Beverage-can stove (pot stand omitted for clarity).

A beverage-can stove (or pop-can stove) is a homemade, ultra-light portable stove. A Portable stove is a stove specially designed to be portable and lightweight as for camping. The simple design is made entirely from cans (typically soft drink or beer cans) and burns alcohol, typically denatured. A beverage can (or drinks can) is most often an Aluminum Can manufactured to hold a single serving of a Beverage. Soft drink is a beverage that does not contain Alcohol. Carbonated soft drinks are commonly known as soda soda pop pop, or Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea Denatured alcohol is Ethanol which has been rendered toxic or otherwise undrinkable and in some cases dyed Countless variations on the basic design exist. Pepsi-brand aluminium cans are often used because they have a bottom shape that lends itself to securing the stove's inner wall, and because of this the stoves are sometimes called Pepsi-can stoves. Pepsi-Cola is a carbonated beverage that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo. The stove weighs 0. 4 oz (10 g) and will boil two cups of water in five minutes with two tablespoons of fuel. A tablespoon is a type of Spoon used for serving Measure of volume It is also a measure of Volume used in cooking Fuel is any material that is burned or altered in order to obtain energy Total weight, including a windscreen/stand can be less than one ounce (30 g). Due to the low weight compared to some commercial stoves, backpackers can reduce some pack weight with this stove, which makes this design popular among ultralight backpackers. Backpacking (in US tramping, trekking, or bushwalking in other countries combines Hiking and camping in a single Ultralight backpacking is an advanced style of backpacking that emphasizes packing (carrying the lightest weight safely possible for a given hike and the techniques This advantage may be lost or reduced on hiking trips that feature longer gaps between resupply stops, however, because the stove is less efficient and requires more fuel than alternatives such as Esbit tabs, especially when cooking for more than one person. A hexamine fuel tablet is a form of Solid fuel in Tablet form

History and design

The basic design dates back more than one hundred years. ^[1] It consists of a double wall gas generator, a perforated burner ring, and an inner pre-heat chamber. A similar design was patented in 1904 by New York coppersmith J. A coppersmith, also known as a redsmith, is a person who uses Copper to form art Heinrichs. ^[2] Trangia has been selling a commercial version of the design since the 1950s, Safesport marketed a stainless steel stove in the 1990s. A Portable stove is a stove specially designed to be portable and lightweight as for camping. Interestingly the Trangia stove burner is made from brass, even though all the other associated parts that come with it are aluminium. WikipediaNaming A plastic bag is provided for the burner so that when packed away the two dissimilar metals do not develop corrosion. Corrosion means the breaking down of essential properties in a material due to Chemical reactions with its surroundings

In the unpressurized open-top design the double wall acts as a gas generator, transferring heat from the flame to the fuel. This effect enhances combustion, producing more heat than other passive designs. The inner wall also creates a convenient preheat chamber for starting the stove. Once the fuel has warmed up, its vapor will travel up the hollow wall, pass through the perforations, and form a ring of flame. Vapor also rises from the center of the stove, but will pass through the ring of flame for efficient combustion, as long as a pot is over the stove. Other pressurized designs aim for efficient combustion through closing off the fuel chamber after filling or filling through the gas jet holes.

Fuel is poured into the stove and ignited, burning in the center.

The flame heats the fuel and interior of the stove, causing the fuel to vaporize.

When hot enough, vapor pressure causes fuel jets and a ring of flame. Vapor pressure (also known as equilibrium vapor pressure or saturation vapor pressure) is the Pressure of a Vapor in equilibrium

Aluminium can construction

Three piece beverage-can stove, exploded view.

The stove is made from two aluminium can bottoms. WikipediaNaming An inner wall is cut and rolled from can material. A ring of holes is pierced into the top with a pin. Parts are glued with high-temperature epoxy or sealed with thermal foil tape. J-B Weld is a company that produces Epoxy products J-B Weld is also the name of their flagship product a specialized high- Temperature epoxy for use in bonding Total height is less than two inches (50 mm), though dimensions can be increased to hold more fuel or decreased to take up even less space.

The choice of aluminium has several advantages: light weight, low cost, and good thermal conductivity to aid vaporization of fuel. In Physics, thermal conductivity, k is the property of a material that indicates its ability to conduct Heat. Alternative construction materials have been used, including stoves made of tin cans such as cat food tins, tuna cans, and juice cans—the basic design is very similar. ^[3][4] Windscreens/stands can be fabricated from tin cans, cut to size and with ventilation holes added. A tin can, also called a tin (especially in British English) or a can, is an air-tight container for the distribution or storage of

Operation and performance

Each stove is designed for one or two people. When used to cook larger meals (greater than 2 cups (0. In Recipes quantities of ingredients may be specified by Mass ("weight" by Volume, or by count. 5 l), it is less efficient than a more powerful stove that delivers more heat to a pot. The litre or liter (see spelling differences) is a unit of Volume. This is because a longer cooking time is required, during which more heat is lost to the surroundings. A more powerful, pressurized version is shown below.

To use the stove, a small amount of fuel is poured into the stove and ignited. The pot is then placed above the stove, on a windscreen or stand. The flame is small at first, only burning from the inner chamber. Once the fuel has warmed up, requiring about one minute, its vapor will pass through the perforations and form a ring of flame. Enough heat from the flame is passed to the fuel to maintain full combustion until fuel runs out. In Physics, heat, symbolized by Q, is Energy transferred from one body or system to another due to a difference in Temperature Combustion or burning is a complex sequence of Exothermic chemical reactions between a Fuel and an Oxidant accompanied by the production of

The stove should not be re-lit unless it is fully cooled, otherwise flare-ups or explosive combustion (in the case of a pressurized design) may occur.

Ratings

• Heat output: ~4800 BTU/hour (1400 W)
• Time to boil 2 cups (500 ml): ~5 minutes (<2 tablespoons (30 ml) of fuel)
• Time to boil 4 cups (1 l): ~12 minutes (<3 tablespoons (45 ml) of fuel)
• Burn time: ~9 minutes with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of fuel
• Burn time (full): ~30 minutes with 5-6 tablespoons (75-90 ml) of fuel

Comparison to other stoves

The stove can outperform some commercial models in cold or high-altitude environments, where propane and butane canisters can fail. This page lists examples of the power in Watts produced by various different sources of energy The watt (symbol W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one Joule of energy per Second. Propane is a three- Carbon Alkane, normally a gas but compressible to a liquid that is transportable Butane, also called n -butane, is the unbranched Alkane with four Carbon Atoms CH3CH2CH2CH3 Ronald Mueser, in Long-Distance Hiking, surveyed hikers on the Appalachian Trail and found that this stove was the only design with a zero percent failure rate^[5]. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply The A

Fuel usage (by weight) is about fifty percent greater than a butane/propane stove^[6]. Can stoves weigh less than an ounce, compared to three ounces for the lightest gas stoves. Many commercial stoves also require special fuel canisters, adding to overall stove weight. No such canisters are necessary in a can stove; denatured alcohol can be carried in virtually any lightweight container, such as a plastic soda bottle. The weight advantage of the beverage-can stove is diminished by the greater fuel consumption (especially on longer hikes), but may still be offset by their reliability and simplicity.

Other attributes of the beverage-can stove are its nearly silent operation and suitability as an emergency backup. Denatured alcohol is a relatively environmentally friendly fuel that doesn't leave soot, though it is toxic to drink. Denatured alcohol is Ethanol which has been rendered toxic or otherwise undrinkable and in some cases dyed Soot (ˈsʊt is a general term that refers to the black impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of a hydrocarbon Toxicity is the degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism (Pure ethanol is rarely used as stove fuel, since it is usually subject to liquor tax. ) Denatured alcohol is commonly available at camping outfitters and hardware stores. These stoves operate well on 90% isopropyl alcohol, marginally on 70% and not at all with 50%. Isopropyl alcohol (also isopropanol, iso, isopro, Rubbing alcohol, or the abbreviation IPA) is a common name for

Unsealed alcohol stoves are inherently dangerous, since spilling is possible and the fuel burns with a nearly invisible flame. Trangia offers an anti-flashback fuel bottle with auto shut-off pourer.

Variations

Beverage-can stove variations with cross sections in yellow. In Geometry, a cross section is the intersection of a body in 2-dimensional space with a line or of a body in 3-dimensional space with a plane etc From left to right: Standard design, Inverted two-piece, Side burner, Pressurized.

A side burner stove built from a single can as part of a scouting project. Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide Youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical mental and spiritual

Standard 

The classic ultra light weight backpacking stove. Designed for one person, lighter than commercial models of the same design.

Inverted two piece 

Smaller and lighter than the standard version, difficult to fill.

Side burner 

Doubles as its own pot stand (holes are in the side). A tight fitting pot can increase fuel pressure.

Pressurized 

A more powerful version, but heavier and more difficult to make. The stove is sealed with a thumbnut after filling with fuel; this allows the stove to control the rate of heat output. An additional base is used to hold fuel for preheating.

Back-Pressured 

Back-pressured stoves simplify the pressurized design by eliminating the thumbscrew and the base needed for preheating while still controlling the rate of energy output.

Insulated 

A variation of the standard without an inner wall. Filled with regular fiberglass insulation.

Other 

There are numerous designs in use.

Warnings

Galvanized metal should not be used for any part of a stove as the zinc will release toxic fumes when heated. While this is not a concern with the cans used in construction a small number of sites show pot stands that appear to be made from galvanized screen. Breathing these fumes can cause Metal fume fever, also known as "Monday fever" while long term exposure may cause more serious conditions such as asthma. Metal fume fever is illness caused primarily by exposure to certain metal fumes Also note that, as with any source of flame, it should not be used in confined areas such as tents due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Notes

References

External links

• Stove and Fuel comparisons, (Bushwalking.org)
• Zen Alcohol Stoves
• Wings - The Home Made Stove Archive
• Alcohol "Penny Stove"
• Convex Top Coke stove
• Troop 73 Alcohol Stove Project
• A better soda can stove, the "Hannah Stove", by Yannick Gingras