Producing Electricity from a Wood Burning Stove

[Fletching]

Hi Guys,

I came across this nifty little device (which ain't cheap, but could be really useful):

The Tinderbox Wood Stove Generator (http://www.thefireweaver.com/the-tinderbox---wood-stove-generator.html)

...and even though the website doesn't go into much details regarding the principles behind the method, after a little searching around, I found that it is possible as it involves 'micro CHP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_combined_heat_and_power)' or convection-based variant thereof (think of the old electric fires that had a little revolving wheel that turned from the heat of the bars under a glass fibre shell of 'realistic-looking coals' and add a little electromagnet to it).

There's also a new material (http://jap.aip.org/resource/1/japiau/v106/i9/p094315_s1?isAuthorized=no) that generates electricity from waste heat, but methinks it is the first method at work here.

Steve :)

[Ben Casey]

Cool find there mate :)

[happybonzo]

Very interesting find - thanks for sharing

[Matt_L]

Sounds like it uses the Seebeck effect (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_effect). This would tie in with the improved efficiency with cooler outside temperatures. I remember seeing a zip stove that used a TEC to power a small fan from its own heat with out the need for a battery, although I can't for the life of me remember the name of it.

If you already had a wood stove I'm pretty sure you could hack together something pretty easily using ebay'd components and guides of the internet. If you wanted to add a fan to a hobo stove of wood gasifier it would be as simple as soldering to two wires coming out of the tec to the two wires on a small fan (such as used for PC cooling) and putting the TEC in contact with a hot part of the stove and putting a heat sink on the reverse side to make the temperature difference greater between the two sides.

Add more TECs together as if the were simple batteries to increase the output and add a circuit to smooth out the power they output into a usable state and you can charge a battery bank.

The idea is demonstrated here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtwnIzxSF4o&feature=related

TECs are pretty cheap (about £4.50 for the ones in the youtube video) but although they are stated as 100 watt they wouldn't output any where near this as the are usually run with power going into the TEC to make one side cold for cooling things (think those mini can fridges).

Worth mucking about with yourself if you are curious. Although for a decent set up I don't think you wouldn't be far off what tinderbox are asking if you don't want the faff and 'I made that' factor.

Nice find :D

[Fletching]

Sounds like...
if you don't want the faff and 'I made that' factor.

Nice find :D

Why re-invent the wheel? I'm sure. given the workshop space, we could 'spread the idea'...