[Stoves] oxygen percentage in air ( same altitude ) and wood stove performance

[ajheggie at gmail.com]

On Monday 30 January 2012 15:09:58 rajan_jiby at dataone.in wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> What would be the difference we can expect in the percentage of oxygen
> in the urban and rural air ( altitude remaining the same ) ?

Interesting question Rajan, my first guess was that because of wind and 
rates of diffusion any concentrations of pollutants and CO2 would be 
rapidly  levelled off but I see a 2008 news report that polluted city air 
can drop to 15% O2 compared with the normal 21% we expect to see.

Although air pressure drops with altitude it should not affect the gas 
volume ratios.
>
> I am asking this question since I found the same wood stove with the
> same fuelwood performed better in a rural area compared to an urban
> area ( altitude being sea level at both places ). I am not able to find
> any reason except a possible difference in the oxygen percentage in the
> air at the two places.

Have you considered change in humidity affecting the equilibrium moisture 
content of the wood?

AJH