This furnace is the work-horse of the project with more than 200 lava flow experiments and demonstrations to date. The used furnace, originally designed for work with metals, was modified by Upstate Refractory Services and Bob Wysocki specifically for making lava. The furnace is operated outside the Comstock Art Bldg on the Syracuse University campus. It is extremely versatile and allows for controlled temperatures and pouring rates for a wide variety of experiments. Reconfiguration of the heating system has allowed the furnace to become portable for lava flow demonstrations away from Syracuse University. The first off-site lava flows were produced in Death Valley, CA for a British documentary on planetary evolution.
Construction
The tilt furnace before renovation in Montreal
Freshly renovated tilt furnace
The tilt furnace arrives in Syracuse.
Silicon carbide crucible that holds the molten lava inside the furnace. One crucible last for weeks of use, but much less if subjected to heating/cooling cycles.
Installing a crucible inside the Comstock Art Bldg.
Centering the crucible in the furnace.
The furnace toppled outside the Comstock Art Bldg when it rolled off its concrete slab. No permanent damage occurred.
Operations at SU
Checking the lava in the tilt furnace.
Bob Wysocki operating the tilt furnace for a lava flow experiment.
FLIR (infrared) image of the tilt furnace in action.
An early lava flow demonstration.
UAS (drone) view of the tilt furnace and operations outside the Comstock Art Bldg on the Syracuse University Campus.
Bob Wysocki supervises preparations for a lava flow experiment.
Lava flow experiment documented with various cameras and thermocouples by graduate students Chris Sant and James Farrell (on ladder).
End of a lava flow experiment.
Death Valley Operations
Off-loading the tilt furnace from a container shipped from SU to Death Valley, CA.
