Measuring Your Stove Performance

Adult Supervision Required

So why should you calculate the performance of your stove?

If you are building your own backpacking stove it is great to see how your stove compares to other stove designs
By knowing the efficiency of your stove you will be able to make a more educated choice in selecting the best stove for your next hike.
You will be able to more accurately estimate the amount of fuel to carry.
It is also a great way to monitor your stove's condition over time. A change in performance can indicate that your stove might need to be cleaned , repaired or replaced.

Equipment: stove system, measuring cup, measuring spoons and thermometer

Some Science Background

1 cup contains 236.6 ml, 1 teaspoon contains 4.929 ml Additional Conversions available here.
1 ml (milliliter) of water weighs 1 g (gram), 1000 ml= liter
Water is in liquid form between 32 degrees F (0 degrees C) and 212 degrees F (100 degrees C) under typical conditions. Convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius.
It takes 1 calorie of energy to raise 1 ml of liquid water 1 degree Celsius. This is known as the specific heat of water and is typically written 1 calorie/ gram C.
The difference in water tempature in degrees Celsius times the volume (ml) equals the energy absorbed in calories. This doesn't apply to phase changes such as ice to liquid or liquid to steam.

The Experiment for Calculating the Energy Absorbed in Water

Measure the volume of water in mL (a minimum of 3 cups or 710 ml is recommended).
Measure and record the initial water temperature in degrees Celsius.
Measure the total volume of fuel added to your stove. Remember to include the priming fuel volume. The mass of fuel can be calculated by multiplying the volume in ml by the density (g/ml). For example the mass of alcohol (ethanol) can be calculated by multiplying the volume (ml) by the density of the alcohol (0.789 grams/ ml for ethanol). The amount of fuel added should not be enough to bring the water to a boil.
Start stove and heat the water, always monitor the heating process.
Measure and record the maximum temperature of the water. If the water boils or reaches 100 degrees Celsius during your experiment then repeat the experiment using less fuel or more water. A temperature difference of at least 40 degrees Celsius is recommended.

Calculating the amount of liters of water boiled with 100 grams of Ethanol (only)

Number of Liters Boiled

The Math Behind the Calculations

Calculate the temperature difference in degrees Celsius, maximum temperature minus the initial temperature

Temperature Difference

To calculate the total energy absorbed in the water multiply the water volume (ml) by the temperature difference. The energy units would be in calories. This is because the specific heat of water is 1 calorie/ gram C.

Energy Transferred to Water

Divide the energy absorbed by the amount of fuel used in grams (To calculate the grams multiply the volume in ml by the density). This will provide you with the amount of energy absorbed in the water per gram of fuel used.

Energy Transferred per Gram of Fuel

Calculating the amount of water boiled with 100 grams of fuel

To calculate the number of liters you can boil with 100 grams of fuel multiply the calories absorbed per gram of fuel by 100 grams and divide this number by 78,889 calories (78,889 calories is the minimum energy required to boil one liter of water from 70 F (21.1 C).

Calculated Boiled Liters per 100 grams

Repeat process to verify results.

Compare your stove with the commercial stoves

Always follow the Manufacturers guidelines
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