What else do you build?
by Juneaudave » Sat Dec 22, 2007 12:15 pm
I've been learning how to build strip canoes and boats the last few years...
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Juneaudave - Super Duper Lifetime Member
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Wood Gas Camp Stove
by Dee Bee » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:07 am
I just finished tinkering around with a homemade camp stove that burns wood gas.
http://www.nfdc.net/home/cbdb/Wood%20Gas%20Stove/Wood%20Gas%20Stove.htm
In summary: there are three stages in the burn cycle of this stove: 1) Ignition and initial burning. There is some smoke with this. 2) Pyrolysis - creating and burning wood gas. This is when the jets of flame are seen at the top of the Combustion Chamber. Hot air is coming out the Pre-Heater, mixing with the gasses and burning. Sometimes these flames even turn near-blue. 3) When all of the volatile wood gasses have been burned off, charcoal is left. An open campfire dies out before all the charcoal is consumed. This stove has a final stage of combustion when it burns all of the residual charcoal. Even though a flame is usually not visible at this stage, the burning charcoal still gives off a great deal of heat. When the charcoal is finally consumed, only a light, papery ash remains in the bottom of the Combustion Chamber.
This stove can burn damp twigs found on the forest floor. However, dry wood always works better. Pine twigs have more pitch in the wood so they burns with a yellow flame and leave more soot on the pot bottom. Hard wood generally burns hotter and can produce a near-blue flame. Never use white gas, kerosene or gasoline in a stove like this. In a pinch, I have found that 4-5 drops of lamp oil helps light the stove. Another option is to use trick birthday candles to start the burn - the kind that never go out. Drop one of these in the middle of the small twigs
It certainly is possible to start the stove without lamp oil. Start by making three piles, each one about the size of your hand. In the first pile, place the smallest bits of twigs you can find. In the second pile , place the next largest size. In the third piles, break twigs the size of your finger into bits. Place two or three pieces of tablet paper in the Combustion Chamber. Light the paper, add some of the smallest twigs. Carefully keep adding twigs until the fire is burning on its own. By this time the smoke will stop and the jets of flame will appear.
This is a batch stove, meaning that you add additional fuel in batches as needed. Have a few piles of extra twigs near by for fuel. If the supply of fuel in the burner doesn't complete a meal or a pot of coffee, remove the pot and add another batch of twigs. The hot coals from the first batch will quickly ignite the new batch and pyrolysis will start again very quickly.
Dee Bee
http://www.nfdc.net/home/cbdb/Wood%20Gas%20Stove/Wood%20Gas%20Stove.htm
In summary: there are three stages in the burn cycle of this stove: 1) Ignition and initial burning. There is some smoke with this. 2) Pyrolysis - creating and burning wood gas. This is when the jets of flame are seen at the top of the Combustion Chamber. Hot air is coming out the Pre-Heater, mixing with the gasses and burning. Sometimes these flames even turn near-blue. 3) When all of the volatile wood gasses have been burned off, charcoal is left. An open campfire dies out before all the charcoal is consumed. This stove has a final stage of combustion when it burns all of the residual charcoal. Even though a flame is usually not visible at this stage, the burning charcoal still gives off a great deal of heat. When the charcoal is finally consumed, only a light, papery ash remains in the bottom of the Combustion Chamber.
This stove can burn damp twigs found on the forest floor. However, dry wood always works better. Pine twigs have more pitch in the wood so they burns with a yellow flame and leave more soot on the pot bottom. Hard wood generally burns hotter and can produce a near-blue flame. Never use white gas, kerosene or gasoline in a stove like this. In a pinch, I have found that 4-5 drops of lamp oil helps light the stove. Another option is to use trick birthday candles to start the burn - the kind that never go out. Drop one of these in the middle of the small twigs
It certainly is possible to start the stove without lamp oil. Start by making three piles, each one about the size of your hand. In the first pile, place the smallest bits of twigs you can find. In the second pile , place the next largest size. In the third piles, break twigs the size of your finger into bits. Place two or three pieces of tablet paper in the Combustion Chamber. Light the paper, add some of the smallest twigs. Carefully keep adding twigs until the fire is burning on its own. By this time the smoke will stop and the jets of flame will appear.
This is a batch stove, meaning that you add additional fuel in batches as needed. Have a few piles of extra twigs near by for fuel. If the supply of fuel in the burner doesn't complete a meal or a pot of coffee, remove the pot and add another batch of twigs. The hot coals from the first batch will quickly ignite the new batch and pyrolysis will start again very quickly.
Dee Bee
Grace happens...
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Dee Bee - 500 Club
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