stoker
Junior Member
Posts: 61
|
Post by stoker on Mar 8, 2015 18:43:45 GMT -8
Anyone know how the IntensiFire retrofit stove-insert works? www.intensifire.co.nzIn 2013 it was one of the finalists at the same event as matthewwalker with his Walker Stove: www.forgreenheat.org/stovedesign/finalists.htmlMatthew, did you get a look at it when you were there? EDIT mid-May 2016: For the benefit of anyone finding this thread for the first time, here's a summary of the rest of the thread to date. The idea (with a few variants) is described and illustrated in a patent: www.google.com/patents/US20140196637also at worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?DB=EPODOC&II=0&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=20121108&CC=WO&NR=2012150868A2&KC=A2and at patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf;jsessionid=11DA371482C41677907DAAFEDFD8DF3F.wapp1nC?docId=WO2014158032&recNum=1&maxRec=&office=&prevFilter=&sortOption=&queryString=&tab=PCTDescriptionNow that I know more about the design, I would describe it as like a pocket rocket running backwards: there's a box of burning firewood, with an exit flue pipe that extends almost to the floor of the box. There is also an arrangement (the patent lists a few options) for secondary air to enter the gas-stream at the entrance to that flue-pipe. (In one version, that's just a second tube around the flue-pipe, to bring air from near the ceiling of the firebox down to the bottom of the flue-pipe.) You could also think of it as a downdraft system, sort of. That flue-pipe ends up acting rather like the riser in a rocket-stove, so if it leads straight to the chimney then that would be a dreadful waste of heat, but at least the exhaust would be cleaner. The last drawing in the patent shows a design with a baffle to extract some of that heat. Woody Chain (with forum name "woodychain") is the owner of a woodstove company that has been working with the inventor to commercialise the design. The trouble is that when retrofitted, a stove burns hotter than originally designed: in one case the top was glowing cherry-red and the glass in the doors exploded. So the design can be used in new stove-designs and in certain existing stoves that can handle it, but isn't suitable for selling as a general-purpose DIY retrofit option: see cookstoves.net/articles/cookstove-basics/intensifire-clean-burning-tech-improve-stove/ |
|
|
|
Post by Daryl on Mar 8, 2015 20:17:51 GMT -8
I've been trying to get the scoop for years. The feedback I have received from visitors was that the IntensiFire and Wittus were putting out the most heat. For a brief moment, the builder was a member over on Hearth.com. Not sure he still checks in there.
|
|
|
|
Post by Daryl on Mar 9, 2015 1:02:23 GMT -8
One more thing, the stove came from a member over at Hearth. The journey can be found on an old thread there.
|
|
|
|
Post by Vortex on Mar 9, 2015 3:18:16 GMT -8
The quote from that link pretty much tells you when combined with the picture of what he's holding.
|
|
stoker
Junior Member
Posts: 61
|
Post by stoker on Mar 9, 2015 14:30:54 GMT -8
I saw that, and the video, but I'm still not sure of details. It looks as if there are two concentric tubes but I'm not sure what else, or if there are any passages between them. It seems to go from the grate up to somewhere near the flue exit, but I don't know if it's connected to that exit. In the video it seems that air/smoke goes into the bottom of the outer tube.
My best guess is that perhaps air goes up from under the grate into the inner tube, and perhaps those two flows join further up for secondary combustion. Lots of uncertainties there. If that guess is right, it looks as if the hot gases from the secondary combustion would go straight into the flue, rather than providing useful heat to a surface that can heat the room.
I think that guess wouldn't work very well, so I think it's probably wrong.
|
|
|
|
Post by ericvw on Mar 9, 2015 15:34:19 GMT -8
I saw that, and the video, but I'm still not sure of details. It looks as if there are two concentric tubes but I'm not sure what else, or if there are any passages between them. It seems to go from the grate up to somewhere near the flue exit, but I don't know if it's connected to that exit. In the video it seems that air/smoke goes into the bottom of the outer tube. My best guess is that perhaps air goes up from under the grate into the inner tube, and perhaps those two flows join further up for secondary combustion. Lots of uncertainties there. If that guess is right, it looks as if the hot gases from the secondary combustion would go straight into the flue, rather than providing useful heat to a surface that can heat the room. I think that guess wouldn't work very well, so I think it's probably wrong. Hey stoker, Your guess is as good as mine  ! Sorry, I couldn't help myself... I looked into it .... once. Got to the same place you're at, and then focused on building molds for a batch box. Eric VW |
|
|
|
Post by Daryl on Mar 9, 2015 17:15:58 GMT -8
I saw that, and the video, but I'm still not sure of details. It looks as if there are two concentric tubes but I'm not sure what else, or if there are any passages between them. It seems to go from the grate up to somewhere near the flue exit, but I don't know if it's connected to that exit. In the video it seems that air/smoke goes into the bottom of the outer tube. My best guess is that perhaps air goes up from under the grate into the inner tube, and perhaps those two flows join further up for secondary combustion. Lots of uncertainties there. If that guess is right, it looks as if the hot gases from the secondary combustion would go straight into the flue, rather than providing useful heat to a surface that can heat the room. I think that guess wouldn't work very well, so I think it's probably wrong. Hey stoker, Your guess is as good as mine ! Sorry, I couldn't help myself... I looked into it .... once. Got to the same place you're at, and then focused on building molds for a batch box. Eric VW
I did this on one of my tin can experiments posted here. It's pretty ugly but I tried two inner tubes to pull down the gases. It worked. Kind of like cylinder mini-channels. The Intens was mentioned to be a down draft so I wondered if the gases were pulled from the top back through the coals and then sent up the flue. *I still have no idea* ha ha.
One of my "Satamax" ideas was to use an elongated insulated flue with a venturi that extends below a grate of burning wood. The gases would be pulled from the top of the firebox down past the coals and into the flue. Kind of like a varied leveled basic batch box but functioning like a downdraft.
|
|
|
|
Post by keithturtle on Mar 14, 2015 22:58:48 GMT -8
I wonder if it has a vortex element to it. If the draft can be forced into some sort of spin, well, with enough air it might create the velocity that would act as a blower, without actually having one. I've always thought it would be nice to get the air spinning, but I haven't been able to create that much draft. When you restrict or duct the incoming airflow, the resistance is just too great, from what little I've done with it. Either that, or it has no effect, IDK.
I haven't given up on the idea yet; maybe it will work with larger burn chambers
Turtle
|
|
|
|
Post by Daryl on Mar 15, 2015 6:43:06 GMT -8
Maybe the velocity of the draft doesn't slow down as much because the regular stoves don't have the additional mass? The idea of conventional stoves is to put out heat to the room while the RMHs are geared towards radiant heat.
|
|
|
|
Post by photoman290 on Mar 21, 2015 8:29:31 GMT -8
just had a quick look at the intensifire patent. couldn't find any drawings but there is a long description of it. don't have time to read it at the moment. here is the patent number.
WO 2012150868 A2
looks good if you already have a old woodstove. i converted mine to WMO a couple of years ago. as i live 1/2 mile from anyone else i can do this. don't try it in town though.
|
|
|
|
Post by Vortex on Mar 21, 2015 10:16:05 GMT -8
|
|
stoker
Junior Member
Posts: 61
|
Post by stoker on Mar 23, 2015 4:35:54 GMT -8
Thank you photoman290 and vortex!
It looks very close to my guess and Daryl's "satamax idea".
The tube acts a bit like the heat-riser in a rocket stove, in that it's an area for secondary combustion. I reckon very little of the heat produced there will reach the room though, since it's a downward extension of the flue-pipe into the box of the stove.
|
|
woodychain
New Member
Getting ready for a wild wildfire season.
Posts: 6 
|
Post by woodychain on Jun 22, 2015 19:33:18 GMT -8
Greetings Folks, Any questions about this design or the Intensifire can now be directed to me as I have formed a partnership with Jason Stewart of NZ to represent this technology in North America. We are working on a few designs currently and will have units in production soon, for North America. The technology is as described above in the patent. I am also working with Niels Wittus and can provide info about the Twin Fire as well. My business is all about fire as I am a professional firefighter as well as firelighter, Pyromaniac is more like it  We are based in Kalispell Montana not far from Missoula which in these parts we call "Zoola", home of the infamous Paul Wheaton who is a big promoter of Rocket Mass technology. www.richsoil.com/paul-wheaton.jspThanks, |
|
|
|
Post by pyrophile on Jun 26, 2015 15:39:21 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by Daryl on Jun 27, 2015 12:30:45 GMT -8
That kinda looks what I did with my little tin can. Looks like an extended flue to pull the gases back down for a gasifier effect?
|
|
! Sorry, I couldn't help myself...
