Major refit

It was back to the drawing board with a major revision after the refractory failure. Refractory kiln bricks and calcium aluminate castable cement for the difficult areas was chosen. The bricks were cut to shape then dry stacked so they hold each other in place. The flame inlet is round 3.5 inch heavy gauge steel pipe with a coolant jacket. Castable cement was used to form and adapt the difficult shapes.
The turk burner head has been moved away a few hundred millimeters. Some loose bricks were stacked on the firebox floor to create a torturous flame path. The object is to soften the ferocity of the flame so making the retort temperature more stable. A test run firing without the retort vessel in place looked great. See pic.
As I write the retort is in position but there is much work to do. The firebox upper needs fabricating. The reflux needs packing/trays. The new retort weighing mechanism needs testing. The injector pump drive motor requires bearings. The induced daft fan needs a cover. Revisions to the preheater plumbing. Instrumentation cabling/ adapting.

Test firing the 'labyrinth' designed to soften the harshness of flame

 

Firebox brick wedge structure

Turk burner head in new position slightly further away from retort.