[pct-l] Fuel Amounts for Pepsi can stove

[pct at DelNorteResort.Com (PCT Mailing List)]

Roy,

The science behind the activity is great!

But you failed to answer the question, why is boiling 2 cups of water in the shortest period of time
'the standard' for measuring the efficiency of a stove? 

"faster boil, means less fuel burned." Absolutely! What about the availability of the fuel? The weight of the
burning apparatus? The cost? Ease of use? Windguard design? 

It seems to me, time to boil (exclusively) is a poor method of rating a stove.

my-never-ending-opinion,
Scott


  Fastest boil?  You're right.  Not important, within reason.  However, a faster boil means less fuel burned.  Your pot radiates heat in proportion to the fourth power of the temperature difference between its contents and its surroundings (Stefan's Law).  So, the longer it sits there trying to get hot, the more calories you need to put in to replace those that escape.  That's radiation.  Then there's convective heat loss, which is why a windscreen is so important.  Any breeze carries heat away from the pot by convection.  A good windscreen not only blocks the wind, it also directs more heat from the stove into the pot.