Waste litter heater

Abstract

An automatic biomass fuel burning heating device and method comprising a burn chamber having a sloped floor and a feed auger supplying biomass fuel to be burned. A burn chamber having a feed auger opening in a burn chamber wall. An ash auger to carry ash away from a base of said sloped floor and a heat exchanger carries supply air through the burn chamber to heat a space such as a brooder house. A fan drives supply air through the heat exchanger and a control regulates the speed of the fan and the operation of the feed auger. The control maintain supply air into the brooder house at a constant set temperature by varying the volume rate of air flow based on air inlet temperature and the temperature in the burn chamber.

1 . An automatic biomass fuel burning heating device comprising; 
 a burn chamber having a sloped floor,    a fuel feed supplying biomass fuel to be burned to said burn chamber through an opening;    an ash auger to carry ash away from a base of said sloped floor,    a heat exchanger carrying supply air through said burn chamber to heat a space,    a supply air fan moving said supply air through said heat exchanger;    a control controlling said supply air fan and said fuel feed.    
   
   
       2 . The automatic biomass fuel burning heating device of  claim 1  wherein said control regulates a speed of said supply fan air in response to a temperature of supply air exiting said heat exchanger.  
   
   
       3 . The automatic biomass fuel burning heating device of  claim 1  wherein said biomass fuel is used animal litter.  
   
   
       4 . The automatic biomass fuel burning heating device of  claim 1  wherein said biomass fuel is supplied to an upper portion of said sloped floor and moves down said sloped floor toward said auger as it burns.  
   
   
       5 . The automatic biomass fuel burning device of  claim 1  wherein said control includes an automatic operation mode wherein said fuel auger runs at a constant speed and wherein said ash auger runs at a constant speed.  
   
   
       6 . The automatic biomass fuel burning device of  claim 5  wherein said control includes a manual light mode and an automatic relight mode wherein if said control senses a reduction in firebox temperature it will automatically stop the fuel feed auger.  
   
   
       7 . The automatic biomass fuel burning device of  claim 2  wherein said opening is above said sloped floor.  
   
   
       8 . A method of heating a brooder house with supply air including the steps of; 
 supplying an automatic flow of biomass fuel to a fire in a burn chamber;    supplying a flow of combustion air to said burn chamber;    auguring ash away from said burn chamber as said fire is burning;    monitoring a temperature of said supply air;    controlling flow of supply air through a heat exchanger to maintain a constant supply air temperature.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the step of supplying an automatic flow of biomass fuel includes the step of interrupting the flow of biomass fuel if a sensed temperature in said burn chamber fall below a preset level.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the step of supplying an automatic flow of biomass fuel includes the further step of interrupting the flow of biomass fuel if the sensed temperature in said burn chamber rises above a preset level.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the step of controlling the flow of supply air includes slowing the speed of a supply air fan if the sensed temperature of the supply air falls below a preset limit.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the step of supplying an automatic flow of biomass fuel includes the step of auguring fuel from a hopper.  
   
   
       13 . A brooder house heating device comprising; 
 a burn chamber having a sloped burn surface,    a fuel feed supplying biomass fuel to be burned to said burn chamber through an opening;    an ash auger to carry ash away from a base of said sloped burn surface,    a heat exchanger carrying supply air through said burn chamber to heat a space,    a supply air fan moving said supply air through said heat exchanger;    a control controlling said supply air fan and said fuel feed.    
   
   
       14 . The brooder house heating device of  claim 13  wherein said control regulates the speed of said supply fan air in response to a temperature of supply air exiting said heat exchanger to heat said brooder house.  
   
   
       15 . The brooder house heating device of  claim 14  wherein said biomass fuel is used litter from said brooder house.  
   
   
       16 . The brooder house heating device of  claim 14  wherein said biomass fuel is supplied to an upper portion of said sloped burn surface and moves toward said base as it burns.  
   
   
       17 . The brooder house heating device of  claim 16  wherein combustion air is supplied to said burn chamber through said sloped burn surface.  
   
   
       18 . The brooder house heating device of  claim 17  wherein said control includes an automatic operation mode wherein said fuel auger runs at a constant speed and wherein said ash auger runs at a constant speed.