Which Wood Would You Buy?

Overview

Objectives/Goals My project was to determine which type of wood produces the most heat in relation to the cost per cord. It also compares burn length to determine the efficiency of each type of wood. Methods/Materials Five different types of wood were used in my project: oak, madrone, pine, fir and redwood. As each wood was burned, the highest temperature was recorded along with the length of burn time. The results were converted into BTU's/dollar and BTU's/minute. Each wood was retested to verify results. Results Fir is the hottest burning wood tested. It is the best type for getting quick heat and it is the most cost effective. If you are looking for a wood to provide heat and a long burn time, fir would be the best option. Fir is an excellent all purpose wood. Madrone is a good wood for burning for long periods of time, but is more expensive and doesn't burn as hot. Conclusions/Discussion Fir is the most cost effective wood, it averaged 50,227.2 BTU's per dollar paid. Madrone burned the longest. Fir also is the best overall wood, it tested well in heat production and burn length.

Competition history

• CSEF 2011 Materials Science (Junior Division Only) · Entry J1307

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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