[Stoves] Why not high mass stoves?

[Bodie Cabiyo]

Hi Huck,

I've been working on adapting high-mass stoves to have better thermal
efficiency because of that very article.

Simply put, the problem is with the specific heat of the insulating
material. True, high-mass materials like earth or sand have insulative
value, but they have very high specific heat and thus absorb much of the
heat that would go into a cooking vessel. In contrast, sheet metal has a
low specific heat, so it absorbs relatively little thermal energy to reach
a maximum temperature, after which point you're only heating the air
surrounding the stove. Air, of course, has very low specific heat and thus
it takes very little energy to warm the air immediately next to the stove
body (though it would be more ideal to trap a layer of air so that you're
not continually heating new air).

Hope this helps!
Bodie

-- 

*Bodie Cabiyo*

Professional: carbonalternatives.org
Personal: concentricchange.wordpress.com

*Food for Thought:*
*"A mountain is composed of tiny grains of earth. The ocean is made up of
tiny drops of water. Even so, life is but an endless series of little
details, actions, speeches, and thoughts. And the consequences whether good
or bad of even the least of them are far-reaching."*
- Sri Swami Sivananda
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