The following guide gives a brief description of the BENI components as seen in the exploded and cross-sectional views (this is also available in French).
The lower part of an oil drum or steel cylinder provides the cylindrical base of the stove. The two-door box construction (a) fits into a cut-out in the side of the oil drum/cylinder base (b). Wood is fed onto the grate (d) through the upper door flap, which closes once it is let go. On the lower ash chamber door, a slotted slide controls the air intake, channeling the air up through the grate.
An insulated cast iron fire chamber (e) provides a ledge for an offset grate above an ash chamber. The offset grate ensures centralised boiling.
A symmetrical truncated cone (f) of sheet metal, called the pot skirt, fits over the drum or cylinder and rests on its supporting rib. Five rebar spacers (c) of 10mm diameter are cut, hooked over the rim of the cut-off oil drum/cylinder, and spot-welded into place. It is upon these rebars that the pot actually rests. Thus, an even gap between the drum rim and the pot is guaranteed. The space between the symmetrical cone that skirts the pot and the drum’s rim on which it rests is filled with locally available insulating material so as to extend the 1cm channel gap along the sides of the pot.
On top of the pot skirt rests the smoke manifold (g). This offset hollow encasement channels the smoke towards a connecting elbow (h) leading to the attached chimney section (i) topped with a cap and cowl (j). The manifold’s lower lip, called the pot skirt anchor, rests inside the top of the symmetrical cone and is spot-welded into place. As an integral part of the stove the pot inside it completes the design.
When the fire is started, smoke seeps out of the .5 to 1cm gap between the manifold and the pot, but within 3 minutes a draft is established by the chimney and all smoke is channeled by the manifold through the exhaust elbow and out of the kitchen. Puffs of smoke appear briefly when the fuel door is opened to feed the fire but cease immediately upon its closing. Once temperatures inside the pot reach 50-60 C degrees, no smoke will emerge from the gap between pot and manifold even when the door is open.
We believe that the Beni meets an existing demand and offers entrepreneurs a viable business opportunity. We have made the construction manual available for download.
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