I saw Paul Wheaton's YouTube videos regarding the Rocket Mass Heaters and was intrigued. I put a link to those videos in a forum that I am a part of to generate some discussion, and man, did I get discussion. Not all friendly. But I can understand their view. To them, it is new technology, and they don't have the information that might help them understand the whole process. These fellows are engineers, and they understand the older and new high efficiency wood stoves. There seemed to be two main areas of concern. The first was safety. Several of the men felt that the design would make CO poisoning nearly a sure thing. They were concerned that the mass robs heat from the system, and that the system might not be able to maintain the proper draft. Also, they were concerned that the cob used to seal the system would pull away from the drum over the riser and not make a good seal, allowing CO to enter the living space. The second area of concern was the potential problems with maintenance. The mass covers galvanized stove pipe that could be a potential collecting point for acidified moisture, which would eat away at the pipe.
Can anyone speak to safety concerns with the RMH, as well as why this design works efficiently and safely in your opinion. Also, please keep it simple to understand. I'm not an engineer, and it takes me a fair while to understand things. I eventually get it, but it's a slow painful process for both student and teacher! Have studies been made at Universities regarding the RHM? Have there been flow studies done, and chemical analysis of the exhaust done? Have there been any instances of sickness or death caused by CO poisoning due to a badly engineered RMH?
Any help would be... helpful? And greatly appreciated.
