ATMOS - Jaroslav Cankař a syn

DURABILITY OF ATMOS STEEL BOILERS VS. CAST-IRON BOILERS

The mean durability of ATMOS steel ecological gasifying boilers, under the recommended connection with a thermoregulation valve and a Laddomat 21, is 10 years. Therefore, the combustion and adjacent chambers of ATMOS boilers are made of high-grade, 6-mm-thick steel sheets. In practice, boiler durability can be higher or lower, depending on various factors, which we want to emphasise.

Principle: the gasification of fuel on the gasification jet or gasification grate produces hot wood coal (cinder), which releases gases under a limited supply of air; these gases mix with secondary air in the gasification jet or on the grate and burn off as a flame in the bottom chamber. Fuel is pre-dried in a zone above the hot layer, where gas is produced. This process releases water vapour and certain gases. If these non-combusted gases and water vapour condense, substances (tars and acids) that damage the boiler drum are produced. Long-term exposure to these substances causes corrosion of various areas (surfaces) and thereby reduces the material thickness.
This must be understood as a tax paid to natural laws as we strive for maximum efficiency and best possible combustion of solid fuels.

It must be said that if we produced a gasifying boiler of cast iron, from which classic boilers are commonly made, and the boiler would not be protected against low-temperature corrosion, the boiler drum would be damaged in a similar fashion -- perhaps in a shorter time. Therefore, we want to responsibly say that the declared higher durability of classic cast-iron boilers is caused by the method of combustion, i.e. through-burning or burning-off, which cannot allow higher efficiency and environmentally friendly heating with a great output control. This is not the right way to the EU.

Therefore, it is more economical for a customer to buy a steel gasifying boiler with great efficiency and high-quality installation, than a boiler made of special materials for double or triple the price, or than a classic boiler which heats everything but the house. The basic idea is to achieve a situation when a minimum of tar and acid is produced in the charging chamber.
It is fundamental accomplish a condition when no tars or acids which damage the boiler body originate in the stoke space. Therefore, the basic conditions for the gasifying boiler operation must be defined :

• Always burn dry wood containing 12 - 20 % moisture - often underestimated.
• Provide for a high-quality boiler installation with a thermoregulation valve and a Laddomat 21 - in no operating mode must the boiler cool down to below 65 °C, the temperature of water discharged from the boiler must be at 80- 90 °C, otherwise tar and acids are produced.
• Design a suitable boiler output - the buildings heat loss and real heat consumption must correspond to the boiler output - the boiler must not be heavily overrated or underrated.
• Use a boiler output - the boiler is not designed for permanent heating at its minimum output, which causes a low combustion products´ temperature (e.g. only heating the boiler in summer). In this situation acids and tar are not burned and accumulate in the fuel tank.