Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2014 09:36:12 -0800
Reply-To: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Subject: Re: mini review of Ecoque grill (van camping grill/bbq)
In-Reply-To: <CAFnDXk1aC7-SUA4a3c1ykSKoSe2x5GkQ9EbqoUrBtSvsasRhow@mail.gmail.com>
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Jim,
my extensive research (ha!) over the years on this subject….
Much work has been done on improving wood and charcoal burning stoves for use in under-developed countries. If you search on “rocket stove” you will see what I mean. One site to get an idea of the state of the art is this http://www.rocketstove.org
the idea of a rocket stove is to produce wood gas in the chamber that will burn with much less smoke and be much more fuel efficient. Many of the designs are large and heavy, designed for village and communal use. also the designs tend to concentrate on heating pots/pans rather than grilling. bread ovens using rocket stove ideas are large masonry or mud brick structures.
The Biolite stove mentioned by George is a cool product. It uses a Peltier cell (not a Stirling engine) to convert some of the stove heat into electricity. That power is used to drive a fan to help in the combustion and also to charge up many of our 21st century gadgets. The grill attachment for the Biolite is interesting, I would like to hear how well it works.
other backpacking stoves use batteries to power the combustion air fan. The reason a fan is used, I believe, is that the stove is not large enough or designed truly like a rocket stove so that you do not generate the “wood gas” nearly as efficiently.
My original “Alibachi” (note to Felder Industries, name is trademarked) was based on Bill Mason’s canoe tripping design. Bill Mason was a famous Canadian canoeist and photographer. I added a couple of changes, main one was a base and ash pan so that the stove did not scorch the ground. I could burn dry twigs etc and or charcoal in it. One accidental design feature - if there was a total fire ban in the area (both open fires and BBQ) I could place my small back packing white gas dove inside the Alibachi and the stove would be totally wind protected and have a large grill above it for larger pots and pans.
alistair
On Jan 3, 2014, at 8:13 AM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> RE burning wood... a few years back when my wife and I were backpacking a
> lot, we quit carrying a stove altogether and just made a fire of twigs for
> something quick and hot and made a real fire at night, with plenty of
> breakfast coals in the morning. She has baked cakes in our titanium
> cookware in the middle of nowhere. The point is, wood actually is a
> plentiful and useful fuel and it is a wonder that more stove systems do not
> use it. A tube of that firestarter stuff would do the trick worst case, and
> usually just a wad of newspaper would work to start it.
>
> Several people have asked me to try wood in my cobb. When it gets above
> freezing, I promise to do just that. But looking at the links that Alistair
> and others have brought into the stove discussion, I see that when wood is
> involved, a fan seems to be involved as well. Why is this? Maybe because
> the point of these stoves is to boil water as quickly as possible, or to
> allow the use of marginally dry fuel. I don't know, I have never used
> anything but a woodfire on the ground in a rock ring.
>
> If the problem is draw, wouldn't a chimney solve that? If a blower is
> necessary, could the fire itself be used to power it? I hate the thought of
> trying to maintain a sterling engine as part of my daily westy chores!
>
> Any thoughts on whether the fan is neccessary for normal cooking, and if
> so, what are some better ways of powering it? Bellows? Falling weight?
> Clockspring? Flywheel and pull cord? Air from the spare or from a 12v pump?
>
> Jim
>
>
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