Should Rocket Stove Technology Be Incorporated Into The Design Of A Domestic Pizza Oven? 

Heat is simply the vibration of particles and it can be transferred between objects 3 different ways. Through conduction, convection, and radiation (Field.H & Denzer.K (2007), Taylor.P (2015)).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conduction

Conduction is objects transferring heat because they are touching. So the vibrating particles of one object smash into the particles of another object causing them to vibrate too. This is why things feel hot if you touch them. (Field.H & Denzer.K (2007), Taylor.P (2015))

Convection

Convection is heat transfer due to the movement of gas or liquid. For example this is the primary principle of heat transfer in electric and gas ovens. Hot air is blown around the oven which heats and cooks the food. (Field.H & Denzer.K (2007), Taylor.P (2015))

Radiation

Electromagnetic waves (or radiation) are emitted by vibrating electrons (Taylor.P (2015)). The faster the electrons vibrate the shorter the wavelength. The wavelength determines the properties of the wave. For example you see below that an electromagnetic wave can be any of a range of different waves from radio waves to gamma rays and even including visible light, just depending on its wavelength! (Field.H & Denzer.K (2007), Taylor.P (2015))

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hotter something is the faster its electrons will vibrate. The Sun, for example, has a surface temperature of about 5200°C and it emits mainly visible light. A pizza oven on the other hand will only reach about 300°C-500°C and therefore emits mostly in the infrared/microwave part of the spectrum. These longer wavelengths are considered heat, for example a snake has heat vision because it can see these wavelengths. When these wavelengths hit certain molecules, for example those in food, they cause them to vibrate. This is the how the everday household microwave oven works (Taylor.P (2015), No Author (2013), Olesnicky.A & Lawrence.N (2008)).

 

In a Pizza Oven

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A pizza oven incorporates all three forms of heat transfer and this is why it is able to cook food incredibly fast without having to reach extremely high temperatures (Halford (2015), Krieg (2015)). The radiant heat is what gives food “the pizza oven flavour” and by maximising the amount of radiant heat released by the oven, the better the food will taste and the oven will work (Wheaton.P (2004)). 

 

In a Rocket Stove

A rocket stove, however, cooks almost entirely through the use of convection meaning it is less effective than cooking in a pizza oven. This means it won't cook as quickly and the food will not have any of the high quality flavours associated with radiant heat. 

 

No Author. (2013). Energy: The Driver of Climate. Available: http://www.ces.fau.edu/nasa/module-2/radiation-sun.php. Last accessed 28/04/2015.

Krohn Debra. (2010). Lesson 7-02 Heating The Atmosphere. Available: http://cosscience1.pbworks.com/w/page/8286081/Lesson%207-02%20Heating%20The%20Atmosphere. Last accessed 30/04/2015.