Definitions

AIRTIGHT STOVE In an airtight stove, all air enters in through the inlets. Generally, non-air­tight stoves are not as efficient and their level of heat output is less con­trollable than that of an airtight stove.

BAFFLE PLATE A partition in a stove that controls the direction of the flow of combustion air, flames and flue gases.

BAROMETRIC DAMPER Damper in a stove pipe that is controlled by changes in air pressure. BAROMETRIC DRAFT GAUGE Gauge that measures the amount of draft in a chimney in inches of water.

BURN CYCLE
Time span between refueling in which the wood is reduced to a bed of hot coals.

BYPASS Movable door inside a woodstove that is opened when the stove door is opened to give a path of least resistance to smoke to prevent roll­out. It is also open during high-fire modes. Bypass also refers to the positioning of the combustor in a retrofit which allows smoke to flow around it during high-fire modes or refueling.

CREOSOTE
Condensed wood-gas vapor.

DAMPER
A movable plate or valve in the flue, for controlling the draft.

DOWNSTREAM TEMPERATURE Outlet temperature of the combustor or temperature of the gas leaving the combustor from the chimney side or face.

DRAFT Amount of vacuum created by buoyant hot air in the chimney. Draft pulls in oxygen for the combustion process and pulls out exhaust gases.

FIREBRICK Brick capable of withstanding high temperatures. Used in furnaces, kilns and stoves. Used to mean only "hard" or "dense" firebrick as distinguished from "soft" or "insulating" firebrick.

FIRING RATE
Rate at which fuel is burned in a stove.

FLAME IMPINGEMENT
Flames directly contacting the combustor face.

FLUE COLLAR
The part of a stove to which the chimney connector or chimney attaches.

GASIFIED
Changed to gas.

GLOW-PLUG EFFECT
When a combustor is at tempera­tures above 140000 F. (76000 C.) and periodically causes pockets of wood gas in the firebox to ignite sponta­neously.

GREEN WOOD
Undried, freshly cut wood from a live tree.

IGNITION TEMPERATURE The minimum temperature of a flammable mixture of gases at which it can spontaneously ignite.

INSULATING FIREBRICK Low-density (high porosity), low­thermal-conductivity firebrick intended for use in kilns, furnaces or stoves to reduce heat losses. Has 20-33% more insulation (low conductivity) and heatstorage capacity than that of hard firebrick.

LIGHT-OFF
Activation temperature of the combustor catalyst.

MASKING
Concealing or covering catalyst with a substance which prevents catalytic activity.

NOBLE-METAL CATALYST A catalyst is a substance that can accelerate a chemical process without being consumed by it. A noble-metal catalyst is one made of a precious metal or metals. (In the combustor, platinum and palladium are used because they are stable under highheat conditions.)

OXIDATION
Uniting of a substance with oxygen, as in burning.

PITCHY WOOD
Wood that is full of pitch.

PITHY WOOD
Soft, spongy, air-filled wood.

REFRACTORY MATERIALS Heat-resistant materials used to line stoves and furnaces.

SUBSTRATE
Ceramic base material of the combustor, which is coated with washcoat and catalyst.

THERMAL SINK
Large mass or conductive surface that readily removes heat from an appliance or gas stream.

THERMOCOUPLE Heat-measuring device which operates on thermoelectric current when heated.

UPSTREAM TEMPERATURE Inlet temperature of the combustor or temperature of the air that is entering the combustor from the stove side or face.

VOLATILES
Substances that vaporize or evapo­rate quickly.

WASH COAT An inert substance, such as alumina, that is deposited on the surface of the substrate to increase the overall surface area and maintain the dispersion of the catalyst evenly across the combustor surface.

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