The vertical shaft brick kiln

The vertical shaft brick kiln

Introduction

The vertical shaft brick kiln (VSBK) is classed as a continuous updraft kiln and represents a comparatively new and unique method of firing bricks. It was developed in China in the late 1960s during the cultural revolution, when there was a large demand for bricks in the rural are as of China. There are thousands of this type of kiln currently operating in China, but only a few proto types have so far been built in other countries.

It is a revolutionary type of brick kiln, combining the simplicity and low cost of updraft firing with very impressive fuel economy, plus the benefits of continuous operation. It is used in China as a single or double shaft kiln by small scale seasonal brick making entrepreneurs, wherever there is an abundance of good brick making clay and a reliable supply of coal fines. Its operation is very similar to that of a vertical shaft limekiln, with coal and bricks being loaded at the top, and fired bricks combined with a small amount of ash being unloaded at the bottom.

Kiln design:

Within a roofed and buttressed rectangular support building is a well insulated fire-brick lined firing shaft, open at the top and bottom. This shaft is approximately 6.5 meters in height with the central 4 meters being lined with a single layer of firebrick. There are two versions of the kiln currently in use: a single shafted model with a 1.5 x 1 meter rectangular shaft and a doubles hafted model where the shafts are 1 meter square.

At the base of each shaft is an arched unloading tunnel running through the centre of the kiln. This tunnel allows access to both sides of the base of the firing shaft and contains the brick support and unloading equipment.


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