Woodgas
All solids turn to gas before they burn. In open fires, gas burns in a thin layer around the solid wood. However, if you separate this gas from the boundary it can be more completely mixed with oxygen resulting in cleaner, hotter combustion! This separation is known as woodgas and has been understood for a long time. In WWII Germany used woodgas instead of petroleum to run more than a million trucks.
The BioLite stove has a fan which adds needed oxygen to the combustion. Rather than use batteries to run this fan we generate our own power. Using a Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) the stove captures waste heat from the fire and converts it directly to electricity. TEGs, being made of of solid state semiconductor elements, are usually rated for more than 20 years of undiminished service! So as long as your fire’s hot, it’ll keeps on generating power. No batteries, no moving parts, no worries.
BioLite is the way in which we combine these two technologies to create clean, efficient cooking. Our Patent Pending approach means no petrol and no batteries. The BioLite stove can burn a wide variety of biomass fuels from wood, pine cones and underbrush to pellets, rice husks and even dung. With no dependence on outside sources for fuel or electricity, the BioLite stove is a versatile tool for use in a wide range of environments.
Thermoelectric
© 2009 BioLite™ - Patent Pending