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Recho TiBwawww.RechoRoket.com


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Rocket Stove

Lesson Book

by Jon & Flip Anderson

Mercy Corps volunteers

Saint Marc, Haiti 2012

Dedicated to the people of TiBwawith thanks to Larry Winiarski

Chapters

1. Why Rocket Stoves are important2. Science of Fire3. Clay Mixture4 Combustion Chamber5. Fuel Feed & Air Intake6. Molded Pot Skirt7. Planting trees

8. Starting a fire9. Mold dimensions & ideas10. Troubleshooting

1


3/31

Recho TiBwa

Cleaner

emissions

Less fuel

Safer to use

Cooks food

fast

3 Rock Fires

Are smokey

Use lots of

wood

Are dangerous

for children

Require longer

cooking time.

Fuel

Every day

people gather

wood to cook.

They must go

farther from

home

and use

smaller

pieces.

Improved

Kitchen

Recho TiBwa

makes the

kitchen a

cleaner, safer,

more beautiful

place to

prepare

healthy meals

for the family.

2


4/31

SCIENCE OF

FIRE

High heat

causes gases

to be released

from wood.Wood gases

need oxygen

and heat to

burn clean.

Rocket Stoves

draw air in,

under the

wood, throughthe fire, and

into the

combustion

chamber,

supplying

oxygen

necessary for

a hot fire.

Insulated

combustion

chambers

concentrate

heat so that a

small flame

becomes a

big, hot fire.

An insulated

combustion

chamber

heats and

mixes oxygen

& wood gases

which clean

emissions in

the smoke.

3


5/31

TEST YOUR

CLAY

The first step

in stove

making is

finding a goodsource of clay.

Roll the

moistened

clay. Good

clay should

bend without

breaking.

Using poor

quality clay will

result in a

stove thatdegrades

quickly from

the high heat

of the fire.

PREPARING

DRY CLAY

Dry clay needs

to passed

through a fine

screen.

If the materials

are not passed

through a

screen they

will not mix

well and will

result in a

stove that is

not durable.

PREPARING

WET CLAY

Wet clay

should be well

mixed into a

paste-like

consistency

without lumps.

4


6/31

INSULATION

PRINCIPLE #1

Insulate

around the fire

using

lightweight,heat-resistant

materials.

Organic matter

and clay

become like a

jacket holding

in heat.

INSULATION

MATERIAL

Choose

materials that

are local, free,

or inexpensiveand not used

for human or

animal feed.

Examples are:

sawdust, rice

bran,horse

manure and

pumice.

PREPARING

INSULATION

Pass through

a fine screen

no larger than

1/4. Small

particles mix

with clay

better,

making the

stove stronger

and last

longer.

ASH WATER

Use a gallon

of wood ash

which has not

been leached

by rain or

water. Mix well

with 3 or 4

gallons of

water.

5


7/31

Strain ash

water. Use the

ash water to

moisten clay.Discard the

ash residue.

Ash water

improves

durability of

the clay.

Sugary syrup

Fruit pulp also

strengthens the

clay mixture.

For 5 gallons ofclay use one

gallon rotting

fruit (when

available) or 2

cups sugar and

mix with water.

It will improve

stove durability.

Clay Mixing

Techniques

Thoroughly

combine clay

and organic

material before

adding ash

water or

sugary syrup.

Poor mixing

will result in an

inferior stove.

Add water and

mix and knead

the moist clay

and break up

any lumps.

Make sure

everything is

thoroughly

mixed.

It should not

be too wet or

too dry.

6


8/31

Form the clay

into balls to

further improve

clay structure.Then pack

them into the

molds.

7


9/31

PRINCIPLE #2

Put an

insulated short

chimney right

above the fireto burn up the

smoke and

speed up the

draft.

Combustion

chambers

should be 8"

tall to be ableto clean

emissions.

Buckets with a

10" diameter

bottom are

lighter and use

less materials.

These are the

mold parts for

the

combustion

chamber:

bucket and

bottom, 2

gaskets, 12"

section of 4"

PVC cut

straight.

Place the

bucket bottom

in first, then

put in two

gaskets and

the PVC.

8


10/31

Wash and oil

the PVC and

bucket to

keep if fromsticking when

removing.

Pack the clay

mixture firmly

with a flat

bottomed stickto remove air

cavities.

Make sure the

bucket and

PVC don't rise

up.

Keep the PVC

centered.

Smooth clay

and keep it

uniform and

level. Leave a

1 space from

the top to help

release the

clay from the

bucket when

you turn it over

later.

The PVC

should have

two holes at

one end.

Slide a rod

through the

holes and pull

the PVC out of

the clay.

9


11/31

turn the

bucket over.

10


12/31

Press down on

the removable

bottom. The 1

gap helpsrelieve the

suction along

the sides of

the bucket.

Lift up the

sides of the

bucket while

pushing downon the

moveable

bottom. The

bucket will

slide free.

Now take off

the bucket

bottom and

the other

fittings.

Filling in the

holes and

smoothing the

clay will make

the stove more

durable.

Place the

combustion

chamber in

shade to dry

so it does not

crack from

drying too

quickly.

11


13/31

FUEL/AIR

FEED

Place a piece

of cardboard,

wood, or tin on

the ground.Coat inside of

box with oil,

set in place,

begin filling.

The scored

line in the box

should be

down near the

bottom.

Fill the box

part of mold to

the scored line

with claymixture and

then level the

mixture.

Rub oil on the

center mold to

help the clay

release.

The center

mold sits on

top of the

lower layer of

clay.

Make sure thecenter mold is

centered

between the

vertical lines

on the end of

the box.

Begin packing

clay around

the center

mold.

The top of the

center moldneeds to stay

level with top

of the box and

stay centered

between the

sides.

12


14/31

Tamp the clay

with a flat

ended stick to

make sure theclay is properly

packed and

without air

cavities.

Use a stick to

make sure the

top of the

center blockstays centered

and the same

height as the

sides of the

box.

Attention to

detail will

make a stove

base that

works well and

is durable.

Pull up on the

handles on the

side of the box

to remove the

outside mold.

Shaking it a

little from sideto side will

help loosen

the box.

13


15/31

Slide the

center mold

out.

You may need

to rock it back

and forth a

little to get it to

release.

The Fuel/Air

Feed is now

ready to dry in

a shadylocation.

Fill in any

holes and

smooth the

clay to make

the Fuel/Air

Feed last

longer.

PRINCIPLE #3

Use a grate

under the fire.

Air flows in

through the

grate to give

wood tips lotsoxygen to

make a hot

fire.

PRINCIPLE #4

Heat and burn

the tips of the

sticks as they

enter the fire

to make

flame, not

smoke.Keep a space

between the

sticks and the

back of stove

to allow more

air flow.

14


16/31

Use 4 or 5

pieces of rebar

for the grate,

no more than1/2" apart to

keep coals

from falling

before they

turn to ash.

Use straight

rebar cut into

6" lengths.

The grate will

burn out so

use thick

rebar.

Place rebar in

the back of

the fuel/air

feed to allow

air to flow

under and into

the burning

sticks.

FUEL/AIR

FEED

A piece of tin

will be placed

on 3 pieces of

rebar that are

spaced farther

apart.

The rebar thatsupports the

tin can be

thinner as the

fire will not be

as hot as at

the grate.

Sticks rest on

a short piece

of tin which

sets on rebar.

The tin creates

the air intaketunnel as well

as a place to

remove ash.

15


17/31

PRINCIPLE #5

Maintain a

good, fast

draft from

under the fire,up through the

coals. Avoid

allowing too

much extra air

above the fire

to cool it.

A piece of tin

on the ledge

at the front of

the fuel/airintake will hold

the sticks and

create a

space for air to

enter below.

Stick tips need

air from below.

PRINCIPLE #6

Too little draft

being pulled

into the fire will

result in

smoke and

excess

charcoal.Use a grate

and allow air

to flow below

the tin or the

ash will build

up.

DON'T

DON'Tlet the

tin get pushed

onto the grate

or the airflow

will be

blocked.

Keep the grate

and airflow

open. Remove

ash when it

blocks airflow.

16


18/31

PRINCIPLE #7

High and low

heat are

created by

how manysticks are

pushed into

the fire.

Fast moving

air through the

grate works

like a forge,

increasing the

fire heat.

Caption

Air flowing in

over the sticks

keeps the

smoke flowingup the

combustion

chamber and

not out the

front where it

blackens the

stove.

Place a piece

of tin or brick

on top of the

fuel feed to

bring in more

air above the

sticks andkeep smoke

from

discoloring the

stove.

POT SKIRTPRINCIPLE #8

Concentrate

the heat flow

path, from the

fire, to and

around pot.

Pot skirts

increase heattransfer by

directing hot

gases along

the sides of

the cooking

pot.

17


19/31

MOLDED POT

SKIRT (TOP)

This tub has

sloped sides

and a bottom

the samediameter as

the 5 gallon

bucket mold

for the Rocket

Stove

combustion

chamber.

This is what

the mold for

the pot skirt

looks like.

There is a

gasket and a

short piece of

4" PVC in the

bottom of the

tub.

Moisten the

inside of the

tub and line

with plastic so

the clay

mixture will slip

out easily.

Pack with clay

mixture and

press firmly.

Be sure to

pack the clay

mixture in tight

to capture the

shape of the

ring fitting.

Pack themixture up to

the top of the

PVC.Make

sure the PVC

stays in place.

18


20/31

Set the pot on

top of the PVC

and make

sure it iscentered.

Make sure the

gap between

the cooking

pot and tub is

the same all

around. Pack

and smooth.

It's important

to put some

weight in the

pot whilepacking in the

clay mixture.

If you don't,

the pot will rise

up above the

PVC.

Remove the

pot, put a

board on top

of the tub and

holding to the

handles, turn

the tub over torelease the

new pot skirt.

Fill in any air

cavities and

smooth.

Once they've

dried a little,

place the pot

skirt on top of

combustion

chamber. The

fittings allowthem to

interlock and

hold in place.

19


21/31

PRINCIPLE #9

Keep air flow

unrestricted by

maintaining

constant crosssectional area

through the

stove.

A small fire

can have a

BIG impact if

you use aproperly sized

pot skirt to

transfer all the

heat to the

cooking pot.

PRINCIPLE

#10

Maximize heat

transfer to the

pot with

properly sized

gaps.

If the gap is

too large, heat

transfer to the

pot will

diminish and

heat will be

wasted.

20


22/31

POT SKIRT

Use the stove

tool to form

the correct

cross sectionalarea and

height of pot

rests.

The stove tool

is placed into

a combustion

chamber to

determine the

pot rest height.

Make sure the

stove top is

beveled and

pot rests are atthe proper

height to allow

hot gases to

leave the

combustion

chamber

without

slowing down.

While the clay

is still soft,

insert rocks or

rebar for pot

rests. Make

sure the pot

rests arepacked tight.

They should

be set 1" back

from the edge

of combustion

chamber.

TOO HIGH

Rebar will

work well for

pot rests.

These pot

rests are way

too high and

will result inwasted heat.

A stove tool

makes it easy

to find the

correct height.

21


23/31

STOVE TOOL

This handy

stove tool can

help you know

how high thepot rests must

be and how to

form the

correct cross

sectional area

slope on the

pot skirt.

The stove tool

pattern is

found on

www.RechoRoket.

com

Print it, cut it,

and...

trace it onto a

piece of tin.

Cut the tin and

you have your

own stove

tool.

Work your way

around the

combustion

chamber with

the stove tool

as shown and

you will comepretty close to

getting the pot

supports

equidistance

apart.

22


24/31

TREE

PLANTING

Rocket Stoves

will save wood

but there is a

need to planttrees as well.

On garden

land, an

A-frame can

be used to find

the contour of

the land.

Seeds can be

planted along

the contour.

Fruit trees, fuel

wood trees,

lumber trees,

will help hold

the soil in

place and

replace trees

that are being

cut.

Trees like

Leucana and

Moringa can

be trimmed

into a hedge

and used as

animal feed.The dried

branches can

be used as

fuel for Rocket

Stoves.

Racius is a

man from

Limbe who

established

forests in poor

soil by planting

tree seeds atthe base of

banan plants.

You can do it

too. You need

to do it.

23


25/31

FIRE

STARTING

Place dried

corn husks or

paper on the

grate. On topof those place

twigs and

small slivers of

wood. Light

the fire and

then add

larger twigs

and sticks.

Fan the fire.

The first fires in

a new Rocket

Stove will be

more difficultto light

because the

clay will still be

a little moist.

The stove will

also be a little

smokey until it

dries out.

As the sticks

burn, push

them forward

so the tips rest

over the grate.

Be sure toclean the ash

from under the

grate and tin

before starting

a fire.

In wet weather

once you are

finished

cooking the

meal, place

the wood for

the next mealon top of the

warm stove so

it will dry out.

24


26/31

DIMENSIONS

Fuel/Air Feed

Box: 16.25" x

11.5" x 7.75"Base fill line 2"

Sanding inside

of box and

center mold

will help clay

release.

Painting will

also help.

Fuel/Air Feed

top section:

4.75" x 13" x4.25"

bottom

section:

4" x 13" x 1.5"

COMBUSTION

CHAMBER

4" PVC -14"

(cut straight)

5 gal bucket

10" dia. base

1" cut from

bucket bottom

Buckets canbe purchased

from Christ

Seul Espoir

Pepe in Saint

Marc

3722-7911

Cut the

bucket bottom

with a hack

saw. It's easier

to measure

from the

bottom up,once you

calculate how

much to cut

off.

25


27/31

Molded Skirt

The tubs need

to be the size

of a 5 gallon

bucket at theirbase. Check

with Mercy

Corps Saint

Marc to find

out where to

find these

tubs.

The fitting in

the tub should

match the

height of thefitting in the

bucket. The

PVC will fit

inside the

fitting. Put 2

screws thru

the top and

then 6 from

the bottom.

ARTWORK

If you are

making stoves

to sell it would

be a good

idea to have a

mark or logo

that identifiesyour stove. If

you make a

quality stove it

should be

worth more

money.

Guy puts birds

on his stoves.

He says the

stoves will

save enough

trees for the

birds to have aplace to build

their nests.

26


28/31

These birds

were made by

tracing around

a paper cut-out.

A tree design

would be nice

to see, or a

mountain

This design

was made by

tracing around

a leaf that waspinned onto

the stove.

TROUBLE

SHOOTING

The charcoal

build up on the

piece of tin

was a sign of

problem. The

tin was

pushed too farforward and

was blocking

the grate.

This

turbulence fin

soaked up

water from the

combustion

chamber, got

soggy andbroke. It was

not fired

enough. They

need to be

cooked.

27


29/31

There are two

problems here:

the clay is a

type thatdisintegrates

when heated.

Also the

manure is too

large so there

is poor mixing

of the

ingredients.

Soil that

doesn't stick

together won't

make adurable stove.

This soil was

so poor the

top didn't even

survive coming

out of the

mold.

The rebar

does not

make a grate.

This stove will

choke with

charcoal and

ash.

The

turbulence fins

are put in too

flat and are

blocking the

air flow. The

combustionchamber

would be

white if the

stove was

working

properly.

28


30/31

The soot on

the outside of

this

combustionwas a sign

that something

was blocking

the air flow. It

is the pot. The

pot blocked

the air flow as

you can see

from the soot.

Such a

problem can

be corrected

by cuttingaway clay

from the inside

of the skirt.

There should

be a gap of

3/8" (1 cm).

This stove is

smokey

because the

pot is too small

to fit on the

pot rests and

is choking thefire.

This problem

was corrected

by installing

rebar bent in

over the

combustion

chamber.Trouble

shooting is an

important of

stove building

and

maintenance.

29


31/31

Stoves must

be protected

from rain.

Cover the

kitchen area

with tin or

plastic so the

stoves stay

dry.

Build a base

under the

stove to keep

the bottomdry. This will

make it so a

cook doesn't

have to bend

over so far to

put wood in

the fire.

30

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