Nyle 200 set up

[AusLJW]

Hello
I'm just setting up a Nyle/WM L200 dryer in a 20 foot Non operational reefer (NOR(Shipping container))
My stack width will be 1.2m (4 Feet).  The dehumidiier will be on one side of the stack.  What is the optimal distance between the stack and the wall on the other side given that the the internal width of the NOR is 2.2m (just over 7 feet).
Is it worth thinking about air deflectors to help smooth air flows and reduce turbulance or is that going a bit far.

Regards

AusLJW

[Raider]

Morning: I have a 26ft freezer, with a Nyle 200. We stack 4ft wide in the center. We opted for the Auto vent system because of summer heat. Not sure that was needed if one is around to check at noon time to open and vent yourself. We have three fans that blow towards the wall and do not deflect the air and do not have any trouble as of yet. We have dried, White Oak, Elm, Red Oak, Walnut, and Cherry. It does a fine job and our Electric cost is better than I thought that it might be. 8) 8) We use a lab oven to dry our check samples, about 25-26 hours in and they are oven dry. We check moisture every morning by weight.     Raider

[karl]

We use a 20' insulated truck box with a Nyle 200.

Our cart track keeps the cart and stack 8-10" from the back wall.

The compressor is on the opposite side at the front of the box, controls in an attached cabinet on the outside.

We don't use deflectors- just make sure that the stack is well baffled so air goes through rather than around pile.

[Don_Lewis]

We normally recommend the lumber be stacked the length of the chamber. Leave 30" on one side and then a 4' stack of lumber. The fans run the length of the chamber over the lumber. The method described above obviously works for the people involved but I would be concerned about doing it that way unless you are doing short pieces or well air dried stock.

[karl]

I just realised that I neglected to say that we use three fans and that our stacks are 4' wide by 50" high.
That leaves us with 8- 10" on the pressure side of the stack and 2' + on the other so that the stack clears the compressor unit and we have access through the side door.
The cart gets baffled by a 2x6 laid along the back wall so that air doesn't just blow under the cart and stack.

[scsmith42]

Karl, Tripp Lewis once shared with me the "rule of thumb" regarding the plenum sizing (distance between the stacks and the edge of the kiln).  This rule is that the plenum width should be equal to the total thickness of all of the stickers in your stacks.

As an example, if you use 1" stickers and have 25 layers of 4/4 boards stacked in your kiln, your stack would be 50" tall (25" of boards and 25" of combined sticker gaps).  The plenum should therefore be at least 25" wide.

In my kiln, I usually stack up to 5' tall (above the kiln carts), and I use 1' stickers.  Thus, my gross sticker thickness work out to be 30", and that's the size of the plenum that I try to maintain.

To provide for good airflow, rather than installing the DH unit between the existing outer wall and the lumber stacks, I built an alcove into the wall that the DH unit sits in.  The entry filter is even with the wall, so I'm maintaining the same plemum width the entire length of the chamber.  The roof of the alcove is sloped so that the output from the DH unit is directed back into the main chamber.  This also makes it easier for me to walk the entire length - on both side - of the stacks when performing my visual inspections during drying.

Scott

[Ironwood]

I have my unit (Ebac) on the inside of my custom made "toaster oven" box 8' deep and 16 long, stacks are 6' high. I wish I had put my dehumidification unit on the outside as the other poster had stated. I could use that critical space internally AND I could then slip a sheet of aluminum in between to REALLY sterilize the wood with the separate electric base board heaters on the ceiling w/ out putting the kiln mechanicals through that temp. (the base boards are on a separate system for my unique application.

           Ironwood

[MikeH]

 Can a person make up the lack of plenum room with more fans?

[scsmith42]

Mike, re more fans, I don't know - sounds like a "Don Lewis" question...

Scott

[Don_Lewis]

The best plenum size is equal to the total sticker spacing (40 layers of 3/4" stickers = 30") but often that is not practical or possible. Another rule of thumb is 25% of the height of the pile. 40 layers of oversaw 4/4 plus 3/4 stickers -= about 80 inches high x 25% = 20"

Therefore the ideal plenum for the above would be 30" and the minimum would be 20".  In a container with a 5' stack, you would want at least 15" on the pressure side of the fans. People even cheat on that and get good results.

You can't make up for a small plenum with more fans unless we get really tricky

[oakiemac]

Is the plenum you are talking about, the distance between  the compressor unit and the stack of lumber or the distance between the wall of the kiln and the stack on the opposite side of the compressor unit?

I have about a 26' containor which I put in two 72" stacks side by side. I try to keep about 12" between the side wall and the stacks. But I put the lumber only a few inches from the compressor unit along the opposite wall. I have 3 fans which are located just above the compressor unit. I have been wondering if I need more fans because I sometimes have mold.

[Don_Lewis]

the plenum is on both sides. I wouldn't worry much about the space between the L200 and the lumber, 3-4 inches is ok, not great but oaky. The fans should be spaced evenly and you should have one for every 8 feet at most.  So at least one more would probably make sense

[karl]

All good info since our box is scheduled to be replaced with a side load kiln this spring.

Guess we've been lucky, probably helps that 90% of what we dry is pine....

I like the idea of being able to walk down both sides and for having an alcove for the condenser( had a mishap when an associate ran the cart in with the load crooked on it) :

We are planning to increase the ht of our stacks to 62" to get closer to the maximum capacity of the condenser- guess we need to have 10' wide inside rather than the 8' we had planned.
Learning all the time.... glad plans are easy to change 8)

Glad this one came around

[AusLJW]

Hello Chaps
Invaluable information.  Many thanks for the input.  Another question.  Just made up my fan baffle from 2 inch duragal angle section.  Really neat job.  Come to mount it in place in the reefer and can't find good fixing points in the ceiling.  Don't want to keep drilling holes to find something solid.  Any hints.  I was thinking of drilling 3 holes in line with the baffle right through the roof and then siliconing the hell out of them.

Regards


AusLJW

[Justin L]

It's not a good idea to have the fastener go through the roof-it will conduct the cold and moisture will condense on it and drip all the time. If the lumber is covered it may not matter...

Then again, you gotta do what you gotta do

[scsmith42]

In my instance, I drilled through the metal roof, putting a bolt and large flatwasher on the outside (heavily caulked), with a rubber isolation mount in-between the exterior skin and the fan.

My first version had the fans bolted directly to the metal skin; not a good idea...  The direct connection transfered the harmonics from the fans to the container, and you could hear the resonance 500' away!  After that, I used a longer bolt and the isolation mounts and problem solved.

No leaks in 4 years so far...

Scott