What happens when wood burns - Part 1 of 3 postings

This is the first of three articles that I will be posting on the above subject.

1. Evaporation of water

2. The emission of smoke to be posted 6/22/10.

3. The charcoal phase to be posted 6/29/10.

Evaporation of water:
Up to half the weight of a freshly cut log is water. After proper seasoning the water content is reduced to about 20 percent. As the wood is heated in the firebox, this water boils off, consuming heat energy in the process. The wetter the wood, the more heat energy is consumed. That is why wet firewood hisses and sizzles and is hard to burn, while properly seasoned wood innites and burns easily.
Re-fueling with wet or unseasoned wood in a catalytic stove will send moist smoke to the catalytic combustor and cause the combustor to stop working.
It will cause the stove to struggle and not operate properly.
In addition re-fueling with wet or unseasoned wood and operating the stove with the by-pass closed, can cause damage to the catalytic combustor.