[Stoves] Practical Stoves- Introducing The Versatile Stove

Andreatta, Dale A. dandreatta at sealimited.com
Wed Nov 2 10:39:27 CDT 2016


For some time I’ve been promoting the idea that stoves need to have practical features to make them successful.  Efficiency and low smoke are desirable, but not the primary concern of most users.  Here is my first attempt at providing a stove to do that.  For the moment I’m calling it The Versatile Stove, as it gives the user lots of options for using the stove.  

 

The main features of the stove are:

 

1.      A very large combustion chamber allows it to burn large diameter wood of any length.  Up to 8 cm diameter has been successfully burned.  

 

2.      It can handle 2 pots, one being up to 20 cm and the other up to 30 cm.  Round or flat bottom can be used.  Actually, a pot larger than 30 cm could be used, but then it is only a single pot stove.  

 

3.      The pots are cradled between the pot supports and are very stable (except pots that are greater than 30 cm).

 

4.      With the large combustion chamber, fuel tending is minimized. 

 

5.      The stove is powerful, 5 liters is regularly brought to a boil in under 20 minutes.  

 

6.      The stove has some capacity to burn wet wood.  This is still being explored.

 

7.      Depending on how the fuel is arranged and managed, turn down ratios of about 3:1 are possible.  

 

8.      Unfortunately, fuel use is high and efficiency is low.  This is also being worked on.

 

9.      Smoke seems to be a function of the fire size, as with most stoves I’ve worked with.  A big fire will make black smoke, the same as any other stove.  Wood that isn’t properly catching fire will make white smoke, the same as any other stove.  

 

Attached is a document with more details and photographs to illustrate what I’m talking about.  There is also information about future testing and modifications, as the development of the stove is continuing.  

 

Also in the pipeline, I’m a very part time professor at The Ohio State University, and I’m working with a senior student group on family size stoves with downfeed burners.  These will be modeled after the downfeed burner developed by InStove for larger stoves.  My work with downfeed burners in August at Stove Camp was very positive, so I think this may also produce a very good stove with a lot of practical features.  More on this after they finish their work in May.  

 

Dale Andreatta, Ph.D., P.E.

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