Thanks for the informative posts

I made my own rocket stove out of cookie can ( 10 inches high by 6 inch diameter ). It's Ok for a first timer.

Main problem I saw is that the sides heat up alot. That is unsafe to touch and also wastes energy , so the nest step is to find another bigger can and make a double wall stove with some insulation in between. Now, what on Earth can be poured in there that can withstand the heat and gives good insulation ? Weight is not a problem because the whoile thing is not that big.

I thought about cement or mud. Does anyone know enough about making mud sticky enough to be poured there and just left to dry and stay in one piece ? Is it better to pout the mud or cement and leave it to dry naturally or should I fire up the stove to dry the mud/cement quickly ?

Thanks

One way to increase heat transfer is to put the pot 'deeper' in the stove and force the heat/smoke to touch the pot sides as well as the bottom. ( Although you have to clean a bigger area in that case LOL. )

The pot rests on a platform that is few inches below the stove top. The sides of the stove act like a tight wind shield. In such a design, stove emissions going up MUST touch the pot sides on their way. That way you can use normal pots and cleaning is easier.

Oh, another thing. In my stove I am not only going to use esbit cubes , but some BBQ coals as well. I think they burn longer and more effiecintly. The two fuels can work side by side. One starts the other, and the other stays longer.


It will be interesting to see if the combination of heat insulation ( means higher temp ) plus the added heat from coals will burn the esbit soot and residue to smoke !!

Do not pour cement or mud, it wouldn't work (it would rob heat) and you need insulation.
You would have to make insulative ceramic (fire/refractory brick).

This detailed design guide
http://www.rocketstove.org/images/stories/design-principles-for-wood-burning-cook-stoves.pdf
explains how to make insulative brick.


You're basically making the version from this video http://rocketstoves.org/ so use dry, ashes or vermiculite/perlite from garden/hardware store, and cap off with lid.

Here is an oil barrel version, with insulative brick elbow
http://www.appropedia.org/CCAT_rocket_stove
and DRY vermiculite fill


Also see
http://www.aprovecho.org/web-content/publications/pub1.htm


IIRC, some reports (re)posted on www.bioenergylists.org say the tin-can version will rust after you fire it within a year (6months even), longer if you use black stovepipe. The ceramic elbows last longer.

Thanks EMP

My can started rusting already LOL

I'll check the links . Thanks