Multi-Fuel with Burner Separated Fuel Tank System Stoves

Basics

• This is a category of Multi-Fuel Liquid Fuel Pressure Stoves that utilize a Liquid Fuel Bottle and Pump / Regulator Assembly SEPARATE from the Burner assembly itself
  • This has some advantages in terms of safety, compactness, and modularity
  • Outside of the Chinese White Label Multi-Fuel Stoves and Wick based designs, it is the main “state of the art” for these stoves
• Some of these can also be run off of Gas Canister Fuel ( Butane , Iso-Butane , Propane or blends of these)
• While some do not take this approach, ideally you want different nozzles for the different fuels (to change Air-Fuel Ratio and to a lesser extent Fuel Atomization
  • Although the “Vapor Generator” and Flame Spreader / Burner Silencer largely negate the need for this
• A “Shaker Needle” for cleaning Coke Formation in the vapor generator / nozzle is also a preferred feature over solely manual needle poking / mesh removal + blowtorching etc
• While somewhat becoming a thing of the past due to mass adoption of Canister Stoves (short of (Ultra-) Cold Weather and/or High Altitude use / Single Fuel Standard compliance etc, due to their potential to run on Fuel Alcohols or Bio-Diesel / Renewable Diesel etc, for some applications they may be a neat application of Appropriate Materials/Fuels
  • In applications where a simple Rocket Mass Heater / Rocket Stove , or Biogas Stove would not be a better option
    • An obviously not in fixed Electrified locations, where Glass Top Electric Stoves or Induction Stoves would be the choice
  • ALSO to an extent, since companies are largely exiting this nice, an OSHW project could fill it!

History

• MSR Pioneered the Concept
  • https://cascadedesigns.com/blogs/msr-gear-guides/liquid-fuel-stoves-history
  • Granted Biased Page
• Seems like most of the other versions were 70’s-2000’s iterations on the concept
  • Not MUCH development since, although POTENTIALLY in the “cloners, turned modern proper companies” such as “Campingmoon” etc

Brands

MSR

• ”Whisperlight Universal” is their only real remaining model
  • This is basically the “Whisperlight International” but with an adapter for use as an Inverted Canister Stove (aka Liquid Feed Canister Stove )
• The “Dragonfly” and “XGK” are their older models
  • The XGK in particular had some use with Diesel/Kerosene/JP-5 etc with military customers and thus had dedicated nozzles for that (although coke formation is increased with heavier/“dirtier” fuels

Primus

• Primus Multifuel
• Primus Omnifuel / Omnifuel II
• Primus OmniLight TI
  • A Titanium based “ Ultralight “ version of the Omnifuel (which may be the dame as the Omnifuel II, bit uncertain)

Optimus

• Now bought up by some larger group
• Sold the “Optimus Polaris” stove

External Links

• A Page by Cascade Designs (Megacorp Owner of MSR) Titled “ What are some of the differences between MSR's liquid fuel stoves?”
  • Compares the:
    • MSR WhisperLite
    • MSR WhisperLite International
    • MSR WhisperLite Universal
    • MSR DragonFly
    • MSR XGK EX
• A Video by the YouTube Channel “Shuswap Outdoors” Titled “DragonFly vs WhisperLite” ( ‘’’~12 Minute Watch’’’ )
  • Mentions how due to having two valves (one for the liquid fuel feed, one for the vapor flow to the burner (unless the valve is before the generator, need to check), the DragonFly has way better simmer control
  • As one comment put it, it has that while also being waaaaaaay more loud. For boiling water for freeze dried meals / Ramen Bombs etc, the WhisperLite or a MSR Pocket Rocket / Jetboil / Equivalent, for Actual Food the Dragonfly
    • How the MSR WhisperLite Universal preforms in canister mode (in terms of throttleability) may be worth testing
  • While it would require separate fuels, if carrying the Trangia System (or without), would a simple Spirit Burner make a good low beat simmer source may be worth looking into (although ideally your one stove does it all)