GEK Wiki: v3_5 Downdraft Reactor

Back to Fabrication Instructions v3.5

2) Building the Downdraft Reactor for GEK v3.5

(*picture of older vers ion)

I) Parts List:
Reactor: - Reactor outs ide ves s el tube - Bottom end plate - Top flange ring - 1/2" 90deg plumbing elbows (5 count) - 1/2 npt to 15/16 gas flare adapters (5 count) Air Nozzles: - 1" x 7.25" nozzle tubes (5 count) - 3/8" s treet elbows (5 count) Reactor Lid: - Lid plate and parts - Inner reactor ves s el individual parts

Note: This could be said to be the core element of the GEK, and involves the most complicated fabrication of the various GEK parts. Pay careful attention to all instructions, and make sure you

complete each step before doing the next one- there are many build order dependencies. II) Construct Reactor Lid
Orientation: The threads on the weld s tuds and the couplers will be on the top of the lid. Weld: air tight. Clamp lid plate to a fabrication table or thicker plate of s teel, all the way around with at leas t 6 clamps . Make s ure it is s ecure, this plate in particular loves to warp from welding heat. Fit (2) 1.5" halved couplers over appropriate holes , tack in place. Tolerances: Find the s maller cover plate lid that fits over the larger opening. Make s ure the welds for the middle 1.5 in halved coupler clears this lid plate. Make 1/2" s titch welds around the couplers , alternating s ides around the couplers and allowing plenty of cooling time between welds . Take your time with this part. Again, it jus t loves to warp into a potato chip s hape. Remove clamps and fit 5/16 weld s tuds through with the threads facing through the top of the lid, place cover plate lid over bolts and tighten down with nuts . Weld bolt heads with air tight weld.

III) Reactor:
A. Reactor Vessel: Weld flange ring onto reactor vessel tube Orientation: This ring is toward the top of the reactor. Us e any tab and s lot pos ition. Center your s tarting tab in the middle of the corres ponding hole. Make s ure tabs are pulled all the way into s lots with C clamps . Us e C clamps as you weld around circle. We've had the bes t res ults with extra deep throat C clamps and a s mall homemade "pi s ymbol" s haped clamp helper, s een in many of thes e photos , the intervention of which provides a flat s urface on flange edges for the clamp foot to s it. Weld: Tack the flange ring to the reactor ves s el tube.

Orientation: The bottom plate of the reactor s hould match up with the bolt and cut pattern of the hourglas s bell. The face that mates correctly with the hourglas s bell is cons idered the 'top' or 'ins ide' of the reactor.

Secure the bottom flange plate with the top facing ins ide the reactor ves s el. Line up the notches in the flange plate with the reactor wall. Make s ure this s urface is flat with an air tight weld.

Make s ure the s eam is even down the length of the reactor ves s el and tack in place.

(*picture from earlier vers ion) For the top flange for the reactor, clamp to make s ure the flange is s quare and tack into plate underneath the flange plate. Do not weld on the top/inside the flange plate (this flange plate will mate with the lid to ensure a good seal). Do not apply larger tacks or fully weld this connection, the air neck will need to inters ect at this point later on. B. Weld 1/2" 90 deg elbows into bottom flange end plate You might need to grind off cas ting debris on the elbows to get them to fit through the holes in the bottom end plate. If you need to, do NOT grind off the collar as this collar is us ed for offs et s pacing during the fabrication below. Find the air lines , note that thes e air lines will s crew into thes e 90s on the bottom of the reactor. Make s ure that the edges of the air line fitting will clear the reactor and welds .

Align elbows and weld them into bottom flange end plate On Bottom (bottom view): Elbows s hould radiate outward to the left. The air lines s piral outwards clockwis e, pas s ing as clos e as pos s ible to the next air inlet tube as they radiate outward. Thus the elbow s hould be aligned s o that the air line will pas s jus t to the s ide of the next elbow. See pictures at http://allpowerlabs .org/gas ification/gek/images /v1.0/reactor3-800.jpg for clarification. The collar on the elbow s hould s it on the bottom end plate. Do NOT grind off the collar, as this s pacing is needed s o there is room to s crew in the s tainles s s teel tubes . Do NOT pos ition the elbow further out or it will obs truct the grate when ins erted into the gas cowling. Ins ide Reactor. The elbows need to be aligned s o the air inlet nipples ris e s traight upwards and parallel with the ins ulation ves s el tube wall. You can us e a right angle to draw s traight vertical lines up the ins ide for alignment. Then us e a 12" or s o 1/2" pipe nipple with a coupler on the end to s ign to this line. Pus h the elbow and the coupler up agains t the wall to ens ure parallel orientation to the wall. A combination s quare will as s is t with vertical alignment. The line and the coupler/elbow collars are your jig alignment tools . Us e a clamp to hold the jig in place. The elbows need to be welded in gas tight. It is eas y to mis s s pots around the neck of the elbow.

C. Insert & Weld One Access Tube to Outer Vessel

Ins ert one of the provided 1" x 2 1/2" tubes into the hole directly to the right of the vertical weld s eam. Make s ure it is flus h agains t the ins ide of the reactor. Keeping it s quared up and parallel to the mid-flange (this is very important!), tack and then make a full weld around to s eal it.

(* pictures from earlier vers ion)

D. Fit & Tack the Air Neck Over top of Reactor

Start as photo s hows , fitting 1s t hole in air neck over inlet tube. Pus h and fit it into place, keeping top and bottom edges of air neck pus hed fully tight up agains t mid flange and outer reactor wall Tack as you go around, again making s ure air neck is tight to mid flange and wall of outer ves s el. There will be a 3/32" to 1/8" s pace between top edge of air neck and top flange. Your tack welds made previous ly on this joint s hould not interfere with the air neck being pus hed tight to the wall.

E. Fit and Weld 2nd Access Tube Through Air Neck

Fit 2nd acces s tube through corres ponding hole in air neck and jus t through the hole in reactor wall. This tube s hould not protrude through, but be flus h with reactor wall. This tube als o needs to be parallel with the plane of the mid flange. Us e of a die grinder or a round file on the holes may be required to ens ure a good parallel fit. Make a full weld around the hole on the inside of the reactor, als o where it comes out of the Air Neck on the outs ide

F. Weld 1" Threaded Air Intake to Air Neck

Fit over the larger, remaining hole on the Air Neck. Again, make s ure it is oriented parallel and in plane with the mid flange. Tack and then make a full s ealing weld around the intake.

G. Bolt Reactor into Cowling

Ins ert reactor into gas cowling, and align the bolt holes in the flange plates A bolt hole directly below the 1" threaded air intake s hould be oriented 2 holes off, counterclockwis e from the gas inlet on the cowling. Pleas e s ee photo on the right for the proper orientation. Bolt the reactor lid onto the reactor top. Bolt down tightly! This s tep is to keep the mid flange from warping during welding, which comes next.

H. Stitch Weld Around the Air Neck, Alternating Top and Bottom Edges
We've us ed 2"-3" welds at a cooler s etting, making a weld on the mid flange/airneck s eam, and then alternating to the mid flange/top flange s eam, leaving 2"-3" unwelded s paces between them as we go. This dis tributes heat and allows s ome cooling as you go around. See photos . The 3/32"-1/8" gap above the airneck and beneath the top flange s hould become fully filled with weld bead as you go. Both of thes e s eams need to be good and airtight for proper functioning of your GEK! Keep rotating the ves s el, filling and alternating s titches until both of thes e s eams are fully welded Weld vertical airneck s eam When fully welded, s et as ide and let cool. Do not remove bolts until it has had a chance to cool off!

I. Unbolt Vessels and Weld in 1/2" NPT to 15/16" Flare Fittings

Before unbolting you may have to s traighten/flatten s ome portions of the mid flange and cowling top flange with a hammer Unbolt ves s els and pull out reactor, then flip it ups ide down Weld in 1/2" NPT to 15/16" gas adapters for air inlet tubes down through the mid flange plate. Fit the narrower threaded ends through the holes in the mid-flange. Make s ure the adapters are centered in each hole, and aligned accurately with s ide of ves s el tube. Als o, one of the corners of the hexagon of each fitting needs to be pointed directly toward the reactor wall for bes t welding. Weld all the way around, making s ure they are air tight. Finis h welding the s eam all the way around bottom of the mid-flange

III) Air Nozzles

Weld 3/8 s treet elbows onto ends of 1" x 7.25'' air nozzle tubes . Make s ure the elbows are welded on s traight at a 90 degree angle from the nozzle tubes . Tolerances: Make s ure thes e are level and even; this is part of the heart of the reactor. If thes e are uneven, they will promote an uneven combus tion zone in the reactor.

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