The science of the simmer ring?

Posted by: Jackamo

The science of the simmer ring? - 12/09/12 12:23 PM

im having a little trouble understanding how a simmer ring on a penny alcohol stove is supposed to work. i assumed the idea was to restrict the flow of vapor, reducing the flame. in the past, when ive tried to use a simmer ring, the flames stayed roughly the same, just funneled toward the center, and the simmer ring burned up.

ive also tried reducing the number of jets to make a designated simmer stove, but instead of twelve 1" high flames, i get six 2" or 3" flames.

can any of you helpful folks explain the physics of a simmer ring, or maybe point me in the right direction?

thanks!
Posted by: DTape

Re: The science of the simmer ring? - 12/09/12 12:48 PM

I do not use a penny stove, my experience is with other stoves. There are three elements necessary for fire: fuel, air and heat. Reducing one will reduce the fire. Some simmer rings attempt to reduce fuel, some air. I am not sure I have seen one which attempt to cool the stove down.
Posted by: finallyME

Re: The science of the simmer ring? - 12/10/12 09:41 AM

I don't have a penny stove either. But, my bet is that it reduces air intake.
Posted by: Samoset

Re: The science of the simmer ring? - 12/10/12 03:11 PM

I tried for along time to get the penny stove to simmer the idea is that it cools the stove down because the jets heat the outer rim of the can and the alcohol.

My solution was to actually make two Jim wood cat stoves one that would burn hot to boil water and the other low and slow to simmer!

I've had great success with this set up and the only tool needed to make these stoves is a decent hole punch!
Posted by: billstephenson

Re: The science of the simmer ring? - 12/10/12 07:41 PM

Originally Posted By Samoset
My solution was to actually make two Jim wood cat stoves


That's probably the best approach. The "Cat Stove" is so light that taking two is still lighter than most any other stove, and the "Simmer Cat" is a great solution to the problem at hand.

Posted by: Doppelgänger

Re: The science of the simmer ring? - 12/12/12 04:58 PM

Originally Posted By Jack L
im having a little trouble understanding how a simmer ring on a penny alcohol stove is supposed to work. i assumed the idea was to restrict the flow of vapor, reducing the flame. in the past, when ive tried to use a simmer ring, the flames stayed roughly the same, just funneled toward the center, and the simmer ring burned up.

ive also tried reducing the number of jets to make a designated simmer stove, but instead of twelve 1" high flames, i get six 2" or 3" flames.

can any of you helpful folks explain the physics of a simmer ring, or maybe point me in the right direction?

thanks!


For an "open cup" stove design, the feedback heat that vaporizes the fuel in the reservoir conducts from the flame down through the hot gas vapor and into the throat. Narrowing the throat diameter reduces the cross-sectional area of the conductive pathway, which makes a proportional reduction in feedback wattage. If the flame is in contact with the simmer ring, and the simmer ring can conduct heat to the metal of the fuel reservoir, you will get additional feedback that violates this linear proportionality rule, so the change won't be exactly linear (a proportional % change).

A penny stove is a pressurized stove, not an open cup stove. It conducts heat to the reservoir fuel from the contacts of the flaming jets emerging from the side of the can. I don't how a simmer ring could possibly be used in this instance unless the pressurized stove has an open throat like a Trangia.