Diy Alcohol Stoves -- Basic Pattern Principles
In a pinch, y'all tin lavatory job simply close anything to brand an alcohol "stove" out of. Really, at that topographic point are exclusively 2 criteria: Your stove has to move able to concur a liquid (the alcohol inward other words), as well as your stove can't move made of a flammable material.
What's that? Oh, y'all desire a good stove? Yeah, good that's simply a fleck to a greater extent than complicated. No worries. Let's utter close a few basics of alcohol stove design.
There are many, many types of alcohol burners, but for the purposes of this post, I'm going to boundary the give-and-take to open type burners made from aluminum cans. Open burners are relatively tardily to make, effective, as well as widely used, hence it's non similar we're limiting ourselves also much.
OK, hence what constitutes a practiced stove? Everyone is going to hold back at this a piffling differently, but below are my critiera. See also the Standards for DIY Alcohol Stoves inward the appendix of this post.
1. Lightweight. Hey, I gotta acquit this thing, right? And if I'm going to orbit upwards the convenience of gas, as well as then I meliorate move getting something out of it -- similar a lighter pack.
2. Efficient. So, what practiced is a calorie-free stove if it eats fuel similar an onetime 450 V8 Chevrolet engine amongst a iv barrel carburetor? Who cares if the stove is calorie-free if I stimulate got to acquit iv times the fuel?! The danged thing needs to save me weight, remember? I desire a stove that volition do the project amongst a minimum amount of fuel.
3. Effective. Yeah, it has to move light. Yeah, it has to move efficient. But it has to do the job. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 stove that won't gear upwards doesn't relieve me anything. It's got to work. Not negotiable.
4. Minimum "fiddle factor." If I demand a grade inward mechanical engineering as well as a Rube Goldberg mindset simply to run the thing, as well as then it's non the stove for me.
With me hence far? Sure, nosotros tin lavatory mean value of to a greater extent than criteria, but those are the basics. Let's acquire amongst those as well as watch what nosotros tin lavatory come upwards up with.
You tin lavatory brand an alcohol stove out of most anything, but aluminum quaff cans are the most usually used item for DIY alcohol stoves. They're light, they're tardily to get, as well as there's a gratis quaff within if y'all purchase the can! :)
Now here's where it gets tricky. There are 10,000 ways to spell as well as die an aluminum tin lavatory to brand a stove. There are tons of sites out at that topographic point on the internet that listing detailed templates. I may shipping something similar that at some point, but that's non my role today. What I'd similar to do is accept a footstep dorsum as well as hold back at a slightly bigger motion-picture demo inward damage of DIY alcohol stove design: What are some of the basic principles involved?
OK, hence whatever fool tin lavatory lop the move past times off an aluminum can, splash inward some alcohol, as well as calorie-free it on fire. The chances of getting an efficient stove that agency are pretty much zero. For example, accept a hold back at this photo:
See those towering, brilliant yellowish flames? This stove puts out a lot of heat, but it burns through a lot of alcohol quickly. Can y'all tell "inefficient?" The start lesson of alcohol stove pattern is this: fast stoves are fuel hogs. The corollary to that is that tedious stoves are to a greater extent than efficient.
So, what's the job amongst the higher upwards stove? Poor materials? Poor execution? Not really. It's a pattern issue. It simply burns also darned fast. So how tin lavatory nosotros tedious it downwardly as well as acquire inward to a greater extent than efficient?
It's difficult to tell inward the photograph above, but that's a bigger than average stove. It's made out of 23.5fl oz/695 ml sized cans. What if nosotros downsized a piffling bit? Take a hold back at this stove. It's made out of 7.5fl oz/222ml sized cans.
Much better! Much smaller flames as well as a lot less yellow. So, lesson two: The width of the burner matters.
So is that the answer? Just job a modest can? Take a hold back at this photo:
Notice that at that topographic point are 3 stoves made from the smaller cans. The 2 shorter modest stoves stimulate got brilliant yellowish flames (inefficient), but give away that the taller i inward the centre of the dorsum row. Its flames are a squeamish pale bluish -- y'all tin lavatory barely watch them. So, lesson 3 is that the height of the burner is important.
Now, did y'all give away the brass burner inward the photograph above? That's no DIY burner; that's a Trangia burner. Trangia has been making alcohol burners since at to the lowest degree 1951, as well as they're pretty darned practiced burners. Can nosotros larn anything past times looking at a Trangia burner? Let's compare a Trangia burner to the stove nosotros called inefficient inward the start photograph above.
Well, right away what the heck? The 2 stoves stimulate got roughly the same width at the base, but the Trangia is pretty efficient, as well as the other stove, well, isn't. What's the difference? Take a hold back at the opening in the Trangia burner. Notice that it's non total width. The opening is smaller than that the width of the entire burner. Lesson four: Yes, width matters, but the width of the opening is fifty-fifty to a greater extent than of import than the width of the entire burner.
OK, right away accept a hold back at this photo:
The 2 stoves inward the dorsum row are the proven 12-10 stove from Trail Designs. Note how the opening is smaller than the width of the cans -- simply similar the Trangia. Hey, mayhap nosotros genuinely are on to something here!
Now, accept a hold back at the 3rd stove from the left inward the front end row. Note how it also has an opening smaller than its width. It's a piffling difficult to tell from that photo, but that's a real tall stove. Recall from lesson 3 that the pinnacle of the burner is important. So, let's shipping away that burner upwards as well as watch how it works.
Well, we've sure gotten rid of those nasty yellowish flames! But this thing is a PITA to acquire started, as well as the flame is hence modest that it barely heats water. It mightiness move fine for simmering, but it won't boil water. After xx minutes, my H2O withal hadn't boiled, hence I cancelled the test. This model simply isn't practical.
Height makes for a to a greater extent than efficient stove, but also tall as well as your H2O never boils. There is a human relationship betwixt pinnacle as well as opening size, hence lesson five: For a practical stove, the optimal ratio betwixt pinnacle as well as opening size is some 1:1.
What would a stove amongst a 1:1 opening size to pinnacle ratio hold back like? About similar this:
So, peachy theory, but does it move inward practice? As a affair of fact that ratio industrial plant pretty well.
Yeah, there's a piffling yellowish inward the flame, but that's non bad when y'all compare the size as well as amount of yellowish to the stove inward the start photograph inward this post. And the flame is a squeamish middle of the route size. It's non hence modest equally to move useless, yet it's non hence large equally to move wasteful. In my tests amongst 500ml of some 45F/7C water, I was able to convey the H2O to a boil amongst close 1/2 fluid ounce (approx. 15ml) of light-green denatured alcohol. In damage of efficiency, that's pretty good.
So review:
1. Fast stoves are fuel hogs; tedious stoves are to a greater extent than efficient.
2. The width of the burner matters
3. The pinnacle of the burner matters
4. The width of the opening is fifty-fifty to a greater extent than of import than the width of the burner
5. For a practical stove, the ratio of the width of the opening to the pinnacle of the burner is close 1:1.
OK, at that topographic point y'all stimulate got it, some basic pattern considerations for making a practical, efficient opened upwards type alcohol burner. There's to a greater extent than to it, such equally just which template y'all desire to follow, but inward the interests of keeping this shipping shorter than the Encyclopedia Britannica or the New York City telephone directory, I'm going to terminate things hither for today.
Thanks for joining me on some other Adventure inward Stoving,
HJ
Appendix: Standards for DIY Alcohol Stoves
Below are some numbers for y'all to benchmark your stoves against. These are some fairly high standards. Do non move discouraged if your start dyad of stoves don't hitting all the numbers. Of course, these numbers are simply my thoughts on the subject. Ultimately, your DIY stove must delight you.
Weight: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lightweight burner should weigh i ounce (28g) or less. For example, the 12-10 stove from Trail Designs weighs 0.6oz (16g).
Efficiency: An efficient stove should move able to boil 500ml of 20C H2O using 15ml of alcohol or less inward a manifestly pot (no estrus exchanger inward other words) amongst a lid at 1 Atmosphere (1013 mBar) of pressure. Use of a windscreen is permitted (recommended actually). You may vary the pinnacle of the pot higher upwards the burner equally y'all watch fit. About 2cm to 3cm seems to move good inward my experience. YMMV.
With observe to to the higher upwards efficiency standard, atmospheric line per unit of measurement area is difficult for most of us to control. Cut yourself some slack on the atmospheric pressure, but if y'all alive at high height on the Tibetan Plateau, simply don't crow also much when your stove meets the residue of the criteria.
Effectiveness: Your burner should consistently move able to convey the H2O to a boil inward 10 minutes or less inward a broad multifariousness of conditions, e.g. differing air temperatures, air current velocities (within reason), altitudes, etc. Stoves that exclusively come about your move bench at abode do non qualify. Your stove should move able to move nether typical, existent basis outdoor conditions. Generally, alcohol stoves move meliorate when the air temperature is at to the lowest degree 40F/5C (that's genuinely pretty chilly for most alcohol stoves). If your stove continues to move good below 40F/5C, as well as then you've got a existent winner.
Minimum "fiddle factor:" Your stove should not require priming as well as should move able to move fueled from a normal flip move past times squelch type bottle inward the plain without a split upwards funnel or whatever other external device. Your stove should calorie-free amongst a mutual tally inward i try, a normal Bic type lighter inward close i or 2 tries, or a typical shipping away steel within close 3 tries. The indicate beingness that it shouldn't move a major hassle to acquire your stove to light.
Related posts as well as articles:
Acknowledgments: I am indebted to many people who shared amongst me ideas close alcohol stove design. I'm sure I'll forget somebody important, but when a debt of cheers is owed, better to retrieve to give cheers a few than to give cheers no i at all. My cheers to: James M, James N, Jon F, Kevin B, Tony B, Turkoker, and Zelph. Particular cheers to Will L. who patiently did the bulk of the actual fabrication of the stoves (hey, I'm a blogger non a stove manufacturer. I'm genuinely to a greater extent than of an "ideas" guy, see?). :)
What's that? Oh, y'all desire a good stove? Yeah, good that's simply a fleck to a greater extent than complicated. No worries. Let's utter close a few basics of alcohol stove design.
There are many, many types of alcohol burners, but for the purposes of this post, I'm going to boundary the give-and-take to open type burners made from aluminum cans. Open burners are relatively tardily to make, effective, as well as widely used, hence it's non similar we're limiting ourselves also much.
 |
| Various alcohol stoves prior to testing |
1. Lightweight. Hey, I gotta acquit this thing, right? And if I'm going to orbit upwards the convenience of gas, as well as then I meliorate move getting something out of it -- similar a lighter pack.
2. Efficient. So, what practiced is a calorie-free stove if it eats fuel similar an onetime 450 V8 Chevrolet engine amongst a iv barrel carburetor? Who cares if the stove is calorie-free if I stimulate got to acquit iv times the fuel?! The danged thing needs to save me weight, remember? I desire a stove that volition do the project amongst a minimum amount of fuel.
3. Effective. Yeah, it has to move light. Yeah, it has to move efficient. But it has to do the job. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 stove that won't gear upwards doesn't relieve me anything. It's got to work. Not negotiable.
4. Minimum "fiddle factor." If I demand a grade inward mechanical engineering as well as a Rube Goldberg mindset simply to run the thing, as well as then it's non the stove for me.
With me hence far? Sure, nosotros tin lavatory mean value of to a greater extent than criteria, but those are the basics. Let's acquire amongst those as well as watch what nosotros tin lavatory come upwards up with.
 |
| Preparing to evidence some other laid of alcohol stoves |
Now here's where it gets tricky. There are 10,000 ways to spell as well as die an aluminum tin lavatory to brand a stove. There are tons of sites out at that topographic point on the internet that listing detailed templates. I may shipping something similar that at some point, but that's non my role today. What I'd similar to do is accept a footstep dorsum as well as hold back at a slightly bigger motion-picture demo inward damage of DIY alcohol stove design: What are some of the basic principles involved?
 |
| Testing diverse opened upwards type burners |
 |
| An alcohol stove made from 23.5 fluid ounce/695ml quaff cans |
So, what's the job amongst the higher upwards stove? Poor materials? Poor execution? Not really. It's a pattern issue. It simply burns also darned fast. So how tin lavatory nosotros tedious it downwardly as well as acquire inward to a greater extent than efficient?
It's difficult to tell inward the photograph above, but that's a bigger than average stove. It's made out of 23.5fl oz/695 ml sized cans. What if nosotros downsized a piffling bit? Take a hold back at this stove. It's made out of 7.5fl oz/222ml sized cans.
 |
| An alcohol stove made from 7.5 fluid ounce/222ml quaff cans |
So is that the answer? Just job a modest can? Take a hold back at this photo:
 |
| Various types of alcohol stoves beingness tested. |
Now, did y'all give away the brass burner inward the photograph above? That's no DIY burner; that's a Trangia burner. Trangia has been making alcohol burners since at to the lowest degree 1951, as well as they're pretty darned practiced burners. Can nosotros larn anything past times looking at a Trangia burner? Let's compare a Trangia burner to the stove nosotros called inefficient inward the start photograph above.
 |
| An alcohol stove made from 23.5fl oz/695 ml quaff cans (left) as well as a Trangia burner (right) |
OK, right away accept a hold back at this photo:
 |
| Alcohol stoves of varying designs. |
Now, accept a hold back at the 3rd stove from the left inward the front end row. Note how it also has an opening smaller than its width. It's a piffling difficult to tell from that photo, but that's a real tall stove. Recall from lesson 3 that the pinnacle of the burner is important. So, let's shipping away that burner upwards as well as watch how it works.
 |
| Testing a tall stove amongst a modest opening. |
Height makes for a to a greater extent than efficient stove, but also tall as well as your H2O never boils. There is a human relationship betwixt pinnacle as well as opening size, hence lesson five: For a practical stove, the optimal ratio betwixt pinnacle as well as opening size is some 1:1.
What would a stove amongst a 1:1 opening size to pinnacle ratio hold back like? About similar this:
 |
| An alcohol stove where the opening size is some equal to the pinnacle of the stove |
 |
| A 1:1 ratio alcohol stove inward use |
So review:
1. Fast stoves are fuel hogs; tedious stoves are to a greater extent than efficient.
2. The width of the burner matters
3. The pinnacle of the burner matters
4. The width of the opening is fifty-fifty to a greater extent than of import than the width of the burner
5. For a practical stove, the ratio of the width of the opening to the pinnacle of the burner is close 1:1.
OK, at that topographic point y'all stimulate got it, some basic pattern considerations for making a practical, efficient opened upwards type alcohol burner. There's to a greater extent than to it, such equally just which template y'all desire to follow, but inward the interests of keeping this shipping shorter than the Encyclopedia Britannica or the New York City telephone directory, I'm going to terminate things hither for today.
Thanks for joining me on some other Adventure inward Stoving,
HJ
Appendix: Standards for DIY Alcohol Stoves
Below are some numbers for y'all to benchmark your stoves against. These are some fairly high standards. Do non move discouraged if your start dyad of stoves don't hitting all the numbers. Of course, these numbers are simply my thoughts on the subject. Ultimately, your DIY stove must delight you.
Weight: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lightweight burner should weigh i ounce (28g) or less. For example, the 12-10 stove from Trail Designs weighs 0.6oz (16g).
Efficiency: An efficient stove should move able to boil 500ml of 20C H2O using 15ml of alcohol or less inward a manifestly pot (no estrus exchanger inward other words) amongst a lid at 1 Atmosphere (1013 mBar) of pressure. Use of a windscreen is permitted (recommended actually). You may vary the pinnacle of the pot higher upwards the burner equally y'all watch fit. About 2cm to 3cm seems to move good inward my experience. YMMV.
With observe to to the higher upwards efficiency standard, atmospheric line per unit of measurement area is difficult for most of us to control. Cut yourself some slack on the atmospheric pressure, but if y'all alive at high height on the Tibetan Plateau, simply don't crow also much when your stove meets the residue of the criteria.
Effectiveness: Your burner should consistently move able to convey the H2O to a boil inward 10 minutes or less inward a broad multifariousness of conditions, e.g. differing air temperatures, air current velocities (within reason), altitudes, etc. Stoves that exclusively come about your move bench at abode do non qualify. Your stove should move able to move nether typical, existent basis outdoor conditions. Generally, alcohol stoves move meliorate when the air temperature is at to the lowest degree 40F/5C (that's genuinely pretty chilly for most alcohol stoves). If your stove continues to move good below 40F/5C, as well as then you've got a existent winner.
Minimum "fiddle factor:" Your stove should not require priming as well as should move able to move fueled from a normal flip move past times squelch type bottle inward the plain without a split upwards funnel or whatever other external device. Your stove should calorie-free amongst a mutual tally inward i try, a normal Bic type lighter inward close i or 2 tries, or a typical shipping away steel within close 3 tries. The indicate beingness that it shouldn't move a major hassle to acquire your stove to light.
Related posts as well as articles:
- Getting Started amongst Alcohol
- DIY Alcohol Stoves -- Basic Design Considerations
- Cold Weather Tips for Alcohol Stoves
- Is Ethanol Worth It?
- Caldera Cone Review Supplement -- Additional Photos as well as Technical Appendix amongst Weights
- The Clikstand Alcohol Stove System Review
- Caldera Cone vs. Clikstand Alcohol Stove Tests
- Trangia 27 Alcohol Stove System Review
- The Caldera Cone's 12-10 Burner
- The Trangia Alcohol Burner
- What's the Best Alcohol for Stove Fuel?
- What Is Meths? (And how is that unlike than Methanol?)
- Going "Green" amongst Stoves: Alcohol as well as Biodiesel
Acknowledgments: I am indebted to many people who shared amongst me ideas close alcohol stove design. I'm sure I'll forget somebody important, but when a debt of cheers is owed, better to retrieve to give cheers a few than to give cheers no i at all. My cheers to: James M, James N, Jon F, Kevin B, Tony B, Turkoker, and Zelph. Particular cheers to Will L. who patiently did the bulk of the actual fabrication of the stoves (hey, I'm a blogger non a stove manufacturer. I'm genuinely to a greater extent than of an "ideas" guy, see?). :)
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