Fuel-Efficient Firing with a

Recuperative Air Burner System

Steve Belz shares his research on an
environmentally responsible firing system

A
s a graduate student at kansas state university and an environmentally conscious
ceramist, I recently set for myself the objective of reducing the fuel consumption of our
department’s natural gas kilns. The opportunity arose to investigate sustainable, energy-
efficient kiln modifications and designs when ceramics professor Dylan J Beck and I received
a University Small Research Grant in the autumn of 2010. Utilising a recuperative air burner
system to increase fuel efficiency, an oxygen (O2) sensor for atmospheric readings and analysis
of firing practices as well as fuel-efficient materials, we achieved a significant reduction in fuel
consumption without sacrificing the durability of our kiln or the aesthetics of the ware. Any
ceramics artist interested in saving money and time on firings may benefit from our experimen-
tation, since the modifications that we made are applicable to any new or existing kiln.
The base for my research was a 12 cubic foot (.33 cubic metre) soda kiln that we constructed in
the autumn of 2010 by employing a catenary arch, cross-draft design and a supply of reclaimed,
medium-duty, hard brick. Although reusing the hard brick might initially have seemed con-
sistent with our overall goal of promoting sustainability, the high thermal mass of bricks led to
a consumption of nearly 40 percent more fuel by our new soda kiln than by our other relatively
low-thermal-mass, soft-brick kilns of comparable size. Due to the higher fuel consumption of
the hard-brick kiln, the potential benefits of adding the recuperative air burner system were

44 CeramicsTECHNICAL No. 34 2012

obviously greater. Fuel consump-
tion could, of course, have been
significantly reduced by con-
structing a soda kiln out of soft
brick but that would have necessi-
tated a shielding of those materials
from the soda vapour in order to
protect them against rapid ero-
sion. When soft brick is used for
soda kiln construction, a kiln
wash – such as one with which
we routinely coat every surface
of our shelves (recipe provided at
the end of this article) – must be
applied to the interior. Regular
inspection and maintenance is
crucial after each firing, since such
coatings are prone to flaking and Facing page: Figure 1. Assistant Professor Dylan J Beck sprays soda into Kansas State’s
chipping over time. Kiln debris soda kiln that utilises a recuperative air burner system to reduce fuel consumption.
Above: Figure 2. Illustration of soda kiln with recuperative air burner system
from this deterioration tends to by the author and Dylan J Beck.
fall on to wares, leaving dry, white
flakes that ruin surfaces. Although
we chose to build our soda kiln from hard brick partly because an ample supply was at hand, we
also took into consideration the ability of such brick to resist soda-vapour corrosion.
To obtain our initial data, we regularly fired the new soda kiln over a period of several months
to cone 6 (1200ºC) and cone 10 (1300ºC) using six traditional MR-750 Venturi burners (450,000 btu
total with seven water column inches). I recorded the consumption of natural gas by checking
the service meter before and after each firing. Upon receipt of our research grant, we removed the
Venturi burners and installed two Ward blower burners (model #MB200)(426,000 btu total with
seven water column inches) with modified high-temperature capable (400ºF [204ºC]) blowers.
We did so because blower burners have the capacity to direct otherwise wasted hot air from
around the chimney back to the burners.
The recuperative air burner system incorporates a 48-inch (122 cm) section of stainless steel,
double-walled chimney pipe located above the damper and below the roof. Exhaust heat exiting
the kiln via the internal chimney pipe (12 inch [30 cm] diameter) radiates and heats the air con-
tained by the outer pipe (16 inch [40 cm] diameter). This hot air is then forced by the blowers, via
an eight inch (20 cm) diameter, galvanised steel pipe, over the top of the kiln and back to the pri-
mary air source of the burners (see figure 2). The warmer the preheated
Specifications for recuperated
air, the more efficient is the combustion. According to our data, the recu- air burner system
perative air system has consistently produced a 10 percent reduction in • Burners Ward blower burner
natural gas consumption per firing. model MB200 with special 400ºF
When designing any recuperative air burner system, one should care- blowers.
• Cubic Feet a Minute (CFM) of
fully consider several key questions. First, what part of the kiln radi- air for each blower: 129 CFM max.
ates the hottest air to be captured by a heat exchanger? The answer will • Btu of each burner: 213,000 at
vary but most kilns can be easily modified at the chimney, just above seven water column inches.
the damper. We chose to install our heat exchanger at the chimney in • Supply pipe: eight inch diameter
Double walled chimney pipe: inner
order to make reinstallation easier on the next kiln through a simple = 12 inch diameter, outer = 16 inch
re-ducting of the eight inch (20 cm) supply pipe to the burners. In other diameter.
situations, however, it might be best to install the heat exchanger above
the arch of the kiln or around the firebox. I suspect that a modest increase in pre-combustion
air temperatures could even be achieved by simply enclosing the area around the burners with
a sheet metal box. Calculations should, of course, be made to ensure that the holes in the sheet
metal are equivalent in area to the holes for the burner ports in order to ensure that the burners

CeramicsTECHNICAL No. 34 2012 45

 Top left: Figure 6. The soda kiln’s intake and exit ports were built over-
sized and to standard size brick dimensions for easy modification of the
burners.
Above: Figure 5. Assistant Professor Dylan J Beck and Graduate
Student Jarred Pfeiffer admiring the test arch for the soda kiln. 2010.
Centre left: Figure 7. The first layer of the arch completed.
Below left: Figure 9. Completed kiln with recuperative air burner system.
Below: Figure 10. Close up of Ward MB-200 blower burners and the
preheated air duct.

receive ample oxygen for efficient combustion.

A second key question is: How will the radiated heat be returned to the burners? The hot air
must be moved by means of a fan if high levels of efficiency are to be achieved but the fan can
either push the preheated air or pull it. The more cost-effective method of pushing the air can
be achieved with a standard blower. Pulling the preheated air requires the installation of more

46 CeramicsTECHNICAL No. 34 2012

costly, specialised blowers capable of withstanding temperatures
above 180ºF (82ºC). We purchased the 400ºF (204ºC) blowers due
to cost and because the quantity of air that they were capable of
moving was adequate for the volume of our kiln.
My research also included a comparison of rates of fuel con-
sumption during cone 10 (1300ºC) and cone 6 (1200ºC) soda firings,
both of which were 10 percent lower than before we installed the
recuperative burner system. The cone 10 (1300ºC) firings, how-
ever, consistently consumed 20 percent more fuel than the cone 6
(1200ºC) firings due to the fact that the burners were on full power
for an average of two hours longer. This information is particularly
useful for those who are interested in saving fuel and shortening their firing time while making
only a small financial investment. After testing cone 10 (1300ºC) clay
bodies and glazes and lowering them to cone 6 (1200ºC) or switching
to existing cone 6 (1200ºC) clay and glazes, one could easily cut the
firing time by a couple of hours and save roughly 20 percent on fuel
costs. Changing from cone 10 (1300ºC) firing to cone 6 (1200ºC) firing
in combination with the use of a recuperative air burner system could
increase savings to 30 percent of prior cone 10 (1300ºC) fuel costs. If
one is working with stoneware clay bodies, I would argue that essen-
tially the same surfaces and ware durability can be achieved at cone 6
(1200ºC) as at cone 10 (1300ºC), in soda as well as in other gas reduction
firings (see figure 3 and 4).
The oxygen sensor made possible a precise control of the atmosphere
in our kiln and helped us to reproduce positive results. During the early
stages of a firing, many potters tend to produce overly oxidised atmos- Top: Figure 4. Jarred Pfieffer. Bulbous.
pheres, unnecessarily cooling the flames. A neutral atmosphere pro- 2011. 6 x 7 x 7 in. (15 x 17 x 17 cm.)
duces the greatest temperature rise while expending the least amount Fired to cone 6 (1200ºC), soda fired
of fuel. Later in the firing, some potters reduce too heavily, wasting stoneware.
Above: Figure 3. Chris Graber. Jar.
unburned fuel that escapes through the chimney. These problems can 2010. 25 x 22 x 22 in.
be avoided through the use of an oxygen sensor, which provides pre- (63 x 56 x 56 cm.) Fired to cone 10
cise readings of the atmosphere inside the kiln regardless of external (1300ºC) soda fired stoneware.
weather conditions.
My research has focused on the fuel consumption of kilns and some of the efficient materials,
devices and practices that are available to potters today. An oxygen sensor, by providing a pre-
cise reading of the atmosphere in the kiln, allows the operator to reproduce positive results and
to use no more than the necessary amount of fuel. Fuel consumption can also be reduced by
roughly 20 percent simply by lowering the firing temperature from cone 10 (1300ºC) to cone 6
(1200ºC). Adding a recuperative burner system, as we did, can reduce
fuel consumption by an additional 10 percent when the recuperated air Kiln Wash Recipe
temperature is 290ºF (143ºC) and fuel savings as great as 30 percent may Edgar Plastic Kaolin (EPK) 25%
Kaolin (calcined) 25%
be attainable when recuperated air temperature reaches 1000ºF (537ºC) Alumina Hydrate 50%
(Rebello. 1980.). A recuperative air system holds great potential for fuel
consumption reduction and widespread practical use, both in retrofits Apply with a brush in thin even
and in new kilns. Combining the system with other strategies yields the coats, perpendicular to each other.
greatest energy savings and, in my experience, does not entail any sacri-
fice of desired aesthetic results.

Citation
Rebello, Kohnken and Phipps, “Estimation of Fuel Savings by Recuperation of Furnace Exhausts to Preheat Combustion Air”. (Proceedings
from the Second Industrial Energy Technology Conference, Houston, Texas, US, 13–16 April, 1980.) Pp 301–308.

After many years as a potter and carpenter in Colorado, Steve Belz returned to school to focus on sculpture and to pursue a
Master of Fine Arts Degree. He is currently in his final year of graduate school at Kansas State University. 

CeramicsTECHNICAL No. 34 2012 47