Plate Heat Exchanger

[snag96]

I was wondering... I have a 10 plate ss heat exchanger that I had used for my domestic hot water from my outdoor boiler. I was wondering if I ran the sap through this with a hot water loop counterflowing if this would work as a decent preheater? Anyone used one? I have a SS "U" loop that is made to go in a woodstove for a hot water loop. Thought about putting that in the rear of the arch to catch the last of the flue gas. Add a small circulating pump and done.? Also wondered if the water in the loop would create it's own circulation due to the water temp differential if the "U" tube was lower than the exchanger. That would eliminate the need for a circulating pump. Any thoughts? Would it need a pressure relief valve?

[RileySugarbush]

If you don't put a pressure relief valve in that might be your last post!

The last of the flue gasses have a tremendous amount of energy and could easily boil your water loop, and that could be disastrous.

Your idea could work to heat preheat the sap, but keep in mind the best that will do is increase your overall rate by 15%, and probably much less than that.

You sound ambitious and ingenious. Put that enthusiasm into improving your pans, draft, and firebox and you could probably double your rate.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I used one of the big ones and did the whole boiler set up low pressure fill, expansion tank, pressure relief, circulator pump, air scoop and all the right things EXCEPT a big enough coil in the flue stack. Im going back to a steam coil heat exchanger.