[Stoves] Burning charcoal

[Kobus]

Lanny,

The fact that you get two different results even though you did not
significantly change the stacked formation of the briquettes probably means
that you inadvertently did something else that could have caused the
improved flame height on the one test.  I also take it you removed the pipe
before ignition?  Do the tests again.  You carefully need replicate the
amount of ignition paper and the way it is crumpled etc. Did you measure
when exactly the flame appeared for each experiment?  Getting charcoal to
ignite quickly and consistently will have a bearing on the result and future
results.  You probably know this, but without properly insulating the
combustion chamber and supplying ample air through the bed you will not see
spectacular results no matter how much you tinker with it in other areas. I
would also experiment with top lighting charcoal and interestingly enough if
you keep the central funnel idea and top light, it might actually
significantly speed up ignition times as the flames burning at the top will
not be so much dependent on receiving air conventionally through the bed of
coals.  I noticed that you are only supplying primary air which is fine if
you want to make a gas generator and have flame at the top of the
briquettes, but if you want to have a clean (low CO) burning stove injecting
secondary air just below the exit point will further ignite excess CO
without cooling the reaction too much.  Good luck with your testing.

Kobus  
 
Lanny wrote:

I have been testing the simple two can stove http://www.lanny.us/twocan.html
<http://www.lanny.us/twocan.html> , and I noticed that if I stacked charcoal
around a pipe to retain a hole in the center, that there was a small flame
above the hole. http://www.lanny.us/charf3.jpg
<http://www.lanny.us/charf3.jpg> . But when I used a steel wire frame made
from bucket handles http://www.lanny.us/charf1.jpg
<http://www.lanny.us/charf1.jpg>  to maintain approximately the same
diameter hole that I got a larger, continuous flame through out the burn.
http://www.lanny.us/charf2.jpg <http://www.lanny.us/charf2.jpg>
http://www.lanny.us/charf4.jpg <http://www.lanny.us/charf4.jpg> .

I wonder why.