BWCA Stove pipe Stainless vs titanium Boundary Waters Winter Camping and Activities


BWCA Messageboard

BWCA and Quetico Park Books and Magazines

Find Outfitters for the Boundary Waters Quetico

Boundary Waters (BWCA) photo gallery and individual photo journals

Boundary Waters Message Board and Forums.

username

password

Remember Me

Sawtooth Outfitters
Site Search
	Contact Us
	Route Guide

Chat Rooms (3 Chatting) | Search | Login/Join

* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.

View BWCA Photo and Trip Report Contest Page

2012 BWCA Photo Contest Results

Boundary Waters Quetico Forum

Winter Camping and Activities

Stove pipe Stainless vs titanium

View Boundary Waters Map Locations

Route Guide

community sponsor

Bearskin Lodge

Last Visit: 06/18/2013 05:35PM
Sort by

Author

Message Text

Dan Cooke

Guest Paddler

12/13/2011 10:30PM

Anyone have experience with the rollup 3" diameter stovepipe in Stainless vs Titanium. does the Titanium transmit more heat off the pipe?

Reply Reply with Quote Print Top Bottom Previous Next

ZaraSp00k

12/21/2011 09:44PM

Cliff Notes:
no significant difference

Long version:
As you probably already know, heat is transferred by conduction, convection, and radiation. Since the thermal conductivity of stainless steel and titanium is very close, it all comes down to a difference in radiation and convection. There is no way of predicting the ability to transfer heat via these modes without seeing the two metals. The reason is because heat transfer by these two modes is affected by the surface finish. The more lustrous (shiny) the material, the less heat will be transferred. Stainless steel often, but not always is fairly shiny (smooth, almost mirror surface). But titanium can be too, or they both can be dull. So compare the two, if one is dull and the other shiny, the dull one will be better at radiating, and if the dullness comes from surface roughness, it will transfer heat better by convection too. Having said all this, I doubt you are going to find much difference between the two metals. You could paint the shiny material to increase it's ability to radiate heat. You could polish the dull material to lower it's ability. But I doubt the effort will be worth the difference. It would be more worthwhile to make a pipe out of dull aluminum.

One thing you should know is that stainless steel is the material of choice in automobile exhaust systems. Titanium is the material of choice when cost is no object, like in race cars or exotic cars. And an exhaust system is similar to stove pipe, it's purpose to transfer hot gasses. Either material will not radiat much heat compared to aluminum, which has 10-15 times the thermal conductivity. And although aluminum can be shiny, it is often dull and corroded, which helps it radiate.

You will notice that a very popular design for pots that has been around forever is: shiny stainless steel with copper plating on bottom. SS is very strong and does not radiate heat, copper very good at conducting heat from burner.

Reply Reply with Quote Print Top Bottom Previous Next

fitgers1

12/22/2011 08:00AM

Seriously? Titanium stove pipes? Wow. I'm sure it works great. I worked on gas turbines for many years that had titanium parts. Never thought I might search for titanium stove pipes. So advanced this winter camping is!

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson...and...“Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading".

Reply Reply with Quote Print Top Bottom Previous Next

BWCA Messageboard