Rocket stove batch box info and explanation

Hello

I'm making a request for myself but also for other people who might approach the RSMH concept and don't understand a thing of it/them. As it happened with me, I didn't understand how a rocket stove works, I studied it for several months and then built it (two, until now). I'm sold to the idea and I'm dedicating a lot of time and efforts to it, but I digress.

For reasons you know too well, a conversion from J-tube to batch box is natural during the process (mine, and other's). But there's a problem, there is no explanatory info here (not at donkey's either) about the batch box, for the J-tube you can find tons of info on the internets (pictures, diagrams, animations, videos, books, papers, etc). I'm referring to simple things such as how do you light it up, how do you start the fire, where?

Can somebody, please, make a full presentation (as short as possible, illustrated possibly) about simple build and operation procedures of the batch box? Put it here and serve as a reference for the future? I tried to make the title of the thread user-friendly for somebody who is interested in the batch box, and when searching the info would be here.

Of course there is information buried in other (important) threads about the batch box, but I deem it important the existence of the short presentation I'm asking for people who want either to build a new batch box, or convert an existing J-tube.

Thanks

Blendi

no need to convert if you start with a batch box. large feed chamber or batch box is the only way to go with in my opinion. J tube is for starters and i suggest building one to test it then advance to batch or expanded feed chamber inside. i agree with above post.

Yeah I too have been seeing comments about 'batch boxes' frequently as well, and find myself scratching my head and burning hours of time on unproductive searches trying to figure out exactly what it is and how it works and how to construct one.

Here's a complete build thread for a 6" batch-box, which is fairly equivalent in output to an 8" J-tube rocket:

https://permies.com/t/41202/rocket-stoves/Emergency-quick-small-batchbox-sq

A couple of batch-box related links worth checking out, in case you may not have seen them:

http://donkey32.proboards.com/thread/511/adventures-horizontal-feed

Matt Walker's 8" J-tube to 6" batch conversion:

http://donkey32.proboards.com/thread/1361/converting-8-6-batch

Batch-box design info:

http://donkey32.proboards.com/thread/734/peterberg-batch-box-dimensions

Not happy!!! Angry!!!

I'm joking :-d

Well, the fact that I posted this question and had: 1. one guy thinking exactly like me, 2. another guy pointing me to several links, points to the obvious: there is no "definition" of batch box in the sense I asked.

It's time to remedy this, folks.

I will sift through the links provided (and others as well, mostly at donkey's, where I saw a lot of threads on batch boxes) and extract the information and put it together the way I see it fit. Then, will post it here and wait for critics to show up and work about making it simpler and better.

On to the mission, viva la revolucion...

Blendi

Blendi Kraja wrote:For reasons you know too well, a conversion from J-tube to batch box is natural during the process (mine, and other's). But there's a problem, there is no explanatory info here (not at donkey's either) about the batch box, for the J-tube you can find tons of info on the internets (pictures, diagrams, animations, videos, books, papers, etc). I'm referring to simple things such as how do you light it up, how do you start the fire, where?

Can somebody, please, make a full presentation (as short as possible, illustrated possibly) about simple build and operation procedures of the batch box?

Blendi, I understand you are a professional translator. Could you find it in your heart to volunteer for translating the http://batchrocket.eu/en/ site into a batchrocket.eu/al version? Or any other Balkan language for that matter? As it is now, it looks like the four language versions there are at the moment should be accompanied by at least another quartet in order to spread the batchrocket idea quickly enough.

Just as an aside: a physicist told me recently he suspects the thing is simply driven by one or maybe two laws of physics. Which could explain why scaling up and down don't change how it works significantly until the fire becomes too small.

Hi Peter

Well, hmmm, hmmmm......

The first thought after seeing the site up and running was to write to you and offer to translate it into Albanian. I dropped the idea thinking, what the hell, I might be the only Albanian interested on rocket stoves and I want to translate stuff on that, for whom? There are all those people from other languages who do RMHs and batch boxes and there is no translation of them (later on I saw the other flags). That being said, you have to know that it's better to search for some Slavic guy if you want to target Balkans, it's Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, who might understand Slavic languages (any). More probabilities to reach people. In other words, if a Serb does it in Serbian, or a Croat in Croatian, all the above-mentioned can at least understand. Not the case with Albanian language. Only Albanians would understand and I don't know anybody who deals with this kind of stove (not that I've searched, though).

However, now that you asked I'm on board and will do it if you like. I like these kind of projects, and I like fire, and I  like RMHs and batch boxes. Though, I have some issues.

I have worked in the past as a professional translator but not anymore. With age, comes laziness, and if I have difficulties managing the task I might quit. The text refuses me. That's a problem because I don't quit if I undertake something. The difficulties in question being the English text written by e non-English person. If you remember, I "lamented" about this in one of my posts. However, If you are willing to be forgiving regarding time, to let me do it slowly, I'm OK.

Also there is the level of my professionalism in building in general and the stoves in particular. I like the idea, built two of them and plan to do more, but I have also to earn my living by doing other stuff. This regards terms about building materials and concepts. I'm speaking as a translator. I know English and I can do anything that I understand more or less, but there is a big problem if you want to localize the text for somebody who does not understand English. You don't have to convey just the meaning, but also details so that stuff is perfectly clear to the reader. For example, cob is problematic to translate, perlite and vermiculite are not sold here (i've searched the market both for stoves and gardening). However, that's the reason why I like doing this stuff, because by delving in translation I learn better about the process itself and so on.

To sum it up, I am willing to give it a try. Just let me know.

Best regards

Blendi

Blendi,
I wasn't aware of the fact that Albanian is no Slavic language. Besides you there are 7 others from your home country that visited the batchrocket website.
So for the Balkan I need to find another guy! I don't mind to do a language which isn't as large as Spanish or English as long it is worth the trouble. And in the case of Albania, I think it is.

In short, let's do it and see where it leads us. Text can be delivered by mail, in almost any shape, I have to strip all the formatting anyway.
Please send a short message through the Contact page of the site and we are in business.

That's very good news, this website in so many languages!
Thanks Peter!

I have seen nothing about having the door above, a vertical feeding.
I still have my place ready for making one, but it was meant to be an underground heating, when existed only the J tube.

I did not read all, I will out of conexión, but saw no photo of such feeding.
Can you say if there is something,
or can you plan to mention something about this possibility, or if it is imposible?
Thanks!

Xisca, i'm procrastinating on the vertical feed batch. Possible i say.

https://permies.com/t/38889/a/42799/verticalbatch2.skp?download_attachment=true

I've got a mold sorted for a 4 inch batch looks like I'll try help out see if vertical feed is feasible anyone got any preconceived ideas I have a couple. Thinking possible internal slide and external door open door fill pocket between slide and door close door open slide wood drops into box close slide? I'll give it a crack soonish

That internal slide shelf sounds like it would let the logs drop one end first into the firebox (unless you can make it supersonic in action ), which would have log ends hitting the middle-ish of the firebox (impact bad for the liner?), and the upper ends of the logs leaning against the end of the firebox. I am afraid it would be hard to tweak this to get the logs positioned right automatically. Maybe a hopper with bomb bay doors that would drop the logs horizontally into the middle of the firebox?

Bomb Bay doors now your thinking lol

Sorry noob question here. Is metal doomed if I made the firebox and door only out of it. Port rear wall and riser all refractory castings. Has it been tried?

Russell Dinning wrote:Sorry noob question here. Is metal doomed if I made the firebox and door only out of it. Port rear wall and riser all refractory castings. Has it been tried?

Russel, the metal door is perfectly fine.
The problem arises in the firebox and heat riser. That's where temperatures can kill metal in short order.

Just thought Id ask the question Lol I'm a mechanical technician and welder it drives me nuts that metal don't work