Do-it-yourself tourist alcohol lamp. Alcohol burner

V last years with the development of the popularity of the topic of tourism and survival, a lot of different different designs homemade spirit lamps. In this article, I, of course, will not describe them all and disassemble how they differ. Instead, I will tell you in detail how to make a spirit lamp with your own hands from aerosol can... This is one of the most effective and simple designs in my opinion.

Alcohol lamp device

First, let's take a look at the device of the spirit lamp. There are only 3 parts in this design: glass wool body, lid and filler... Well, with the body it is clear, this is a container into which we pour alcohol.

Lid made from the top of an aerosol can, it, let's say, does not allow alcohol vapors to burn from above, they come out through side holes and burn in the form of a burner, like on a gas stove.

Glass wool it is necessary so that the alcohol does not overheat, does not boil and evaporates more evenly. Without glass wool, the alcohol inside the spirit lamp, when it is full, boils, begins to boil and splashes out through the side holes with a strong fire.

For the stability of the spirit lamp and initial heating, you need metal stand, for example, a regular can lid.

How does a spirit lamp work

Pour alcohol through the hole in the lid almost to the side holes. Because of the glass wool, the level of alcohol is not visible, but it is quite possible to adapt to pour it "by eye" or mark the bottle of alcohol in portions. In my spirit lamp it is about 20 ml.

We put an alcohol lamp on the metal lid, and put a mug of water on it.

Then we pour a little alcohol on the cover-stand around the spirit lamp and set it on fire.

What happens in this case:

Alcohol burns around the alcohol lamp, thereby heating it and the alcohol inside. It begins to evaporate more actively and exits through the side openings, igniting from the fire outside. The flame will be quite large at first. Then the alcohol on the stand lid burns out. By this time, the spirit lamp has already warmed itself up enough and the alcohol inside it actively evaporates and burns in the form of a burner. As soon as the alcohol from the lid has burned out, the flame of the spirit lamp becomes slightly smaller and burns exactly along the bottom of the mug almost without going beyond its limits. At the same time, the flame continues to heat the upper edge of the spirit lamp above the holes and the alcohol inside it is constantly heated from the walls of the case. A stable balance is established between the heating of alcohol, its combustion and evaporation. After a while, the water in the mug starts to boil.

An important point - the mug should stand exactly on the spirit lamp, in direct contact with its body. Since the mug is cold and gradually heats up, it takes some of the heat from the body of the spirit lamp and prevents it from overheating. This is very noticeable if you raise the mug above the spirit lamp, the flame immediately becomes much more intense and the alcohol burns out much faster. When the mug is on an alcohol lamp, the flame burns evenly most of the time.

What is such an alcohol lamp for?

The main purpose of this small spirit lamp is to boil one mug of water for coffee or tea. You can brew coffee in a Turk or warm up canned food.

Since the spirit lamp is quite small, its power is only enough to boil water up to 0.5-0.6 liters. I tried to boil 1 liter of water on this spirit lamp at room temperature... After some time, of course, the water would boil, but a full refueling of the spirit lamp is not enough for this. You can, of course, add more alcohol when everything burns out, but it is better for such tasks to use a large alcohol lamp with a large burner size, as on a gas stove.

How to make a spirit lamp from an aerosol can

First you need to find a suitable sized empty aluminum can and completely bleed the pressure from it through the top valve. I have a cylinder with a diameter of 35 mm.

We mark the bottom 43-45 mm and carefully, trying not to wrinkle the body, cut off the bottom cup. This can be done with the blade of a clerical knife, clamping it between the pages of a thick book at a height of 45 mm from the table surface. We press the book with the blade, press the can to it and turn it several times until we cut it through.

We cut off the upper part, where the valve is located, in the same way. For different cans, this part is rounded off in different ways, so choose its height yourself. It is necessary to mark 3-5 mm from the place where the rounding passes into a flat body. The main thing is that then this part does not block the side holes on the body of the spirit lamp.

These two parts must be carefully cleaned with sandpaper from the inside and outside. Otherwise, the heated paint and varnish will then stink for a long time and strongly. Remember to remove the can valve. It is plastic and can be easily torn out with pliers from the inside.

We retreat about 1 cm from the upper edge of the body of the spirit lamp and mark the places of the holes with a step of 5 mm. In thin aluminum, holes can simply be carefully punctured with an awl, but so that they are all the same, it is better to drill with a thin drill no thicker than 1 mm.

Let's start assembling. We put a piece of any glass wool inside the body of the spirit lamp so that it is not tight, but evenly fills the entire space. Turn the upper part of the can with a bulge inside the spirit lamp and insert it into place. She will not all climb right away. We put the spirit lamp on a flat, solid surface. We put an even one on it wooden block and gently knock on it with a hammer until we hammer the lid into place. Don't overdo it! The aluminum is very soft and you can easily crush the whole structure.

The spirit lamp is almost ready. In order for any dish to stand on it steadily, it must be done so that it rests not on the entire circumference of the spirit lamp, but only on three points. Evenly mark these points on the body and grind the metal between them a little with a file, at the same time equalizing the edges.

Alcohol lamp tests

That's all. You can pour alcohol and test.

An alcohol lamp similar to mine in size easily heats 300 gr. metal mug with water in indoor conditions in about 7 minutes. In experiments at room temperature, a full spirit lamp burned for 15 minutes. This is enough to brew tea for one person.

If you are outside the city, where there is no access to the gas main, then you probably faced the need to use a device of the type Quite often people use stoves or stoves that work from cylinders with alternative solution can speak homemade device that runs on liquid fuel. If you are the owner of a suburban area, and periodically try to solve the problem of heating the premises and cooking, then, quite possibly, an alcohol burner will suit you. It can become an indispensable attribute even if you prefer to go hiking with an overnight stay in your free time.

The main advantages of devices

The mentioned burner can easily be made by you yourself. It will be possible to take it with you to the garage, to the dacha or on a hike, as well as to those places where there is no electricity, main gas or wood stoves... With the help of such a device, you can quickly heat water, cook food or heat a room. Such an invention is suitable for those places where a fire cannot be made, since the device generates a flame that is almost invisible, but it will be enough for cooking. The alcohol burner has a lot of advantages, among them good performance under difficult weather conditions can be distinguished. And this is true even if the outside air temperature drops to -40 degrees. If you make such a device yourself, you will be able to feel how easy it is to use, compact, economical and affordable in terms of purchasing fuel. The latter factor can be called one of the most important advantages of such burners, since alcohol can be purchased everywhere. Among other things, the cost of such fuel is low, especially when compared with kerosene or gas.

Burner manufacturing technology

An alcohol burner can be made in one of several ways. If you are new to this business, then you should choose the maximum simple technique, which does not imply the use of the Technology provides for the use of empty tin cans in the amount of two pieces, they must first be cleaned and rinsed running water... After this, the products should dry well. In the central part of one of the cans, 4 punctures should be made using nails. The same holes should be made around the rim of the can. This element will become a blank for the future burner, from which the flame will burst out during use.

This part should be cut from the can so that the length of the side is equal to three centimeters. To do this, you can use household scissors, since the tin is thin enough, it is easy to cut it with any sharp object. When an alcohol burner is made, at the next stage in the second can it is necessary to cut off the bottom, this must be done as carefully as possible so that there are no chipping. Otherwise, it will be necessary to use a file or sandpaper.

Work methodology

A piece of cotton wool is laid on the bottom of the burner, which must first be moistened with alcohol. Further, the structure is covered with the upper part so that it acts as a sealed cover. If you do not ensure a tight contact of the parts, then in the slots you can install strips of sheet metal that remain from the cutting of products. When a do-it-yourself alcohol burner is made, it must be used according to a certain principle. Alcohol should be poured onto the top of the structure where the holes are made. This must be done in such a way that the composition falls on the rim. The latter should also have holes. Further, the alcohol is ignited, the tin is heated, and the heat is transferred to cotton wool, which is soaked in alcohol. As a result, vapors begin to evolve, which will support the flame.

Final work

At the last stage, it is necessary to make supports on which the cooking pot will be located. To do this, use two metal rods, which are driven in the shape of the letter P into the ground parallel to each other. During the preparation of food, the device should be prevented from tipping over. If you decide to make a product such as an alcohol burner with your own hands, then you should remember that such a device is disposable, since tin cans will no longer be useful for the next time.

Alternative manufacturing

Useful homemade products can be slightly more complex than the above option. However, such a structure will be characterized by higher reliability, durability and strength. We will talk about it further.

Preparatory work

In order to make a device with your own hands, you should prepare a compressor, it is best to use a car camera, which you can borrow from a truck. It will need to be pumped up from time to time. An alternative solution is a compressor from an old refrigerator. Prepare the receiver; a plastic canister with a volume of 10 liters or less is perfect for this. The cork should be solid, it is advisable to choose a translucent one. Such useful homemade products are made of several elements, among them a fuel tank should be distinguished, for this you need to use a two-liter steel container, into the lid of which two tubes are soldered. One of them should be long, the other short. The first drops to the bottom of the tank.

Work technology

Alcoholic beverages can be purchased at the store, but the design is so simple that you can make them yourself. The fuel tank should be filled with alcohol, but not more than 1/2 of its volume. A simple filter is installed at the compressor inlet. It can be done independently using a funnel on which the segment is pulled. The principle of operation of the device is ensured by pumping air with a compressor, as well as its further ingress into the receiver under some pressure. Pressure pulsations are smoothed in it. Then the air is sent to a container with fuel, where it is mixed with alcohol vapor. The resulting mixture is fed to the burner. The combustion intensity can be adjusted using a special screw, which is located on the burner.

Third manufacturing method

If you are thinking about how to make an alcohol burner, then you will need to prepare a flat metal jar, which can be a container for canned food or cosmetic cream. You will need a pumice stone, as well as alcohol. The mechanism of such a device is extremely simple and does not imply an application. special efforts during manufacture. To create the device, it is necessary to put pumice stone as tightly as possible in the container, and then pour everything on top with a certain amount of fuel. It is necessary to perform these manipulations as carefully as possible so that the liquid is absorbed and not splashed out. Due to the presence of pumice, the flame will burn for 15 minutes, since it will act as a fuel distributor due to its porous structure. Such an alcohol burner from cans will allow you to cook food, as well as heat enough small room as a garage or change house. To reheat food, it is necessary to build a dish support, which is made of stones, wire or other material. The main thing in this case is to take into account the requirement that the stability of the dishes is necessary.

The main types of alcohol burners

Homemade alcohol burner can be open or closed type... Each of the above designs has its own advantages and disadvantages. If it comes about device open type, then you may encounter not so high efficiency, combustion will proceed on larger area... This will help the fuel vaporize abundantly. Among other things, closed-type burners do not provide the ability to control the amount of remaining fuel. Such burners require external ignition, which increases the fire hazard. However, each of the listed burners can be made independently. It is important to remember that the operation of the burners is based on the combustion of vapors from the fuel mixture. Therefore, it is strictly forbidden to use substances that contain acetone, as well as gasoline, as fuel.

experimental part

The capacity of the tank can be equal to 70 milliliters, the nozzles must be done in an amount of 16 pieces, the distance between them must be one centimeter. The approximate burning time can be 25 minutes with one filling. As practice shows, the duration and intensity of combustion of such devices depends on the type of fuel. Best of all, combustion occurs from vapors of medical alcohol. If we are talking about situations where salicylic acid is used, then it burns less intensely. If the burner is filled with food alcohol, then it will show the shortest burning time.

The alcohol burner is hot enough to heat the tent and cook food. In the process of using alcohol devices, solutions should be used that contain about 50-70% ethanol. This makes it possible to extend the operating period, although it lowers the intensity of the flame. The design has the ability to boil 0.5 liters of water in 7 minutes, which is enough to brew tea or steam noodles fast food... During operation, do not turn the device over, as this may be a fire hazard. As practice shows, if you throw cotton wool on top, and then set it on fire, alcohol can begin to evaporate strongly from overheating, because of which the burner will simply fly in half. The design of the burner is very simple, but before making it, many people think, why use liquid alcohol when there is dry one. The answer to this question will be a higher heat transfer, which indicates the possibility of faster heating of the water.

Finally

Using a few, you can independently make an alcohol burner that will be able to help you out of town and in hiking trip on a rest. It is noteworthy that you can perform such a device without additional tools... That is why it is so attractive for home craftsmen, who often prefer to relax outside the city. There is no need to carry such a device with you; it will be enough to use cans, which can be prepared in nature. And after the first use, the device can be disposed of.

Now we will talk about how to make an alcohol burner at home. Used materials are enough for this. nothing to acquire is not necessary. The alcohol burner is very environmentally friendly and safe. And besides, it is a very indispensable thing in hunting and fishing. It can also be used in a tent.
So let's start simple. It is necessary to free the first jar from its contents, rinse thoroughly and dry, and then cut off the bottom of it. You can empty the second can immediately, but you can do it later.

Next step: Cut off the bottom of the can. The cut off part will serve as the bottom of the future burner. In this part, we will further insert the top. Based on this, on top we insert our second jar (still intact). To easily fit the upper part, it needs to be stretched a little. We insert it very carefully so that in the future you can easily disassemble our structure. Sufficient depth of about seven millimeters.

After that, we begin to make the future upper part. After emptying, we drill holes around the entire perimeter. Use a thinner drill for greater effect.

After these steps, proceed to the next. Delete the entire middle of the bottom and trim off the entire top of the can. This is how the design should turn out.

From the remaining parts of the jars we make inner side... We will need to cut out the strip. For this we need a special formula for us. The length we need should correspond to the height of the half of the jar plus the height of the narrow part of the second half of the jar. Simply put, our resulting length should be much larger than the width of the board we are using.

In the lower part, we make several cuts in the form of triangles, the height of which should be about three millimeters. These cutouts are necessary for our fuel to flow into the inside of the burner.

To complete the work on our equipment, we need a few steps. To make the folding process even easier, we use the rest of the jar. We cut out a small mount from them. And on the top of the jar we make a small cut, about six millimeters.

Our spirit lamp turned out. The alcohol itself is poured into the largest hole at the top. To boil 500 milliliters of water, we only need twenty-five grams of alcohol. Further, through the same larger hole, we ignite the alcohol. The combustion process begins, after a couple of minutes the alcohol begins to boil and the alcohol vapor seeps through the small holes and it is ignited from the central flame.

In European countries, such an alcohol lamp has been used for a long time, replacing it with a conventional burner. We can find and take note of the many benefits of this device. For example, in a form of transport such as an airplane, you can easily transport alcohol. Alcohol containers weigh much less than a gas cylinder, etc. And about the importance of such a spirit lamp on winter fishing does not have to be said at all. Therefore, we suggest making such a spirit lamp with your own hands, it will be very useful in everyday life.

To buy a spirit lamp is also a trifling matter. But, if you take all the advantages and characteristics, it will be better to make it yourself at home. In order to make an alcohol lamp, containers from cans are usually used. Such cans can be, for example, cans from cans or beer. In order to make an alcohol lamp, you only need a couple of beverage cans. The construction itself is not at all complicated. And it is made quite quickly and easily.

So let's start simple. It is necessary to free the first jar from its contents, rinse thoroughly and dry, and then cut off the bottom of it. You can empty the second can immediately, but you can do it later. This is not so important here. Next, we will need a board of a certain thickness in order to cut the jars. It is best if the height of the desired board is twenty-five millimeters.

The next move is as follows: we take a jar, put it on the table, and then press it tightly against the blade and twist it. It will be enough to make no more than fifteen turns. After that, the bottom can easily be separated from the top of the jar. The cut off part will serve as the bottom of the future burner. In this part, we will further insert the top. Based on this, on top we insert our second jar (still intact). To easily fit the upper part, it needs to be stretched a little. We insert it very carefully so that in the future you can easily disassemble our structure. Sufficient depth of about seven millimeters.

Having done all these actions, we begin to make the future upper part. If you did not free it earlier, we now free the contents of the second jar. After emptying, we drill holes around the entire perimeter. Use a thinner drill for greater effect.

After the done manipulations, proceed to the next. Delete the entire middle of the bottom and trim off the entire top of the can. This is how the design should turn out.

We make the inner side of the remaining parts of the jars. We will need to cut out the strip. For this we need a special formula for us. The length we need should correspond to the height of the half of the jar plus the height of the narrow part of the second half of the jar. Simply put, our resulting length should be much larger than the width of the board we are using.

Alcohol burners are common in equipment stores. A homemade alcohol burner will be no worse, and most importantly, everyone will have the material for its manufacture. There is also it (material) in any landfill. Such a burner can be made from pasture material in the field and used where it is not desirable to burn a fire, for example, in a shelter or in order not to attract undue attention. After all, the fire can be seen for several kilometers. On such homemade burner you can easily boil yourself water for tea or bum a packet (instant noodles).

Burners can, in principle, be made from any cans from stew, coffee, condensed milk, etc. We will consider the option of making from cans of carbonated drinks (beer), which are very common in any landfill :). Cut a hole in the bottom of the can as in the picture below.

It turns out something like this.

We drill holes as shown in the picture. In order for the holes to be located symmetrically, we use a lined stencil. In the field, you can naturally do without a stencil and pierce holes, for example, with a small nail or something that comes to hand. It is advisable to make the holes small.

Cutting the banks. One at 30 mm and the other at 20 mm.

The result is the following details of the future burner.

From one of the remaining cans, cut out such a blank as in the figure below. We make holes in this blank.

After trimming the workpiece, the next torch piece is obtained.

Next, we insert the resulting last part into the previously prepared part. We look at the picture, everything is clear in principle.

We put on the remaining part on the resulting structure and get ready product... Before that, it is advisable to smear the part from the inside. of blue color some kind of adhesive-sealing solution.

It is best to fill the burner with alcohol. Can be refueled with other flammable fluids in extreme field conditions. A burner filled with alcohol must be slightly warmed up before igniting so that the alcohol begins to evaporate, because in our burner it is not alcohol that burns, but alcohol vapors. Further, the vapors will already appear on their own as a result of the heating of the burner during its combustion.