Thermal mass across whole floor or biased centrally ?

[uk_exile]

Re: Thermal mass across whole floor or biased centrally ?

Maybe I could improve the design at relatively low cost by installing the bottom full insulating layer as per plan, then the second layer of central cooking tile and outer insulating as per plan, then add an extra third layer with cooking tile over whole (or almost whole) of the dome floor area. Thoughts ?

I've asked the seller what the heat loss vs time is. Waiting on his response. Unfortunately not a local business, it's a flight away :-(

[uk_exile]

Re: Thermal mass across whole floor or biased centrally ?

High density fire bricks are $5-$6 each here in New Zealand ..................major reason why I'm interested in this kitset as all up it's less than just the bricks for making a Pompeii !!!

[ATK406]

Re: Thermal mass across whole floor or biased centrally ?

Good point, that may be a factor too. Yes, you want to maximize heat retention in the area where you will be doing most of your cooking. But you don't necessarily want to create a heat sink right in the middle of the floor. The advantage of spreading out the thermal mass across the whole floor is that you can cook on it and it will heat up more quickly/efficiently with the fire vs relying on heat conduction through layers of brick. Is fire brick very hard to come by in your area or cost prohibitive? Or is it just a hassle to reconfigure the floor layout with the bricks and the kitset?

Regards,
AT

[uk_exile]

Re: Thermal mass across whole floor or biased centrally ?

ATK406, I assume the middle of your floor is getting hotter than remainder of floor due to dome heat reflection. Does that hint toward it being better for me to add more heat retention in the middle rather than making the whole floor heat retaining ?

[ATK406]

Re: Thermal mass across whole floor or biased centrally ?

I have a uniform thickness of insulating bricks with a firebrick floor. However I find it is helpfull to move the fire around within the oven to uniformally heat the floor and dome. I usually start in the middle and then move the fire to the right and then finish heating the oven on the left.

In the end, the dome is at a uniform heat and the middle of the floor tends to be hotter than the rest of the floor. That is where I would concentrate my thermal mass if I were going to limit the functional area of my cooking surface (which I wouldn't do unless I absolutely had to).

That said, I find it is helpful to have areas of the floor that are a little cooler such that I can juggle a few pies in and out of the oven at the same time (or pour a beer) without burning the bottom of the crust. IE If the center of my floor is at 700, areas around the edge are only at 600 and I can cook pizza and calzones (which take a little longer with less worry about burning the crust).

[uk_exile]

Is it better to have more thermal mass across the whole cooking floor, or biased towards the middle ?

Thinking about my first build using a kitset that is predominantly insulating type bricks with the central area of the cooking floor being a heat retaining tile. A FB member has suggested increasing the area of cooking tile however I?m wondering if doubling it?s thickness is better.
More info, photos etc here http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f6/a...and-18801.html