Flue gas precipitates and condensation within combustion systems

Wood and most all biomass are hydrocarbons, that is why they make good fuel sources. The hydrogen fraction of their complex molecules when burned will create a significant commensurate percentage of water vapor that is in addition to the water entrained in the biomass feedstock. 15% moisture firewood plus the hydrogen from it's hydrocarbon can produce flue gasses of about 30% water vapor. Additionally there are many other atomized effluents in the flue gasses of a burner that will begin to condense within the flue once the heat is extracted below 300c. Ideally your setup should extract the heat of combustion all the way down to ambient. So it is very important for us at hastyheat.com to bear in mind and engineer for these condensates within the flue gasses of our wood stoves at the points along the flow where the temperature drops below the dew point of those elements contained in all flue gasses. The more automated the better, but clean out will always be necessary. These condensates are usefu distilled resources that can be harvested for other uses.