Building my first rocket mass heater

Dear All,

First I would like to thank everybody for sharing their information and experiences on building and running a rocket mass heater. It got me very excited to build my own.
This summer I'm planning on building three RMH's on a farm in France. Two for the house and one for a greenhouse. When that's all done I will share my experiences and pictures with you too.
But before that I would like to ask a couple of questions on some adaptations I want to make.

Please have a look at this picture:


Q1: Will it be possible to use these clay stone chimney ducts as a heat riser and insulator in one?

Q2: If I stack three of these clays stones on top of each other and insert a metal duct through them, will these clay stones filled with perlite funtion well as an insulator?

Q3: Does it matter if the outside shape of the heat riser insulator is square instead of circular?

Kind regards,

Ludolf

The picture in my first post doesn't show, so here is one with picture:

Where in France are you?
I would love to come and give a hand
J'habite Angers 49000

David

It would be great to have a helping hand! Do you have experience with these things?
We're in Castanet le Haut 34610.

Ludolf

Alas a bit far for me although there is a possibilty in July as we visit Tocane St. Âpre in the Dordoigne for an Irish Music festival

David

Ludolf du Pon : Welcome to Permies, And Welcome to 'Building Rocket Mass Heaters'!

Ludorf, your English is very good, your fellow members here at Permies should easily help you with your multiple builds, individual heaters for individual
Rooms has a long History of working well for the home owner, however some of the secrets of multiple chimneys are lost on this side of the Atlantic !

Because we are Locked by Physics to using a Round barrel to create much of the High Temperatures as well as great efficiencies, and also to create the
'heat pump effect' that allows us to push the exhaust gases Horizontally 15 meters through our Thermal Mass - you will be better off to use round stove
pipe to create the Heat Riser within the Rocket Mass Heater. While they are still being made with Square Heat Risers this is old technology and we can do
better !

Because you are taking the best of all possible routes, In having a master plan to build multiple Rocket Mass Heaters, your total potential builds, and re-
builds can easily grow to 10 or more!

Generally speaking, I have to distrust much of what I see on You Tube, many things you see on there have since been abandoned, or totally re-built !
Always check back here for a second opinion, especially if you are not clear on what the builders plans and logic are !

Have you been to 'rocket stoves.com' to get your PDF Copy $15.oo U.S., of Evans' and Jackson's Great book 'Rocket Mass Heaters', there is no
other publication that contains As much Rocket Stoves Information any where ( there are French and Spanish editions if you think much clearer in your
native/mother language !*)

For the Good of The Craft! Be safe, keep warm! PYRO Logical Big AL! As always your Comments/Questions are Welcome A. L.

I have asked a fellow member to look into finding you a reputable dealer for a French Edition of 'Rocket Mass Heaters' ! A. L.

Thank you Allen,

I guess I should have introduced myself a bit more before scattering my questions on this forum. At the moment I live in Holland, I'm Dutch. Eventually I'm planning on emigrating to my parents farm in France.
Up until now they've been burning a ridiculous amount of wood to keep it warm. Most of my time during holidays there I'm collecting, chopping and stacking wood. Through the frustration of seeing 12 cords of wood seeing nuked straight through the chimney, I found out about the RMH. One of the first things I did was getting the book in PDF and read it. So yes, I do have the book.

This summer I hope to have built 3 RMH's. And at the moment I'm mostly orientating on how to build them and with which materials. As those clay stone chimney ducts (see picture in previous post) are cheap and readily available I though of using them. If I use a round metal pipe for the heat riser and those clay stones just as insulation container, will that work?

And, for the flue does aluminum pipe work as well instead of steel for heat exchange?
(aluminum is much cheaper)

Ludolf

allen lumley wrote:I have asked a fellow member to look into finding you a reputable dealer for a French Edition of 'Rocket Mass Heaters' ! A. L.

This is an adaptation, but more or less a translation.
It is here!
http://www.ecologie-pratique.org/

Thank you Xisca

Ludolf

Ludolf du Pon : I need more information about your Clay stone ( I'm guessing that means they have been Kiln fired ! ) Chimney ducts, are they built to be used alone,
or are they supposed to have another clay flue and then a rock wool insulation material between the two flues. If they are designed to be used alone I wonder if they
are being used with a heating unit that has an 'air to air' heat exchanger - can you do a catalog search to see how they are represented as being used, and what is
the maximum temperature they are rated for !?!

I would not use the Aluminum pipe within the Rocket Mass Heater nor within the first 2 meters of the Thermal Mass, beyond that, I am sure that you will be safe,
Depending on what you learn about your Clay stone chimney ductworks, you may be able to use them to up grade the existing chimneys, or create new External, and
vertically oriented chimneys! be aware that you are going to need a clean out/inspection port at frequent intervals, recently I have had a conversation with a new
Rocket Mass Heater builder who will have to make all of the 'T's for his clean outs do to price and availability !

You are going to need a minimum of 4 55gal drums to make 3 rocket stoves, I would try VERY hard to find all four of the type that has a removable end and is held in
place by a clamping Band !

Please look at the 'Pocket Rocket' on pages 76-77 ? You will be making one of these to burn the paint off of the outside and for burning out the inside, when we burn
off/out the barrels we will also be 'burning the galvanizing off our non aluminum pipe this is actually very handy for fire out doors, just don't use it to burn up the small
wood that the Dragon that lives in every Rocket Mass Heater loves !

One of the hardest ideas for people to grasp is the Need to keep the internal Cross Sectional Area C.S.A. ,constant please give this important section the time that it
deserves !

For the Craft ! PYRO Logically Big AL ! - As always all Questions and Comments are solicited and are Welcome ! A. L.

Ludolf : I just advised David L., to check the Forums for the one for all Europe! If you announce your location in that Forum you may find that you
have a near neighbor with Rockt Mass Heater experience!

There is going to be a start to finish Rocket Mass Heater Work shop in Terra Alta, Sintra Portugal the last of july contact Eva Wimmer thru these pages !

Best ! Big Al

Allen,

It's in French, but the pictures are clear....

http://www.pointp.fr/docindus/0003%20Platre%20Isolation/01902%20TERREAL/Terreal_conduits.pdf

About the C.S.A., I've given that a lot of thought, and it's constant throughout my plans. I'll make sure to build enough clean outs.

Thank you for the advise on aluminum. I'll be using mostly stainless steel, but I would like to cut costs where possible.

Ludolf

ludolf : Stainless steel is great for a First build where you are not yet interested in tearing it apart and rebuilding. My recommendation is to go by price,call around
or drop by! Tell them you only need the pipe as a form-true, that it only has to last long enough for the Cob To dry-true, that this is for an art project and that you
care enough about its final look to give it a final finish lime plaster coat,but you dont care about the inside - true

What you are hoping to do is find the guy thats been there forever and knows that there is a pile of 'cold air return lite weight pipe that is starting to rust a little -
because it s only surface treatment for protection is it was blued when it was made 10-20 or even longer ago, if you really can't find any then you have a Rocket
Mass Heater Builder who has been going around stockpiling pipe - not to worry, he can't have found all of it !

If its the right size grab it ! PYRO logical Big Al !