Jonathan Kaplan on wed 11 mar 98
One wonders that most of the fiber constructed kilns these days use modules
in one configuration or another rather than large areas covered by a pinned
blanket.
I am not " engineer" enough to calculate or discourse on the R values of
compressed fiber or not, however, I do have lengthy experience with both
the use of compressed fiber and non conmpressed fiber in both studio and
fatory situations.
That modules are compressed during installation is correct, and some
modules are mechanically compressed using hydraulic or pneumatic
compression devices, in the case of long folded custom modules. There are
other modules that come with bands that hold the module in compression
during installation and then are removed or burnt off prior to firing.
These modules then expand to fill the voids, and in my experience, hold
their shape, form, and do indeed help to counteract the innate shrinking of
the fiber. I am sure that over time the compression factor is lessened as
the kiln is fired. Does this compromise the R value? I don't know, but it
seems that my 7" inch fiber walled kiln has quite the cool face while the
hot face is at cone 10, much akin to a 9" IFB kiln. The insulating
efficiency per inch of fiber relative to brick, the ability of fiber not to
need the heat storage factor as IFB does, and the fact the with proper
fiber selection and installation, less wall thickness can be achieved
relative to a brick mass. With prop[er fiber installation and maintenance,
as well as care, I would submit that I'll get many many years of happy
camper firings from my fiber kiln. And not to mention that with proper
selection of combustion devices (burners), the efficiency ot fiber in my
experience outweighs that of brick. Again, my experience. I'll not make
blanket statements. My current fiber kiln, a 50 cubic foot car kiln with
two forced air burners,at the last calculation, coses $13.75-$16.00 to fire
to cone 10 using natural gas.
What I objected to in aprevious post was the use of the "blanket
statement." If such statements are posted to the list, back them up. Cite
text references, industrial studies with relevent data to support your
statement that is put out as dogma. In all my years of posting to this
list, my opinions have never been presented as the only way or as dogma.
This field is too wide and too diverse. We all have ways of working that
work for us. Share them, if you wish, but with a caveat that "this works
for me and may not work for others" or some such "disclaimer", but please
don't post information as dogma without proper substantiation.
Jonathan
Jonathan Kaplan http://www.sni.net/ceramicdesign/
http://www.ceramicsoftware.com/education/clay/kaplan1.htm
jonathan@csn.net
Ceramic Design Group Ltd./Production Services Voice:
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rscorl on thu 12 mar 98
Mudskippers,
I think that some of us are getting confused about insulation compression from
years of 'This Old House' telling us that if you compress fiberglass or cellulos
insulation that it will lose it's R-value. I believe fiber kiln material is a
different animal so don't get confused. The performance of the two are not for t
same purpose. One is for holding incredibly high temperatures for relatively sho
periods of time. The other is to hold slight differences between outside and ins
temps over long periods of time relatively speaking. It's the old apples and
oranges dilemma ;)
Ron
Big Baby Head Pottery
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