On Sun, 9 Nov 2008 15:16:22 -0500, "Javahut"
wrote:


"Steve Ackman" wrote in message
. org...
In , on Sat, 08 Nov 2008
17:25:11 -0500, Joe, wrote:
Well, the Subject line says it all, at least for now.

Actually, I need to know what size drill to use to open up a LP screen on
my
ribbon burner for use with Natural Gas.

Since LP contains roughly 2.4 times the energy per
cubic foot as natural gas, the area of the orifice for
natural gas would need to be 2.4 times the one for LP
given the same pressure. Possibly (probably?) you won't
have the same pressure, but since I have almost no
experience with Natural gas, I wouldn't stake anything
on that.

I'm not sure what you mean by "screen" but if it's
as I'm envisioning, I think you want to open (or
preferably change) the jet rather than the screen.

About the only experience I have with changing a gas
orifice size is this (which doesn't really apply to
your situation, but being as it's essentially the same
thing as a ribbon burner, might be of interest
nonetheless):
http://wizard.dyndns.org/machine/gas-jets.html

Jeez, this ng has been kinda dead for the past few weeks. Look what
happens when one guy retires...

You might want to ping Neon John in
alt.energy.homepower to drop by here for a better
answer.

--
??

Hey Joe, did you try the manufacturer or distributor of the burner to ask
them about the orfice, and that is what you want to change, not the screen.
You need a larger jet, but I don't know for sure how much larger without
knowing your burner. I have a friend that ran NG with his ribbon burner and
I could drop him a note to find out what he uses at what pressure.

Without questions, there isn't much activity.


A neon ribbon burner has no jet that I am aware of. The "screen" is
actually a metal plate full of small holes that, I guess, serves the
purpose of multiple jets. To change a ribbon burner from LP to NG, the
manufacturer just supplies a new screen. The burner head (with the
screen) sits on an "economizer", which basically just shuts most of
the gas off to just a pilot. The same economizer is used for both the
LP and the NG versions.

See: http://www.voltarc.com/NeonFabrication.htm##Burners
and scroll down to the 16" burners.

Unfortunately, I've been told the replacement screens are no longer
available, and the distributor hasn't been too forthcoming with the
information I need.

The type I have was made by Hyde or Voltarc (depending on age: I think
they were the same thing - at any rate I have one of each and they
look identical). I know there are ribbon burners of a more
conventional construction, but that's not what is normally used in
neon fabrication.

If you have a friend with a neon ribbon burner of this type, I'd
appreciate knowing what size the holes are. The dist. did tell me that
it's just a standard number drill, but he didn't remember what one. I
just plan to modify one screen, and leave the other intact, in case I
ever want to (have to?) go back to the expensive gas.

I'll also try the Neon John ping.

Thanks to you guys for your replies.
Joe