Furnace

A furnace comprising,

• a hopper having a first opening,
• a conveyor member arranged for conveying a fuel through the first opening,
• a first blower tube arranged for receiving the fuel from the hopper through the first opening,
• a first blower operatively coupled to the first blower tube and arranged for blowing the fuel through the first blower tube,
• a combustion chamber operatively coupled to the first blower tube opposite the first blower,
• a heat exchanger arranged above the combustion chamber,
• a second blower operatively coupled to a first compartment and arranged to blow a cooling air into the first compartment and through the heat exchanger, the first compartment at least partially surrounding the combustion chamber and the heat exchanger, and
• a programmable control system operatively coupled to the conveyor member, the first blower, the second blower and a plurality of thermocouples,
• wherein the plurality of thermocouples includes a first thermocouple positioned about an upper portion of an output side of the heat exchanger for measuring a first temperature of the cooling air exiting the heat exchanger and the programmable control system includes heat exchanger overheating instructions configured for automatically inactivating the conveyor member when the first temperature is greater than desired.

A furnace comprising,

• a hopper having a first opening,
• a conveyor member arranged for conveying a fuel through the first opening,
• a first blower tube arranged for receiving the fuel from the hopper through the first opening,
• a first blower operatively coupled to the first blower tube and arranged for blowing the fuel through the first blower tube,
• a combustion chamber operatively coupled to the first blower tube opposite the first blower,
• a heat exchanger arranged above the combustion chamber,
• a second blower operatively coupled to a first compartment and arranged to blow a cooling air into the first compartment and through the heat exchanger, the first compartment at least partially surrounding the combustion chamber and the heat exchanger, and
• a programmable control system operatively coupled to the conveyor member, the first blower, the second blower and a plurality of thermocouples,
• wherein the programmable control system includes a plurality of predetermined second temperature set points and a plurality of second temperature set point adjustment instructions configured for establishing adjusted second temperature set points based upon a third temperature of the cooling air before it enters the first compartment and the plurality of predetermined second temperature set points, and
• wherein the plurality of thermocouples includes a second thermocouple positioned about a lower portion of an output side of the heat exchanger for measuring a second temperature of the cooling air exiting the heat exchanger.

A furnace comprising,

• a hopper having a first opening,
• a conveyor member arranged for conveying a fuel through the first opening,
• a first blower tube arranged for receiving the fuel from the hopper through the first opening,
• a first blower operatively coupled to the first blower tube and arranged for blowing the fuel through the first blower tube,
• a combustion chamber operatively coupled to the first blower tube opposite the first blower,
• a heat exchanger arranged above the combustion chamber,
• a second blower operatively coupled to a first compartment and arranged to blow a cooling air into the first compartment and through the heat exchanger, the first compartment at least partially surrounding the combustion chamber and the heat exchanger,
• an interior wall separating the first compartment from a second chamber, wherein the second chamber supports the hopper and the first blower fan and the first blower tube extends through the interior wall, and
• a programmable control system operatively coupled to the conveyor member, the first blower, the second blower and a plurality of thermocouples,
• wherein the hopper is at least partially supported on a horizontal wall portion of the interior wall.

A furnace comprising,

• a hopper having a first opening,
• a conveyor member arranged for conveying a fuel through the first opening,
• a first blower tube arranged for receiving the fuel from the hopper through the first opening,
• a first blower operatively coupled to the first blower tube and arranged for blowing the fuel through the first blower tube,
• a combustion chamber operatively coupled to the first blower tube opposite the first blower,
• a heat exchanger arranged above the combustion chamber,
• a second blower operatively coupled to a first compartment and arranged to blow a cooling air into the first compartment and through the heat exchanger, the first compartment at least partially surrounding the combustion chamber and the heat exchanger, and
• a programmable control system operatively coupled to the conveyor member, the first blower, the second blower and a plurality of thermocouples,
• wherein the first blower tube includes a substantially horizontal portion having a second opening aligned directly underneath the first opening.

A furnace comprising,

• a hopper having a first opening,
• a conveyor member arranged for conveying a fuel through the first opening,
• a first blower tube arranged for receiving the fuel from the hopper through the first opening,
• a first blower operatively coupled to the first blower tube and arranged for blowing the fuel through the first blower tube,
• a combustion chamber operatively coupled to the first blower tube opposite the first blower,
• a heat exchanger arranged above the combustion chamber,
• a second blower operatively coupled to a first compartment and arranged to blow a cooling air into the first compartment and through the heat exchanger, the first compartment at least partially surrounding the combustion chamber and the heat exchanger,
• a programmable control system operatively coupled to the conveyor member, the first blower, the second blower and a plurality of thermocouples
• wherein the combustion chamber has an open top on which the heat exchanger is supported and the heat exchanger includes a bottom plate partially closing the open top of the combustion box and having a port there through operatively coupled to a cooling channel of the heat exchanger arranged to receive and cool heated air within the combustion chamber.

A method for manufacturing a furnace comprising,

• constructing an enclosure having a first compartment separated from a second compartment by an interior wall,
• providing a combustion air, solid fuel feed tube extending through the interior wall and between the first compartment and the second compartment,
• operatively coupling a first blower and a first input end of the first blower tube,
• operatively coupling a hopper and the combustion air, solid fuel feed tube,
• operatively coupling a fuel conveyor member and the hopper,
• supporting a combustion chamber within the second compartment and operatively coupling a first output end of the combustion air, solid fuel feed tube to the combustion chamber,
• supporting a heat exchanger in the second compartment and operatively coupling the heat exchanger to the combustion chamber,
• aligning an output hole in a bottom of the hopper with an input hole in the combustion air, solid fuel feed tube,
• operatively coupling a second blower and the second compartment, and
• operatively coupling a programmable control system to the first blower, the second blower and the fuel conveyor member.

A method for manufacturing a furnace comprising,

• constructing an enclosure having a first compartment separated from a second compartment by an interior wall,
• providing a combustion air, solid fuel feed tube extending through the interior wall and between the first compartment and the second compartment,
• operatively coupling a first blower and a first input end of the first blower tube,
• operatively coupling a hopper and the combustion air, solid fuel feed tube,
• operatively coupling a fuel conveyor member and the hopper,
• supporting a combustion chamber within the second compartment and operatively coupling a first output end of the combustion air, solid fuel feed tube to the combustion chamber,
• supporting a heat exchanger in the second compartment and operatively coupling the heat exchanger to the combustion chamber,
• operatively coupling a second blower and the second compartment,
• operatively coupling a programmable control system to the first blower, the second blower and the fuel conveyor member,
• arranging a second thermocouple about a lower portion of an output side of the heat exchanger for obtaining a second temperature and a third thermocouple outside of the second compartment for obtaining a third temperature and operatively coupling the second thermocouple and the third thermocouple to the programmable control system,
• programming the programmable control system to include an operational mode for the furnace and a predetermined second temperature set point that is associated with the operational mode, and
• programming the programmable control system to calculate an adjusted second temperature set point based upon the third temperature.