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Outdoors

3D-printed camping stove brings the flame inside to work in strong winds

By Loz Blain
August 03, 2018
3D-printed camping stove brings the flame inside to work in strong winds
The PeakBoil camping stove works fine even in high winds
The PeakBoil camping stove works fine even in high winds
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The PeakBoil camping stove works fine even in high winds
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The PeakBoil camping stove works fine even in high winds
Prototype PeakBoil stove testing, connected to a small gas bottle
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Prototype PeakBoil stove testing, connected to a small gas bottle
The complex shape of the combustion chamber and Venturi nozzles would be impossible to manufacture using traditional techniques
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The complex shape of the combustion chamber and Venturi nozzles would be impossible to manufacture using traditional techniques
Looking down on the PeakBoil stove, immersed in a kettle full of water
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Looking down on the PeakBoil stove, immersed in a kettle full of water
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A team of ETH Zurich students has come up with a unique design for a wind-proof camping stove. Its shape, only made possible by additive manufacture, shields the burner from harsh winds and allows the device to boil water with high efficiency.

Led by doctoral student Julian Ferchow, the team designed the PeakBoil stove to fit inside a special kettle jug, which allows a gas tube to feed fuel through the bottom. A series of Venturi nozzles use localized pressure differentials to feed the flames inside the combustion chamber, which is protected from wind by high sides and a narrow top chimney.

The rippled walls of the chamber increase the amount of contact they have with the water in the kettle, and they're as thin as possible to encourage heat transfer.

Looking down on the PeakBoil stove, immersed in a kettle full of water
Looking down on the PeakBoil stove, immersed in a kettle full of water

This complex, single-piece combustion chamber couldn't be manufactured using conventional techniques, and is only possible thanks to additive manufacture. In this case, selective laser melting was used to fuse metal powder together in layers just 1/30th of a millimeter thick.

The PeakBoil team tested a prototype during a ski tour of the Swiss Alps, and found it easy to get the thing lit and water boiled even in strong winds. They also won a prize in the 3D Pioneers Challenge contest, and plan to use the proceeds to refine the design and seek manufacturing partners. The design could also be used, according to the team, in tankless, gas-fired water heaters or gas turbines.

The production process of the PeakBoil can be seen in the video below.

Source: ETH Zurich

ETH Zürich / Inspire - Additiv gefertigter Camping Stove

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OutdoorsCampingStoves3D Printing
7 comments
Loz Blain
Loz Blain
Loz leads the New Atlas team as Editorial Director, after nearly two decades as one of our most versatile writers. He's also proven himself as a photographer, videographer, presenter, producer and podcast engineer. A graduate in Psychology, former business analyst and touring musician, he's covered just about everything for New Atlas, concentrating lately on clean energy, AI, humanoid robotics, next-gen aircraft, and the odd bit of music, motorcycles and automotive.

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7 comments
JenniferPage
This is ancient technology. Flame up the middle with tube round. At Guide Camp 70 years ago we had hot water using fire. Many houses in Oz had hot water this way certainly in the 60s.
A.I.
Samovar has been a common household item before invention of electricity. It has a lid and burns wood instead of gas. I don't see why additive manufacturing was necessary.
paul314
Getting the fancy profile in one piece probably did require 3D printing, but if you were willing to settle for multiple separable pieces conventional technology would likely do. (And you'd want that if you ever had to clean or maintain the burner.
Cody Blank
Because you don't lug wood or other heavy contraptions around with you on a backpacking or skiing trip.
This is a rad use of adative manufacturing.
akarp
Looks terribly inefficient. Would have much more interesting if 3D printing was used to make a very effective heat exchanger…that wasn’t feasible or cost effective otherwise. Small combustion chamber, with a very long exhaust set of tube in the water. Maybe someone who is really creative could create some kind of ‘phase-change heat exchanger.’ Filling the mug allows a small amount of water to enter the ‘combustion zone.’ Flame vaporizes water into steam, the steam travels through a complex exhaust path (that is more efficient than a simple set of fins). THAT would COOL!
Nik
In principle, its an updated version of a paraffin lamp, like this, https://lightingandceilingfans.com/wp-content/uploads/imgp/paraffin-lamp-1-7999.jpg in a bucket. I dont see why the complicated flutes are required, (just because its possible?). If this is made in one piece, then the essential periodic cleaning of the jets will be next to impossible, which is why gas stove jet cores are often in two pieces, for easy cleaning. Design rule; when designing look at all previous designs first, and utilise those designs and improve on them.
Concerned
Great. He 3D printed a KellyKettle. They've been around in multiple forms since the 1800's. I have two, one stainless and one aluminum, and both heat a comparable amount o f water faster than my home range. I don't see the advantage.