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[Jbuck]

I located this site about a year ago and planned on having a OWB by now  but my electric coop. combined with the Fed. Gov. made Geo-Thermal too attractive to pass up.  I am satisfied with the Geo but would like to cut my cost to heat even more.  I was luckey enough to have a job that allowed for, even encourged early retirement so I have the time and am still young enough to cut and split wood.  I own enough timber land to supply me wood for the rest of my life, so I still think an OWB would be a good investment for me.   Now that I have started doing research again everything indicates a Gasification chamber is the way to go but I don't quite understand where this chamber is located and how you get the unburnt wood gasses to it.  I would assume it is located above or below the fire box and the flu pipe exits the stove from the said chamber pulling the gasses into it as it draws.  I have searched the web for a diagram but have not been sucessfull locating one.  I have also read Jackel440's info and viewed the pics on the Home Built OWB he constructed, he is very lucky he does not live in the southern part of IN close to Evansville or I would be at his shop once a week watching him work, just from reading the post and looking at the pics I would have to think he is, or is close to being, a fabrication genius.  I really like to watch someone who is good work.   Seems like a long post just to ask about the Gasification chamber but am curious.

[kjw58]

On youtube you can watch video explaining the gasifications stoves in detail.  check out Natures Comfort GT-220 and the Portage and Main  Optomizer.   The home built  gassifier that  Jackel has detailed on this site is a combination of these two stoves with a couple modifications.  I researched gassification stoves for months before deciding on the GT-220 installed this year and is working great so far,  it is really unbelievable how much heat you can get out of a small amount of wood.  Having said that I would not buy a gassifier model if you don't have seasoned,  dry wood to burn.   

[yoderheating]

 Most of the good gassifacation furnaces I have seen have the chamber under the firebox. Forcing the smoke down through the coals really builds up the heat and helps it burn hot and clear.
 Not all gassifaction furnace must burn completely dry wood. The G200 that Heatmaster builds does fairly well with somewhat green soft hardwoods.

[jackel440]

Great question to ask.
Not much talk of theory on here usually,but just about furnaces in a whole.I have done research on these OWB's my self for over 5 yrs.I had came to the same conclusion you had on building a gasifier as the only way to go.Now nothing is wrong with a regular boiler as long as they are efficient in thier design.
Now before I built my furnace I was going to build a standard type of furnace.I didn't think had the resources to get some of the materials at a resonable price,or the time to change my drawings and designs.I was able to get my materials through a friend which made it possible to go the gasifier route.
I would like to say thanks for the compliments on my boiler ,and my building of it.
And you are more than welcome to come up to my shop and check things out.COme with your work clothes on though.I always put peeps who come to the shop to work.
Now if you look at The Natures Comfort and The Portage and Maine,or others out there the principle is the same.The smoke is forced to a secondary burn chamber were induction air is reintroduced to restart the burn.
Now this burn has to be done in a refractory chamber.The refractory holds the heat to help restart the burn when the furnace at idle.Plus the burn is done at a higher heat temperature.Go check out the videos on you tube to see the high temps.Now after the secondary burn you want to pull all the btu's you can from it.That is the reason for the travel paths and tubes running through the water.The paths in the refractory absorb the heat as the exhaust passes through and transfers it to the water jacket.Then the exhaust will exit out the flue pipe.I am no expert on gasification,but I have learned enough to be dangerous.
A gasifier will burn green wood.It shines though when seasoned wood is used.The effieciancy of the unit is reduced to the need to dry out the wood which will induce more moisture into the burn chambers which the stove has to overcome.
I have a friend who is using a NC GT-500 to heat 2 homes,and it does a great job.He does use more wood as he did not get a supply of good seasoned wood to feed it.He just cut a sesoned ash and used some this week ,and said it was definately a major improvement of the greener wood.
Now the 2 furnace manufacturers I mentioned earlier in my opinion make some real nice pieces of equipment.I think thier designs are good.If I had the money ,and was just buying a new one. That is where I would go to spend my money.
I am sure I have made this clear as mud,but I hope it is a little more info you were looking for.

[rosewood]

jbuck , have you checked out a GARN wood furnace, most likely the most effiecent wood furnace built .their site shows a picture of how the fire chamber ,exhaust tubes run through the water tank.

[Scott7m]

jbuck , have you checked out a GARN wood furnace, most likely the most effiecent wood furnace built .their site shows a picture of how the fire chamber ,exhaust tubes run through the water tank.

has anyone tried to buy a garn lately?  you can't get anyone to talk to ya.  had a fellow tyring to buy one and gave up and bought a regular boiler. 

here is my thoughts on a garn.   if you can afford a garn, you can afford electric, oil, propane, natural gas, whatever you choose to use.