[Terrapreta] Max's trials and Tunnel kilns

[MFH]

Geoff

The Chinese have a variation of the "climbing" kiln. Basically a series of
beehive-shaped clay kilns around 2-3m in diameter, joined by small tunnels
at ground level. Almost no heat is wasted - from the fire in the first kiln
the exhaust heat travels through the tunnel up the slope to the next kiln,
which in due course is also fired, and so on.

M


-----Original Message-----
From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of geoff moxham
Sent: Wednesday, 14 May 2008 12:32 AM
To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
Subject: [Terrapreta] Max's trials and Tunnel kilns

Hi folks,
Sean, I love the fire in your hearth at the moment, as we barrel over
the lemming-cliff.

Max your  trials are wonderful.
The mention of all that process heat going on to the next stage
reminded me of Ivan McMeekin, my pottery teacher's fondness for the
extreme efficiency of the Japanese tunnel kilns of the 17th century:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anagama_kiln

A version called the Noborigama looks like the best to adapt for TP
kilns. What if we tried a cascade of "climbing kilns" on refractory
platforms, and use the Guenther Inverted Drum over a vent to the next
kiln. Then the lot could be batch loaded easily, and the next run of
batches of drums filled while waiting for the firing to cool (quickly
it seems).
Think I'll try a mini version this weekend.

Kindest Rgards to all
remember to breathe
Geoff

from wiki:
A Noborigama 登り窯 chambered climbing kiln is also built on a slope, and
each succeeding chamber is situated higher than the one before it. The
chambers in a noborigama are pierced at intervals with stoking ports.
Climbing kilns have been used in Japan since the 17th century. The
Renboshiki noborigama is a multi-chambered climbing kiln. There are
many distinguishing characteristics between the noborigama and anagama
style. For example, an anagama is somewhat like a half-tube (long
vault) with a fire burned at the lower end. A noborigama is like a set
of half-tubes (arches or short vaults, buttressing each other) placed
side-by-side with piercings that allow each chamber to feed into the
next.


Cal Earth
Archnet
Categories: Architecture
This page was last modified on 14 November 2007, at 00:49.

All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation
License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia(R)

_______________________________________________
Terrapreta mailing list
Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/
http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org
http://info.bioenergylists.org