Pellet-feed help! (parents' biomass system)

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To any and all who can help... I'm in the process of understanding my parents' biomass system. The one part I can't get working is the pellet feed auger / screw.


auger-opening(1).jpg


It looks like the auger screw is way too small for the pipe where it's situated, and just isn't effective. I've tried setting it up at different angles - still no joy. The screw seems to pull up some pellets, but shift around in the pipe, and climb up on top of the pellets in the pipe, and just not bring them to the top.

Background - the system is a Varmebaronen Vedolux 30 can burn either pellets or logs, with just a few adjustments / fittings to convert from one to the other. My dad, who knew the system and it's quirks, passed away last year, while it was setup to burn logs. We now want the convenience of pellets for my mum.

Quirks -- Although the installation was professionally done, for whatever reason, my dad had a DIY pellet-store (not a hopper)... and I can't get the auger to lift pellets properly. I suspect the auger-pipe may be a diy-job too. Any thoughts?
 
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It may be that the pellets are too small for that auger.

If the diameter of the pellet is smaller than the gap between auger spiral and auger wall then the uplift cannot be relied on,

( from experience of augers in food processing machinery )
 
Quirks -- Although the installation was professionally done, for whatever reason, my dad had a DIY pellet-store (not a hopper)... and I can't get the auger to lift pellets properly. I suspect the auger-pipe may be a diy-job too. Any thoughts?

The pipe and auger look to be commercially made items, rather than DIY, which suggests it should work. If that (in the photo) is the DIY hopper, then there is the issue. The auger and pipe need to go into the side of the hopper, so they are buried in the pellets. The pipe angle also needs to be fairly shallow, which may involve raising the base of the hopper.
 
The pipe and auger look to be commercially made items, rather than DIY, which suggests it should work.
It might not be a DIY pipe, but it does look a bit modified - the zigzag cuts over-shoot a bit.

It may be that the pellets are too small for that auger.
This is possibly the issue / an issue.

If that (in the photo) is the DIY hopper, then there is the issue.
No, this is just a bucket of pellets I was using. I was hoping I could find the magic angle where pellets would be able to travel up the entire length of the pipe - no joy.

Here's the diagram from the manual.... and highlights on the parts we don't have!! (the 'hopper' previously used was a 50 gallon plastic drum with a hole in the side)

I just don't want to start buying/building a hopper etc. until I know the auger is correct for the pellets.


hopper.jpg
 
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No, this is just a bucket of pellets I was using. I was hoping I could find the magic angle where pellets would be able to travel up the entire length of the pipe - no joy.

Right, I missed that point. So I can assume you are manually dropping the pellets in at the bottom? So the auger should feed them up, if its design works?

In that case, it is as stated above, the pellet size which is too small.. Can you try it with something a bit larger as a trial?
 
The company is still very much in business and their video suggests the pellets are about the right size, the video (I don't speak Swedish) shows the pellets being soaked in water to make them swell up. Perhaps the soaking is the secret to making the feed work?
 
The company is still very much in business and their video suggests the pellets are about the right size (6mm diameter-ish), the video (I don't speak Swedish) shows the pellets being soaked in water to make them swell up. Perhaps the soaking is the secret to making the feed work?

The second video on that page appears to show the actual auger. The auger has a tube down the centre, completely filling the space up between the blades - might yours be missing that?

The user manual is here - https://www.manualslib.com/products/Varmebaronen-Vedolux-30-8827233.html
 
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What you are stimulating seems to me is an out of fuel situation. What I would think you need are more pellets above the bottom of the tube so its full enough to apply pressure so they can't slip back down again,the whats moved upwards are being constantly replaced from the supply.
 
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I am almost certain it is just the tube down the centre of the auger which is missing, as I suggested above by the manufacturers own diagrams. The OP could simply test the idea with any tube which will fit reasonably snugly in the auger, even a bit of plastic tube should work.

Ignore the comment I made about damping the pellets as shown in the video - I think they were just demonstrating how dry the pellets were.
 
The second video on that page appears to show the actual auger.
If you mean this one here - that looks like a vertical auger, so a very different setup to mine... or was it another video?
Screenshot_20211004_090948.png


What you are stimulating seems to me is an out of fuel situation. What I would think you need are more pellets above the bottom of the tube so its full enough to apply pressure so they can't slip back down again,the whats moved upwards are being constantly replaced from the supply.

This could be the situation, but I don't think so. I had it fully submerged (in the big drum) running for nearly 15 min without success. Maybe a nozzle/funnel on that pipe opening would also help. Think I'll contact the manufacturer to see if the parts look ok... here's how much space the screw has:

 
If you mean this one here - that looks like a vertical auger, so a very different setup to mine... or was it another video?

I think that is the one. The principle is the same whether vertical or at an angle - the pellets need to be prevented from slipping back down, via the centre of the auger.

This could be the situation, but I don't think so. I had it fully submerged (in the big drum) running for nearly 15 min without success. Maybe a nozzle/funnel on that pipe opening would also help. Think I'll contact the manufacturer to see if the parts look ok... here's how much space the screw has:

The outer tube might be too large, but as said it looks like the pukka manufactured item, so should work. All of the feed hoppers seem to taper down to a point at the base, which the pellet auger should reach down to. Adding funnels should not be necessary.
 

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