Dave Finkelnburg on tue 26 jun 01
Mariko,
I'm sure Fred will reply about your question about the specific chart
recording pyrometer.
In general, you can readily get a plot like Fred showed by recording the
temperature each hour and plotting a graph. It's a good idea to check on
the kiln at least that frequently anyway. I did that on my electric kiln
firings, both heating and cooling, until I got used to how it fired. I
still do it for my gas kiln firings.
If you use a decent kiln vent, you'll get a clean, oxidizing environment
inside the kiln.
Without a vent, the products of combustion can conceivably fill the kiln
with CO2 and H20 and some SO2 but just pulling a little fresh air through
the kiln will clean that out and provide oxygen.
You can measure the oxygen level in the kiln with an OxyProbe, but it's
an expensive tool. I question whether it would be worthwhile for you unless
you are doing gas reduction, as many folks are beginning to do in electric
kilns.
Good firing!
Dave Finkelnburg in Idaho
-----Original Message-----
From: mariko cruse
Dear Fredrick Paget,
Thank you for posting your data on the cooling Rate.
Would you please tell me if I could hook a Parthlow recording pyrometer on
my Skutt kiln with a wall mount Control? I have been recording my rate
every hour whenever I fire, but I was not aware that a continuous recording
pyrometer was available. It's so much easier to see the overall picture on
those circular sheets. (I used to use them to record fluctuations in
temperature in a pharmaceutical company's freezer, and the FDA loved that!)
Also, is there a device to measure the amount of oxigenation in a electric
kiln? I realize that we don't need O2 to heat the elements, but I am
curious about so called "clean oxidizing " environment in an electric kiln.
Thanking you in advance, Mariko
mariko cruse on tue 26 jun 01
Dear Fredrick Paget,
Thank you for posting your data on the cooling Rate.
Would you please tell me if I could hook a Parthlow recording pyrometer =
on my Skutt kiln with a wall mount Control? I have been recording my =
rate every hour whenever I fire, but I was not aware that a continuous =
recording pyrometer was available. It's so much easier to see the =
overall picture on those circular sheets. (I used to use them to record =
fluctuations in temperature in a pharmaceutical company's freezer, and =
the FDA loved that!)
Also, is there a device to measure the amount of oxigenation in a =
electric kiln? I realize that we don't need O2 to heat the elements, =
but I am curious about so called "clean oxidizing " environment in an =
electric kiln. Thanking you in advance, Mariko
Fredrick Paget on wed 27 jun 01
Mariko-
Yes you can hook a Partlow recording instrument to any kiln, You just have
to stick the thermocouple through a hole in the kiln wall. I bored a
separate hole for mine but you could use a peep hole as well if you used
ceramic fiber to make it fit.
I saw how handy one of these is when I took a workshop on Crystal glazes
put on by Carol Spahr a few years ago. She had one and brought it to the
workshop.
The Partlow MRC5000 has a digital readout on the face of the instrument
below the chart which gives the temperature readings to 4 figures. It is
pretty accurate too, probably within about 4 or 5 degrees F. It can be set
to use any thermocouple such as K, R, or S for high temperature or others
if only used for low temperature work.
The instrument is sold in a panel mounting configuration, that is, it is
usually mounted in a panel and as such it is not a free standing instrument
all ready to go, You have to supply a mounting frame or box and it must be
kept within 30 degrees of vertical to be compliant with the instructions
that came with it. Also there is no power cord, fuse or switch or
thermocouple - you have to supply those. Also thermocouple extension wire
is needed and a thermocouple connector plug and receptacle are nice to
have. Mark Ward sells these and he could get the instrument as well .
Figure on spending $800 US more or less. Look at the website:
http://www.partlow.com/pw/products/Partlow/ElecRecorders/mrc5000.htm
There are many different options. Mine has only 1 pen and no relays. I use
an 8 hour rotation and the chart paper goes from 0 to 2500 deg.F. Many
other choices are available.
This technology is getting to be sort of old now and the trend is to hook
up to computers with instruments called data loggers.
I haven't tried it but I suppose an oxygen probe would work for the
atmosphere in an electric kiln. They are usually used in gas kilns. If you
have a kiln vent the atmosphere is more likely to be "clean oxidizing".
There might be times when the kiln vent is overwhelmed such as the time
when the paper in paper clay is burning out .
Fred
>Dear Fredrick Paget,
>Thank you for posting your data on the cooling Rate.
>Would you please tell me if I could hook a Parthlow recording pyrometer =
>on my Skutt kiln with a wall mount Control? .......
>
>Also, is there a device to measure the amount of oxigenation in a =
>electric kiln? I realize that we don't need O2 to heat the elements, =
>but I am curious about so called "clean oxidizing " environment in an =
>electric kiln. Thanking you in advance, Mariko
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.
>From Fred Paget, Marin County, California, USA
WHC228@AOL.COM on wed 27 jun 01
For those of you that are interested in time temperature recorders and have
Bartlett controllers on their kilns perhaps it would be best to look into a
KISS program from Bartlett. It will allow you to control your kiln from your
computer and get both a graph and a spreadsheet if you have an excel program.
It will allow you to track all three zones in your kiln and make adjustments
if you want to raise or lower the temperature in one of the three zones. It
is a lot less money than any other recorder that I know of and does more for
you.
Bill
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