Bill, thanks for the enthusiasm! I'll just touch on a few of your questions here since others may be wondering as well, but if you'd like to talk in more detail, please email me, or pm me your email address.
I'm just starting this whole process, so currently the stoves are built on a custom basis. Pricing varies depending on configuration, but is comparable to mid range
wood stoves.
The batch loading is great, but keep in mind that it's still burning full tilt, so time between feeding isn't that much different than a J tube
rocket mass heater. It will need feeding every 45 minutes to two hours, depending on the fuel. It should be coupled to thermal mass for round the clock heating.
The window is rated at 1500° continuous, but keep in mind that it's excellent at shedding it's heat, so it never really gets near that temperature.
I would recommend a dedicated chimney.
The basic Efficiency model uses a core designed by Peter van den Berg, who has done lots of testing and published results over on Donkey's board. I believe I saw a
thread where you were directed towards his results already, so perhaps you've seen the numbers. If you are going to be in D.C. for the challenge, we will get another round of numbers there, and I hope to have full lab results available in the not too distant future. Thanks again for the questions and interest!
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