RE: [pct-l] Jim Mayer's tuna can alcohol stove

["Mayer, Jim" <JMayer@crt.xerox.com>]

Roy,

Cutting down the air flow by pushing the jacket down on the burner does the
trick.  Interestingly, it improves the efficiency of the SYSTEM as well.
When I adjusted the burner so that flames just lapped up around the base of
the pot I got essentially the same boil time, but the burn time went up
considerably.  Adjusted correctly, I can reach a rolling boil in about 5
minutes and sustain it for a while on 2 tbsp of fuel.  I suspect that with
the larger gap so much fuel was being vaporized that combustion was taking
place around the sides and even above the pot.  Since this combustion wasn't
heating the contents of the pot much, it reduced the overall efficiency of
the system.  With a larger pot the more agressive setting would probably be
more efficient.

These test results were with a 0.9 liter pot.

Thanks for a neat design.  I think I may have found this years trail stove.

-- Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: ROYROBIN@aol.com [mailto:ROYROBIN@aol.com]

Jim writes:

<< I built a "Geritol" stove and wanted to compare notes with you.  I used a
 2oz "lobster spread" can as the fuel reservoir, and a 6oz tuna can for the
 outer "shell".  The 2oz can is 1" high....  Anyway, the new design
definitely
 puts out more heat, but had some disconcerting properties as well.  The
most
 disconcerting thing was the flames leaping up over and above the sides of
the
 pot! >>

Well, the idea was to make a hotter machine!   I'm using a 0.9 liter pot, a
little smaller than yours.  I get flame around the sides some but not as
high
as you describe.  Might try reducing the air flow by cutting only three tab
holes, or pushing the jacket down further on the burner.  However, less air
may only cause soot to form.  Or, more air (pull the jacket up a bit) might
help.  Hafta play with it.

<snip>
* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List |  http://www.backcountry.net   *

==============================================================================