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The instructions below explain how to do the final assembly for the v3.0 GEK Level IV kit.  The instructions assume you have the fully welded and painted GEK kit in your possession, either through purchasing it as a Level IV kit, or building it yourself.  If you need to weld together the raw sheetmetal and accessory parts kit (Level II or III), please go to the full fabrication instructions.

 

The individual pictures below can also be found as photo gallery here.

 

 

There are seven components that we will be assembling:

 

     - Gas Cowling

     - Downdraft Reactor Insert

     - Cyclone

     - Pack Bed Filter

     - Ejector Venturi System

     - Swirl Burner

     - Fuel Hopper 

 

The gas cowling, reactor and hopper bolt together into a single vertical assembly.  The filter housing bolts to the flange on the top of the cyclone in a vertical

assembly which is then attached to the reactor via the gas outlet flange of the cyclone. The ejector venturi system and the burner assembly is attaches on the

top of the filter housing.

 

All these parts are pictured below.  This is what you should have received with the Level IV kit, or built via your own effots.

 

 

While assembling the various vessels, be sure to remember these common standards used throughout the GEK kit.

     -All metal to metal flange connections require clay weather strippings two rows thick, as air tight sealant.

     -When tightening bolts follow same pattern as tightnening lug nuts on your car. Stagger tightening, dont go around in order. This will keep a good air tight seal.

 

Useful Tools for Assembly:

• 1/2" wrench or crecent wrench
• 1/2" sockets for socket wrench or (ideally) cordless drill/impact driver and drill to socket adapter
• Two extenders for sockets (to reach reduction bell nuts)
• X/X" wrench or socket or crecent wrench (for leg nuts)
• Two from the following list (for plumbing):
  • >2" Monkey Wrench
  • Channel locks
  • Vise
• Utility knife
• Allen (hex) key set (for stirrer motor)
• Flathead screwdriver

 

1. Gas Cowling assembly

 

     a) Attach bottom plate

          - Use ceramic gasketing tape, lay it on the bottom flange of the reactor. this will cover your bolt holes so you will need to ream them out with something,

             a screw driver or a round file works good. it is fiberglass so wear a mask or do it outside. after you have the bolt holes in the tape, apply a bead of the

             high temp mortor on top of the ceramic gasketing.

          - lay bottom plate on so bushing for ash grate assembly is on the outside of the unit.

          - bolt on with 5/16 bolts 

    

     b) Attach legs.                                                                                                                                

          -Turn Cowling upside down. Slide legs over posts, tighten set screws. 

              

 

     c) Add ash port lid.

          - While its upside down, Pull off two rows of weather stripping. Lay onto cowling around circumference

            of ash port hole, on the inside of the bolts. Screw on wing nuts, hand tight.

          -Turn upright.

 

                

      d) Insert ash rotary grate

          -Remove turning handle from ash grate, place spacer in the bottom of the cowling, so its on top of the 1" hole.

          -Slide ash grate into cowling,through spacer, grate side up.

          -Reach under cowling and screw on turning handle.

 

                   

     e) Insert Insulation

          -Be sure to wear gloves, the insulation is currently of fiberglass material.

          -Fold the insulation material to the outer edge of the inside of the gas cowling.

          -it will sit above the bolt heads that are welded inside for the rocket legs, and the top of the insulation will line up with the bottom of the square gas outlet.

          -The stainless steel insulating jacket will go into the gas cowling up against the fiberglass insulation, line the hole in the insulating jacket with the 1/2 inch bung on the outside of the gas cowling. (*picture to be added).

          -Note: If you are upgrading to add the stainless steel insulation to a previous version of the GEK, you may need to trim the edges of the grate enough so that the stainless steel insulation will fit in between the gas cowling and the grate. We have changed the grate dimention to account for this spacing in the middle of our v3.0 shipments.

 

 

 

2. Downdraft Reactor insert assembly

 

     a) Attach gas lines

          - Turn insert upside down

          - Tighten one gas line into elbow coupling.        

          - Bend clockwise, around the outside of the next coupling, continue around to the second coupling

            then bend down and start wrapping clock wise and down around insert. Keep wrapping until its

            obvious which attachment it goes to in the mid flange.

          - Bend a 90 degree angle about four or five inches from the end of the gas line and screw it onto the

            attached coupling.

          - Repeat process until all five gas lines are installed.

          - Make sure not to overlap lines, they should all fit without crossing.

          - Turn reactor right side up.

 

              

 

 

 

     b) Assemble Reactor Insert and Gas Cowling

          - Apply ceramic gasketing to top flange of cowling. again you will need to ream out the bolt holes through the ceramic.

          - Slide Reactor Insert into Gas Cowling.

          - Align Reactor Insert and the Gas Cowlings bolt holes so that the Lighting Inlet is at the front of the

            Gas Cowling. It will line up with the 1/2" close nipple in the Cowling.

          - Tighten nuts and bolts around flange. 

 

 

 

 

     c) Install 1/2" by 6" long Pipe Nipples

          - Screw in 1/2" Pipe Nipples into threaded couples inside the reactor insert on the bottom plate.

 

           

 

     d) Install Reduction Bell

          - Put ceramic gasketing tape on around the bottom plate of the reactor.

          - Put two lines of high temp mortar on the bottom (under side) of reduction bell base plate, so the high temp mortar and ceramic gasketing will create a seal.

          - Put the 11'' hourglass reduction bell inside reactor

          - Place washers and nuts on bolts. tighten.

          -Note: We have recently upgraded to an 11'' hourglass reduction bell. This was to support increased flow rates thorugh the reactor. The 11''hourglass reduction bell does not need the tar fence. The bottom opening to the reactor was also widened to accomodate for the 11'' bell; the new reactor will still fit in the existing gas cowling. If you have the old V-shaped reduction bell, you will still need the tar fence.

          -Thread the five 6'' long 1/2 pipe nipples into the five holes at the bottom of the reactor. These are the air inlet tubes.

 

   

 

     e) Insert Air Inlet Nozzles

          - Place a ring of clay weather stripping around the base of the pipe nipple.

          - Rub a piece of weather strip into threads at the top of the pipe nipple, this will help secure air inlet

            nozzles.

          - Slide air inlet nozzles over pipe nipples and push into ring of weather stripping.

          - screw 3/8" caps on to the air inlet nozzles. this creates a more direct flow for the air.

          - The cap of the nozzle will tend to fit on the inside of the tar fence. Orient nozzle so it points in between adjacent two nozzles. Once all installed,

             they will make a five sided star, all pointing to the center of the reduction bell opening. It is important that the noozzles are centered to ensure

             symetrical reaction.

 

    

 

     f) Ignition Port

     -Assemble the ignition port with the 7'' plumbing nipple.

     -screw 1/2" elbows onto both ends of the 7" nipple. align them so they are facing in opposite directions of one another. on one of the elbows,

        screw in the 3" nipple. once assembled, it will look like a "L"

     -Slide the 3" nipple through the lighting port ( the port that extends about 1/4" into the reactor). the 7" nipple will lie along the inside of the inner vessel of

       the reactor and the elbow at the bottom will be right next to one of your air inlet nozzles.

     -Be sure to seal around the port with clay weatherstripping to prevent air leakage.

 

 

 

3. Cyclone and Pack Bed Filter (Refer to the Pre-Heating Auger and Drying Bucket Assembly Page if you have these components)

     a) Attach Cyclone to Gas Cowling

          - Place ceramic gasketing on the square flange of the cyclone. add a bead of high temp mortar on top of ceramic.

          - Hold Cyclone up so that both square flanges match, install nuts and bolts. Tighten.

          - Place brown rubber weatherstripping on both, top and bottom of the cyclone insert plate (plate with 3" tube welded in the center).

          - place cyclone insert plate, tube side down, into cyclone.

          - Place the filter on top of cyclone and alaign bolt holes.

          - Bolt the filter housing on top of the cyclone flange, using the 1 1/2" bolts. these extend up into your filter to create a standoff for your filter perf plates.

              

 

     b) Attach Mason Jar

          - Put plate with 1" close nipple into mason jar lid ring, nipple up.

          - Screw onto jar.

          - Screw into 1" coupling at bottom of Cyclone.

 

 

     c) Packed Bed Filter

          - Place Filter Mesh Plate in bottom of Filter

          - Pack filter housing with sieved charcoal to about three inches from the top of the filter (see link above), place about two inches of pulled steel wool

             on top  of the charcoal media

          - Place Mesh Plate on top of steel wool to hold it in place.

          - Apply brown rubber weatherstripping to the top flange of the filter.

          - Bolt the FIlter lid to the filter housing.

 

    

GEK Alert!

We now suggest using grains of charcoal for the media in the packed bed filter.  Charcoal is a much better performing filter media than the included steel wool.  See here for directions on changing to charcoal for the filter.

 

4. Ejector Venturi Assembly and Swirl Burner

     -Assemble the ejector venturi assembly as shown. Be sure to tape the threads.

     -The cross of the assembly screws directly on top of the filter housing,

     -Attach the swirl burner to the end of the ejector assembly.

 

 

 

7. Manometer

          - Locate the 1/2 inch male nipple that is welded onto the outside of the cowling. This will be considered the front of the GEK.

          - Thread on the 1/2" tee,(see image below)  screw in 1/2 close nipple at the end of the tee.

          - screw in the 1/2 inch to 3/4 reducer on the top of the tee, put 1/4" brass barb in reducer

          - Place the manometer face plate onto the close nipple and let the top of its bracket lay underneath the flange of the gas cowling. The 1/2 inch bolt that

             bolts the reactor to the gas cowling will also hold in place the bracket of the manometer at this point. Do not put the bracket of the manometer in between

             the reactor and the gas cowling's flanges. This will cause leaking.

          - Thread the lock nut on to the 1/2" close nipple in cowling, and place a black cap on to the end . This port can also be amended to use for a thermocouple.

             A thermocouple in this port will clear the bottom of the reactor and a temperature reading at the bottom of the reduction bell can be taken from this point.

          - Insert one of the clear tubes into the middle hole of the manometer bracket, feed it down through to the brass barb at the bottom.

          - The other end of the clear tube will follow along the front of the manometer face plate, loop at the bottom, and its end will barely poke up through the hole

             on the left. This is the Reactor Pressure Manometer.

          - Loop the zip tie through the manometer and around both parts of the clear tube, one piece in front and one behind.

          - The filter manometer will be on the right. Start with the tip at the right hole on the manometer face plate bracket, feed it down behind the manometer, create

             a loop at the bottom and bring it up in front of the manometer face plate. Secure with zip ties, as before.

          - Thread in the 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch reducer into one of the ports at the top of the filter housing( there are two). Thread in the brass barb into the reducer. 

             The long end of the tube for the filter manometer connects to this brass barb.

          - Notice that there are two more ports on the filter housing. Place two plugs into these ports. These two extra ports can be used for gas sampling, wet

             scrubbing and recycling systems, temperature, or pressure ports.

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Lid and Stir Bar (if you have the Auger, Pyrocoil, or Drying Bucket click HERE)

          - Place the ceramic gasket aeound the circumference of the top ring of the Reactor. Place the lid on the reactor; bolt down tightly.

          - Put the stir rod through the bottom of the stir bar bushing ( you will either have a 1 1/2" Plug with a bushing tube or a 1 1/2" nipple with bushing plates)

             connect 1/4" shaft collar to stir rod and couple that to the stirrer motor. tighten set screws.

          - Screw the stirrer assembly into the center bung in the lid. you will need to provide wire to power this motor.

          - Plug the other bung with a 1 1/2" plug, this can be used for thermocouples.

          - Place clay weatherstripping around the port hole in the lid, then place the two holed port lid over the bolts on the top port. tighten with wing nuts.