Convergent flow stove

An apparatus for burning combustible solid organic material such as wood in a environment in which combustion is directed downwardly, comprising

• a. a fuel chamber having a closed upper portion and a major dimension in the vertical direction such that said fuel chamber is generally upright,
• b. a combustion zone in the lower portion of said fuel chamber defined by a convergent outflow passage at the bottom of said fuel chamber and a pair of walls on opposite sides of said lower portion, said walls being sloped inwardly toward one another at said outflow passage, and said outflow passage comprising a gap between said walls,
• c. a hearth element forming each said sloping wall, said hearth element including
• i. at least one row of a plurality of spaced slots extending into the interior of said hearth element and a lateral air inlet channel connected to the slots of each row and a source of combustion air, and
• ii. a flue outlet communicating with said outflow passage, said flue outlet including a plurality of spaced, parallel tubes in said hearth element, with said tubes being juxtaposed said slots and extending perpendicular to said air inlet channels,
• d. means connected to said flue outlet to permit exhaustion of flue gases from said apparatus, and
• e. means for loading fuel into said fuel chamber.