Reducing draft for a Woodstock progress hybrid

[bholler]

Yet, you find lots of uses for measuring stove and stack temperatures and will measure draft using instruments when there is reason to do so. Those are both elements of combustion analysis, and both would vary in results depending on species of wood being burned, how the stove is operated, where you are in the burning cycle and so on.

It seems to me that measuring the level of oxygen and carbon monoxide in flue gasses, for example, would provide useful information on how complete combustion is in a stove. At least for measuring oxygen levels, there are ways of doing that at moderate cost. I have a carbon monoxide meter I used during my days as a gas appliance repairman, but that limits out at 2,000 ppm, probably too low to be especially useful for measuring problem situations in wood stoves. But there is such equipment good to levels of 40,000 ppm ---4% carbon monoxide gas.

I've used meters that measure the level of explosive gas in a sample provided. I used that equipment for inspecting for underground gas leaks. IAs I think about it, it might be useful for detecting levels of carbon monoxide (an explosive gas) below at at the lower explosive limit of carbon monoxide). That might be a useful instrument for measuring CO in a wood stove flue gas sample ----I'll have to investigate that further.

And you don't necessarily need to modify a stove to change the combustion going on in a stove. Defects in the stove or repairs needed in the stove might cause problems with combustion, the fuel being used, the way the stove is operated and the venting system can all affect combustion. At present, you guys are measuring stove temperature and draft to help identify issues like this that need attention. I merely suggest that perhaps additional methods of combustion analysis might prove to be useful in the same way if they were tried.

I'm interested in finding the people who have tried out such equipment and perhaps use it when there is good reason to do so. Or perhaps they have tried it and found it of no utility, as suggested by those on this board. But you really can't have an authoritative opinion on the subject if you've never tried it,.

CO is not an explosive gas. And you are trying to tell me how to do my job????

 

[begreen]

He's just trolling.

 

[Woody Stover]

View attachment 234759

I wouldn't stop there if I was you. Might not even be able to get the door to the restroom open, with all the crap buildup in there.

 

[wooduser]

CO is not an explosive gas. And you are trying to tell me how to do my job????

Ummm--- CO is an explosive gas in the range of 15-75% gas in air.

CO is not an explosive gas. And you are trying to tell me how to do my job????

Carbon monoxide is explosive with a flammability range of 15-75% gas in air.

https://www.google.com/search?q=car...XbHjQIHYabBC0Q1QIoAHoECAMQAQ&biw=1366&bih=626


And then of course, there are also aldehydes, methane, and numerous other gasses present in wood gasses, all of which are explosive.

These are all intermediate products of combustion, and if combustion is complete they burn to carbon dioxide and water.

 

[bholler]

Ummm--- CO is an explosive gas in the range of 15-75% gas in air.



Carbon monoxide is explosive with a flammability range of 15-75% gas in air.

https://www.google.com/search?q=car...XbHjQIHYabBC0Q1QIoAHoECAMQAQ&biw=1366&bih=626


And then of course, there are also aldehydes, methane, and numerous other gasses present in wood gasses, all of which are explosive.

These are all intermediate products of combustion, and if combustion is complete they burn to carbon dioxide and water.

Carbon monoxide is not explosive on its own. It needs to be mixed with an oxidizer to become explosive.

 

[wooduser]

I have been thinking about how the sawdust explosions described in some of the anecdotes above may have happened. Most happen when or soon after a stove with a hot existing fire has a load of sawdust tossed in on top of the fire.

So what might happen? As the sawdust is heated by the intense heat of the coals underneath the sawdust, large amounts of flammable wood gasses are created by the partial combustion of the sawdust. That would drive oxygen levels way down, and carbon monoxide and other wood gasses way up.

At some point you may get enough oxygen mixed in with wood gas and in contact with a flame for ignition. If the conditions are right----- BAM! You get an explosion of the wood gasses in the stove.

This is similar to the process of refueling an EPA stove ---- you toss in a fresh charge of wood on top of hot coals. Large amounts of wood gas are created, but the stove design allows those to be burned safely. as secondary combustion.

I recall the professor who helped design much more efficient wood stoves had problems with explosions in his stoves ---- I wonder if that was related to this kind of issue?

Of course, this is all speculation based on the basic idea of combustion analysis which is, I suggest, a useful basis for analyzing combustion issues and problems.

 

[bholler]

Enough of this, do some research and learn something on your own or listen to those of us who know already and have answered you multiple times.

 

[begreen]

And on that note Goodnight Gracie, with apologies to Srichards.