GEK Wiki / Doghouse Lid and Auger Assembly Page
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Doghouse Lid and Auger Assembly Page

Page history last edited by bk 14 years, 1 month ago

return to How to Build and Run the GEK Gasifier 

 

Assembly Instructions for the GEK 3.0 (doghouse lid/auger)

 

Table of Contents:

 

1. Auger

2. Doghouse Lid and Pre-heating Bucket

3. Flex Hose Gas Tube

4. Mechanical Fuel Level Sensor

5. Gas Out Tube to Filter Housing

6. Hopper

7. Filter Housing

8. Ejector Venturi System

9. Manometer

 

 

 

1. Auger

     - Align the bolt holes of the auger and the auger motor.

     - Use a lock nut with the securing bolt, tighten. Make sure it is secure enough so as not to come loose during operation.

     - Seal drying bucket flange with white clay insulation included in the kit before attaching the auger motor.

     - Insert the auger motor and auger assembly into the drying bucket. Use 5/16'' bolts to secure.

 

 

 

2. Doghouse Lid and Pre-Heating Bucket

     a) Attach Drying Bucket to Doghouse Lid

     - Place insulating clay around the flange of the drying bucket. 

     - With 5/16'' bolts, fix the doghouse lid to the drying bucket flange. Note: The 1.5 inch coupler on the doghouse lid should be lined up in the same plane of the 1.5 inch coupler on the drying bucket for correct orientation.

     - Place insulating clay around the bottom of the drying bucket and bolt the bottom lid.

 

 

     b) Orient assembly and attach to base unit

     - Be sure to place the fiberglass tape insulation material on the flange of the reactor (not pictured)

     - Lift the assembly onto the base unit. Orient the opening at the bottom of the drying bucket with the top of the cyclone.

     - Bolt slots to support the lid and drying bucket assembly.

     - Align the slots with the reactor's flange. Notice that the two smaller holes near the drying bucket will need to be drilled out with a 5/16 or 3/8 inch drill bit.

 

 

3. Flex hose gas tube

     - If needed, shorten the gas tube (with proper cutting tools) to fit between the cyclone tube and the drying hopper connection.

     - Tighten hose clamps.

 

 

 

4. Fuel Level Sensor

There are two versions of the fuel level sensor:

     A) Paddle Fuel Level Sensor:

     - Included in the package, are three paddle sizes for the fuel switch. Detach the smaller paddle on the fuel switch and chose the longest paddle for assembly. Place the 1''-1.5'' reducer around the paddle before attaching it to the main unit. Screw the whole unit into the middle bung on the reactor lid. Be sure that the arrow on the fuel level switch is in the direction of flow (pointing away from the hopper). 

     - Wiring to the Auger: You will need a 12v power supply to the auger motor and fuel level switch assembly. Connect the positive end of the batter to the COM (brown, common) wire on the fuel switch. Connect the N.C. (black, normally closed) wire to a short secondary wire (green). This secondary wire (green) will connect to one of the leads on the 20 Amp breaker switch. Connect the second lead on the breaker to the green wire on the auger motor. The red wire on the auger motor will connect to ground on the battery. This will turn the auger motor counter-clockwise which will cause the auger to push the fuel into the reactor. Note: Double check that the auger is turning the correct way, if the auger is pulling fuel backwards, the auger motor will jam and trip the breaker. Without the breaker the auger motor may burn out. 

 

 

 

     B) Mechanical fuel level sensor:

     - The mechanical fuel level sensor will attach to the end of the 3/4" x 5" nipple on the doghouse lid.

     - Attach the plunger to the end of the rod. Tighten the set screw.

     - From the positive on the battery, connect to the COM (common) on the switch, then connect the NC (normally closed) position to a breaker, then the second lead on the breaker to the green wire on the auger motor, then the red wire on the motor connects to the negative lead on the battery. Double check to make sure the auger is turning the correct way to push fuel into the reactor. 

 

 

5. Gas Out ube to Filter Housing

     - Attach the 1.5 x 8'' black pipe nipple to the 1.5" elbow.

     - Attach assembly to the 1.5'' female coupler of the drying bucket.

 

6. Hopper

     - Be sure to add the ceramic gasket clay insulation onto the top flange of the drying bucket.

     - Bolt the hopper drum from the underside with 5/16 inch bolts.

  

 

     - The hopper's lid is assembled as a puff lid which will release any pressure build up in the hopper

     - Use the black rubber weather stripping to ensure a seal on the hopper lid.

     - Place the 1.5'' bolts through each of the four holes in the hopper, use a lock washer and a nut to secure it to the hopper drum.

     - Hook the shorter end of the spring to the bolt and hold it in place by using a washer and a second nut. Repeat 4x.

     - Pull the spring up to clamp down the hopper lid on four sides. Note: This replaces the need for the standard black ring for the drum.

 

 

 

7. Packed Drum Filter

          - Wrap tefflon tape around the threads of the bungs used to cap the bottom 1.5 inch bung and the .5 inch bung at the bottom of the drum filter. (The .5 inch bung is for recirculation options for a wet scrubber experimentation. The larger 1.5 inch bung is for draining condensate out of the drum filter).

          - Place the 1.5 inch nipple and 90 plumming into the second bung from the bottom of the filter. (This is the gas inlet).

          - Place the filter mesh plate with the stand-offs in the bottom of the filter.

          - Pack filter housing with sieved charcoal (around 1/8th-1/4th dia.) to about 6 inches from the top of the filter, place a finer mesh on top of the filter media such as rags or old t-shirts to trap the finner particulates.

          - Place the second mesh plate on top of the media.

          - Notice one of the top .5 inch bungs has threads on the top inside of the filter, place a cap on this one. For the other .5 inch bung at the top of the filter, and the other place the reducer and brass barb. (The brass barb will connect to the manometer to show pressure drop across the filter; the bung with threads on the inside is a connection for a sparger that could be used for further experimentation).

 

          - The 2 ft tube with threads on one end will thread into the 90 at the bottom of the drum filter. This is the gas inlet.

          - Use the hose clamp to attch the orange flex tube to the gas inlet tube. (Notice: condensation will tend to gather at this junction due to the direction of flow and temperature drop in this region, be sure to add high temperature sealant at this connection between the flex tube and the piping).          

          - Connect the other end of the flex tube to the cyclone. 

  

 

 8. 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.

  

 

 

9. 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 5/16'' bolt that holds 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.

 

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