PLANS FOR CONSTRUCTING A BRICK

INSTITUTIONAL ROCKET STOVE

OF 1 LITERS

Stove body
Bricks: 400 solid or perforated bricks (for 200L stove). Less bricks will be
required for smaller stoves.

Mortar for stove body: the stove body should be assembled with a mortar of
sand and high-clay content soil. Potters clay should not be used and is not
necessary. As a last resort, cement can be used for the stove body.
Approximately 3 bags of cement and 15 bags of sand would be used.

Materials for Feed chamber and Combustion chamber

Feed
chamber
Combustion
Chamber

The feed chamber is the high abrasion zone where fuelwood enters the stove .
The feed chamber must be able to withstand abuse and high temperatures
throughout the length of the feed chamber

Feed chamber Liner: Multiple options exist for creating the feed chamber liner.
The goal is too create a liner that is:

ƒ low mass,
ƒ durable(abrasion resistant) and,
ƒ refractory (can with stand high temperature without cracking)

The liner should be between 20 and 60 mm thick (i.e. thick enough to withstand
the abrasion produced when wood is forced into the liner)

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This liner can be produced with:

ƒ industrially fabricated refractory bricks

ƒ refractory ceramics
ƒ or, as a last resort, common bricks (non-perforated)

Combustion chamber
The combustion chamber lays above the feed chamber
in the non-abrasion zone. The liner must be able to
withstand high temperatures without cracking and support
the weight of the surrounding insulation

Combustion Chamber Liner: Multiple options exist for

creating the feed chamber liner. The goal is too create a
liner that is:
ƒ low mass,
ƒ refractory (can withstand high temperature without cracking)

The liner should be between 20 and 120 mm thick .This can liner be produced
with:
ƒ industrially fabricated refractory bricks
ƒ refractory ceramics
ƒ or, as a last resort, common bricks (non-perforated).

Mortar for Combustion Chamber: the bricks/ceramic liner should be

assembled with a high t temperature mortar. A number of options exist:
1. Ideally, an industrial refractory mortar should be used.
2. A home made mortar can be made with the following recipe
ƒ 66% grog powder
ƒ 12% fine clay plastic (can be non refractory or refractory)
ƒ 22% sodium silicate liquid ( If sodium silicate is not
available, this portion can be substituted with fine plastic
clay )
3. As a last resort a clay/sand mortar can also be used. Local
builders will often be able to suggest the appropriate indigenous
mixture. Do not use cement!

Use a small amount of mortar between each joint, ideally 3-5 mm

Appropriate Combustion Chamber and Feed Chamber

insulation:
The liner should be surrounded with an insulative layer.
Examples of appropriate insulative material are:

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 ƒ Loose volcanic pumice
ƒ High-Temperature Rock wool
ƒ Sawdust (or other fine biomass) and clay ( 6 parts sawdust to one part
high-clay content soil)
ƒ Sawdust (or other fine biomass) and cement ( 9 parts sawdust to one part
cement)
ƒ Loose wood ash

Any material that is low density and fire resistant can be used. Although sawdust
(or biomass) is not considered fire resistant, it will actually burn out over time,
thus creating small air pockets that will insulate the feed chamber and
combustion chamber. Do not use sand, brick or other ‘heavy’ materials as they
have a relatively high density. See online ceramic guide for more information on
combustion chamber options

Cross section of stove components

Cooking Pot
stove body Pot skirt

Pot supports /legs Insulation

Feed
chamber
Combustion
Chamber
Wood shelf
fuel bed

Air Intake

Step 1: Foundation: 1st layer

574
574 3
 Be sure that the brick foundation is square and that
both diagonal lengths are equal to 812.

Remove a 20 cm by 20
cm section from the
center of the foundation.
This will be replaced with
appropriate insulative
material. The photo right
shows loose pumice
placed in the opening

Step 2a: Construct Feed

Chamber Form
(see Annex: Additional metal components)

Step 2b: Form Placement

Place form on the foundation. Place the
center/front of the form at the front /center of
the foundation

Center the form at the front of the foundation

287 4
 Make sure the form is placed
squarely on the foundation by
measuring the distance from
the end of the form to both of
the side walls.

Step 3: 2nd layer: Constructing

first course of feed chamber/ fuel bed

Note: the first course of bricks must fit tightly

against the form. This layer will form the lip
that will support the wood shelf. The Lip should always be 2.5 cm wide.

Confirm the length and width of the

combustion chamber

120

110

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The Feed Chamber Form can be removed
temporarily at this point to check for correct
measurements. The internal dimensions of the feed
chamber should be the same as the external
dimensions of the form. The Form only serves as a
guide; it does not need to be used to offer structural
support for the bricks

Be sure that the feed chamber/combustion

chamber on the 2nd layer (and all proceeding
layers) is centered within the stove body.
Each course must be checked carefully to
ensure that each course of the feed
chamber/combustion chamber is level and
equidistant with the stove body.

Note: Before laying the third and fourth course the builder should consider that
the top of the 4th course must lay just below the top of the form; i.e. the mortar
placed on top of the fourth course should be flush with the top of the form.
Therefore, the builders may have to alter the joints between the 2nd and 4th
courses to reach the correct measurement

Use high temp mortar when

constructing the feed chamber

Step 4: 3rd layer: Feed

Chamber

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Use high temp mortar when constructing
the feed and combustion chamber 120

110

Step 5: 4th layer: Feed Chamber

Maintain combustion
chamber
measurements as
you continue
constructing upwards

Check diagonals!

Remove form to check

for proper internal
dimensions of feed
chamber!

Diagonals dimension:
812

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Step 6: 5th layer: Enclosing the Feed Chamber

The 5th layer is the most critical layer of the

stove. If the stove fails, it will fail here.
This joint (the meeting point of these two
bricks) must be constructed with a high
temp mortar or refractory cement. Make a
3-5mm joint between and under the bricks
in the feed chamber.

If possible, use a single brick to form the

roof/top of the feed chamber. Although
using two bricks that join at the middle
point of the fifth course is entirely feasible,
it will be inherently weaker then using a single brick. The photo left shows the
roof/top of the feed chamber (fifth course) being constructed with two bricks that
meet in the middle of the roof/top of the feed chamber.

For constructing this layer you may remove the form

as it may be difficult to remove later after the bricks
and mortar have set. Two options exist:
1. remove the form and use bricks to
support the 5th layer
2. lubricate the form and continue to use
as before

Lay each row tightly together. The small opening

that remains after the rows have been laid can

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be filled with mortar. (Note: More brick, less mortar will make the stove strong)

Continue to use high temp mortar above the feed

chamber.

After laying the roof/top of the feed chamber,

cover these bricks with refractory mortar. For
heavy duty use, a second course of bricks can
be added on top of the 5th layer, above the feed
chamber (not shown) .

Step 7: 6th layer: Combustion chamber

It is critical that the feed chamber be built of a

durable, abrasion resistant, and refractory
material. Above the ‘abrasion zone’, however,
the combustion chamber itself does not need to
be as resistant to abrasion/stress and will
perform better if it has a lower mass.
Therefore, for creating the vertical combustion
chamber, above the fuel bed , a number of
options exist.
1. If available, a thin (2-5 cm) refractory
ceramic can be used (see photo below)
2. If not, common brick can be used

In Ethiopia we used this thin (2 cm thick) ceramic

combustion chamber. A low mass combustion
chamber will heat faster which means higher
combustion and overall efficiency.

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The ceramic tiles
shown in the
combustion chamber
are interlocking and are
held in place with high
temperature mortar

If thin ceramic is not

available you can
continue constructing
the combustion chamber with common bricks, maintaining the same inner
dimensions as in previous layers.

120

165

Step 8: Pot supports

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Pot support /legs: The pot is supported on
metal legs. Use 40 mm by 40 mm by 3 mm
square tube. The 3 legs should be 202
connected with a 10 mm round bar to hold
their position.

312.5

Place the legs on the ring at

120, 240, 360 degrees. The top
of the round bar ring should be
placed at 27.5 cm below the
top of the legs.

To add additional support to the pot, a foot

and cap are added to the legs. Use 3+mm
mild steel .The foot should not be more
than 50 mm wide.

Insert pot supports into

the stove body.

Measure all 4 sides to

ensure that the pot ring
is equidistant from the
combustion chamber and
from the sides of the
stove body.

Make sure that legs are level!

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 The top of the legs must lay 27.5 cm above the
top of the combustion chamber. The top of the
Leg ring should be flush with the top of the
combustion chamber. The photo left shows that
the legs are 5 cm (Gap A.) above the
combustion chamber

312.5

Step 9: Insulation
Check intro of guide to find appropriate
insulation for surrounding the combustion
chamber

After applying insulation,

double check that legs and
combustion chamber are still
equidistant from the stove
body walls. Fill insulation until
it is 1 cm below the top of the
combustion chamber

Fill the 1 cm gap with

cement outside of the
leg ring. This surface
needs to be strong
enough to support the
soldiered bricks that
are used to construct
the pot skirt.

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Step 10: Pot Stabilizer Skeleton Construction
The brick stove requires an internal metal skeleton
to support and stabilize the pot inside of the stove
body. This should be the first page that the users
are directed to after choosing the brick stove option

The user must select 3 different types of mild

steel (an area to input this needs to be created on
the sign up page

Top flange. 3 material options exist

1. Flat bar: 40 mm wide by 4 mm thick

or

2. Angle iron: 30 mm wide by 3 mm thick.

.This must be rolled into a flange: i.e., rolled
around its horizontal axis. This requires a
specialized roller or a very patient metal worker
who can do it by hand.

For both options 1 and 2, the length of the flange is: 578

or

3. If neither of these are available, the flange can be cut from a solid piece of 2
mm mild steel flat sheet. This is not recommended as it is wasteful. Equation
to produce this is:
ƒ Inner Diameter of the flange: 154
ƒ Outer diameter of the flange: 254

4. Middle ring
Flat bar rolled into a ring (this bar should be
between 30 – 50 mm wide by 1-5 – 3mm thick.
The length of the ring is:
157

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3. Round bar Base: Use 10 mm round
bar. The length of the Round Bar Base
is: 515

4. Pot Stabilizers
Use 10 mm round bar.
Cut 8 pieces and place them at all
cardinal points The height of the pot
stabilizers is:
133

Step 11: Positioning the Pot Stabilizer Skeleton

Center the pot stabilizer skeleton
around the stove legs. Check
measurements to be sure that the
skeleton is equidistant from all sides
of the stove body. Also check to
make sure that the height from the
top of the stabilizer flange to the top
of the pot supports is = to the height
of the pot from the base of the pot to
just below the handles(or lip). This
is the same figure that was input
when calculating pot dimensions on
the dimension input page.

To reiterate: the distance

from the top of the pot
supports to the stabilizer
flange must be equal to:
the height of the pot to the
pot handles (or if the pot
does not have handles, use
the height to the top lip of
the pot)

Adjust the depth of the pot stabilizer skeleton into the cement mixture until
the ideal height is reached.

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Step 12: Preparing the Slope under the Pot
For the stove to function properly it is
critical to effectively transfer the
energy from the hot flue gases into
the pot. This sloping gap will
maintain sufficent area for airflow
through the stove while forcing the
heat into the pot. Each point under
the pot requires a different gap for
optimal air flow

Gap A is the distance between the

inner perimeter of the combustion
chamber and the pot surface directly
above that point.
For your stove, Gap A = 27.5

Gap B is the distance between the

inner perimeter of the combustion
chamber +5 cm and the bottom of the pot surface directly above that point.
For your stove, Gap B = 18

Gap C is the distance between the

circumference of the pot and the
corresponding point on the stove body
directly below that point.
For your stove, Gap C = 60

Appropriate insulation should be used to

create the slope
.
ƒ Height of slope A = 0
ƒ Height of slope B = 10
ƒ Height of slope C = -32

Measure the height of Slope C, starting from the base of the skeleton. Place a
string around all 8 pot stabilizers to properly mark the height of slope C

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Using appropriate insulation, create a
slope from Gap A (which is zero) up to
Slope C. In Ethiopia, for example, we
are producing the slope with a 6 pumice
: 1 cement mixture,

Once the slope is

complete, cover with
high temperature mortar
or cement to produce a
smooth surface . Be
sure to not overfill the
slope as this will block
the airflow and cause the
stove to backfire

Step 13: Constructing the pot skirt

Place the bricks around the

pot stabilizer so that they
are flush against the outside
of the middle ring of the pot
stabilizer skeleton. Use a
level to ensure that the
bricks are vertical

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 Top view of soldiered
bricks and pot stabilizer

The base of the soldiered

bricks must sit on top of the
round bar base. The inner
face of the brick should be
flush with the inside of the
round bar base.

Place the soldiered

bricks tightly around
the pot stabilizer
skeleton and then
seal the remaining
cracks with high
temp mortar or
cement.

Place soldiered bricks around the pot stabilizer skeleton

so as to completely seal the pot stabilizer skeleton

Make sure that the

soldiered bricks do not
extend internally beyond the
middle ring or the round bar
base.

Use HTM or cement to

smooth the inner brick
surface, again making sure
that bricks do not protrude
into the stove beyond the
middle ring.

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Step 14: Upper stove body

After laying the soldiered

bricks to create the inner
brick pot skirt, construct the
outer walls of the stove body

The outer wall should be 1.5 cm lower than the top of the pot stabilizer skeleton
and the soldiered bricks. This height difference will facilitate the creation of a
slope between the pot skirt and the outer walls of the stove body.

Step 14: Insulating the Pot Skirt

Pour appropriate insulation

between the pot skirt and
the outer wall. If using
pumice, do not use a
binder.

Suitable insulation materials:

ƒ loose pumice
ƒ vermiculite
ƒ rock wool
ƒ fiberglass insulation

If these materials are unavailable then you can use sawdust (or other fine
biomass) mixed with clay or cement .

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 After filling with insulation, cover
the top of the stove with cement.
As the pot skirt is 1.5 cm higher
than the outer stove body, this will
create a downward slope to the
outside of the stove body. Use a
steel float to finish the top of the
stove. This will allow water or food
to be easily washed away from the
stove body.

Place the pot in the stove to confirm that there is sufficient area (45 ) between
the pot skirt and the pot. It is critical to measure the pot exactly (to the mm) to
generate accurate stove plans

ƒ No chimney is used with this rocket stove. When the rocket stove (due to
its improved combustion characteristics) is used with dry wood, a chimney
is not required for use in kitchens that have good existing ventilation.

ƒ Allow the stove to dry for one week before firing

ƒ For the first firing - Build a small fire that will slowly drive moisture from
the stove without causing cracks

ƒ For optimal efficiency and performance this stove should only be used
with the pot that it was designed for.

ƒ Remove ash from the feed chamber frequently to allow sufficient air flow
under the feed chamber and into the fuel bed/combustion chamber as
needed

ƒ See User Guide for More Information

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 Annex:
Additional metal components

Shelf limiter. Can vary

1. Metal shelf Use

thickest metal possible
(3-5mm thick) . Cast
Iron or stainless steel is 105
preferable to mild steel
yet most likely too
expensive

232

Shelf limiter

The shelf will be

inserted into the brick
stove as shown in the
drawing left

2. Combustion chamber Form

If multiple stoves are going to be made, it
is recommended that a form (made from
sheet metal or wood ) is made to help
consistently produce the correct
combustion chamber dimensions.

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 The form should begin at the mouth of the feed chamber and continue until the
start of the internal rocket elbow

232

Combustion chamber form dimensions are fixed except for their length.
The form length is: 232

Combustion
chamber form for 20
by 20 cm
232

21
Combustion chamber
form for 18 by 18 cm
232

232

Combustion chamber form

for 16 by 16 cm

Combustion chamber 232

form for 22 by 22 cm

22