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A corn stove (also spelled as CornStoves, Corn Fireplaces), is a home heater or a small business heater that uses local renewable whole kernel shelled corn, wood pellets or multiple biomass as fuel. Local renewable whole kernel shelled corn is supplied by two million local farmers in the United States of America, or globally, in maize producing areas. Properly installed corn stoves can reduce home heating costs by up to 80%. A cornstove can burn biomass fuel of any type that the auger will feed such as wood pellets, soybeans, cherry seeds, orange seeds, or screened wood chips. In the event of a malfunction, Corn as a fuel will self extinguish in less than 60 seconds. Other biomass fuels like wood will continue to burn until all the fuel is gone. A small amount of biomass or wood pellet stoves will burn corn or a corn pellet mix.

The cornstove has a variable controller for BTU output rate which reduces waste energy. Other types of heaters have Set Point Controls that continuously switch "off" and "on". Infinitely variable controls allow for cost effective control of relative humidity and temperature simultaneously. Here is why: A constant temperature is required to maintain a constant room relative humidity and avoid reheat cost of moist air and dry air each temperature cycle. Most heaters are actuated by the thermostat. Energy is wasted each cycle to reheat the cooled air and cool moisture in the air. Also the relative humidity is forced to swing 3% for each degree of temperature change. The steady heat output of a corn stove cost effectively maintains a precise room temperature which allows the relative humidity to be controlled precisely and exactly at the desired per cent RH. The recommended healthy 50% RH is more economical to maintain. Extra heat input is not required to raise "high BTU" moist air to room temperature. "High BTU" moist room air that escapes through a leak or doorway is overly expensive if the room RH is greater than 50%. Dry air below 50% RH is relatively inexpensive to heat and the loss thereof through a leak, window, or doorway is relatively inconsequential to the monthly heating or air conditioning bill no matter which type HVAC system is installed. This air quality issue can also be remedied by using a number of corn/biomass stoves that automatically cycle between a high and low setting to maintain temperature.

[edit] Overview

Corn stoves periodically or continuously agitate and/or stir the corn fuel during combustion. The requirement to stir corn to maintain combustion is a safety benefit unique to corn fuel. Other solid, liquid or gas fuels do not require agitation to support combustion. A wood pellet stove or a corn stove filled with wood pellets can burn the house down if the hopper full of non-corn fuel catches ablaze. Shelled corn stored in a container or stove hopper is completely safe from combustion. Corn must be continuously stirred or periodically agitated to release and combust the 34% hydrogen contained inside the kernel. A pellet stove does not stir the fuel as required for corn combustion. Some stoves will burn solid biomass fuel like whole kernel shelled corn, biomass pellet fuels, wood pellets, grass, or trash. Some corn stoves can burn 100% shelled corn, or mixtures of wood pellets, cherry pits, soy beans, orange seeds, lemon seeds, grape seeds, rice, or screened crushed corn cobs. A corn stove will burn solid fuels that require constant stirring or constant vibration to support combustion. Once the stirring or vibration of the burning fuel is eliminated, a corn flame will self extinguish within seconds. Locally renewable shelled corn is safe, clean, environmentally friendly, non-volatile, non-explosive. Corn produces no smoke (zero opacity) and very little (0.00x MMBTU)carbon dioxide. Corn combustion can be 98.6% efficient releasing only five to ten gallons of solid effluent or ash per home per year. Unique to corn and other biomass stoves is the ability to safely preheat both the combustion air and fuel by safely storing the corn inside. A corn stove can use the preheated inside room air for combustion air. Corn combustion effluents flow through a filtered room air heat exchanger prior to being exhausted to the outside.

Corn has no VOC. Corn is edible. Corn combustion will self-extinguish within 60 seconds even while applying the customary three "fat" elements required for combustion: fuel/air/temp. In addition to "FAT", (TTT) Time, Temperature and turbulence are also required for corn combustion. Corn will not burn in a bucket or in a pile but may parch, pop, or cook. Corn will not flame/explode/propagate unless properly stirred. A corn stove will burn corn, soybeans, wood, pellets, trash. A wood pellet stove will not burn corn but may permit some ratio of corn to be mixed with the wood pellets which inadvertently provide the required turbulence for the corn as the wood size is reduced by combustion.

[edit] Fuel supply

Local farms in the US raise corn, supply commercial corn demand, and compete for the local and global corn market. Corn yield can be economically controlled from 50 bushel per acre to 300 bushel per acre within two months of harvest. Eighty to 100 million acres (400,000 km²) of corn are grown annually in the US alone. Over 125 million acres (510,000 km²) of corn were grown annually in the US to feed farm animals and people prior to modern mechanization methods of farming.

[edit] Styles

Corn stoves are manufactured in styles not limited to free standing, fireplace insert, HVAC connected home furnace heaters, home cooking corn stove grills, and outside corn burning furnaces.

[edit] Safety

Although corn stoves have been available for several years, there have been no recorded home fires resultant from a corn stove ^[1]. Home insurance rates have no added cost for using corn as a heating fuel.

[edit] Environment

Corn has been estimated by the Sierra Club to reduce global warming by annually converting a net positive 484 pounds of carbon dioxide into oxygen.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency‎ (EPA) test results for a Tennessee corn stove record airborne particulates of 0.001 pounds per million BTU as compared to 0.1 MMBTU for gas, 5.0 MMBTU for wood and 0.5 MMBTU for coal. A corn stove will produce approximately 5 gallons of solid potash particulate annually in a southern US city or 10 gal potash particulate annually in a 1500 sq foot home located in a northern city.

[edit] Availability

Corn stoves, corn fireplaces, corn fireplace inserts and corn grills are available in all 50 US states.

[edit] Cost

Corn stoves typically cost anything between $800 to $2,000^[2].

[edit] See also

• Corn kernels
• Pellet stove
• Renewable heat
• Wood pellets

[edit] References

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