Retra Smokorivsky

Retra Smokorivsky wrote:

Timothy Norton wrote:Out of curiosity, how long could a person expect to run the boiler with a full hopper of chips/pellets? Is there an average idea of run time?

Minimum 2 days, maximum 5, if the temperature is set to minimum or it is warm outside.

I consulted with an engineer... And I will clarify... If you use pellets, the time will be twice as long. Since wood chips have a lower bulk density, you need more of them. But they are lighter and easier to load into the hopper.
At night, the boiler can be manually switched to “night mode” using the control panel or remote control, or remotely via ModBus. In night mode, the coolant temperature is lower - 60°C. During the day, we set the temperature to 85°C. And you can connect an external thermostat.

Timothy Norton wrote:Out of curiosity, how long could a person expect to run the boiler with a full hopper of chips/pellets? Is there an average idea of run time?

Minimum 2 days, maximum 5, if the temperature is set to minimum or it is warm outside.

This boiler with a bunker heats the elementary and high schools. To be honest, there are two buildings... It is quite easy to maintain. An electronic controller monitors the temperature of the water, the outside air, and the air inside the building. If desired, the temperature can be increased or decreased. You can even set day and night heating modes.
An employee is only needed to fill the bunker with wood chips/pellets.
If the power goes out, the boiler will continue to operate, the water will flow by gravity, and fuel can be loaded into the upper hatch, but in this case, it is better to use logs or briquettes. Therefore, we recommend having a small supply of firewood... or an electric generator...

Riley Iwamoto wrote:Hello from Canada.  Some of my ancestors came here from Sokal and Lviv.

O. Lviv - is the best. The Arsenal Museum, City Hall, and small cafes — this is good old Lviv.

Anne Miller wrote:Have you looked at the Rocket Mass Heater as a better alternative?

In the case described, it is not applicable. We needed to create an economical heating system for a three-story building with fairly strict safety requirements.

In Ukraine, many people have been switching to renewable heating sources in recent years. In rural areas, small (10-40 kW) solid fuel boilers are often installed. The fuel for them is made from wood residues, branches, corn cobs, and stalks. This is quite economical.
The video shows such a boiler running on wood chips. The boiler is controlled by an automatic unit that maintains a constant temperature of the coolant and controls the air supply. A control panel on the wall controls the fuel bunker, feeds fuel into the boiler, and periodically stirs the fuel to prevent it from clumping.

Phil Stevens wrote:Hi Retra. Welcome to permies and thank you for sharing this piece of good news.

Thanks.

Despite difficult conditions and military operations, Ukrainian schools are working to improve their heating systems. Rifalivka has large reserves of wood, so the school and hospital decided to install solid fuel boilers manufactured by Retra. A 350 kW boiler with automatic control was manufactured for the school. The boiler will be operational in the new academic year.









https://retra.com.ua/index.php?route=information/butik_blog/info&blog_id=44