Design of a Webb burner

[Tarek928]

Hello everyone,

I hope I'm posting in the correct forum, otherwise please advise where else I need to go.

I would like to build a Webb burner (sawdust suspension burner). It seems simple from looking at one in real life, but I couldn't believe the cost of ordering one, so I'm contemplating designing and building one. It is essentially a properly sized multi section tall barrel that is lined with refractory cement. The saw dust and air enter tangentially through fans, causing a cycloning action where suspension burning takes place. Feedstock and air control are accomplished by controlling the fans.

So my first question is: Does anyone know if plans are available anywhere? I'm not looking for free plans. Would be happy to pay for useful info. Amongst other things like dimensions/scales and corresponding fan specs, I'd like to know the strategy and method of bonding the firebricks to the steel shell. Just would like to understand the basic principles followed, for avoiding any issues resulting from thermal expansion of steel causing the firebricks to break....or am I over thinking that part?

Any thoughts or assistance in the right direction would be greatly appreciated

Thank you in advance
Tarek

 

[dvd]

You could probably prototype this burner without the refractory a lot more easily. Insulate the outside of the vessel. It would make it easier to work on the flow of the sawdust and air. Once you get a good geometry then you can concern yourself with refractory (Call someone at bnzmaterials.com and discuss your needs). Look at some youtube videos on forge building for some ideas on designing your system. You could look for the theoretical air requirements for the combustion of wood and know how much air you need per pound of sawdust. You could also look at the btu/lb for wood and get an idea of how much sawdust you need to achieve a given heating rate on your burner.