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The Masonry Heater Association Research Laboratory

Current Research

Lopez Labs Archive

Jerry Frisch with his clean burning Frisch Rosin masonry fireplace system (Norbert Senf on the left,, holding "2 min." sign) (1994)

Lopez Labs was started at the Everett WA shop of Lopez Quarries/Masonry Heaters.

  • Between 1992 and 1995 we tested a variety of masonry heaters for several weeks every spring.
  • We currently maintain the largest masonry heater performance database in North America.
  • Lopez participated with two EPA accredited labs in a simultaneous field test series of masonry fireplaces at McNear Brick in California in 1995.
  • In 2004 we opened a test facility at  Masonry Stove Builders. In 2015 this was expanded and became the MHA Research Laboratory
  • OMNI did comparison onsite testing at Lopez Everett in 2011.
  • Two MHA members visited Brookhaven National Laboratory in 2014 to participate in particulate sampling comparison testing using the Condar portable dilution tunnel.
  • In January 2017, we participated with US-EPA in sponsoring testing at Hearth Lab Solutions LLC in Randolph, Vermont to help develop a fueling protocol to allow certification testing of manufactured masonry heaters. This was the first time that the Condar portable dilution tunnel has run simultaneously with EPA Method 5-G on a  masonry heater.

A number of papers have been published describing the research at Lopez Labs. These are available at Lopez Labs Archive

Current Research

2016  -- 2019 MHA Research Heater Tests

2006  -- 2016 Heatkit Tests

January 2023 Heater Calculator update by Damien Lehmann, AFPMA

Heater Calculator update by Damien Lehmann, AFPMA

Testing an OekoSolve Electrostatic Precipitator at the 2018 Stove Design Challenge

2018 Next Generation Stove Design Challenge

2018 MHA Research Heater Tests - "Substantially Similar" Study

Powerpoint: Repeatability of Wood Combustion Particulate Measurements

Heater Field Testing Workshop at 2017 MHA Meeting

Manufactured Heater Test Method Exploratory Testing

2017 MHA Research Heater Tests - Cordwood Repeatability

Decombustion Theory 

Experimental Heater Testing Workshop, Wildacres 2016

2016 MHA Research Heater Tests

MHA Research Heater build and instrumentation

Calibration of Heater Simulation Software for Potential EPA Certification

Condar Correlation Study against EPA Method 5G

2015 Ontario Stove Testing Camp

Eco Firebox Testing in France

Heater Comparison Testing at Ortner Company in Austria

Next Generation Woodstove Design Challenge at Brookhaven National Laboratory

Toronto Fireplace Retrofit Project

2014 Test Series

Field Testing the Norcore 5 run heater at Wildacres

Austrian Eco-firebox testing at Masonry Stove Builders

Fuel crib repeatability testing

Condar comparison testing at OMNI-Test

Condar comparison testing at Brookhaven National Laboratory


Video of Condar testing, February 4, 2014

Recent Research

2015 Ontario Stove Testing Camp

Eco Firebox Testing in France

Heater Comparison Testing at Ortner Company in Austria

Next Generation Woodstove Design Challenge at Brookhaven National Laboratory

Toronto Fireplace Retrofit Project

2014 Test Series

Field Testing the Norcore 5 run heater at Wildacres

Austrian Eco-firebox testing at Masonry Stove Builders

Fuel crib repeatability testing

Condar comparison testing at OMNI-Test

Condar comparison testing at Brookhaven National Laboratory

Wood Stove Decathlon 2013

2010 Test Series - January - February, 2010

Bell Experiments with a Contraflow Heater - March 2010

Masonry Heater Fuel Crib Repeatability Testing

Lopez Labs Conference - January 4 - 7, 2010

Evaluating a Testo 308 Digital Smoke Spot Meter - November 2009

Bell Construction and Testing Workshop - October 2009

Rocket-Bell Experiments - July 2009

Alaska Fireplace Retrofit Project - updated July 10/09

Condar dilution tunnel particulates data summary (2008-9, 67 runs)

2009 Test Series

Test Results

Graphical Data Summary

Damper tests

Experimental Masonry Hydronic Heating Workshop - updated Dec 18/09

Masonry Heater Emissions Testing at Shawville, 2008

Test Results

Data analysis

Correlation between Condar PM number and Opacity Curve

Graphical data summary

Burning Pellets in a Masonry Heater - updated Jan 30/09

Comparison of 4 Condar portable dilution tunnels - Fairbanks, Alaska, 2007

Free Gas Movement - Shawville 2007

2006 - 2007 Contraflow Tests at Shawville

Technical Assessment of Hi-mass Masonry Heaters and Integrated Water Loop

Bell heater testing - Alex Chernov, 2007

Bell heater testing - Wildacres 2006

Bell heater testing - Toronto 2006

Fuel Crib Testing, February, 2005

Clearance to Combustibles Testing, MHA Annual Meeting, 2001

Clearance to Combustibles Testing, Shawville, April, 2000

1997 Heater Combustion Tests

Low Emissions Residential Cordwood Combustion in High Mass Appliances - Recent Research and Results
Norbert Senf
presented at Combustion Canada ’96 Conference,
Ottawa, June 5 - 7, 1996

A Comparison of Fireplace Emissions Testing Methods
Norbert Senf
3 test methods were run simultaneously on open masonry fireplaces at McNear Brick in 1995.
(20 pages, 80Kb PDF file)

Very Low Emissions Cordwood Combustion in High Burn Rate Appliances - Early Results with Possible Implications
Norbert Senf
presented at the 88th Annual Meeting of the Air and Waste Management Association, San Antonio, 1995.

Air Requirements and Related Parameters for Masonry Heating Systems
Norbert Senf
prepared for The Research Division, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Ottawa, (1994)

 


This page last updated on October 6, 2023
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