New Cooking Fuel

Recently I’ve been developing a new stove that burns this interesting fuel. I’ve toyed with it in the past and have had renewed interest. Here are some threads from Whiteblaze that discus DEG:

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/42764-Fuel-Gel-Diethylene-Glycol-Your-thoughts?highlight=DEG+diethylene+glycol

Zelphs “Zengia”  year 2007

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/28941-Move-Over-Trangia-The-ZENGIA-Arrives?highlight=zengia

I’ll post some photos tomorrow showing the stove.

This video shows how the fuel does not ignite when stove it tipped over:

(–K.T.–) “Can’t blow it out and pack up a partial burned cube like Esbit.”

With new design, the stove can be snuffed out and leftover fuel returned to fuel bottle.

The stove lights easily with safety matches. 1 book of safety matches is allowed in airline “checked luggage”.

Does it boil water :-)

Did 3 boil tests 2 cups of water in approx. 11 min. using a Toaks Light 550ml pot. Not too shabby 8-) Starting water temp was 70 degrees. Calm air conditions in my garage.

There are no worries about shipping restrictions, storage limitations or insurance. Fuel product is manufactured in the USA.

Fuel is approved by Boy Scouts of America organization.

Flame pattern remains constant throughout burning, no flare up once water reaches boiling point.

The btu’s are around 8,730.4 Btu/lb. Lower than denatured alcohol but the other benefits outweigh the lower heat output.

The fuel is in the same non-flammable category as vegetable oil and is non-hazardous by D.O.T. regulations. :D

I don’t think anyone died from the adultered wine. Just a bunch of Austrian winemakers got in trouble and hurt their country’s wine export business.

Chafing fuel has no smell to it when burning. Vaporization is not an issue. I purchased some at a dollar store “Dollar Tree” they have this brand Fancy Heat. Great name to accompany the Fancee Feest stove LOL. Only $1.00 per can. Other dollar stores may have it also.

If you don’t need the built in pot stand, any reason not to just buy the FancyHeat can and burn straight out of the container like the restaurants do?

Steve, by all means, go that route. Not sure how long it will take to get a boil. In recent threads folks were trying wax as a fuel so it can be taken to International locations where fuel is difficult to find. This fuel can be taken inside “checked luggage” The stuff is interesting as a new cooking fuel for backpackers and teaching young scouts a more safe way to cook with adult supervision of course. I’m still tweaking this stove design. The viscosity of the fuel is like that of light syrup. It’s dual purpose, can be used for cleaning bottom of pots that have been used on wood fires.

http://bplite.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=4913&sid=17346528a9725f9950c0136b14b7e24b

Chaffing fuel cannot be taken on a flight at all probably if it is liquid or gel. I’d love to watch someone try.

John S> I quote Marck Penansky, his original post, 1st page of this thread:

I just got back from the EORA (Eastern Outdoor Reps Association) show in Greenville, SC. The most impressive thing I saw was a new fuel product called “Utility Flame”. It is a diethylene glycol based gel that maintains a stable flame at about 1300 degrees F, is odorless, non-toxic, and water soluable , has an indefinite shelf life, does no evaporate or melt, and can be transported via commercial airline and by mail.

“I purchased some at a “Dollar Tree” . . .  Only $1.00 per can.”

My niece worked at a Dollar Store for a while.  Her great amusement during that tenure was people who’d walk up with several items and ask, “How much is this?” A dollar.  “And this?”  A dollar.  “What about these?”  Also a dollar.

Transporting by commercial airline would mean how it gets to you when you buy it. Trying to get on an airline with it in your checked bag is another thing. Go ahead and try but let us know how it goes ; ).
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/prohibited-items

I no longer fly due to a near miss inflight situation while circling over Chicago in a holding pattern waiting to land. Kinda like gave me a traumatic stress thing. It was at the end of my military service 65,66,67.

The wording used by TSA says “flammable”

The fuel falls in the category of “Combustable”

Combustable = “[A]ny liquid having a flashpoint at or above 100 °F. (37.8 °C.).”

Flammable = “[A]ny liquid having a flash point below 140 °F. and having a vapor pressure not exceeding 40 pounds per square inch (absolute) at 100 °F.”

Dan, what I can’t figure out is how you manage to get the viscous gel to wick up through the fiberglass. I tried it with some Ready Fuel (diethylene glycol) that I had on hand, using a “Zelph Clone” cat can stove with a fiberglass wick (’cause I want to be like you, Dan). I first wetted the top of the wick, then squirted maybe a fluid ounce into the bottom of the can. I placed a screen, lit the gel on the top of the wick and also the main body of gel inside the can, then I put a pot of water on the stove. The gel on the wick burned weakly, then the silica covered the top of the wick and smothered the flame. This didn’t work at all. So I’m guessing that you have some secret special magic fiberglass or something that allows easy wicking.

What I do know is that Ready Fuel pretty much sucks as a fuel, kinda like those fire starter disks that the young MBA student at U of Washington had us do some beta testing for her a couple of years ago. My buddy was all excited about this “new, best fuel,” so I decided to buy a couple of 4-packs of Ready Fuel to see what they would do. The biggest waste of $20 ever, and I’ve certainly wasted a few $20 bills on gear experiments over the years. I keep it around to use as a firestarter. I would put a pack of Ready Fuel on a par with a pound of petrified poodle poop (alliteratively speaking). At least I would think that TSA will let you on a plane with a bag of the latter, and it might even burn better than the gel.

But Dan, here’s what I think–I am continually impressed with the thoroughness with which you develop your stoves, and I will be watching this thread to see what you come up with regarding diethylene glycol as a stove fuel. For my part, alcohol, Esbit, and iso-butane serve me quite well, and I will use the rest of my Ready Fuel for starting campfires. When I finally run out, I’ll replace it with Sterno (cheaper).

But you are the man, Dan. If anybody can make this work to boil water, it would be you. Good luck!

I would put a pack of Ready Fuel on a par with a pound of petrified poodle poop (alliteratively speaking).

Thank you, that one made my day LOL

Research into stove design takes a lot off investment….time and money as you found out. $20.00 worth of PPP :-)

I’ll go to my local airport tomorrow(Chicago-Rockford International and get 1st hand info at the check-in counter. I’m almost certain they will ask if I have any flammables in my Checked Luggage. My Fancee Heet :-) fuel is labeled combustible.

From the site that John S linked us to:

John S.

The Chicago-Rockford International airport says I can carry up to 3.4 oz./100.55 ml or less that fit in one, clear, plastic, quart-sized, resealable bag. I asked specificaly about the chafer fuel/liquid candle used for food warming trays. The fuel would be carried in my backpack under the plane is how she described the area where it would be, not a carry on backpack. The backpack would have to be checked in at the ticket counter at the front entrance of the airport as a piece of “checked luggage” Plane ticked and ID to be presented at time of check in.

So, as of today I would not hesitate to pack that amount in my backpack if I were ever to fly again. It would be enough back-up fuel to get me started on hike. My GOTO fuel is wood.