"Wood Gas" Stove

by paint3all

41K368

Intro: "Wood Gas" Stove

This stove is a simple lightweight stove that uses wood coals as its heat source. This stove isent reely a "wood gas" stove, but a stove that burns wood and blows on it to make it burn faster. A true woodgas stove would capture woodgas (CO and H2) and just burn that. Anyway, lets get started!

STEP 1: Materials

1) small boyscout popcorn tin, or any steel can that is about 7 or 8 inches tall and 6 inches in diameter, and IT MUST HAVE A LID

2) a soup can ( mine was for green giant beans)

3) a small computer fan, preferably 12 volt ( it can run off of a 9 volt batery)

4) JB weld or any other appoxy

5) a 9 volt battery or battery to suit your fan

6) aluminum tape or a tape resistant to heat

STEP 2: Cutting the Cans

first cut a hole in the side of the larger can that is the size of your fan. The fan will be glued into place here. make shure it is right at the bottom of the can.

second, cut a circle into the lid of the larger can that is the same diameter as your smaller soup can, the soup can will be attached here.

Third, cut small slits or holes in the soup can to allow airflow into it. The cannot be too wide, or else your fuel will fall out

STEP 3: Assembly

First slide the soup can into the hole in the lid that was cut earlyier, and use the aluminum tape or other heat resistant tape/adheasive to affix it there

Then appoxy the fan into the hole previously cut, make shure its blowing into the can

finaly attach the wires of the fan to a battery or switch and test the connection

VERY IMPORTANT: you may want to attach some sort of insulation to protect the fan from extream heat, mine was destroyed on its initial test. Posibly you could channel the air from the fan to protect it.

STEP 4: Use

To light the stove first get the materials in the stove lit on fire using accelerant if you arent a paccient person like me ;)

Then, when it is lit, turn the fan on and let it warm up, and depending on how large yours it, it could take 5 minutes or 15 minutes

Make shure not to light your fan on fire, that would not be good for it.

I will try to get some pictures of it in use or mabee a video soon!

8 Comments

kagee1 11 years ago

Get a longer can and cutting flaps on the opening and fanning it out so it overlaps the boyscout tin so you don't have to resort to welding. Love the idea.

paint3all 13 years ago

it was actualy aluminum tape, which held for a while, but eventually deteriorated, i have not had time to tweak the design and post an update, but i will get around to it eventualy, im thinking of fabricating the stove without tape, and including a duct to keep the fan away from the heat, posibly even putting speed settings on the fan?

mattbomb 13 years ago

that furnace tape or what ever kind of tape it is i used furnace tape and it melted and caught fire. i dont no how it worked out for you but i hoped it worked

macrumpton 13 years ago

If you add a row of vent holes on the interior can right near the top edge you will increase the efficiency of the stove substantially. The way the stove works in the configuration you have made much of the flammable wood gas is being blown out the top before it can burn completely. The additional vent holes will allow more air to mix with the wood gas allowing more complete combustion and less smoke. That should also let more of the heat come out from between the cans where it is wasted.

Also some folks I have seen make some short standoffs between the fan and can which protects the fan from getting to hot from the can.

lemonie 14 years ago

It would be good to have this lit and see what it'll do? But I know the tape won't last when it gets good & hot, that stuff just doesn't last.

L

paint3all 14 years ago

yeah ive found that out, but it will retain its shape well enough to keep the can from moving, especialy when it fits snugly in the lid. the bigger problem is making shure the fan dosent overheat