Variable fuel cooker

Abstract

An improved auger system for delivering combustible material to a burn box within a cooker, such as a grill or smoker, uses a pivotable coupling between the auger shaft and the drive motor, enabling the auger to adjust its alignment within the tube to accommodate irregularly shaped materials, thus minimizing jamming and improving the consistency of material delivery. The system also incorporates a mechanism to prevent material bridging in the hopper, ensuring the continuous flow of material into the auger tube as well as an auger cover flap pivotably mounted at the outlet end of an auger tube. A programmable controller allows users to select between variable combustible materials and regulate grill systems, allowing adjustment of cooker elements including the auger, airflow fans, and a hopper agitator to optimize combustion efficiency and maintain consistent cooking temperatures, adapting to the characteristics of each fuel type.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling a device configured to use at least two different combustible material fuel types, the method comprising:
 receive selection of a fuel type of combustible material;   loading a hopper with a combustible material s;   transporting the combustible material from the hopper to a burn box via an auger running between the hopper and the burn box;   adjusting the auger's orientation within an auger tube in response to irregularly sized or shaped combustible material to facilitate transportation of the combustible material from a hopper to a burn box; and   adjusting one or more of the airflow into the burn box or the feed rate of the combustible material to facilitate burning of the combustible material, wherein the feed rate is adjusted based on fuel type of combustible material.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising agitating the combustible material using an agitator coupled to the hopper and configured to engage the combustible material as it leaves the auger. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the airflow into the burn box is adjusted by modifying the speed of a fan to facilitate burning of the combustible material. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the speed of the fan is dynamically adjusted in response to real-time temperature data from a sensor positioned within a cooking chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the combustible material fuel type is selected from a group consisting of wood pellets or wood chips, and the feed rate of the combustible material is adjusted to a rate between 1.5 and 2.25 times higher speed for wood chips than wood pellets. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein adjusting one or more of the airflow into the burn box or the feed rate of the combustible material to facilitate burning of the combustible material occurs via remote wireless connectivity. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein monitoring a temperature of the combustible material burning in the burn box occurs via remote wireless connectivity. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising clearing material above the auger using a clearing mechanism positioned in the hopper. 
     
     
         9 . A method for controlling a device configured to use combustible material selected from a group consisting of wood pellets or wood chips, the method comprising:
 loading a hopper with the combustible material;   transporting the combustible material from the hopper to a burn box via an auger running between the hopper and the burn box;   adjusting the auger's orientation within an auger tube in response to irregularly sized or shaped combustible material to facilitate transportation of the combustible material from a hopper to a burn box; and   adjusting one or more of the airflow into the burn box or the feed rate of the combustible material to facilitate burning of the combustible material, wherein the feed rate is at a higher speed for wood chips than wood pellets.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising agitating the combustible material using an agitator coupled to the hopper and configured to engage the combustible material as it leaves the auger. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the airflow into the burn box is adjusted by modifying the speed of a fan to facilitate burning of the combustible material. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the speed of the fan is dynamically adjusted in response to real-time temperature data from a sensor positioned within a cooking chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the feed rate of the combustible material is adjusted to a rate between 1.5 and 2.25 times higher speed for wood chips than wood pellets. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein adjusting one or more of the airflow into the burn box or the feed rate of the combustible material to facilitate burning of the combustible material occurs via remote wireless connectivity. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising clearing material above the auger using a clearing mechanism positioned in the hopper. 
     
     
         16 . A system for delivering and burning variable combustible material, comprising:
 a hopper for holding the combustible material;   an auger system including an auger and an auger tube, the auger pivotably connected within the auger tube to facilitate adjustment of the auger's orientation within the auger tube in response to irregularly sized or shaped combustible material, through which the combustible material is transported from the hopper to a burn box;   a motor operatively connected to the auger to drive the auger;   a fan for controlling airflow into the burn box to facilitate combustion;   a clearing mechanism positioned in the hopper configured to prevent material bridging above the auger;   a programmable controller operatively coupled to the motor, fan, and clearing mechanism, wherein the programmable controller is configured to control the operation of the cooker based on the type of combustible material selected.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the programmable controller consists of one or more microprocessors controllably linked to the motor, fan, and clearing mechanism that are configured to adjust one or more of the airflow into the burn box or the feed rate of the combustible material to facilitate burning of the combustible material. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the microprocessor is configured to adjust the feed rate of the auger at a rate between 1.5 and 2.25 times higher speed for wood chips than wood pellets. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the microprocessor is configured to dynamically adjust the speed of the fan to control airflow in response to real-time temperature data from a sensor positioned within a cooking chamber. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the programable controller regulates the auger feed rate based on temperature data within a cooking chamber.