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Feller Kiln


Seen at La Borne "Grande Feu" 2023 at Claire Linard:
L'atelier des Halliers, 18250 Neuvy-Deux-Clochers
Mobile +33 (0)6 95 45 98 45

See Four Double Construction for the most detailed description.
Volume 1 cubic metre.
Uses 2 cubic meters of wood to fire to 1320C in 10 hours
High bagwall between firebox and chamber, a few inches short of the ceiling. Flame then comes down and to the far end of the ware chamber, where there's another small gap to pull the flame under the floor, to the venturi, and then turning up into the chimney.

Front
Front
Side
Side
Rear
Rear
Door 1
Door 1
Door 2
Door 2
Door 3
Door 3

Key points:

  • air is preheated to 500C using a steel heat exchanger in the chimney, and then fed in at the back of the firebox as primary and secondary air. Both air supplies have valves to adjust the flow
  • air is sourced from a blower mounted remote from the kiln so cool - with the cooled chimney air there isn't enough draft for it to suck enough air in
  • use of mild steel shows considerable corrosion - upgraded to stainless in some places
  • also a venturi before the chimney sucks in air to burn off particulates, increasing exhaust temperature and eliminating soot

  • robust hinged door for loading, with dog clamps on it and on firebox door


Preheating the air makes combustion a lot more efficient, as less energy from the burning wood is used to heat the air. Also possibly the wood burns faster and more efficiently, so flames are shorter and less goes up the chimney?

Firers say it burns very evenly, no big swings in temperature with each stoke, and leaves very little ash behind. Tends to always fire in slight reduction, good flame and ash effects on the pots but minimal smoke. Burns any type of wood well.

Could the heat exchanger go higher if made of ceramics or silicon carbide?

References

A Revolutionary Kiln Design - Marvin Bartel - another kiln design preheating the air for a gas kiln, using ceramic tubes
Construction four a bois 1150C 1976 - photos of build of a low temperature kiln
FELLER Marc, ingenieur - biography
Four Double Construction - the most detailed info on the design
Le four Feller - blog entries by Stéphanie Weber, who owned the kiln before Linard.
Les Ateliers de Marc Feller - photos of his workshop
Marc Feller obituary - by C. Eissautier, 12 juillet 2006, la Revue de la Céramique
The Logbook - issue 04, November 2000 (sold out) - two articles: Principle for a Kiln with Post-combustion and Preheated Air, Marc Feller; Pre-heated air in Bourry-box Kilns, Michael O'Brien