figue out how I can eliminate this build up...under the grate but haven't come up with a plan yet. also before I forget between burns you need to keep the grate/basket clean because if it has old residue on it from previous burns it will build up on it and cause a poor burn..what I do every night before I start a new fire is take a steel brush to it and brush it clean real good and I have no problem. I will get you some video of my basket and my setup so you can take a look.

309 SS handles a lot of heat, they use it in furnace heat exchangers and such, I am using it in my rocket stove grate/basket with pellets, it glows red when stove is running hot!!!, I use the 1/8th inch rods to build the basket, I will let you know next spring how they last, because I will be running it all winter long...if the good lord willing....
another thing is what they make stove heating elements out of would be a good look into.....just my 2 cents....

thanks ,what is a safe temp to run for the metal barrel to hold up on top?

Alex,
I am working on getting ashes to not accumulate on grate, I believe I may have found some success, I built a basket/grate out of 309 ss 1/8th inch rods, spaced them 1/4th inch apart and angled the grate to slightly less than 45 degrees I ran it for 4-5 hours the other night with no accumulation on grate, only accumulation was what fell through to floor of burn tunnel, and this thing was running so scorching hot I had to shut it down because it was getting to hot in my house, I started it and my house was 64 degrees F and after about 4 hours it was 74 degrees F the outside temp was about 40-45, and my sq ft of house is 2500,
so I am working on making the basket grate to hold a little less pellets.. I will keep you informed as my findings progress.

looking for some input on what would be a good safe temperature to run a rocket stove for the top of barrel surface temperature??
I have a non mass rocket stove built out of refractories and a 55 gal drum, I am getting top of barrel surface temps at around 830 degrees F, will the barrel stand up to these temps
this stove is cooking hot!!!
thanks

Alex,
yes I agree with you, mine runs great for 2-3 hours with no tending but after that the grate builds up with ash, I will post pictures and video once I get a chance,
my next thought is to redesighn a burn basket.
my next theory is to build one that uses the wt. of the pellets and the aerodynamics of basket to get ashes to fall through and blow away, because the one I use now any ashes that do fall through do get sucked up the system, I really don't have anything accumulating under the basket ,the draft is enough to suck it down the system....

yes I will try and do that in the next few days (get video), I posted a reply to you a few days ago about the ash build up being non existence, well I need to slightly alter that because that was only on 2-3 hr burns there is none, but over the weekend I ran it 6-8 hrs and found out that it does gradually build up over the night in the basket and slows the heat and burn down...so it needs to be tapped to get ash out ...
I am experimenting with different designs to get this from not happening.

Alex,
ok thanks I think I get the concept yours works on,
as far as your question of clean burn, mine has a very very clean burn, very great draft and rockety sound , my system is a 6 inch system, the burn tunnel and heat riser are made of high temp refractory, and the pellet basket is made of high temp 309 STAINLESS STEEL, the reason I need those burn rates is because I need those Btu's to heat my large house, I need to heat 2,500 sf, I live in Minnesota,USA which is a cold winter State, when the temps are not to cold I can use the 5lb burn rate and when cold the 10lb rate, and I have discovered the fuel feed rate is what can be adjusted to get high or low Btu's,the more fuel you can feed it the more btu's it will put out... it virtually leaves no ashes under the grate either way I burn it, most are consumed or sucked out....  and it can consume as much fuel as you feed it  and cleanly, one of these days I am going to do a combustion analysis on it to see its efficiencies soon, but I am guessing by seeing the exhaust temps that it probably is in the 90's % efficacies , very low exhaust temps .... so I am not really losing much out the exhaust.
so far I have been quite impressed with it, will see how everything goes this winter...this will be the first full winter using it.