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Results from Recent Testing

Evaluating particulate emissions in real-time
by
opacity measurement

Particulate (PM-2.5) Measurements with a Portable Condar Dilution Tunnel

See also:

Correlation Between Condar PM number and Opacity Curve ranked in Order

Data Analysis


Graphical Summary

HK-J30

February 23/08

Last run in HK-J series

Condar series
Maple, 18% moisture, 78.0 lbs
5 round pieces of maple, with 3 pieces of white birch on top, 2 on bottom, 10pieces
Warm heater (162F firebox temp)
cold fuel
Side ignition, cold kindling, 4.0 lbs

Similar to run HK-J29, 1/2 lb more kindling, larger load.
Nice clean start, then fire overamped at 27 minutes, creating large opacity spike for 10 minutes.
Dark grey smoke from stack. However, PM number still reasonably low, indicating that this was pure soot with no tar, as would be expected at this stage in the burn.
This is an interesting demonstration of the high opacity, low mass nature of the soot component of PM.

Condar Summary
condar

 

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

HK-J29

February 22/08

Condar series
Mixed hardwood
18% moisture, 70.3 lbs
Round pieces, 2 small pieces of white birch on top, 9 pieces
Stack sloped slightly towards kindling
Warm heater (132F firebox temp), cold fuel
Side ignition
Cold kindling, 3.5 lbs (not enough)

Almost identical load to run HK-J26 (very clean), except a borderline start, requiring one additional piece of kindling.
Interesting example of non-linear system -- high sensitivity to initial conditions.

Condar Summary
condar

 

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

HK-J28

February 21/08

Condar series
Maple, 16% moisture, 50.3 lbs
Small pieces, smaller on top, 11 pieces
Stack sloped towards kindling
Warm heater (144F firebox temp), cold fuel
Side ignition
Cold kindling, 4.0 lbs (too much)

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

HK-J27

February 20/08

Condar series
White birch, 20% moisture, 70.0 lbs
Medium pieces, smaller on top
10 pieces
Stack sloped towards kindling
Cold heater (90 F firebox temp)
Cold fuel (-5 F)
Cold kindling, 3.5 lbs with 2.25 lbs extra added at 18 minutes (see opacity curve)
Side ignition.

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

HK-J26

February 18/08

Condar series
Maple, 17% moisture, 68.5 lbs
Medium pieces, all round pieces, smaller on top, 10 pieces
Stack sloped towards kindling
Warm heater (180F firebox temp), warm fuel
Side ignition.
Cold kindling, 3.5 lbs.

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

HK-J25

February 17/08

Condar series
Maple, 17% moisture, 69.6 lbs
Large pieces, smaller on top, 8 pieces
Stack sloped towards kindling
Warm heater (167F firebox temp), warm fuel (40F)
Side ignition.
Cold kindling, 3.5 lbs

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

HK-J24

February 16/08

Condar series
White birch, 20% moisture, 61.3 lbs
Large pieces, smaller on top, 8 pieces
Stack sloped towards kindling
Warm heater (145F firebox temp), cold fuel (0F)
Side ignition.
Cold kindling, small kindling, large amount, very rapid start.

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

HK-J23

February 15/08

Condar series
White birch, 20% moisture, 70.5 lbs
Very large pieces, smaller on top
7 pieces
Stack sloped towards kindling
Warm heater (137F firebox temp), warm fuel, side ignition.
Cold kindling, needed boost with torch
Last 10 minutes of gas data lost - substituted with estimated data.

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

HK-J22

February 14/08

Condar series
White birch, 20% moisture, 59.3 lbs
Large and small pieces, 10 pieces
3.0 lbs kindling
Warm heater (160F firebox temp), warm fuel.
Start was too fast with the birch bark catching right away.
Side ignition.

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

HK-J21

February 13/08

Condar series
White birch, 20% moisture, 65 lbs
Large pieces, 8 pieces, 3.5 lbs kindling
Cold heater (80F firebox temp), cold fuel (10F)

Side ignition.

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

HK-J20

February 11/08

Condar series
Maple, 17% moisture, 58 lbs
Large pieces, 8 pieces, 4.2 lbs kindling
Cold heater (50F firebox temp), cold fuel (0F)
Side ignition
Compare with HK-J19, below

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

HK-J19

February 6/08

Condar series
Maple, 17% moisture, 55 lbs
Large and small mixed, 8 pieces
1.5 lbs kindling
Cold heater (48 hrs, 100F firebox temp), cold fuel

Bottom ignition.

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

HK-J18

February 4/08

Condar series
White birch, 19% moisture
55 lbs, 13 pieces, 1.5 lbs kindling
Warm heater, warm fuel, small fuel

Bottom ignition, regular air slot
Kindling went out, restarted with torch.

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

HK-J17

February 3/08

Condar series
Mixed hardwood
21% moisture, 64 lbs
8 pieces, 3.2 lbs kindling
Warm heater, warm fuel

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

HK-J16

February 2/08

Condar series
Wet hardwood, maple and oak
35% moisture, 84 lbs
12 pieces, 12 lbs kindling
Cold heater (66F), side kindling

Difficult to start. Had to add more kindling twice.

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

 

HK-J15

January 30/08

Condar series
Large and small maple, 16% moisture,
53 lbs, 9 pieces, 3.3 lbs kindling
Warm heater, cold fuel, side kindling

Clean run. Piece #1 on bottom was too large, difficult to manage coals at end.

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

HK-J14

January 29/08

Condar series
Large and medium maple, 16% moisture,
65 lbs, 8 pieces, 5.5 lbs kindling
Warm heater, cold fuel, side kindling

Mis-start, extra newspaper added.
Also, fuel pile was slow to catch and required 1.5 lbs added kindling.

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

HK-J13

January 28/08

Condar series
OMNI ASTM fuel crib, 44.6 lbs
10% moisture
12 pieces, 2 lbs kindling
Room temp fuel. Warm heater (24 hrs)
Kindling from the side.
Regular air slot in front - 1"

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

HK-J12

January 27/08

Condar series
OMNI ASTM fuel crib, 47.2 lbs
10% moisture
12 pieces, 6 lbs kindling
Room temp fuel. Warm heater (24 hrs)
Kindling from the bottom (underneath pile)
Modified air - front slot reduced 50%

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

HK-J11

January 26/08

Condar series
White birch, small pieces
19% moisture
medium load 41 lbs
12 pieces, 1.8 lbs kindling
Cold fuel. Cold heater (66F)
Kindling from the bottom (underneath pile)
Modified air - front slot reduced 50%

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

 

HK-J10

January 23/08

Condar series
Maple, large pieces, 16% moisture,
large load 70 lb.
6 pieces, 2.5 lbs kindling
Cold fuel (0F). Cold heater (66F)
Kindling from the bottom
(underneath pile)

Condar Summary
Condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

HK-J09

January 21/08

Condar series
White birch, large and small pieces

Cold fuel (0F)
Cold heater (50F)
Kindling from the bottom
(underneath pile)

Condar Summary
Condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity


 

HK-J08

January 16/08

Condar series
Hard maple
medium and large pieces

Cold fuel, stacked in warm firebox for 90 minutes.
Warm heater (24 hrs)

Condar Summarycondar

 


gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

HK-J07

January 15/08

Condar series
White birch
large pieces

Cold fuel, stacked in warm firebox for 90 minutes. Warm heater (24 hrs)

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

HK-J06

January 14/08

Condar series
White birch
medium pieces

Cold fuel, stacked in warm firebox for 90 minutes. Warm heater (24 hrs)

Condar Summarycondar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

HK-J05

January 13/08

Condar series
Hard maple
medium pieces

Cold fuel, stacked in warm firebox for 4 hours. Warm heater (24 hrs)

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

HK-J04

January 13/08

 

gas leak. Estimated values in order to obtain approximate Condar number
See page for details.

HK-J03

January 11/08

Condar series
White Birch
Small pieces


Cold fuel, cold heater

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

HK-J02

January 5/08

Condar series
Mixed hardwood
large pieces

Cold fuel, warm heater

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

HK-J01

January 4/08

Condar series
White birch
medium pieces

Cold fuel, cold heater

Condar Summary
condar

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 

HK-H20

March 11/07

Reference run.
This run was a best guess as to an optimum fuel loading and optimum air.
Very clean, low PM, low CO, good efficiency.

Stack temperature is hight, partly due to measurement location - see discussion for Series HKI

This run will serve as a benchmark for comparison for future tests.

Jan 9/08: Condar summary added

Condar Summarycondar.

gas
Flue Gas Data

opacity
Opacity

 

 
     

 


 

This page was updated on February 24, 2008
This page was created on January 17, 2008