The problem of heating is one of the most difficult tasks that owners of country houses have to solve. It is impossible to ignore the issues of organizing a heating system - it is impossible to live in an unheated room in winter. Sudden temperature changes will quickly render the entire finish unusable. The service life of the building is also significantly reduced.
The optimal solution to heating issues is the organization of a water heating heating system, where the coolant will circulate through pipes and radiators. The main problem is to choose a heat generator or a boiler that converts external energy sources into heat. Based on the characteristics of the climate, as well as the degree of availability of energy resources, long-burning units, in particular, top-burning solid fuel boilers, are gaining more and more popularity today. What is it, consider below.
What is good about a long-burning boiler?
Traditionally, gas boilers are installed in private homes. However, not all places have highways with such fuel. In addition, serious expenses will be required to connect an individual gas line in the presence of a main.
If we add to these costs the mandatory approval procedures, drafting projects in which all requirements are fully met, then the process of installing such a boiler will only scare away the owners. Especially if there are worthy alternative solutions.
It would seem that if it is not possible to install a gas boiler, then you can always purchase an electric one. The choice of such equipment is quite large. The boilers have a high efficiency, they are easy to adjust, the number of control systems, and are also equipped with an automatic control system. However, all these advantages become disadvantages when the owners begin to remember the cost of electricity. An ordinary family will easily go broke on such heating.
Besides, in the villages, which are remote from the regional and city centers, the voltage is not of very high quality - strong drops can be observed in the network. And the owner of an electric boiler makes himself dependent on the quality and stability of the current supply.
Against the background of constant technological progress, the traditional method of heating homes with wood and other solid fuels has gone into the shadows. But firewood is a good source of energy, and besides, it is renewable. There is currently no shortage of wood for heating. You can use the firewood that the owners of houses harveston your own or buy them. Also, many woodworking enterprises sell production waste.
But not all houses have a stove. Yes, it is efficient and retains heat well due to its design. It is enough to fire the stove well to provide the house with heat for a day. But there is one caveat: what about the circulation of the coolant along the contours of the heating system? After all, if you just keep burning in the furnace, then this will be a large fuel consumption. This problem can be solved with the help of top burning solid fuel boilers.
Due to the special design of this device, based on the physical and chemical properties of solid fuels, you can load firewood once within 12-15 hours. Some models may run more on one load.
The advantage of long-burning boilers with top combustion is that, in addition to firewood, a number of other materials can be used. Everything that burns is used - it can be briquettes from woodworking waste, as well as coal or peat. Also now, the so-called eurofirewood has gained particular popularity as a source of energy.
Operation principle
How conventional solid fuel stoves work is known to everyone. Fuel is placed in the furnace - briquettes or coal. From the lower chamber, an air flow is supplied, which is necessary for the process. The level of combustion intensity in this case is limited only by the amount of oxygen.
This is an ordinary fire, which is enclosed in a metal case, requiring a constant supply of fuel. Combustion products directlyare discharged into the chimney - this system has many turns and labyrinths. This improves heat transfer and leads to an increase in efficiency. However, this does not increase the overall energy return. The thermal decomposition of wood is a fast process, after which a lot of waste remains, and unused energy is released into the atmosphere.
This energy comes from the special characteristics of wood, which in turn are determined by the biochemical composition. When the wood is heated, it not only oxidizes to coal, but also releases carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Exposure to high temperatures always leads to the synthesis of volatile compounds based on hydrocarbons. These compounds have a rather complex chemical formula. The gases themselves are an excellent fuel, which goes nowhere in an ordinary stove.
Pyrolysis
The process when wood decomposes into gases is called pyrolysis. The combustion temperatures, as well as heat transfer, are much higher here than with conventional combustion. At the same time, the oxidation processes of wood are so deep that after pyrolysis there is practically no waste left. Only steam is released into the atmosphere, as well as carbon dioxide.
From here we have that it is much more rational to use wood fuel, while minimizing the process of open combustion. It is necessary to achieve the release of gases, which are the source of heat. On the basis of these principles, upper combustion boilers and pyrolysis units operate. Let's talk about them further.
Types of long burning boilers
There istwo types of solid fuel wood-fired units:
- Pyrolysis.
- Top Boot Systems.
Both options make it possible to get a high-quality autonomous heating system.
Top burning boilers: features
In ordinary boilers, as well as in stoves and fireplaces, fuel burns from bottom to top. This can be explained by physical processes during combustion. This scheme is not efficient. This disadvantage is completely eliminated in such units. What is the peculiarity of a long-burning boiler with top combustion? It lies in the way energy is converted. So, the fuel burns not from below, but from above. Air is also supplied from above and directly to the combustion zone, and not from below through special grates. These are non-volatile heat sources - and this is a plus of such systems. But they differ in cyclical work. Until the bookmark burns out, another cannot be added.
The combustion chamber of such boilers is quite roomy. At the bottom, the fuel does not burn - it waits for the turn to reach it. As the top layer burns out, the bottom layer is also activated. Air is supplied from above through special channels or diffusers. These channels are hot from below. Air from the top of the combustion chamber gradually flows down. Due to heating, it will react faster with solid fuel. This ensures high efficiency of top combustion boilers.
The air distributor in the combustion chamber can move - it can rise when fuel is loaded. Whenthe combustion process begins, it relies on fuel. So oxygen will only get into the combustion zone. Only smoldering occurs there, and combustion products fall exclusively into the upper part. There they are separated by a massive metal disk. Then air is added to these gases, and the products are burned. And the generated heat will go to the heat exchanger.
Often these systems are cylindrical. However, there are also rectangular models. The combustion chamber, as already mentioned, is quite spacious, due to which the maximum duration of the combustion process is achieved. The cylindrical shape makes the device compact and saves space.
Benefits
Top burning fuel boilers are quite durable and reliable. Due to the gradual distribution of the load in the combustion zone in the direction from top to bottom, the boiler body does not heat up to more than 400 degrees. Due to the simpler design, such systems are safer than gas or electric ones.
Often such units are designed for different types of solid fuel. It can be firewood, coal, peat, various combustible mixtures, pellets, wood production waste. The combustion process can last up to 5 days, depending on the design. If firewood is used, then one load of the upper combustion boiler can last from 8 to 30 hours.
Flaws
The disadvantages of this equipment include exactingness and pickiness to the quality of fuel. If you make the unit work on raw wood, then its efficiency will decrease significantly.
The optimum level of fuel moisture for solid fuel boilers of long burning with top burning is 13-20%. If you use a more raw product, the boiler will produce significantly less heat. In addition, in this situation, the device may even go out. In addition, if you burn raw wood in a boiler, a lot of soot and ash will be released. It is necessary to periodically clean both the furnace itself and the chimney. Also, the disadvantages include the need for manual loading.
Pyrolysis
Here, a slightly different principle is used. The mechanism is based on the splitting of fuel into pyrolysis gas and coke. This problem is solved due to the low intensity of combustion. Fuel does not burn, but smolders. The result is a gas that burns by combining with oxygen.
Why are there no wall-mounted ones?
The long-burning top-loading boiler is only available on the floor. It is too heavy for wall mounting. But structurally, this is the most common solid fuel boiler.
Power depends on destination. The equipment can not only heat rooms, but also heat water. In this case, the heat exchanger can be flow-through or used as a storage tank. The heat exchanger is both steel and cast iron.
The cast iron boiler is less susceptible to corrosion. This is a very important feature. Condensation appears on the walls of the chamber, and this is a rather aggressive environment. Cast iron boilersmade in sections. This makes the transportation process much easier.
And if by yourself?
It is quite possible to make an upper combustion boiler with your own hands, and from improvised means. To do this, you need a two-hundred-liter barrel, a pipe and a channel. So, the upper part is cut out in the barrel, and the edges are leveled. A hole is made on top. A pipe is inserted into it, which goes up. A damper is made on it to regulate the air supply. The most difficult stage is regulation. The pipe should not be too low, otherwise the combustion process will be fast. If you equip such a structure with a special load, due to which the fuel will settle slowly, as well as a movable air distribution system, you can get a fairly efficient system. One bookmark will burn out in 20 hours.
Conclusion
Top burning solid fuel boilers are a great and economical way to provide heat to your home. The price of such heat will be very affordable. The cost of a new unit of this type starts from 50 thousand rubles, which is quite acceptable.
