Topic

Whirlwind Windscreen


Forum Posting

A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!

Home Forums Gear Forums Make Your Own Gear Whirlwind Windscreen

  • This topic is empty.
Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #1303234
    Dan Yeruski
    BPL Member

    @zelph

    Locale: www.bplite.com

    I like tinkering with DIY projects. I like science related stuff for use with my stoves.
    I've done some research on laminar flow and how it relates to flames going up the side of a pot. Some say laminar is not what we want. Most everyone wants the flames to stay under the pot for all practical reasons. I had an idea of how to better keep those flames concentrated on the bottom and to have the heat generated hug the sides of the pot as it rises in a agitated manner(better than laminar). The idea was to have the entering air whirl the flames in a circular motion. I used louveres to focus the air in a "whirlwind" motion as you will see in the video.

    I think the flame pattern is cool!

    quoted from the youtube "description"

    You are looking up under the windscreen at the Modified StarLyte Burner. I'm using my new design of windsceen that I named "Whirlwind Windscreen". The view is through a sheet of tempered glass and the image is be reflected by a mirror. Watch the whirlwind pattern of the flames as I remove the pot from the windscreen. That pattern is created by the design of the holes in the screen. In the water heating mode, pot resting on the pot support, the flames are swirling around the bottom of the pot. They are being kept in a regulated flowing pattern. Distance from burner to pot is at a precise distance. Windscreen is approximately 3/8" away from sides of Foster's pot. I used aluminum flashing for the windscreen. Windscreen sets flat on ground.

    Take a look at what I came up with, let me know what you think:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thDmBWELx68

    .

    #1988744
    Andrew Zajac
    Member

    @azajac

    Locale: South West

    I must admit that looks pretty neat. I would be curious to see how it performs in more real-world conditions. My concern would be that you might need a good seal with the ground and precise distances between pot and wind screen to get the whirlwind action going. Looks are cool, but performance is even cooler. Have you performed any comparative tests using non-tornado wind screens?

    You could make one of these and have some pretty crazy fire tornado action!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTwy_EVubIY

    Edited for punctuation.

    #1988791
    Dan Yeruski
    BPL Member

    @zelph

    Locale: www.bplite.com

    Tetkoba makes some really wild stuff. I call him Mr. Precision :-)

    I have not done any boil comparisons due to lack of time during this action packed spring weather. I'm trying to configure some ridge lines into the windscreen to make it durable and user friendly. The windscreen remains rigid in a cylinder shape. I can store it around a foster's pot or store it inside. The ridglines on it really strengthen it and add protection to the foster's pot if I keep it outside the pot. The one in the video is 6" tall. I'll post a picture of it tomorrow.

    According to some info that came to be in the thread where I made a Titanium windscreen, it was said that turbulent air around the pot is better than laminar flowing. Based on this info, we can only think that boil times and fuel efficiency will improve, correct? The swirling motion seems to distribute the hot air evenly around the pot. In the video I'm using a Fosters pot. I was impressed with what I saw from under the windscreen via the relection in the mirror.

    I'm not much of a youtube watcher and not up to date what's going on in the stove making world so members here might be able to tell me if they've seen anything like this windscreen before. I've seen stoves that have a swirl to the flames but not a windscreen that creates the swirling motion.

    #1988835
    Dan Yeruski
    BPL Member

    @zelph

    Locale: www.bplite.com

    Here is a photobucket video and photo of the windscreen. Notice the ridge lines that strengthen it. I'm still working on a good means of holding the screen at the appropriate diameter once placed around the pot. This type of screen should be able to benefit many different size pots. Get the flames to swirling and that should keep flames centered and give even distribution of heat around the sides of the pot.

    In the beginning of the video you will see the flame area begin to get brighter. That's a hardware cloth support beginning to glow red hot.

    click on that black square to start the video. It was made in the dark so I could see whats going on under the burner/pot.

     video WhirlwindWindscreen_zps87f0057c.mp4

     photo whirlwind001_zps2d4a0011.jpg

    #1988880
    J C
    BPL Member

    @joomy

    Are you Darth Vader?

    #1989433
    Dan Yeruski
    BPL Member

    @zelph

    Locale: www.bplite.com

    I am Darth Vader aka Stovemandan LOL

    This windscreen will make all my stoves more efficient. Get that heat evenly distributed in a turbulent way and "bingo" efficiency abounds.

    It's cool how it makes the flames swirl, I like watching it. I think I'll make a fire pit on the same principle. oh my, that wood look so cool LOL

    #1989737
    steven franchuk
    Member

    @surf

    "This windscreen will make all my stoves more efficient. Get that heat evenly distributed in a turbulent way and "bingo" efficiency abounds."

    A vortex may not give you the turbulent flow you are lokking for. it could actually make the flow more laminer. But that said It would be interesting to see how this performs in the real world.

    #1989786
    Dan Yeruski
    BPL Member

    @zelph

    Locale: www.bplite.com

    Steven, thanks for your insight. I'll give an update as soon as I get a chance to get out into the real world and do some testing. Home repairs and garage clean out to get ready for a yard sale is keeping me busy. I need a long vacation :-)

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Forum Posting

A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!

Get the Newsletter

Get our free Handbook and Receive our weekly newsletter to see what's new at Backpacking Light!

Gear Research & Discovery Tools


Loading...