Post by Vortex on Jan 30, 2013 14:20:14 GMT -8


6"/150mm Vortex Stove core Sketchup file




Summer 2020 I built a 4" / 100mm scaled version: donkey32.proboards.com/post/34699/thread
Scale Drawing: vftshop.com/images/others/Stove/aryancore4.jpg
OVERVIEW
3 Chambers: Fire Box, Afterburner & Top Chamber.
3 Apertures: (Firebox) Port, (Afterburner) Stumbler / Port & (Top Chamber) Exit Port.
Dimensions below are for a 6 inch / 150mm system. (To get the dimensions for a 5" / 125mm system multiply by 0.833, 4-3/4" / 120mm system by 0.800, and for a 4" / 100mm system multiply by 0.666)
Firebox: 305mm High, 305mm Wide, 420mm Deep (not inc the door frame).
Firebox Port: 50mm Wide X 175mm Long. (approx 50% CSA)
Afterburner: 114mm High, 230mm Wide, 420mm Deep.
Afterburner should be low mass and well insulated. I do not recommend using ceramic fiber products in any stove if you can avoid it, but if you have to, then enclose them so they are not releasing fibers into the gas stream. Insulating firebricks I believe are ok as they do not contain fibers.
Afterburner Shelf (roof of the Afterburner / floor of the Top Chamber). I originally made this adjustable (forwards / backwards) because at the time the gap between the front edge of the shelf and the inside of the glass was functioning as the Exit Port. That had the downside of the glass getting 'etched' from the intense heat against it. So I moved the shelf back a bit and put the Exit Port / Stumbler up on top of the shelf. I found the increase in size of the afterburner was also an improvement. A gap of 110mm between shelf front and glass seems to be good, as it is large enough to avoid damage to the surface of the glass, but close enough that if the stove overfuels and smoke deposit is left on the inside of the afterburner glass it burns of clean again quickly.
The roof of the afterburner should be made of an insulating or low mass material. Ideally I think a material that will glow as quickly as possible would be the best. A kiln shelf or ceramic glass may be ok, but I haven't tried them yet. I'm presently experimenting with a Vermiculite board shelf.
(Afterburner) Stumbler / Port: 230mm Wide X 40mm High (52% CSA).
located on top of the shelf about 80mm back from the front edge of the shelf.
Top Chamber: 75mm High, 280mm Wide, 460mm Deep.
The roof of the Top Chamber in a cookstove may be a hotplate (ceramic glass or steel/cast iron plate) or the base of an oven.
Top Chamber Exit Port: 117mm Wide X 118mm High (78% CSA).
The top chamber exit Port can be at the rear middle, left or right hand side.
CSA = Cross Sectional Area. Example: On a 150mm system: (the radius) 75mm x 75mm x Pi (π 3.142) = 17673mm²
Air Supply: Primary Air: adjustable upto 20% CSA, low at the front of the firebox door. Secondary Air: adjustable upto 10% CSA, in from the sides and top behind the door (this can be done with a steel box section behind the door frame or simply a 2 position door catch to leave a 2mm gap open). They can be combined into a 30% CSA primary but this has not been analysed with a testo.
The three apertures; Firebox Port (0.50 CSA), Afterburner Stumbler / Port (0.52 CSA), Top Chamber Exit Port (0.78 CSA).
It looks like there is some degree of flexibility with regard to some of the dimensions and materials eg. Firebox, but that the dimensions and configuration of other parts (apertures) seem critical to achieving the clean, highly efficient burn.
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UPDATE: This thread is now nearly 8 years old, the original stove has been dismantled and a new one built.
Discussion of the new stove starts around page 15: donkey32.proboards.com/thread/703/vortex-stove?page=15
Building of the new stove starts on page 20: donkey32.proboards.com/post/23834/thread
2018 I started experimenting with a new Vortex style afterburner on the stove, discussion of that starts on page 28: donkey32.proboards.com/post/30273/thread
START OF ORIGINAL THREAD:
I recently stumbled across your great little forum and thought I'd share my stoves with you. The design is not classic rocket stove but includes elements of it. It's a horizontal front load, batch fed, mass stove with cook top. Now on it's 5th winter and going strong. ;D


With bypass flap open it can even be used as a classic open fire

The initial construction: I changed the top after the first trial - rising it another 3 inches and moved the bypass flap to the right hand side.

Two years ago I built another one for a friend who is a carpenter, and in return he made me a set of reusable wooden moulds to cast the refractory core in pieces that slot together. It was going to be tiled but hasn't happened so far. The door and ashbox (bottom right hand side end) has yet to be made - for a door he's still using the metal plate held up by a brick that I used for the first few years.


Top View (without metal top on): Firebox throat / riser on right, bypass flap opening to chimney in centre (flap not installed), contraflow down channel on left drops down below firebox level and travels around anti-clockwise under four bell chambers before exiting up the chimney (centre).

Some Videos Here
Vortex Stove Plans PDF
All Scans in Zip file