Rocket stove: drawings. DIY rocket stove

The simple and cheap design of the rocket stove began its march around the world from North America, where it is still very popular in rural areas. It is known on all continents, including distant Australia. The heating unit captivates amateur enthusiasts with its simplicity and energy efficiency, which, combined with its low cost, makes it extremely attractive for manufacturing at home. Of course, a jet stove cannot heat a large house, but in a country house or in a small garden house it would be more than appropriate. Surprisingly, but true - only a few people know about this amazing design. And this is in a country where cold weather lasts longer than six months! Today we will fill this gap and tell you everything we know about the warm and cozy “rocket”, including the smallest details of how to make it yourself and the intricacies of its operation.

Jet stove - what is it?

The home heat that comes from a jet stove cannot be provided by any modern heater.

A jet stove, or, as it is also called, a rocket stove, actually has nothing in common with modern technologies. The only thing that makes this heating unit look like a space vehicle is the intense flow of flame and the humming associated with improper operation. Nevertheless, it cannot be said that the rocket stove is a completely backward device in technical terms. Despite its simple design, it uses the most advanced methods of burning solid fuels:

pyrolytic combustion of gases released during dry distillation of solid fuel;
movement of gaseous products through the furnace channels, which does not require forced ejection due to draft.

This is what a simple jet-powered stove looks like

The simplest “rocket” is a curved piece of large diameter pipe. Firewood or other fuel is placed in a short horizontal section and set on fire. At first, the heating device works like an ordinary potbelly stove, but this is only until the temperature of the longer vertical part, which acts as a chimney, rises. The red-hot metal promotes the re-ignition of flammable substances and the appearance of a vacuum at the top point of the chimney. Due to increased draft, the air flow to the firewood increases, which significantly increases the burning intensity. In order to achieve even greater efficiency from this original device, the firebox opening is equipped with a door. When the cross-section of the air channel decreases, the supply of oxygen to the firewood stops and its pyrolytic decomposition into gaseous hydrocarbons begins. But in such a simple installation they will not burn completely - for this you will need to set up a separate area for afterburning the flue gases. By the way, it is this, as well as the thermal insulation of the chimney, that allows more complex “rockets” to successfully compete with other solid fuel units. As for the simplest design we are considering, it is often used for cooking or heating food. All that is required for this is to equip a convenient platform for a pot or kettle on the vertical section of the stove.

Geography of application of rocket heating units

Being a simple and convenient heating and cooking unit, the rocket stove is widely used in both mobile and stationary versions. Most often it is used:

for heating residential premises;
as equipment for drying fruits;
for heating greenhouses;
to ensure normal working conditions in workshops or garages;
to maintain above-zero temperatures in warehouses, utility rooms, etc.

Thanks to its simplicity, unpretentiousness and reliability, the jet heater enjoys well-deserved respect among fishermen and hunters, car rally enthusiasts and survivalists. There is even a special version, the purpose of which is indicated by the name - “Robinson”.

Advantages and disadvantages of the rocket stove

Despite its simple design, the rocket stove has many advantages:

efficiency level at the level of the best examples of modern heating equipment operating on solid fuel;
efficiency - to achieve the required temperature, the reactive unit will consume four times less firewood than a traditional oven design;
heating temperature above 1000 °C;
the ability to use any type of solid fuel, including dry plant waste, cones, pine needles and shavings;
complete combustion and environmental friendliness - during operation, the flame temperature increases so much that the soot ignites. Rocket stove smoke consists primarily of water vapor and carbon dioxide;
possibility of additional fuel loading for continuous operation of the heating device;
simplicity and reliability;
the presence of portable structures intended for mobile use.

The heating unit is not without its drawbacks. Operation of the device is associated with the risk of carbon monoxide entering the home. The stove cannot be used to heat a large house, and attempts to install a water heat exchanger in the combustion zone lead to a decrease in thermal power and disruption of normal operation. The disadvantages include the low aesthetic value of the design, which, however, is a very ambiguous statement, since for lovers of ethno-style, the design of the stove is a real find.

Types of jet heating devices. Choosing a design for self-production

Craftsmen have developed several designs of rocket stoves suitable for mobile or stationary use:

portable units made of metal pipes, cans or buckets;
jet heating devices from a gas cylinder;
ovens built from fireclay bricks and metal containers;
heating heat generators with a stove bench.

The most difficult to manufacture are the structures, the construction of which requires the skills of a mason. However, if you have detailed diagrams of serial layouts, even a novice home craftsman can handle this work.

Portable rocket stove

Portable rocket stoves are mass-produced by industry

Hiking options are represented by the simplest designs, which are based on the same pipe bent or welded from individual sections. The improvements affected only the installation of a partition for arranging the ash pit, in which a slot is made for air leakage. Often the lower part of the loading chamber is equipped with a grate to supply air directly to the combustion zone. The opening for storing firewood is equipped with a door, which subsequently regulates the air supply.

The requirements for a mobile design also extend to convenience during cooking, so the upper section of the chimney must be equipped with a stand for metal utensils.

Gas cylinder unit

The use of a gas cylinder is the next step in the development of jet heating devices. A more complex design can significantly increase the thermal power and efficiency of the furnace. All that is required to manufacture the installation is a household gas cylinder or fuel barrel, sections of thick-walled steel pipes and a metal sheet 3–5 mm thick.

A rocket stove made from a gas cylinder can be used to heat small utility rooms

If you have a piece of steel pipe with thick walls and a diameter of more than 30 cm, a rocket stove can be made from it. This option will allow you to avoid labor-intensive operations associated with disassembling the factory gas tank.

How such a design works can be seen in the diagram below. Firewood loaded into the firebox burns due to the flow of air through the loading window. Afterburning of combustible gases occurs in a pipe installed inside the cylinder due to the supply of secondary air. To enhance the effect, the inner chamber is insulated, which makes it possible to raise the temperature inside above 1000 °C. Hot gases hit the bell as they move and enter the outer chamber, the walls of which act as a heat exchanger. Having given up their energy, the combustion products are discharged through a chimney cut into the lower part on the back side of the cylinder.

To create the draft necessary for stable operation of the rocket stove, the top of the chimney is raised at least 4 m relative to the loading window.

Combined rocket stove made of brick and metal barrel

The use of fireclay bricks for arranging the firebox and internal chambers of a jet heating device transforms the “rocket” into the category of stationary structures. The high heat capacity of the materials used allows heat to be accumulated and released within several hours, which is why such units are often installed in residential premises.

Furnace structure with refractory lining of the working area

Jet stove with stove bench

Like other solid fuel stoves, the "rocket" has the disadvantage that most of the heat is lost through the chimney. Despite this, certain advantages of its design make it easy to get rid of this disadvantage. The thing is that the unit was called reactive for a reason, but because of the high rate of excision of burning gases. This feature can be turned into a benefit by significantly increasing the length of the smoke exhaust channels.

Scheme of a jet stove with a stove bench

This idea found its implementation in massive stationary structures with a couch in the shape of a sofa or bed. It is successfully made from brick or rubble stone, decorated with a plastic mass of clay and sawdust. Thanks to the high heat capacity of the materials used, the stove can retain heat all night, which, combined with high efficiency, makes the heating unit very attractive for installation in residential premises.

When choosing a design for manufacturing at home, you need to take into account the features of its operation. As a camping option, choose a mobile unit - it will be enough to warm up, dry clothes and cook lunch. In order to occasionally heat small technical rooms, a portable structure made from a gas cylinder is used. If you need to heat a small country house or cottage, then there is simply no better option than a jet heating unit with a stove bench.

We build a rocket oven with our own hands

The design proposed for self-production is the elite of rocket heating devices. After construction, it will delight the owner for a long time with comfort and cozy warmth, even in the most severe frost. As you might have guessed, we are talking about a unit with a stove bench. Despite the fact that such a design is the most complex, the diagrams, instructions and descriptions we presented will allow you to build a stove in just 2-3 days.

Device and principle of operation

A rocket furnace consists of several chambers and channels. The bunker for loading firewood is made of fireclay bricks and is equipped with an opening in the lower part for air supply. It has a refractory lining and a channel that connects the firebox with a vertical flue (fire pipe or riser). A metal barrel is used as the casing of the rocket furnace, inside of which the afterburning chamber is lined with magnesite or fireclay bricks. The heat exchanger of the heating unit is not only a steel container, but also long horizontal channels of the stove bench made of galvanized steel pipes or bricks.

The processes occurring inside a stationary reactive furnace resemble the operation of pyrolysis heating units

There is no need to use refractory materials to construct heat exchange channels. A well-burnt red brick is sufficient.

The body of the stove and trestle beds is formed from sandbags, stone or brick fragments and coated with a clay composition. The good heat-storing ability of finishing materials allows the structure to release heat within several hours after the firewood has completely burned out. To remove combustion products, a high chimney is used, which can pass both indoors and outdoors.

The high performance of the “rocket” is explained by the method of fuel combustion, which tends not so much to direct-flow heating units as to pyrolysis boilers. The operation of the furnace is accompanied by the active release of gas components, which are burned in the riser. The cap helps reduce the flow rate of hot gases, otherwise they simply would not have time to oxidize. By the way, heating the upper part of the flame tube creates a vacuum at its end, due to which active combustion of the fuel occurs. In this case, such a high temperature arises in the riser that even the soot ignites. Nevertheless, at the point of transition from the vertical channel to the horizontal heat exchanger, experts recommend installing an ash pan, equipping its chamber with a small door to allow periodic maintenance.

Calculation of basic parameters, drawing

There is no need to give the exact dimensions of a rocket stove with a stove bench - its dimensions and configuration completely depend on the characteristics of the room. The presented method for calculating parameters, based on the use of the proportions of all parts of the rocket furnace, will be quite sufficient to design a high-performance, efficient unit.

To perform the calculation, it is enough to know the diameter D and height H of the external heat exchange casing (drum).

The height of the flame tube is at least 1.3H.
The gap between the riser and the cap is 0.1–0.15H.
External clay coating is carried out no higher than 1/3H.
The thickness of the heat-accumulating layer should be no more than 1/3D.
The cross section of the flame tube is 0.25–0.3D.
The height of the ash pan is up to 10% of the vertical dimensions of the casing.
The cross-section of the blower should be 50% smaller than the riser area.
The thickness of the adobe cushion above the heat exchanger is at least 1/4D.
The chimney height is more than 4 m.
The length of the horizontal heat exchanger is calculated based on the volume of the drum. If a standard fuel barrel is used, it can reach 6–8 m.

As you can see, it is not difficult to determine the dimensions of all elements of the furnace, especially since its design allows for some liberties in terms of dimensions and configuration.

For perfectionists and those who are afraid to experiment, we present a drawing of a heating unit, drawn to scale on a marked sheet of paper. If necessary, taking exact dimensions from it will not be difficult.

Drawing of a stationary jet heating installation

Materials and tools

The construction of a jet furnace does not require any special equipment. The only power tools required during the work process are a welding machine and an angle grinder, and even then just for a few minutes - to separate the barrel lid and configure the heat exchanger pipes. Any owner can also find everything else:

trowel (trowel);
bushhammer;
building level and plumb line;
roulette;
container for preparing the solution;
bayonet shovel;
tamping;
buckets;
concrete trowel.

Although the design of the “rocket” is undemanding in terms of materials, you will still have to buy some of them. Here is a list of what will be needed during the construction process:

refractory bricks of any type;
metal barrel for making a casing;
a pipe Ø30–40 cm, which will hold the thermal insulation coating of the vertical channel. You can use the housing from an old water heater, a suitable capacity of an industrial receiver or a hydraulic accumulator;
galvanized steel pipes with a diameter of more than 25 cm, which will be needed as a heat exchanger;
a steel pipe for arranging a chimney with a diameter of 150 mm and an elbow for its outlet at 90°;
ash pan hatch;
blower door;
a special heat-resistant mixture for preparing the solution (can be replaced with sand and clay);
perlite for thermal insulation of the riser;
Red brick;
rubble stone or brick waste;
sawdust or chaff.

Since the barrel will be only partially embedded in the oven, it will have to be painted to increase the aesthetic value of the unit. To do this, you will additionally need a metal brush, a solvent to degrease the metal surface, a primer and any heat-resistant paint.

Site selection and other preparatory activities

When determining the construction site, you should take into account the requirements that apply to all designs of solid fuel stoves with an open flame:

the area of the room in which it is planned to install a jet heating device with a sunbed must be at least 16 m2;
the absence of logs (floor beams) under the stove body will greatly simplify installation;
there should be no wooden rafters or ceilings above the fireplace;
if part of the chimney passes through the ceiling, then the stove is installed closer to the central part of the house. In this case, the pipe can be secured near the ridge;
You should not install a heating structure close to the outer contour of the building - precious heat will go outside. It is better to attach the unit to one of the internal walls;
It is not recommended to build a jet device near wooden walls and partitions. In this case, separate accommodation is chosen.

It is also important how convenient it will be to light the rocket stove and throw firewood into it. To do this, the firebox is placed towards the entrance, providing at least 1 m of free space in front of it.

One of the many options for installing a stove in the middle of the room

In a small room, it is convenient to place a rocket stove in the corner, with the loading hopper oriented in one direction and the lounger in the other.

Having chosen a place, they begin to prepare it for future construction. If the room has a wooden floor, then the part of it that will be under the stove is removed. After this, a shallow pit is dug, the bottom of which is compacted using a tamper.

In addition, it is necessary to prepare a metal barrel for installation. To do this, cut off its cover along the contour. In this case, part of the thickening in the form of a metal hoop is left to ensure the rigidity of the base of the casing. Most likely, the fuel container will be dirty and rusty, so it is better to clean it before installation.

The last thing to do before starting construction is to prepare the solution. It is best to use a special heat-resistant composition, which can be bought in construction stores, but you can get by with a simple mixture of sand and clay in a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2, depending on the fat content of the latter. Water will be needed up to ¼ of the volume of dry ingredients - the output should be a composition reminiscent of thick sour cream.

Instructions for the progress of work

As already mentioned, to make a rocket stove with a stove bench, it will take much more effort and time than when making a metal unit. Step-by-step instructions with illustrations of all stages of construction will help make the task easier and reduce time.

The place where the firebox will be formed is deepened by 10 cm and laid out with refractory bricks, after which formwork is installed along the contour of the furnace. To strengthen the foundation, it is necessary to install reinforcement from building mesh, reinforcement Ø10–20 mm or scraps of metal pipes and corners.
Arrangement of formwork
Lay out the base of the working chamber according to the level.
The base of the loading chamber is lined with refractory bricks
The structure is poured with concrete. Further work can begin immediately after the solution has set. As a rule, one day is enough for this.
Pouring the foundation
The base of the jet furnace and the combustion chamber are formed from refractory bricks laid in a continuous pattern.
Rocket stove base
Several rows of masonry raise the side walls of the structure.
The walls are formed using fireclay bricks installed on the edge
The lower channel of the heat-generating rocket is being equipped.
The combustion chamber is covered with a row of bricks laid transversely in such a way as to leave two openings open - the firebox and the riser (vertical channel).
Method of covering the horizontal part of the working chamber
An old casing from a storage boiler is prepared for installation. To do this, the device is cut off on both sides to obtain a large-diameter pipe.
Furnace parts prepared for installation
The lower part of the fuel and lubricants container is equipped with a flange into which the horizontal heat exchanger pipe will fit. Welds must be continuous to ensure tightness and, accordingly, safety of the structure.
Installation of the lower pipe is carried out by welding
After the outlet pipe is cut into the barrel, it is cleaned of rust, coated with a primer and several layers of heat-resistant paint.
A side outlet is welded to the horizontal chimney, acting as an ash pit. To clean it, the channel is equipped with a sealed flange.
A fire tube is made of fireclay bricks. The shape of its internal channel is a square with a side of 18 cm. During work, be sure to control the vertical position of the structure using a plumb line or a building level.
The height of the vertical channel depends on the size of the outer drum
A casing is installed on the flame tube, after which the gaps between the metal container and the walls of the vertical channel are filled with perlite. To avoid spillage of thermal insulation on the floor, the lower part of the riser is carefully sealed using a clay mixture.
Riser thermal insulation method
The firebox cap is made. You can use a cut-off part of the water heater as it, providing it with a comfortable handle.
The furnace body is formed using brick or stone masonry. For this purpose, you can also use sandbags placed at the base of the vertical channel.
The oven body can be lined with sandbags

The unassuming spring appearance is hidden with the help of adobe coating. To make it, up to 50% of large sawdust or chaff (chaff) is added to the clay solution.

Coating the furnace body

Additives in a clay mixture perform the same role as crushed stone in concrete. They are needed so that during drying and subsequent work with variable thermal loads, the surface of the furnace does not crack.
The perlite backfill on top also needs to be sealed with coating.
The front part of the oven is formed. To do this, lay out the outline of the stove using any suitable method (brick or stone masonry, sandbags, adobe). The inner part is filled with crushed stone, and the upper part is given the desired shape using adobe mixture.
An outer casing made of a metal barrel is installed on the prepared base, orienting the container with the lower pipe towards the stove bench. The lower part of the container is sealed with clay.
Installation of a casing - a metal barrel
Using a corrugated pipe, a channel is led to the firebox, which connects the firebox to the external atmosphere. If it is not installed, the stove will consume warm air from the room, which will be replaced by cold masses coming from outside. On the side of the firebox, the channel will need to be closed as soon as the firewood is completely burned out. This will not allow air from the street to penetrate into the heat exchange channels.
Duct for supplying air from outside the building
To check the operation of the rocket stove, the first kindling is carried out, during which they make sure that the gases freely exit into the horizontal chimney.
Heat exchanger pipes are connected to the lower pipe, which are installed on a base formed of red brick.
The chimney is being installed. All connections of parts of horizontal and vertical channels are sealed using asbestos cord and fire-resistant coating.
Using the same method as in the manufacture of the stove body, give the required configuration to the stove bench.
Fully formed oven with bench
The barrel can be completely covered with adobe, leaving only the horizontal platform open, which is convenient to use for heating food.
The chimney brought outside is equipped with a condensate and tar trap, and the upper cut is protected from precipitation using a cap.
The outer part of the chimney is equipped with a liquid trap

Tests of the rocket furnace are carried out only after the adobe coating has completely dried. Otherwise, the decorative coating may crack.

View of the finished rocket stove with a stove bench

For safe operation of a rocket stove, the room must be equipped with carbon monoxide sensors.

Modernization of rocket heat generator

To expand the scope of application of reactive heating stoves, they are being modified, increasing the convenience and versatility of the design. In mobile structures, the platform intended for cooking is often replaced with a full-fledged stove. It is convenient to use such a hob in your own backyard for household purposes - for preparing food for pets or during the period of preserving food for the winter. A special feature of this type of rocket furnace is a wide and flat horizontal channel into which hot gases from the nozzle are directed. Passing under the surface of the stove, they heat it red-hot, after which they go into the vertical chimney. Comfortable legs give the structure stability, and the original shape allows the unit to be used as a stand or table when it is not in use for its intended purpose.

A jet stove with a stove is a necessary thing in a suburban area

A liquid heat exchanger cannot be installed in the flame tube of a jet furnace, but this does not mean that it cannot be used as a heat generator in a water heating system. To do this, the “rocket” is equipped with a kind of circuit of radiator plates, which create a kind of labyrinth in the afterburning zone. Thanks to their heating, heat is removed from the afterburning chamber to the water jacket. The efficiency of the unit depends on the area and heat capacity of the plates, so they are made in the form of massive metal strips with an area of up to ¾ of the cross-section of the fire channel. It must be said that such a heat exchanger is best used to produce hot water using the rocket stove itself in the traditional way.

Diagram of a rocket unit equipped with a water circuit

The rocket stove with a convector has an original design. To increase heat transfer, vertical tubes are mounted on the surface of the outer casing, performing the same role as the air channels of the buleryan. Cold air is trapped at the bottom of the tube heat exchangers and is heated as it moves upward. This ensures forced convection, which further increases the thermal efficiency of the installation.

Rocket heat generator casing equipped with a convector

Features of using reactive furnaces

Being a long-burning system, the rocket stove requires preheating before use. As a rule, in mobile installations no one complies with this requirement - they consume little fuel, and the potbelly stove itself is most often used on the principle of “it works, and that’s okay.” In stationary structures, warming up the furnace before starting is extremely important, since with a cold flame tube there can be no question of afterburning. The wood will burn without giving off heat, and the chimney will very quickly become covered with soot, tar and creosote.

The stove is heated using wood chips, paper or shavings, which are loaded into the firebox and set on fire. Reaching operating mode is judged by a humming sound in the heat channel. A loud sound indicates ineffective operation of the unit. As soon as the hum begins to subside, you need to start adding the main fuel. The vent should be completely open for the first 10–15 minutes. Then the air supply is reduced, focusing on the sound of the stove - it should “rustle” or “whisper”. After the wood burns out, the air duct of the firebox is covered to prevent heat from escaping from the room. Once every 2-3 days, ash is removed using a metal scoop and poker.

Maintenance of the jet stove is carried out no more than once a season. To do this, open the ash pan door, through which the remaining soot is removed. If necessary, clean the smoke channel using the hatch of its trap. It must be said that proper operation of a jet heater never leads to smoke in the room. All that is required of the owner is to follow the recommendations for using the “rocket” and not neglect safety rules.

DIY rocket stove: subtleties and nuances of construction (video)

Unique technical characteristics, almost zero cost and availability of materials for construction cover all the disadvantages of the jet furnace. If you wish, you can build a full-fledged heating device over the weekend, including arranging a comfortable couch. “Rocket” is also convenient because it does not require highly qualified stove-maker, and in its external design it allows the implementation of even the most unusual design concept.

A simple heating device, which is not much inferior in popularity to a potbelly stove, is a rocket stove. It runs on wood, and the design is so simple that production is possible on your own. The stove can also be made economical - many people think that looking like a potbelly stove means the combustion chamber is gluttonous, but no. There are schemes that operate on smoldering wood (pyrolysis), which means they are economical with the same efficiency.

Why rocket and why jet

Such a stove is often called a “rocket”, but not because the wood in it burns at a high speed, but because of the shape of the structure - the traditional version of the rocket stove is made from two sections of iron pipes welded to each other. The unit resembles a rocket in a child's drawing. Using a simplified form allows you to make it in less than a day. The adjective “reactive” is also applied to the stove, but also not because of the rate of fuel combustion, but because of the combustion characteristics - at a certain stage of supplying air to the firebox, it begins to hum strongly, as if the turbocharging of the injectors in the engine is turned on.

A humming stove is an inefficient and wasteful combustion mode. During normal operation, it makes a quiet rustling sound.

Any owner of a country or country house has at least a minimum set of carpentry, plumbing and automotive repair tools in his workshop. These are the ones that will help in the manufacture of a miracle rocket, plus drawings and a minimum supply of materials: pipes or metal boxes, a sheet of iron and - when building a stationary version - brick and mortar on clay. Now it becomes clear that the jet stove is made portable or stationary, for example, for heating a house or bathhouse.

If a stationary jet stove will heat the house, then it is placed along the outer wall. Properly designed and equipped, it can heat a house with an area of up to 50m2. The stove is also installed in an open area - on a personal plot, and is used as a summer option for cooking.

How does a rocket stove work?

The device is the simplest - two principles of fuel combustion, borrowed from other stoves:

Natural circulation of hot gases and smoke through the stove channels is a standard solution, as in a potbelly stove.
Afterburning of unburned gases (pyrolysis) with limited access of oxygen to the combustion chamber.

The design of the simplest reactive stove, which is intended only for cooking, uses precisely the natural combustion of wood - in an open chamber it is impossible to create conditions for maintaining the pyrolysis reaction and the afterburning of unburned gases.

Let's consider a simple design of a direct combustion rocket stove, which is traditionally installed in an open area in the yard. You can quickly heat water on it or prepare lunch for your family on vacation. From the figure below it becomes clear that such a sample will require two sections of a cylindrical or rectangular iron pipe, which are connected to each other by welding at an angle of 90 0.

A horizontal section of a metal box acts as a combustion chamber; firewood is placed there. You can also organize fuel loading vertically - add a vertical iron cylinder on top of the horizontal pipe to load firewood. Thus, you will get a structure of three pipes or boxes, the lowest of which (horizontal) will work as a firebox. In a stationary scheme, the simplest stove design often uses red brick, which is placed on a clay mortar.

The efficiency of the design cannot be called satisfactory, so the craftsmen figured out how to increase its efficiency. The additional element is another pipe of larger diameter (as you can see, all materials are available and cheap), into which the main pipe of the riser stove (primary chimney) is installed. This increases the overall heating and the duration of heat retention.

On the diagram:

Outer casing.
A pipe that serves as a firebox.
A channel for air outlet into the combustion chamber.
Insulated area between the body and the riser. The same ash can serve as insulation.

How to heat

The Robinson jet stove is heated according to the principle of starting a fire - paper, hay, straw or other flammable material is laid first, then small chips or large shavings. The last logs to be placed are the size of the firebox. Hot combustion products rise through the vertical pipe (2) and exit outside. You can place a pan or tank of water on the open end of the pipe (2).

In order for the fuel to burn continuously and actively, it is necessary to provide a gap between the outlet pipe (2) and the pan of water using a special lattice metal stand.

The diagram below shows a simple device with a door on the opening for loading fuel. Air draft is formed due to the presence of a special channel formed by the lower surface of the firebox and an iron plate welded 8-10 mm from the combustion chamber. This design will force air to be pumped in even if the door is completely closed. It is clear from the diagram that the design is also designed to operate in pyrolysis mode, while a constant flow of a “secondary” air stream will burn the exhaust gases. But in order for afterburning to take place 100%, it is necessary to equip the thermal insulation of the secondary chamber in which the gas burns out in order to ensure the required temperature indicators for pyrolysis.

On the diagram:

Forced channel for blowing air when the combustion door is closed.
Active combustion area.
Burnt gases.

The improved scheme provides not only the possibility of heating the surrounding space, but also cooking food, for which the upper hob is designed. Total: to the simplest version of the “rocket” you can add an outer casing, which will additionally heat the room, a combustion door, air supply to maintain the pyrolysis mode, and a stove for cooking food. This scheme can already be implemented in the house itself, and not in the yard, since the chimney pipe is led outside. This minor upgrade significantly increases the efficiency of the model. Thus, a do-it-yourself rocket stove, the drawings of which are presented below, has the following capabilities:

Due to the inclusion of an outer casing made of a larger diameter pipe and its insulation, which creates a thermal insulation layer for the riser, as well as the ability to hermetically close the upper pipe, hot air cools down much longer.
A separate channel for blowing has been added to the lower section of the stove, which makes it possible to organize pyrolysis combustion.
In this design, it is recommended to place the chimney not vertically at the top, but at the bottom at the back of the body, which will allow for additional circulation of hot flows through the internal channels of the stove, ensuring rapid heating of the hob and the entire insulated body.

In the firebox (1), the fuel does not burn completely (2), since the air supply is not complete - this is mode “A”, which can be controlled using the damper (3). Gases that are hot, but not burned out from pyrolysis, are supplied to the end section of the fire channel (5), in which they are burned. Afterburning is ensured by high-quality thermal insulation and a constant flow of “secondary” air in mode “B” through channel (4).

The hot stream then enters the internal riser (7), rises up to the cooking plate (10) and heats it. Next, hot air enters the volume (6) between the outer and inner pipes, insulated with a layer of ash (4, 9), heats the furnace body, which releases heat into the room. Finally, the cooled air falls down to enter the chimney (11) and exit out.

A consistently high temperature in the riser (7) ensures maximum heat transfer and creates conditions for complete combustion of gases by placing the riser in a larger pipe - the shell (8). The free space is filled with ash or other heat-resistant substance (9) for lining - this can also be a solution of ordinary clay and sand in proportions 1:3.

The palm of popularity belongs to the industrial model “Robinson” - it is a simple but reliable design. Having such a mobile stove, you can quickly cook food or heat water at the dacha or on a hike. Structurally, it is an inverted L-shaped pipe, as shown in the diagrams below.

Firewood is placed in the horizontal section of the fuel receiver, and ignition is carried out from the side where the vertical pipe enters. In an L-shaped pipe, due to the difference in pressure of hot and cold air, draft arises, and the intensity of combustion will only increase as the furnace body heats up. The air supply is regulated by a slide damper.

The furnace operates on the principle of using the energy of a natural flow of hot gases. It turns out to be a closed cycle: as the temperature rises, the fuel begins to burn more actively and the chamber and cooking surface heat up faster. As a result, Robinson is able to heat 10 liters of water in 10 minutes if you place the tank on an already warm surface. The diagram shows that the hob in Robinson has a thick thermal insulation layer, which allows large diameter logs to be placed in the firebox.

Stationary oven

Stationary models have a hood to keep the heat in the room longer. In such a stove, fuel combustion occurs according to a different scenario. The beginning of the wood combustion process is the same - the air supply is limited. This causes the release of pyrolysis gases, which are burned in the lower section of a vertical pipe or box, where secondary air is supplied separately.

The hot gas, once at the top, begins to cool and falls into the free inter-chamber volume, and then into the chimney. It happens like this:

Gravity forces force the colder, and therefore heavier, burnt gases to rush downward, where they enter the chimney.
This is facilitated by the constantly maintained pressure from the added firewood and the consistently high temperature of the gases.
Natural draft in the chimney pipe.

All this creates effective conditions for the combustion of wood and it becomes possible to attach a smoke channel with arbitrary geometry to the “rocket”. Basically, long and complex chimneys are needed in order to better heat the room.

The main disadvantage of all solid fuel stoves is the inability to retain most of the heat in the house. But the positive qualities make it possible to neutralize the negative aspects - the high rate of gas escape allows you to organize complex vertical or horizontal chimneys with several channels. The implementation of this principle in practice is the Russian stove. In a jet stove with a horizontal multi-channel chimney, you can also equip a warm bench, as shown in the diagram below.

A rocket stove is a home heating option that can only be cheaper for nothing. A person familiar with the basics of construction can build a combined brick stove in a design suitable for any home interior. The main task of improving the appearance will be decorating the iron cap and firebox lid - everything else will not be in plain sight.

Combined brick-metal barrel stove

It is stationary, because the structure cannot be moved. The fuel chamber and chimney are made of fireclay bricks, and valves and doors are made of metal. Brick gives off heat very slowly, so the room will be warmed for a long time.

High efficiency is not the strong point of such models, but good heat transfer can be achieved by adjusting the air supply to the chamber, without trying to reach a combustion mode in which the stove begins to “roar” and “hum.”

In order to somehow minimize heat losses when operating this simplest design, many craftsmen build a water circuit into the stove and connect a hot water tank. The construction of a bench with a multi-channel horizontal chimney also helps to preserve heat in the room. Negative qualities of “rocket” models that cannot be minimized or eliminated:

Constant monitoring and adjustment of traction is required - no automatic devices are provided.
Every 2-3 hours you need to load a new portion of firewood.
The iron cap heats up to dangerous temperatures.

The simplest and cheapest option is the Robinson model, which is shown in the drawing below. To make it, you need cuttings of pipes or a rectangular profile box, metal corners for the legs, and a welding machine. Its dimensions are selected based on the dimensions of the workpieces. The main thing is to adhere to the principle of action, not the size.

For a home-made design, they often take 200-liter gas cylinders or barrels - thick walls and a suitable size are exactly what was intended. Both are used to make the outer casing, and the internal elements are made from pipes of smaller diameter or are laid out with bricks - halves, quarters or whole.

There is no general formula for calculating heat transfer for all models of a rocket stove, so the option of using ready-made calculations based on the principle of similarity of circuits is quite suitable. The main thing is that the size of the future “rocket” at least approximately corresponds to the volume of the heated room. For example, a gas cylinder will do for a garage, and a two-hundred-liter barrel will do for a country house. An approximate selection of internal elements is shown in the diagram below.

Iron cylinder stove

Cylinder – gas, oxygen, carbon dioxide.
Pipe ≥ 150 mm for fuel and loading chambers.
Pipes 70 and 150 mm - for internal vertical chimney.
Pipes 150 mm - for the outlet chimney.
Insulation of any type, always non-flammable.
Sheet metal blanks H = 3 mm.

The upper part of the cylinder is cut off by welding. For safety reasons, it is better to open the shut-off valve on it and fill it with water before cutting. On the sides you need to cut openings for the fuel chamber and chimney. The pipe under the firebox is connected to the vertical pipe of the chimney channel from the bottom of the cylinder.

After installing the internal elements, the cut top is welded back. The seams are checked visually and the main chimney is connected. If there is a water circuit, it is connected too. After this, the rocket stove can be tested.

Sufficient draft is ensured by the height of the chimney pipe - it must be raised above the firebox by at least 4 meters.

How to lay a firebox out of brick

This model requires the use of only fireclay (clay) bricks - ceramic or silicate bricks will immediately crack. The masonry is carried out using clay mortar, the proportions of the composition are indicated above. A pit is dug under the base of the stove, the soil at the bottom is compacted and filled with concrete mortar. The size of the foundation is 1200x400x100 mm.

After the base has hardened, it is protected with a sheet of basalt cardboard, then they begin to lay out the firebox, vertical chimney and loading chamber. A door is attached to the front of the firebox for removing ash. After the clay solution has dried, the trench is filled up, and a pipe of the required diameter is inserted into the vertical chimney. The cavities between the brick and the pipe should be filled with insulation - basalt wool, ash or other non-flammable material, for example, asbestos.

Now a cap Ø 600 mm is placed on the masonry - a cut-out lid from a metal barrel will do. Before installation, a hole is cut in it into which a pipe is inserted under the chimney. When putting on this cap, the barrel should be turned over, and the pipe will be where it is needed. Then the chimney is brought out - either directly to the street, or through the arrangement of a sunbed with horizontal chimney channels. The lounger can be laid out with ordinary sand-lime brick, since the temperature of the gases will already be low.

Simple stove options for heating a room, heating food and water are always popular, especially among home craftsmen who strive to make such units themselves. Similar designs include a rocket stove, which runs on wood and copes well with the tasks assigned to it, without requiring complex materials for manufacturing. Today we will take a closer look at the design of such an interesting heater, and also provide drawings and videos in order to make a rocket stove with your own hands.

Principle of operation

Before starting to manufacture the unit, you should consider in detail the principle of its operation. I would like to clarify right away that a rocket stove for the home has nothing to do with a jet engine and space flights. This name for the stove was given by the people due to its unusual appearance: the unit is very similar to an inverted rocket and makes a characteristic hum when operating.

A humming sound appears at the stove only under a certain operating mode, when too much oxygen is supplied to the firebox. Please note that if your furnace hums too loudly or makes an unusual roar, this indicates improper, wasteful and ineffective operation. Correct operation of the rocket stove is accompanied by a barely audible rustling sound.

A portable rocket stove is often taken with you on a hike to heat food.

Depending on the scope of application, thermal units of this type can be divided into:

Portable;
Stationary.

The former are mainly used in camping conditions; they are mobile, easy to transport and do not take up much free space. The second type of design is more capital. It is used for installation indoors, for heating a room or for heating food.

The principle of operation of a rocket stove can be most easily demonstrated using the example of the simplest tourist firebox “Robinson”. The design is an inverted pipe in the shape of the letter “L”.

Solid fuel (firewood, wood chips) is loaded into that part of the pipe that is in a horizontal position relative to the surface of the earth, then the fuel is ignited from the side of the vertical part of the pipe.

A thrust is created in the transition channel, which increases as the fuel warms up, and therefore for effective operation it is necessary to shut off the air supply from the outside. If the air supply is not limited, the wood will burn out in vain, and no heat energy will ultimately be obtained.

Even the simplest rocket stove can heat water in a large container in a matter of minutes. If the top of the pipe is properly insulated, the device will be able to burn thick logs and heat a large room.

Types of rocket stoves

Depending on the type of design, rocket furnaces are divided into:

A rocket stove with a water circuit (if properly installed, it can replace a full-fledged solid fuel boiler);
Rocket stove from a gas cylinder;
Rocket stove "Flint - Master";
A simple brick rocket stove with a stove bench;
Hiking options made from metal pipes.

General view of a rocket stove made from a gas cylinder

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of a rocket-type furnace include:

High thermal output, which in some cases reaches 18 kW;
High efficiency;
Ultra-efficient operation, which is characterized by complete burnout of firewood, coals and soot loaded inside;
Even waste from the woodworking industry (chips, leaves, twigs, branches, leaves, regardless of the degree of humidity) is suitable for combustion;
Economical combustion and low wood consumption;
High temperature conditions at the outlet (heating a large container of water is carried out in a few minutes).

Along with the advantages, stoves of this type also have disadvantages:

Installing a water heating coil reduces the thermal efficiency of the furnace;
The continuous combustion cycle makes it impossible to install a rocket stove in garages and bathhouses;
The small size of the firebox does not allow loading a large amount of fuel at once; to ensure long-term combustion, firewood is constantly added.

How to make a rocket stove with your own hands

Many people decide to install a rocket stove due to the ability to make it from available materials. Such a stove does not require expensive materials and components, and it stands out among other wood-burning stoves with its original design.

To make a stove, it is enough to have at least a little understanding of drawings and be able to work with your hands. Especially for home craftsmen, we will consider several options for making a rocket stove.

Walking from a profile pipe

This design is distinguished by its maximum simplicity, so it is with it that you can begin work on mastering the technology of constructing rocket furnaces. With the right approach, the entire production process will take no more than 3-4 hours.

The manufactured stove will have small overall dimensions and weight, which is why it is convenient to take it with you on hikes and fishing.

We will consider a slightly more complicated version of the rocket stove; due to the additional part, the process of further use of the unit will be greatly facilitated. This is a small metal plate with a grate that can be removed for convenient loading of firewood.

To make a stove, you need to prepare the following elements:

Two pieces of square pipe measuring 15 by 15 cm (metal thickness - 3 mm). The length of one pipe is 45 cm, the other is 30 cm;
4 strips of steel 3 mm thick and measuring 30 by 5 cm;
2 steel strips 3 mm thick and measuring 14 by 5 cm.
A metal grate measuring 30 by 14 cm. If you couldn’t purchase a grate of suitable sizes, you can make it yourself from steel rods.

A camping rocket stove is made in the form of a bent piece of pipe

Furnace production includes the following steps:

We mark two pipes for further cutting with a grinder at an angle of 45 degrees;
We connect the pipes together with cut sides and weld;
At the top of the vertical pipe, we make 4 cuts at the corners, insert prepared steel strips into them to form a cross, and weld the structure;
We make a frame for the retractable grille from the remaining steel strips, put the grille on the frame and weld it;
We check the oven for operability;
When the unit has cooled completely, paint it with heat-resistant paint to give it an attractive appearance.

The design can be slightly improved by welding a handle to the retractable grille.

Some craftsmen make a rocket stove right on the go from two soda cans. This stove produces a minimal amount of heat, but it is quite enough to heat up dinner or a glass of water.

From a gas cylinder

To make a rocket stove from a gas cylinder, the diagram of which is shown in the figure, you will need:

80 cm of steel pipe with a diameter of 158 mm and a metal thickness of 4 mm;
150 cm of steel pipe with a diameter of 127 mm and a wall thickness of 3.4 mm;
Profile pipe 100 cm long, 12 by 12 cm in size and 4 mm in wall thickness;
2 empty gas cylinders;
Sheet metal;
Steel bars;
Material for thermal insulation;
Metal pipe with a diameter of 12 cm for the chimney.

Diagram of a gas cylinder stove with dimensions

The production process includes the following stages:

We cut the profile pipe into two parts. One should have a length of 30 cm, the second - 35 cm. In the second pipe we cut out a hole for the firebox and for the vertical pipe of the future stove;
We cut the remaining piece of the profile pipe lengthwise and weld it to the firebox (it will serve as an opening for air supply);
We weld the firebox to the vertical pipe;
We make doors for the firebox and ash pan;
We check the functionality of the manufactured structure (primary chamber), wait for it to cool down;
Using a grinder, we cut out a hole in the bottom of the gas cylinder for the firebox. We weld a pipe with a diameter of 120 mm, which will serve as a chimney; in the lower part of the pipe we make a hole for cleaning the chimney;
We weld a piece of pipe of a slightly larger diameter to the chimney, and weld the firebox to the cylinder;
We fill the space formed in the cylinder between the pipe and the surface of the cylinder with perlite, which acts as a thermal insulator;
We cut off the bottom of the second cylinder with a grinder, weld a hole near the valve, the structure will act as a container for igniting gases;
We connect all parts of the stove together.

A more detailed process of making a rocket stove from a gas cylinder is discussed in the video.

Video: rocket stove from a gas cylinder

From bricks

The diagram of the simplest rocket furnace is shown in the figure.

The simplest design involves 21 bricks

To build an improved structure, you will need about 20-30 bricks and dry clay.

We build a structure out of bricks, as in the picture. In appearance, it resembles a rocket that is preparing to launch.

Clay is used to give the structure strength and stability.

We check the stove for functionality, wait until the bricks have cooled, and coat them with prepared clay. The manufacturing process is completed. Once the clay is completely dry, the oven can be used.

Video: rocket oven made of twenty bricks

Long burning design

The best option for a long-burning stove is a stove with a stove bench. This design is perfect for heating a small room.

A long-burning rocket stove is an excellent option for heating your home

The manufacturing process involves the following steps:

The place where the firebox will subsequently be located is deepened into the ground by 10 cm, and a fire-resistant stone is placed in the resulting depression;
Formwork is installed along the perimeter of the masonry, and reinforcing mesh is laid on the bottom;
The lower part of the future working chamber is laid flush with the installed formwork, the structure is filled with concrete;
The constructed part is left for a day until the concrete hardens completely, then the base of the furnace and the combustion chamber are formed;
The walls of the future furnace gradually rise along the perimeter;
The lower channel of the rocket furnace is laid;
The constructed structure is sheathed with brick, except for the places where the firebox and raiser will be located;
A metal container (an iron barrel or a gas cylinder will do) is cut with a grinder on both sides, coated with a primer and painted with heat-resistant paint, and a pipe is cut into the lower part;
An outlet is welded to the chimney pipe, which will act as an ash pit;
A fire tube in the form of a square is laid out of brick;
Thermal insulation material is poured into the gap formed between the metal container and the masonry;
The body of the future stove is formed, all brick surfaces are cleaned with clay, the future contour of the stove-bed is laid;
The performance of the furnace is checked;
All gaps are sealed, the shape of the bed is formed, and adobe is laid on top.

How to light a stove correctly

If no special preparation is required for firing mobile rocket stoves, then in order for the long-burning stove to work at the limit of its capabilities, it is necessary to preheat it. Such an event also helps reduce the degree of contamination of the chimney.

It is most convenient to heat the oven with paper sheets, wood chips and sawdust. The degree of heating is assessed by the resulting hum in the channel. Initially, the hum will be strong, this indicates high draft and low temperature; based on the degree of noise reduction, we can talk about an increase in the temperature in the firebox.

To heat the rocket stove, it is best to use small wood chips and sawdust.

As soon as the noise begins to decrease, the main fuel is loaded into the firebox. After about 15 minutes the damper begins to gradually close. The gap should be adjusted so that a barely audible rustling sound can be heard from the oven.

There are plenty of successful designs of rocket stoves online, and the authors are often guided more by intuition than by technical calculations. The main thing is to adhere to the “L-shaped” design, and then everything depends only on your imagination.

Be sure to check the operation of the oven at the preliminary stage.

The jet stove or rocket stove appeared as a result of a deviation from the traditions of manufacturing equipment for heating a room. It is considered an economical heat generator, the design of which is elementary. Therefore, many people are thinking about building a jet furnace with their own hands.

Description, advantages and disadvantages of the rocket stove

A heat generator for heating the air in a room is called a rocket stove or jet stove, since during operation, in case of excessive air supply, it makes special sounds. This noise can be mistaken for the roar of a jet engine. In normal mode, the equipment operates with a barely audible rustling sound.

A rocket stove serves as a device for heating a home and cooking food. It takes about 6 hours to burn one batch of firewood in such equipment, more than in a standard metal stove. The reason for this is the creation of a heat generator based on a top-burning furnace.

The flame from the jet furnace may burst out

The advantages of the rocket stove include:

independence from fuel energy;
simplicity of design, consisting of accessible parts, connected in a matter of minutes;
the ability to provide a lot of heat, despite the quality of the loaded fuel.

The jet furnace also has some disadvantages:

manual control, which implies constant monitoring of equipment operation;
danger of burns, because the walls of the equipment become extremely hot;
It is inappropriate to use in a bathhouse, since it cannot be warmed up.

Kinds

A unit that emits a rocket-like hum during operation can be:

portable (unit made of metal pipes, buckets or gas cylinder);
Portable rocket stoves are mass-produced by industry
stationary (made from fireclay bricks and metal containers);
Such a unit is more difficult to build than a metal furnace
equipment for heating air with a stove bench.
The bench is equipped behind the back wall of the stove

Portable structures are manufactured in large quantities, because they are used for hiking. The basis of these heat generators is a pipe made up of several sections. True, such structures, unlike units based on fireclay bricks, are not reliable. Walls made of refractory blocks increase the heat transfer of the jet furnace. If desired, you can add a bench in the form of a sofa or bed, decorated with clay or sawdust.

Parts and operation of a jet heat generator

A basic rocket furnace is a device consisting of two pipe fragments connected by a bend at an angle of 90 degrees. The combustion chamber in this heat generator is usually a zone in the horizontal part of the structure. But sometimes fuel is placed in the vertical section of the apparatus, for which a rocket stove is constructed from two pipes of different lengths, mounted vertically and connected by a common horizontal channel.

Primary and secondary air passes through the furnace

The operation of a jet stove is based on two actions: the unhindered passage of wood gases through the pipe and the afterburning of gases produced during fuel combustion. Wood chips and firewood are placed in the firebox of this heat generator after a highly flammable material such as paper ignites. A container with water or other contents is placed on the open section of the pipe. At the same time, a small space is left between the structure and the installed container, which is necessary to create traction.

The processes occurring inside a stationary reactive furnace resemble the operation of pyrolysis heating units

Calculation of parameters (tables)

The volume of the furnace should be determined wisely, because it is it that affects the power and amount of heat generated by the heating equipment. When calculating the dimensions of jet heating equipment, use the indicator of the internal diameter of the drum D, the value of which can range from 300–600 mm. You also need to know the cross-sectional area of the drum. To determine this indicator of the rocket stove, you should use the formula: S = 3.14 * D^2 /4.

The main dimensions of the jet furnace are presented in the table:

Parameter	Meaning
Drum height H	From 1.5D to 2D
Height of drum insulating coating	2/3H
Thickness of drum insulating coating	1/3D
Cross-sectional area of the primary chimney	From 0.045S to 0.065S (optimally - from 0.05S to 0.06S). The higher the primary chimney is, the better.
Minimum clearance between the top edge of the primary flue and the drum cover	70 mm. With a lower value, the aerodynamic resistance of the gap for gases passing through it will be excessively large.
Flame tube length and area	Length and area of the primary chimney
Blower cross-sectional area	Half the cross-sectional area of the primary chimney
Cross-sectional area of the external chimney	From 1.5S to 2S
The thickness of the adobe cushion under the flue with a stove bench	50–70 mm (if there are wooden floors under the bed - from 25 to 35 mm)
The height of the coating above the flue with a stove bench	150 mm. It is not recommended to reduce it, otherwise the oven will accumulate less heat.
External chimney height	not less than 4 m

Particular importance is attached to the length of the flue with the stove bench. The maximum permissible values are shown in the table:

The volume of the secondary ash chamber is also an important indicator, depending on the volume of the drum and the primary chimney.

D (diameter)	Volume
300 mm	0.1x(Vk - Vpd)	Where Vk is the volume of the drum, Vpd - volume of the primary chimney.
600 mm	0.05x(Vk - Vpd)

Construction raw materials for the construction of a non-standard furnace

The production of jet heating equipment will require:

barrels with a volume of 200 liters and a diameter of 0.6 meters, an empty liquefied gas cylinder or tin buckets to build a furnace drum;
square or round steel pipes 2–3 mm thick, which are needed to create a blower, combustion chamber and primary chimney;
fireclay crushed stone and oven clay as thermal insulation materials;
adobe, which serves as the outer coating layer;
fireclay bricks;
sand from the bottom of the river;
pieces of sheets of zinc-coated steel or aluminum for the manufacture of lids and doors;
asbestos or basalt cardboard, which serves as a sealant.

When constructing a rocket stove, you will need a welding machine. And if you plan to make heating equipment from bricks, then you will have to take:

Master OK;
mortar spatula;
hammer-pick;
jointing;
sharp-angled sledgehammer;
level;
plumb line;
roulette

Preparation for assembling heating equipment

When choosing a location for a rocket stove, follow some rules:

jet heating equipment is placed only in a room with an area of at least 16 m²;
Without floorboards under the stove, installation of equipment will be easier;
It is prohibited to place wooden beams above a structure that produces heat;
if it is assumed that the chimney will go through the ceilings, then the heating equipment is placed in the middle of the house;
the heat generator cannot be installed near the external contour of the house, otherwise the room will lose heated air;
The jet device must not be placed next to walls and partitions of wooden materials.

To make it convenient to add fuel to jet heating equipment, it is wiser to place it facing the entrance. It is important to leave at least a meter of unoccupied area around the rocket stove.

In a small house, builders advise setting aside a place for the stove in the corner. In this case, the firebox should be directed in one direction, and the bed (if it is made) – in the other.

The stove stands on a special platform that protects the floor from high temperatures

Having found a suitable site for the rocket stove, they begin to prepare it for construction work. If boards are laid on the floor in the house, then in the place where the equipment will be installed, they will need to be removed. A hole is dug under the exposed floor, the bottom of which is necessarily pressed.

Before construction work, a special solution should be mixed. It consists of sand and clay combined in a 1:1 ratio. You will need enough water so that the construction raw materials have the consistency of sour cream, that is, ¼ of the amount of dry ingredients.

Step-by-step instructions for making it yourself

If you plan to make a rocket stove from a gas cylinder, then you don’t have to be afraid of difficulties. The steps to create equipment from such construction raw materials are quite simple:

the upper part is cut off from a cylinder with a volume of 50 liters in order to build a kind of cap;
The balloon is cut off at the top and bottom
Based on the instructions in the drawing, all parts of the product are welded to each other, that is, a gas cylinder, a pipe with a diameter of 10 cm (future chimney), a pipe with a diameter of 7 cm (internal channel) and another pipe with a diameter of 15 cm (fuel firebox);
Dimensions in mm
the space between the two pipes is filled with a material that retains heat, for example, sand, which has been thoroughly calcined, that is, cleared of organic substances;
To give the structure stability, the legs are welded.

To build a rocket stove with a stove bench, which involves the use of bricks, you need to proceed differently:

The area for arranging the firebox is deepened by removing 10 cm of soil. The combustion chamber is formed from fireclay bricks. Formwork is created along the contour of the structure being manufactured. To make the base strong, it is recommended to lay reinforcement mesh or metal rods in it;
The platform will harden in about two days
The structure is filled with liquid concrete. Then they wait for the solution to harden and finish the work. The bricks are laid in a continuous line, creating a platform for the stove. After this, the walls of the structure are formed, placing several rows of brick blocks;
The lower channel of the structure is constructed, with one line of bricks laid across to block the combustion chamber. The blocks are placed, leaving the vertical channel and the firebox opening open;
Two sectors of the furnace at this stage of construction should be open
Find the body from the old boiler and cut off the top and bottom covers on it. A flange is installed at the bottom of the resulting pipe through which a horizontal heat exchanger will pass. The parts must be connected to each other with a continuous weld;
Work requires accuracy
An outlet pipe is inserted into the barrel, after which they take a metal brush and scrape off the rust from the walls of the container. The cleaned barrel is treated with a primer, and a little later with paint that is resistant to high temperatures;
The horizontal chimney is connected by welding to the side outlet - the future ash pit. To facilitate its cleaning, a sealed flange is installed;
The fire tube is laid out from refractory bricks. At the same time, a channel 18 cm high and wide is formed inside the structure. When doing this, they constantly use a building level, which allows you to control the verticality of the product;
The height of the pipe is determined in advance
The flame tube is covered with a protective casing, and the resulting gaps are sealed with perlite. The lower area of the vertical channel is sealed with raw clay, the function of which is to prevent the thermal insulation material from spilling onto the floor;
From the boiler, on which the top and bottom have been cut off, a fuel tank is formed. A handle must be welded to it;
To improve the appearance, the structure is treated with adobe putty, consisting of sawdust and raw clay. The first component of the composition serves in the same way as crushed stone in concrete, that is, it prevents cracking of the furnace walls. It is recommended to apply adobe putty over perlite backfill;
They create the facade of the stove, for which the stove contour is laid out from stone, bricks, adobe and sand. The back side of the structure is filled with crushed stone, and the front side with adobe mixture, making the surface perfectly flat;
A metal barrel casing is placed on the previously created base. The lower pipe of the container is directed towards the bed. The bottom of the structure is treated with raw clay, which will ensure its tightness;
A channel made of corrugated pipe is connected to the combustion chamber. It will serve as a link between the firebox and the outside atmosphere;
At this stage the oven looks almost finished
A test firing of the stove is carried out, watching how the gases are removed from the horizontal chimney. After this, the heat exchanger pipes are connected to the lower pipe installed on a red brick platform;
The stove is equipped with a smoke exhaust pipe. The junction of the chimney and the heat generator is sealed with fire-resistant coating and asbestos cord;
Using clay and adobe, the bed is given the desired shape. Only the horizontal section of the structure is left unsealed, which will then be used during cooking.
The oven functions as a whole system

Design improvement

A bench with a gas duct inside is not the only option for upgrading a rocket stove. The design can be improved with a water jacket connected to the heating system in which water circulates. It is advisable to give this part of the structure the appearance of a coil created from a copper pipe twisting onto the chimney.

This design provides even more heat

Another way to improve a jet furnace is to organize the flow of heated secondary air into the flame tube. This will increase the efficiency of the heat generator, but will lead to the deposition of a large amount of soot in the primary chimney. Therefore, it is better to make sure that the drum cover can be removed if necessary.

Subtleties of operating an unconventional stove

A rocket furnace is heated in a similar way to a top combustion heat generator. It turns out that the kindling of equipment called a rocket must be carried out according to certain rules:

the main raw material for heating the unit must be added only after the structure has been well heated, for which purpose sawdust or paper is first placed in the blower sector and set on fire;
they must react to the muting of the hum emanating from the stove - they put a large batch of fuel into the combustion chamber, which will ignite on its own from the hot remains of sawdust;
the process is closely monitored, that is, after laying the firewood, the damper is fully opened, and after some time, when the equipment makes a hum, it is closed to produce a sound similar to a rustling;
as necessary, the damper is closed more and more, otherwise the firebox will be filled with an excess volume of air, which will disrupt the pyrolysis inside the fire tube and lead to the creation of a strong hum.

Since the jet stove was originally created for use in the field, its design is extremely simple. This allows an ordinary home craftsman to cope with the manufacture of the unit. But, despite its apparent lightness, the rocket stove must be assembled, taking into account the correct ratio of parameters. Otherwise, the equipment will be unproductive.

Some sources claim that the rocket stove got its name due to the special sound it makes during use. Let's make a reservation right away - a strong hum is heard only during kindling, and then, a properly built stove should not hum. The sound that you can hear from a well-built structure will be more reminiscent of a rustle, a whisper, but nothing like the sound of a rocket taking off.

The efficiency of the furnace is increased due to the design features, which allow the use of not only the thermal energy obtained as a result of fuel combustion, but also the additional part of the heat generated during the afterburning of pyrolysis gas.

Attention! This gas is formed during the combustion of wood. Its ignition is possible only at a sufficient temperature level. With a large supply of oxygen or in an unheated furnace, such gases cool, do not ignite and evaporate freely.

Of course, the rocket stove is easy to manufacture, easy to use, practical, and not demanding on the quality of wood fuel. However, its operation depends on the correctness of the calculations and the accuracy of the manufacturing of the entire structure.

The general diagram of the furnace structure is as follows:

Despite the simplicity of the design, an ultra-efficient long-burning rocket stove requires precise adherence to the proportions of its parts:
The diameter of the chimney is not less than the diameter of the fuel bunker;
The length of the horizontal compartment of the combustion zone is no more than half of the vertical expanding section;
The height of the fuel bunker is equal to the length of the horizontal section;
The length of the chimney is 6-10 times greater than the height of the vertical secondary combustion chamber.
Thermal insulating adobe coating of the stove bench is at least 2/3 of the height, at least 15 cm above the chimney pipe.

Principle of operation

Fuel is loaded into a vertical bunker. With the correct design of the rocket furnace, the fuel burns only in the lower part, gradually settling under its own weight. Combustion in the primary combustion chamber is supported by suitable oxygen penetrating with the air flow through the ash pan. Then the fuel gases move freely into the afterburning zone, ignite as a result of the pyrolysis reaction, and heat the secondary combustion chamber and the hood. Due to the temperature difference in the primary combustion chambers and the vertical hood, draft is created, and hot air passes into the chimney channel. The exhaust system for combustion products consists of an internal part (heating the home) and an external part (removing smoke and gas from the room to the outside).

During operation, the fuel burns almost 100%, leaving only water and carbon dioxide at the exit. The long chimney provides almost complete cooling, so water can flow from the pipe. And as a result, a high pipe is not required; most often it is removed simply by continuing the horizontal section through the wall.

A rocket stove can be used simultaneously as a means of cooking and heating a small room. Design features allow the surface of the hood to be heated up to 400°C; this section of the stove is used as a cooking surface, and the long chimney most often turns into a lounger that can give off heat for up to 12 hours after heating. The effect of a heat accumulator increases with properly lining (coating) of the chimney body.

This is interesting! The principle of a jet stove without a heat-storing casing is used in small, portable camping structures. This type of stove uses only the energy generated by direct combustion. In this case, the amount of fuel burned increases, and the efficiency of the stove decreases significantly, but it is quite enough for cooking and heating the tent.

DIY rocket stove

When making a rocket stove with your own hands, you will need the following materials:

For a large-volume furnace - barrels of fuels and lubricants with a volume of 200 liters and a diameter of 600 mm. For the outer body of a medium-sized oven, gas cylinders with a diameter of 300 mm are used (it is also possible to use tin buckets, 400-450 mm);
For the fire duct of a furnace based on a barrel of fuel and lubricants, a 135 mm steel round or profile pipe (120x120 mm) is prepared. For a furnace with an outer casing made of a gas cylinder, round pipes of 70 mm or profile pipes of 70 and 150 mm are used;
The entire structure is made of tin or thin sheet steel 2-3 mm thick. (Thinner sheet metal can only be used for chimney installations).
Thermal insulating gaskets made of mineral cardboard;
For the chimney - corrugated pipe. The diameter of the pipe should be one and a half times the diameter of the fire pipeline;
Fireproof brick, fireclay scrap, clay, sand. Straw (for adobe);
Fittings for the stove (doors of the firebox and ash pan). A mandatory requirement is integrity and tightness, which is ensured by gaskets made of mineral cardboard.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantage - ease of installation - has already been mentioned by us, however, this type of stove has gained popularity due to an additional number of features.

Firewood and wood of any quality and condition can be used as fuel. Of course, the combustion reaction of the pyrolysis gases of raw wood will require a high temperature, but even in this case, as a result of the primary combustion of fuel, thermal energy will be released, which is sufficient for boiling water and cooking;
Despite the simplicity of the design, the thermal output of which a rocket oven made from a barrel of fuel and lubricants is capable can reach 18 kW. These parameters are enough to heat a room up to 20 m². A small stove (based on a gas cylinder), subject to all installation and installation rules, can have a power of up to 10 kW.
A well-heated jet stove can retain heat for a long time, for half a day (up to 12 hours) without requiring additional flooding.

However, some disadvantages of structures of this type cannot be mentioned:

Some types of rocket stoves cannot be used to heat water and then feed it into radiators or into the hot water supply system, because. in principle, the connection of additional heat exchangers (coils) breaks the tightness of the internal bunker, or reduces its thermal insulation characteristics, which makes it impossible to use the technology of afterburning pyrolysis gases;
General adjustment of the stove operation is possible only by reducing or increasing the amount of firewood. The blower, which regulates the air flow, is used only for primary ignition.
The rocket stove is not a fast-acting design. (On the contrary, it requires quite a long preparatory time for kindling and heating its own body and takes just as long to cool down). Therefore, such a design cannot be used in garages and bathhouses.