Building a solar kiln using a ocean going container

[JSwigga]

Has anyone built, seen, or heard of a ocean going container converted into a solar kiln.  I've seen them converted into conventional and DH kilns but never a solar.  Any information would be helpful.. Thank you and happy holidays! :christmas:

[longtime lurker]

There's a guy down the road a way that has one of these:

http://www.solardry.com.au/solardry/solar-timber-kiln-10m.htm

It's a very good system that produces a high grade product at low cost. Way overpriced IMHO, but in the "wouldn't be that hard to make it on the cheap yourself" bracket.  All you'd need is a couple small car radiators and some fans inside the container and the hot water system outside. Beyond that it's all control systems for venting etc same as a normal kiln.

[alsayyed]

 

 



  

 


Hello to answer your question. It is very good to use container for drying wood. I am using one since 3 years ago. I wish I can post pictures because I am having problem when it comes posting pictures.

        I have 20 feet container. I have installed two oscillating fans and automatic switch I mean timer. The reason I have installed timer so I will control the fans. What I have done, leave the two fans run for one hour and shut for half an hour. Then when it gets dark I mean 6 pm the fans stop till next day. I have installed exhausts fan just to get rid of the smell and the moisture inside.  I have placed dial thermometer from outside so I can see what is the temperature inside the container. You know the temperature in Qatar gets up to 130 F. we have almost 8 months of summer. But know it is cold around 40 F.

        Let me tell you I am very happy  of what I have done I keep the wood inside the kiln for two months  and it is done. I get 7-8 inch of cracks at the beginning of the slab but that is ok. I dry different spieces like camphor, kini, eucalyptus, and acacia wood, and my favorite is the Ziziphus spinachristi

Hopefully this is helpful to you



My advice to you is just go head and buy one and do it you will not regret it.

[Leigh Family Farm]

In Qatar it is very hot so I would think that the sun would bake the wood inside the container regardless of the windows to let in the light. It is pretty ingenious though...

JSwigga, my take on the contianer is that you would need a good welder to have windows placed in the sides and roof. If you could find a container for a couple hundred dollars, it might be worth it but I think you are going to have an easier time just building a solar kiln.

[jdonovan]

I think a traditional solar kiln, based on the VaTech design would be less well suited to a shipping container conversion.

The hot water sourced ones might work if you are in a very sunny, higher temperature area.  The one that was linked to above, is marked to Australia. Keep in mind that Australia is roughly at the same latitude as south Florida.

If you don't do hot water you would need to do quite a bit of fabrication to get a perpendicular to the sun solar collector added to it, and that would likely negate much of the labor, and cost savings from using the container. Now if you had access to a bunch of free containers in good shape, that might change the economics somewhat.

so if I had to do this...

My first thoughts on design/construction would be a trombe wall on the long side of the container that was facing the sun.

The Va tech solar kiln has a intentional design ratio of solar collector to BD-ft ratio to keep the drying rate reasonable for Va's climate & wood species.  1 sq-ft to 10 bd-ft. With a trombe wall, your collector would be less efficient, as it would not be perpendicular to the sun. But you might be able to get the trombe wall to use both the top & side to increase collector area. 

side + top, on a 20' container would be (8.5+8)*20 = 330 sq-ft. Even with a 50% 'less efficient' capture that still a viable 1500 bd-ft kiln.

the only remaining 'problem' to solve would be loading. You'd need to load from the end, which would mean designing/building a kiln cart/track system or a somewhat slow/awkward hand loading arrangement.

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

I agree with jdonovan's approach and his thoughts, and would add that the building a separate collector, hot air, on the roof or in front of the south facing wall and a blower system would certainly be half the cost of the VT solar kiln.  Add the cost of an insulated container and i do believe the VT kiln is in the same price range, if not cheaper.