Fw: "Worlds Fastest Stove" Contest

["Kevin Chisholm" <kchishol@fox.nstn.ca>]

Dear Das

I am forwarding your note to Ron and the Stoves list as per your request,
along with a few comments...

I think in general that the various "Stoves Contests" could be both a lot of
fun, and very instructive at the same time.  I suggested "local events" so
that a few Stovers could locally stage summer contests, invite their
friends, and with barbeques, their friends would get a far better
appreciation of wood stoves. Most people know very little about the
capability of good stoves; when I randomly ask friends about "How long woul
it take to bring a litre of water to a boil, starting with a cold stove?"
they typically say 10 to 15 minutes.

Your idea of a Bronze Plaque, made in a wood fired melter is excellent.
Perhaps the "yet to be formed" Contest Committee could find a way to get
smaller plaques for locally sanctioned events. You have a number of other
excellent ideas..... to "make them happen" simply requires some volunteer
help. The "Grand Event" you describe would indeed be both fun and
instructive!!

Kindest regards,

Kevin Chisholm


----- Original Message -----
From: "Das" <das@eagle-access.net>
To: "Kevin Chisholm" <kchishol@fox.nstn.ca>
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2002 4:30 AM
Subject: Re: "Worlds Fastest Stove" Contest


> Please forward this to Ron and stovers if this goes only to you Kevin
>
> Lets put together a grand festival and coming together of stovers from all
> around. We have read each other's writings, but most of us have not met
> each other.   I think the fastest stove and most efficient stove contests
> sound like a wonderful way to raise awareness in wood gas cooking, to meet
> and instigate each other to ever grander things.  I wuld enjoy melting the
> bronze for casting the award using my wood gasifier fueled bronze melter.
> It would be nice to incorporate contests in a summer festival.  All foods
> cooked on its maker's favorite wood cookstoves.  Books, reprints,
> information, speakers,  and a few outlandish twists: music( the most
> musical stove woofs and barks) ( fuelwood marimba) etc,  wood cookstove
> creation myth pageant,  regular juggling ( three stoves) and of course
> fancy stove juggling ( a stove, a piece of fuelwood, and an axe), and who
> knows how much more.
>
> A. Das
> Original Sources/Biomass Energy Foundation
> Box 7137, Boulder, CO 80306
> das@eagle-access.net
>
> ----------
> > From: Kevin Chisholm <kchishol@fox.nstn.ca>
> > To: stoves@crest.org
> > Subject: Re: "Worlds Fastest Stove" Contest
> > Date: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 9:27 PM
> >
> > Dear Stovers
> >
> > Many thoughtful comments have been posted concerning "a stove contest."
I
> > think that without exception all the comments are valid in the context
of
> > the specific interests of the poster. However, the diversity of the
> comments
> > shows the multifaceted nature of stoves.I don't think it is possible to
> > configure a single Stove Contest that serves all the interests of the
> > various
> > posters.
> >
> > Firstly, the "contest" is not intended to provide a test basis for
> comparing
> > various stoves on the market now. Secondly, it is not intended to have
> the
> > stove constrained by practicality. Rather, it is intended to be a "fun
> > thing" with a focus on some specific and limited aspect of stoves.
> >
> > To attract the greatest number of "contest entrants", I would suggest
> that
> > the Rules should be structured to accomplish the following objectives:
> > 1: The stove system should be a simple one, easy to build, fun to build,
> and
> > low cost.
> > 2: It does not have to be durable or cost effective.
> > 3: There should be maximum freedom for creativity.
> > 4: The "contest rules" should help focus effort in a given
> > direction, but they should not be so restrictive as to constrain
> creativity
> > on the part of the entrant in meeting the contest objective.
> > 5: However, they should be of a nature that they create a "reasonably
> level
> > playing field," such that the Entrant will be unlikely to win unless he
> does
> > something significantly different or better that does not conflict with
> the
> > stated rules.
> > 6: The "end points" of the contest (ie, the "start and finish line")
> should
> > be defined to be clear and obvious.
> >
> > Can anyone else add to this list of "principles in formulating basic
> rules?"
> >
> > The next concern is the "Object of the Contest." As noted in postings to
> > this thread,  a number of different contests are possible, and indeed,
> they
> > could make for a very interesting "Stove Event." Based on 500 grams of
> > permissable
> > fuel, I would suggest the following possible contests:
> >
> > 1: Worlds Fastest Water Heater (heats water to a boil)
> > 2: Worlds Fastest Water Boiler (boils off 1.0 litres)
> >
> > In the second contest, to determine when the pot was boiled dry, the
> Entrant
> > would decide when the pot was empty, and he would take it off the stove,
> and
> > turn it upside down on a piece of white paper: The Judges stop their
> clocks
> > as soon as they can see that there is no water on the paper. If there is
> > water on the paper, the Entrant is Disqualified.
> >
> > With the same basic equipment, it should be possible to also run:
> >
> > 3: The Worlds most Efficient Stove Contest.
> >
> > Basically, the Entrant would select the grams of fuel that just brought
> the
> > water to a boil; the lowest starting weight of wood would determine the
> > Winner.
> >
> > So far, these Contests would be easy to Judge. Things get a bit more
> complex
> > if we have to consider corrections for elevation above sea level, or
> > barometric pressure corrections.I would propose to ignore barometric
> > pressure or elevation corrections for the following reasons:
> > a: While the water would tend to boil at a lower temperature under
> > conditions of lower barometric pressure, the reduced air density may
have
> a
> > tendancy to slow the fire and compensate for the lower boiling
> temperature..
> > b: In the case of an Event, involving a number of entrants, the local
> > conditions will be virtually identical for the duraton of the Event.
> >
> > If it turns out that barometric pressure does inded give an Entrant in
> high
> > places an advantage, then we could configure a Handicap System that
> > corrected for barometric pressure.
> >
> > I think I have covered most of the major indicated concerns.
> >
> > I would now like to seek several Volunteers to work on the Contest
> > Committee. Our first task would be to review the comments to date, and
> > prepare a Draft of Contest Rules for final review and comment by the
> Stove
> > List. The initial Contest would be the Fastest Stove Contest, and the
> > Contest Committee would then work on preparing rules for other suitable
> > contests.
> >
> > The Contests could also be organized by State, Country, Continent, and
> then
> > the World. These local contests would be organized locally, and the
> winners
> > at each level would advance progressively to the World Level.
> >
> > This could be a great way to draw attention to the importance of stoves
> to
> > Society.
> >
> > Does this sound like a reasonable way to proceed from here?
> >
> > Kindest regards,
> >
> > Kevin Chisholm
> >
> >
> > -
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> >
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> >
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>
>



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