tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8939666320943790100.post8259840020261230632..comments2024-02-11T01:14:21.904-08:00Comments on SURVIVING IN ARGENTINA: Trangia Burner Alternative FuelsFerFALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578136334334588454noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8939666320943790100.post-22398322612179608462011-06-27T13:22:47.965-07:002011-06-27T13:22:47.965-07:00Aha something I know sumpin about!
These stoves ...Aha something I know sumpin about! <br /><br />These stoves can work with Methanol, Ethanol, Propyl, alcohol. Wut's the difference? Methanol is one carbon, Ethanol has two carbons, Propyl, generally available in the Iso-Propyl form, has 3. <br /><br />Methanol burns CLEAN. It's used in stoves for use on boats, you can use it in an enclosed space (such as inside a boat in cold weather) etc. It works GREAT in these stoves. No soot, etc. It's what I use in my Trangia and you can also use it in a fondue heater, or just a cat food can you pour it in and light up, instant stove. Or a Vienna sausage can. <br /><br />Next is Ethanol, drinkin' alcohol, two carbon atoms. It also burns pretty clean, I don't have a lot of experience with it since it's expensive and you need it in concentrated form, such as Everclear, to burn it without ending up with a bunch of leftover water in your stove. It is handy stuff though, not poisonous, good for a bunch of things from drinking to cleaning wounds, as well as cooking with. <br /><br />Last comes IsoPropyl. Three carbon atoms. In this type of stove they don't all get turned into CO2 so you get soot and CO, carbon monoxide. Your stove will get sooty, so will your pot, and the CO can be dangerous. If you jet air into a isopropyl flame it will turn blue and efficient, but this adds a whole level of complexity. Isopropyl will work in a pinch, but in the US, methanol, Yellow HEET, is your best bet. In addition, the yellow HEET in the bottle is cleaner than that SLX brand you find in the paint store. <br /><br />Happy cooking!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8939666320943790100.post-47082530214154324582011-06-27T10:54:16.147-07:002011-06-27T10:54:16.147-07:00Your point about using water to remove built-up so...Your point about using water to remove built-up soot (carbon) is scientifically very sound. The decomposition of the trace molecules in hard liquor (or beer or wine) leaves behind a residue of carbon.<br /><br />A similar process also occurs in the petrochemical industry. When a complicated petroleum feed stock is catalytically cracked to produce more useful products, the cracking process invariably leaves carbon on the catalyst surface, which kills the activity of the catalyst. In order to regenerate the catalyst, the refineries will take the spent catalyst and expose it to steam. The steam reacts with the carbon on the surface to form gaseous carbon monoxide and hydrogen, both of which are much more easily oxidized (into water and carbon dioxide, respectively) than the surface carbon.<br /><br />With the alcohol stove, the same basic process is happening. The water in the fuel suppresses carbon formation and promotes complete oxidation. You want an excess of water to ensure that the carbon isn't allowed to build up on the surface. If you include too much water, however, you wind up heating a lot of water that can't be used otherwise. That is, you waste energy that could be used for cooking. With the given application, I would probably start at 5% water (or perhaps a little less) and only go up to 10% if soot formation is really bad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com