allen lumley wrote:Joeseph Azzara : Welcome to Permies.com, our Sister Site richsoil.com, And a Big Welcome to the Rocket and Wood Stoves Forums ! Thanks!
With Over 100,000 Rocket Mass Heaters RMHs, Built World Wide, it is in no way a cop-out to say that Much of what you are concerned about will Not
happen in a Well built Rocket I am sorry, nut that is not an answer...it is nice to know that they have not made the big news in a negative way., The minimum operating temperatures of your future RMH is approximately 1000dF, well above the ignition temperature of Creosote and Carbon Monoxide, Does this mean that creosote is not left in the flues? Time temperature and turbulence create the near perfect Air Fuel mix, and allow the freaky high Temperatures and efficiencies of our RMH, With complete combustion we see only Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapor, and Fly Ash ! If you see water vapor then the flue is dropping below 140 F, so it may be creating nitric and sulfurous acids which are the likely culprits of flue degredation.
We have all experienced the Stinging Smoke in the Eyes of campfires, This is mostly Wood Alcohol and vaporized Wood Vinegar, and are smoky signs
of incomplete combustion ! While it is part of the outdoor fire experience it is virtually unknown in RMHs working at their design Temps !
Air is a much better insulator than it is a good way to transfer heat, think Down Jacket! We want our Cob to completely encase the Horizontal ductwork! By
conforming to the shape of the ductwork it recreates the great structural strength of Circles and Arches !( and is an excellent heat transfer medium !)
After we have our ductwork well coated, that is time enough for the heavier and denser Materials that are so effective in hold ing the heat of out Thermal
Mass Bench !
We consider all metal within the Core of the Rocket Burner to be only sacrificial materials to be used as forms to make up the parts of the Rocket, as
such knowing The short life expectancy of these materials exposed to the working temps of our RMH, It actually makes more sense to go with as cheap a
material as possible, If cob is similar to clay that is used in chimneys, then I can see where you are going with this thought however, clay is not meant to hold up with condensation. This includes the use of 2nd hand Lite ductwork or large diameter (6'' - 8'' )Cardboard Tubes ! Why not go with the more expensive parts that are meant for the task at hand? They will hold up longer and would, when used within manufacturer's guidelines, be safer.
I certainly recommend the purchase and knowledgeable use of all 3- Heat, Smoke, and Carbon Monoxide Detectors Right on!, As we ask all potential Rocketeers to
build their 1st RMH out of doors to learn how to run THEIR rocket, by the time you are ready to move it indoors, you should have taught yourself the safe
operation of Your Rocket, Basically after that it will come down to training the other members of your household ! For the Good of The Craft !
Think like Fire! Flow like Gas! Don't be the Marshmallow ! As always, your comments And Questions are solicited and Welcome ! PYRO - Logically Big AL !
I hope this did not come across any other way than curious and my attempts to maybe help bring some possible awareness to some potential hazards. If I am wrong, I am open to discussion but I would like more than there are many out there and we have not heard of anyone dying as of yet. No offense but that seems like a dangerous way to look at things, no?
Thanks.
