StoveLab

A Collaborative Project with Mass Art Foundation

Design Principles for Wood Burning Stoves pdf

The Peterson Press for pressing Biomass Fuel Briquettes

Ceramic Biomass Fuel Briquette Stove

Basic rocket stove

Artist Links

Some images are taken from the web and were not produced in the StoveLab project.

Glossary

Biomass- Plant and animal material, for example, agricultural waste products, used as a source of fuel.

Charcoal-The black, porous material that
contains mostly carbon that is produced by
burning of wood or other biomass.

Collaboration- The act of working together with one or more people in order to achieve something.

Conceptual art- Art designed to present an idea rather than to be appreciated for its creative skill or beauty, and that often makes use of unconventional media instead of painting or sculpture.

Convection-The heat transfer in a gas or liquid
by movement of the air or water.

Combustion chamber-The region of the stove
where the fuel is burned.

Deforestation- the removal of trees from an area of land.

Draft-The movement of air through a stove and
up a chimney.

Ecology- The study of the relationships and interactions between living organisms and their natural or developed environment.

Essentialist art

Fire triangle-A simple model for understanding the ingredients necessary for most fires. The triangle illustrates the rule that in order to ignite and burn, a fire needs three elements: heat, fuel, and an oxidizing element (usually oxygen). The fire is prevented or extinguished by removing any one of them. A fire natually occurs when the elements are combined in the right mixture.

Fuel efficiency-The percentage of the fuel’s heat
energy that is utilized to heat food or water.

Flue Gas-The hot gases that flow from the
combustion chamber and out the chimney (if a
chimney is present).

Grate-A framework of bars or mesh used to hold
fuel or food in a stove, furnace, or fireplace.

Haybox-A relatively airtight insulated enclosure
that maintains the temperature of the pot
enabling food to be cooked to completion after
the pot is removed from the stove. (see retained heat.)

Heat transfer efficiency-The percentage of heat
released from combustion that enters a pot.

High mass stove-A stove made of uninsulated
earth, clay, cast iron, or other heavy material
that requires significant energy to be warmed
during stove operation.

Pot skirt-A tube, usually made of sheet steel, that
surrounds a pot creating a narrow space so that
more of the heat in the flue gases enter the pot.

Retained heat-Heat energy that warms the
enclosures around the fire that does not escape
to the surroundings; can be used for space
heating.

Sustainability- Exploiting natural resources without destroying the ecological balance of a particular area.

Survivalist- Somebody who is determined to survive a perceived coming disaster by hoarding weapons and food, and often going off to live alone or with a like-minded group.

Water Boiling Test -A test used to
measure the overall performance of a
cookstove.

What is StoveLab

StoveLab is a collaborative project exploring high efficiency stoves and the production of alternative biomass fuels. This project hopes provide a unique approach to the concept of art and cultural production, our potential response to extended emergency situations, not to mention our place and responsibility as passengers on our fragile planet.

In many ways, this project borders on the established field of Applied Design, particularly in relation to the recent push for ecologically responsible design for Third World or environmentally precarious countries. Many places globally suffer from vast deforestation and limited fuel sources. High efficiency stoves can be a potential solution.

The goal for StoveLab is to collaboratively design, produce, and test a variety of handmade stoves. These include light-weight backpacking alcohol stoves, such as the 'penny stove,' open flame stoves, like the 'rocket stove,' and biomass stoves, like the 'mdula stove.' Participants are encouraged to experiment with variations on established forms, using a variety of different materials such as tin cans, sheet metal, ceramics and concrete. The aim would be to document the entire process, and along with the stoves, be presented in a scheduled collaborative group exhibition.

How you can participate in StoveLab

Just as there are many entry points conceptually to this project, such as ecology and sustainability; there are also many ways to participate in StoveLab. As with much of contemporary artwork, this project is a hybrid of many disciplines.

The most obvious way to get involved is the construction of the stoves. Sculptors, craftspeople, ceramicists will be integral in making of the objects. There is no overarching guideline to how the stoves are to be constructed, save that they follow basic principles of thermodynamics and safety. Examples of existing styles will be made available.

Also of vital importance is how Stovelab will be presented. Art, in many ways is an information interface, a place where ideas and concepts are conveyed. With a large project like this, an effective interface must be designed. While each individual component belongs to its maker, the objective will be to have the whole of the project exhibited and archived. An example would be for people with web skills to create an online document compiling the different aspects of the project.

Also, graphic artists and designers might create take-away materials for the exhibition, such as instructional mini-zines or schematics. People interested in video could also create video documentation, this would be a vital factor in presenting the project in the exhibition and online.

Ultimately, there are many areas of involvement for many interests. As with any collaborative, the level of participation will determine the success of the project.