This is my home-made, miniature blast furnace. It is computer controlled via a serial port and micro-controller, with an automated fuel injection feed, and oxygen injection with the oxygen sourced by an electrolysis pool, which is also controlled by the computer. It also has a real-time feedback temperature probe- a thermocouple, which is read in by MCU ADC, and graphed on-screen. It has both an automated firing routine and intervention options that can be used to modify the fire freely on the fly. It has reached approximate temperatures in excess of 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, and can melt aluminum, and some other other soft metals (eg silver, lead, gold). By melting time comparison, I have deduced that it produces a lower temperature, but more total heat, than both a propane torch and a MAPP gas torch.
