Joined: Nov 16, 2007 Posts: 276 Location: Rural Western Idaho
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:40 pm Post subject: Convert BIG propane stove to wood?
Have got an industrial-sized (seriously ... made for a small restaurant), double oven, six burner with side griddle stainless steel propane burning stove in our house. It's pretty cool -- Could someone help me figure out how to post a photo here, please?
Problem is, it IS propane burning.
Now, we want to establish a summer kitchen outdoors as an extension to the deck. (No air conditioning in this old house. Also, canning is a lot easier mess-wise outside. Chickens will clean up all the spills.)
Does anyone know of a way we could convert this stove to wood burning? That would mean not having to buy anything for outside, plus not using propane to cook with inside anymore.
Thoughts - ideas - websites?
Help with posting photo?
Thanks
Lumpy _________________ Dean Karnazes : "Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up." --- Jackie Joyner-Kersee: "It is better to look forward & prepare, than to look back & regret."
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:58 am Post subject: Re: Convert BIG propane stove to wood?
Personally I suggest for outdoor stoves, you simply build a
multiburner woodgas stove, a multiburner rocket stove or
a methane digester to fuel your gas stove outdoors.
But here are a few ideas of varying complexity...
* Woodgas: you could build a woodgas system to provide gas for the stove.
Good ones are not easy to build.
* Methane: You could build a methane digester system from a bunch of
barrels. That would not be very difficult and would work perfectly well with
your gas stove.
* Standalone Charcoal Burners:
Simply burn charcoal in can under your pot.
* Standalone Wood Shaving Burners:
Simply burn wood shavings in large can under your pot.
If you light the wood shavings on the top they start producing
heat instantly and burn smokeless. The containers you use should
be as tall or taller then a coffee can and must have holes around
the bottom to let in air.
By the way, a table with bricks on top and burner cans on that, with
a fuel barrel under the table, makes a nice summer cooking stove.
Last edited by steam_cannon on Mon Apr 21, 2008 3:48 pm; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:41 am Post subject: Re: Convert BIG propane stove to wood?
steam_cannon wrote:
Summary of options to use that gas stove:
* Woodgas: you could build a woodgas system to provide gas for the stove.
Good ones are not easy to build.
* Methane: You could build a methane digester system from a bunch of
barrels. That would not be very difficult and would work perfectly with
your gas stove.
Many good ideas there Steam, but I must point out that being a propane stove there would be unpleasant consequences trying to run it on natural gas (methane digester) without changing out the mixing orifices.
-G _________________ All right, you primitive screw-heads, listen up!
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 3:30 pm Post subject: Re: Convert BIG propane stove to wood?
gnm wrote:
Many good ideas there Steam, but I must point out that being a
propane stove there would be unpleasant consequences trying
to run it on natural gas (methane digester) without changing out the
mixing orifices.
A slightly good point, I've seen instances where no changes needed to be
made, but in some instances a larger valve is needed for optimum performance.
Quote:
* Liquid Propane (LP) gas contains more carbon than natural gas
and burns nearly three times hotter. LP Gas comes from a tank
positioned outside your home.
* Natural gas is a lighter-than-air gas that dissipates when
released into the air. It does not burn as hot as other gases,
but it costs much less. It must be hard-piped to an appliance from
buried gas service lines.
In India many people use methane stoves which are powered by
modified inner tubes filled with a slurry of manure and water. It only
takes a few hours in the sun for the inner tube to begin to swell
with methane. The modification to the inner tube consists of
replacing the normal air valve with a larger cap/valve arrangement.
The cap allows for easy filling and cleaning. The tire valve installed
in the cap allows one to attach a hose to the stove.
Andy Germany may be able to find some photos of German vehicles
operating with large methane filled bags on top. One photo I
particularly remember from years ago is that of a large bus with a
methane bag covering the entire length of the roof. A friend of mine
who spent a terrifying childhood in Germany during the second
world war said they had a methane generator in the basement of
their house. The methane was used to heat the house when coal
was unavailable.
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:00 pm Post subject: Re: Convert BIG propane stove to wood?
gnm wrote:
Many good ideas there Steam, but I must point out that being a
propane stove there would be unpleasant consequences trying
to run it on natural gas (methane digester) without changing out the
mixing orifices.
I'm a little curious about your comment here, your not worried
about the gas igniting back though the line or something right? That
can't happen. The digester puts out a mix of methane and carbon
dioxide. Oxygen in the digester gets used up by bacteria, so there's
nothing to flare back. That's not an issue.
I was thinking at first that you were saying the gas is lower energy so
for ideal cooking larger valves may be needed. But if you are worried
about the digester exploding or anything, that shouldn't be a problem.
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