Clear Skies Unlimited Inc. has successfully developed an emission control technology for that reduces particulate emissions in wood burning fireplaces by as much as 90%. The HearthCAT™ system is catalytic and employs a smoke capture hood to isolate the offensive pollutants and wood smoke. The system is easily installed, requires little or no maintenance and is affordable to the consumer. The HearthCAT Sysyem will work successfully in all masonry fireplaces including new construction and retro-fits. HearthCAT has also been successfully tested in Isokern Pre-Fab Masonry and factory built fireplaces.
HearthCAT Emission Control Technology
The HearthCAT Emission Control Technology is a patented catalytic system designed especially for wood burning fireplaces.Generally, the high volume of excess draft air in a fireplace precludes the successful operation of a catalytic system.The HearthCAT™ System however, utilizes a patented Smoke Hood to capture the pollutants from the fire allowing most of the dilution air to bypass the hood and exit through the flue system. The HearthCAT™ Combustor provides a secondary ignition for the combustibles before they leave the firebox as particulate pollution. The direct flame on the catalytic surface actually cleans the combustors. The HearthCAT System will allow Clear Skies Unlimited to deliver the cleanest wood burning fireplaces available anywhere in the world that meet the new air quality standards of the US EPA.
Awards & Recogition
Over the years, Clear Skies Unlimited has been recognized for various technology awards. However, the recent Vesta Award from Hearth & Home Magazine is the most gratifying. The award was presented to Clear Skies at the HPBA Expo by Mr. Gil Wood of the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Reno NV - For four consecutive years, Hearth & Home Magazine had issued the Vesta Challenge to hearth product manufacturers for the creation of a low emission, wood-burning fireplace retrofit technology. For the first three years, the challenge had not been met. Again in 2009, Hearth & Home challenged the hearth industry to develop a retro-fit technology that would dramatically reduce particulate emissions in wood-burning fireplaces without creating any smoke spillage or adversely affecting indoor air quality.
On Friday, March 20th in Reno, when the Annual Vesta Awards were held at the 2009 HPBA Expo, a winner of the coveted Vesta Challenge Award was finally announced. Was the successful company a major fireplace manufacturer with an unlimited R&D budget? No! The winner was a small technology company from Albuquerque, NM, Clear Skies Unlimited Inc. Conclusive test data indicates that HearthCAT Fireplace Technology from Clear Skies reduces particulates in open hearth masonry fireplaces by 70% and provides emission reduction in low mass fireplaces by almost 90%. The award was presented to Clear Skies Unlimited by Mr. Gilbert Wood from the US Environmental Protection Agency US EPA.
The HearthCAT System was tested at Omni Test Laboratory in Portland OR. The Omni test report was submitted to a panel of judges for review as part of the Vesta procedure. The HearthCAT Fireplace Technology reduced particulate emissions in an open hearth masonry fireplace to 3.2 g/kg. This technology has application potential in millions of fireplaces nationwide. The manufacturer projects an installed cost of $500 per unit.
This article is reprinted from Hearth News April 2009
HearthCAT Testing
The ASTM and US EPA, working with the Hearth Products Association HPBA has established a Performance Specification for woodburning fireplaces. ASTM E-2558 has been accepted as the industry standard for emissions testing of woodburning fireplaces under the auspices of ASTM.
OMNI-Test Laboratories, Inc. specializes in woodburning emissions, air quality engineering and sampling methods research. OMNI was at the forefront of state and federal emissions standards development and is the premier laboratory for testing woodstoves and fireplaces for conformance with new safety and emissions standards.
The HearthCAT Emission Control System was tested extensively at Omni-Test Laboratories in Portland, OR. All emissions testing was performed to ASTM E-2558 Annex for Masonry Fireplaces. The HearthCAT System consistently reduced particulates by an average of 70% or more. The performance results of the HearthCAT are very impressive. This fireplace emission control technology allows for high flow rates without developing back pressure while significantly reducing particulate emissions in all types of open hearth fireplaces. Data has been submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency for review.
Please click on the Icon to the right to request HearthCAT information from Clear Skies Unlimited. We are preparing a catalog that covers all of our woodburning fireplace emission control products. Thank you for your interest in our products.
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