Post by invention1 on Jan 20, 2018 19:20:05 GMT -8
I have a supply of these ceramic high temperature heater cores. Would they make a better pellet stove basket than steel?
They are manufactured by Ozark Technical Ceramics. I have not been able to determine their temperature range, however a nichrome heater can get to 750C glowing red, and they'll probably take that or more. EDIT this competing manufacturer claims MgO ceramics will tolerate 2200C (yes, Centigrade, that's not a mistake) MgO Operating Temperature Manufacturer says their heat conductivity is like that of steel, if that helps anything. A box of them isn't particularly expensive.
The rods are about 21cm long, 1 cm diameter, and have four holes running lengthwise for the wires. They are brittle, a bit stronger than a pencil I'd say, plenty strong to support burning pellets, but would they take the banging around a person using a stove might dish out, cleaning and so forth?
They machine pretty good with carbide woodworking tools, but dull them pretty fast. Never seen one shatter, they are not glass-like, more like a fine brick.
I'm imagining a row of these rods, trapped between two firebricks with a row of holes drilled into each. A nichrome wire could be sewn into the holes in the rods, holding it all together like sewing thread. Maybe a 100mmm firebox in a rocket stove design. Steel sleeve up at the pellet-feed end communicates with a feed hopper somehow.
Nichrome is interesting material. I have rolls of different sizes of it, and it is cheap to buy. It melts at about the same temperature as stainless steel, however takes high temperatures a lot better. A long service life at cherry read glowing temperatures, well upwards of 600C, is common, just peek into your toaster.
Steel and stainless steel oxidize at any kind of decent temperature in a stove. This seems to be the Achilles heel of most rocket pellet stove hacks. Nichrome ought to do a better job, especially if not directly exposed to flames.
Someday I'll learn sketchup, but just imagine a pellet basket made of ceramic. Would that not make a better rocket stove basket for pellets?
They are manufactured by Ozark Technical Ceramics. I have not been able to determine their temperature range, however a nichrome heater can get to 750C glowing red, and they'll probably take that or more. EDIT this competing manufacturer claims MgO ceramics will tolerate 2200C (yes, Centigrade, that's not a mistake) MgO Operating Temperature Manufacturer says their heat conductivity is like that of steel, if that helps anything. A box of them isn't particularly expensive.
The rods are about 21cm long, 1 cm diameter, and have four holes running lengthwise for the wires. They are brittle, a bit stronger than a pencil I'd say, plenty strong to support burning pellets, but would they take the banging around a person using a stove might dish out, cleaning and so forth?
They machine pretty good with carbide woodworking tools, but dull them pretty fast. Never seen one shatter, they are not glass-like, more like a fine brick.
I'm imagining a row of these rods, trapped between two firebricks with a row of holes drilled into each. A nichrome wire could be sewn into the holes in the rods, holding it all together like sewing thread. Maybe a 100mmm firebox in a rocket stove design. Steel sleeve up at the pellet-feed end communicates with a feed hopper somehow.
Nichrome is interesting material. I have rolls of different sizes of it, and it is cheap to buy. It melts at about the same temperature as stainless steel, however takes high temperatures a lot better. A long service life at cherry read glowing temperatures, well upwards of 600C, is common, just peek into your toaster.
Steel and stainless steel oxidize at any kind of decent temperature in a stove. This seems to be the Achilles heel of most rocket pellet stove hacks. Nichrome ought to do a better job, especially if not directly exposed to flames.
Someday I'll learn sketchup, but just imagine a pellet basket made of ceramic. Would that not make a better rocket stove basket for pellets?