Woodstove pulse-jet power

[Bumpkin]

I've often wondered about maximizing the effect of the pulsating combustion that occasionally occurs in woodstoves, for the purpose of powering a linear alternator. Civilizing such a beast for home use might be difficult and I'm only mentioning it as food for thought, but I finally looked up pulse jets and there's an interesting article that might also apply to thermal-lag engines, particularly in managing pulsed flow to best advantage. http://www.pulse-jets.com/valveless/index.htm Bumpkin

[fullofhotair]

What I remember about the pulse jet is that it is simplicity to the max. It is an extreme fuel hog. If you look back the nazis used it to cross the English channel( a short distance) the V1 was so slow a spit fire could catch it and shot it down. If you want an efficient wood burning stove look at the rocket stove. You can get 1000f. plus out the burning chamber,with very little fuel used. The burning chamber gasifies the burning wood then burns it ,instead of blowing it out the chimney.

[Ian S C]

The Fieseler Fi 103--V1, had an average speed of 350mph at 3000' to 4000', the Merlin powered Spitfire could not get enough speed at low altitude, it took a tuned up Mk 16 with the Gryphon engine, or the Saber powered Tempest. Mosquito fighters, and Mustangs were also used. The only one that could do it easily was the Meteor jet. I think the idea was to get just above most of the AA guns, but bellow the optimum altitude of the Spitfire that was the fastest aircraft it would meet when it was designed, the design started in 1936.
Sorry for getting OT, but I'm a bit of a aviation nut. Ian S C

[fullofhotair]

Ian CS
I just looked up that Saber engine. It was a beast 24 pistons, 2200 horsepower.

[Ian S C]

Thats right, two horizontally opposed engines, one on top of the other, and the two crankshafts geared together. It used sleeve valves instead of the more normal poppet valves. They never really got developed to become fully reliable, but they were concidered OK for military use, thet had a good power to weight, and low frontal area compaired to the radial engine. Its said that the Saber powered Tempest V preceded the Bristol Centarus powered Tempest II because the British Govt minister in charge of aircraft purchasing at the time had some thing against Bristol, the Centarus powered Tempest was the better aircraft.
Enough of that there are other forums for this sort of thing. Maybe the succesful high power Stirling Engine might be as complex as the Saber or Centarus, and other similar high power IC engines, or it may resemble more the Napier Deltic, now thees one worth looking at for something different. Ian S C