Stick fired steam generator
Posted: Sat 08 Apr, 2023 3:53 pm
This little MYOG project is about converting a tiny stick-fired backpacking blower stove and pot into a steam generator. The extra components required for the conversion weigh ~80g.
The cover for the pot and the steam tube (1400mm long*22mm ID) are made of silnylon and a tight-fitting stainless steel band that holds the cover on. This fabric was quite porous and passed water and steam under pressure. Consequently, I dopped it with thinned silicone rubber and then applied a thin screed coat of neat silicone rubber to both sides. This eventually made the fabric waterproof to a HH of about 1400+mm of water and steam does not leak. A little video of the HH testing and the silnylon tube and the Tiger snake skin that inspired its creation is below.
The steam generator makes a strong steady stream of steam that can be delivered at a safe distance from the stove via the long steam tube. It can produce an impressive 0.98kw of steam power which could keep a small sauna tent hot or heat the water for a nice hot bath. The little video of the steam generator in action shows it shooting out an invisible jet of steam into the cool night air.
For winter backpacking the plan is to use the steam for a winter sauna tent or bath water heating or snow melting. Summer use could be for seawater desalination at those magical remote beach camps that unfortunately do not have a freshwater supply. The device could distil ~1.3 litre/h, so a larger still would be required to be more practical.
For more information please see the Backpacking steam generator post on my website.