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Rocket Stoves and Wood Gas Burners

In Haiti, the majority of people still use wood and charcole fuel cut from mangrove swamps to cook their food, and the mangroves are disappearing fast...

 

 

Rocket stoves

 

Rocket stoves burn small sticks completely and efficiently by creating an insulated compustion chamber and a good flow of air to fuel the flames.

 

The OceansWatch team in Vanuatu has developed plans for a simple rocket stove (see picture above) that can be constructed out of locally available matierials, and can boil water quickly with very little fuel.  

 

 

Wood gas burners

 

Wood gas burners have an inner and an outer

chamber.  Air passes up through the wood

fuel as it burns in the inner chamber, and

wood gas that results is drawn into the outer

chamber.  The outer chamber is also

ventilated from the bottom, so that the wood

gas can burn around the top edge of the

stove.  

 

This type of design is often used by campers

and backpackers because it can run on just

small twigs, and it is surprisingly effective for cooking.  It's also easy to make: in fact wood gas burners are a popular Boy Scout project! Try constructing your own out of tin cans using this tutorial from IntenseAngler. 

 

As an alternative to charcole and wood, our stoves may be able to burn pellets made from coconut husks or other recycled materials, to further reduce the impact on the environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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