Can stoves Introduction A very effective way to cook your food (boil some water) is using a can stove (wood gas installation). With only a small fire you can boil some water very soon and easy. The small fire will be used to break down chips of hard wood, so the wood gas comes free. This wood gas with lots of oxygen surrounded is the actual fuel on which you will boil the water. Activity There is one can stove for every two participants. Step 1: wood collection Collect little woods and start a fire in the big tin. Place the big tin (on a tile) so the wind blows in the hole. Step 2: preparations Prepare the little tin with iron wire so you can hang it in the big tin when the fire is going very well. Put a handful of little chips of hard wood in the little tin. Step 3: make a good fire Keep the fire going, so it will produce enough heat to break down the chips of hardwood. Wait for the gas coming out. Step 4: make tea When you see the gas burning, you can put two tent pegs and another little tin filled with water on top. There are tea bags for the water. Practical tips for the Base Leader • Best is to hang in the little tin when the fire is already burning well with a lot of small wood. After you hang in the little tin, keep on pushing new wood in the fire. • Don’t fill the tin on top with too much water, it’s only for 2 cups of tea, and the risk is that the chips will be finished before the water is boiling. • When the activity is over, let the participants empty both tins in the ash container. Use pliers because the tins will be very hot! • Don’t let the participants take chips of their own or give it to them… otherwise the supply of chips will be finished very soon! Safety ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Be careful with flammable clothing. Be careful with flammable materials on the underground The round pegs are not very secure, so be sure that the underground is straight and that the tin with the water is steady and firm on the pegs. Watch out for falling tins with boiling water… Make sure you know how to use a fire extinguisher. Tell the participants that the smoke and the tins are very hot. Contact Team Leader for first aid (plasters) and serious injuries. i.e. amputations
Background information about the process of wood gassing: Because of the fire in the outer tin, a lot of heat is going to the chips in the inner tin. For fire, all three parts of the fire triangle (fuel, oxygen and heat) are necessary. But there is no oxygen above the chips in the inner tin because the fire in the outer tin will use it all. So, despite the heat, the chips won’t burn. The process what will happen is ‘gassing’, the chips will turn into gas instead of burning. This wood gas goes up and on top of the inner tin will be lit by the flames of the fire in the outer tin. What will happen is a gas flame, which is hotter and more efficient than the wood flames.
MPSE Ireland Activity Handbook v5-0.doc
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