Why are 2 splits are better than 1?

[drewmo]

Can anyone explain why two (or more) splits on a great bed of coals burn better than just one? I'm thinking air circulation, but really don't know. I'm often disappointed after tossing in one split to find it doesn't burn well while my bed of coals slowly goes cold. Within minutes of tossing in the second split, I have a roaring fire and a glowing bed, and it maintains it's intensity even when I damper down below what it was at with the single split. I'm burning in a small stove, Jotul F100, and have noticed this with both seasoned, and not-so-seasoned wood.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Higher surface area means that more will burn. Two surfaces that start to coal will heat each other (when camping we joke about the parallel log technique). With multiple splits, you are more likely to influence convection- heated air rises between them better in a chimney type effect, creating an area where air is drawn past coals more effectively, auto- fanning the fire.

 

[pyper]

Also -- Bernoulli's principle. As you block off more of the coals (with splits), the air moving through the remaining open space will move faster.

 

[LLigetfa]

They snuggle and keep each other warm.

 

[Jags]

They snuggle and keep each other warm.

Yeah, I'm going with this theory. %-P

 

[albertj03]

I've found the same thing with my small stove. One nice big split with burn good at first and then after a while a large portion of it will sit there smoldering. If i were to take the same piece and split it again the two halfs will burn much better. I find that creating air channels either in the coals or just by spacing the wood as I load it helps my stove burn much better rather than just stacking splits on a flat bed of coals. Before loading I take my shovel and part the coals down the middle to create an air channel.