In-the-ground Rocket stove experiment

I've been experimenting to see how a Rocket stove could be made simply and inexpensively by building most of it underground.This version is somewhat like a Dakota fire hole with a chimney to develop more natural draft and direct the heat onto a pot better, but it's also like a Rocket stove in that you feed the wood into the air hole. The piece of stovepipe has some flared tabs at the bottom to keep it from dropping into the hole. The sheet metal came from an old hot water heater.

In this trial I was also attempting to develop a vortex swirl in the bottom by positioning the inlet hole offset to one side. Hopefully this will give cleaner, more complete combustion and less smoke.

As in the Dakota fire hole, if it's used just temporarily the fire is easily put out and left behind safely by pushing the dirt back into the holes.

Note the rocks holding down the sheet metal - they all came from those two little holes I dug! Yup, this is Arkansas...

This experiment got cut a bit short as it started to rain pretty hard. Stay tuned for further updates.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• rocket
• stove
• dakota
• fire
• hole
• wood
• gas
• Burn
• Burning
• Flame
• Combustion
• howto
• international
• development
• firewood
• green
• sustainable
• technology
• appropriate
• tech
• casero
• homemade
• home-built

[yellowmetalcyborg]

Very nice as usual.

Just one question though, how would you deal with the ashes? It seems like you can't really remove them as you burn the wood.

[approtechie]

@yellowmetalcyborg Much of the ash goes up the pipe with the strong air flow, but the rest would have to be pulled out the side hole probably, or remove the pipe and clean it out from above. Not so convenient that way.

[apples13able]

Really cool! I just learned about Dakota Holes yesterday! I'm guessing the Sioux tribes of the Dakota territories used them? What I would like to try or see is a copper coil getting heated by the Dakota hole, maybe use thermal convection to circulate hot water into a tank above ground? A 12v pump could make it work faster. Really cool!

[CheapEnergyIdeas]

i tried this too..rocket stoves r too cool man..next i'm gonna dig 6 holes in a circle all leading to one pipe an see how fast a 55gal drum of water heats up.peace

[rubbernecker13]

Like a suped up dakota fire pit, cool!

[poppopscarvinshop]

Awesome!

Thanks!

Namaste'

[saeidmomtahan]

Excellent as usual