I've been wondering about ways of reducing carbon formation in kerosene burners. According to Lahde's book on Hydrocarbon Appliances, there were some military lanterns which used steel wool packing in the vapouriser which he suggests inhibits cracking.
Looking round the internet, there are additives now for diesel to prevent sooting. That's a bit different I guess because there is oxygen present - but I was curious if anyone had any suggestions for reducing carbon deposition.

Other than not setting fire to them at all, the best priming you can give the burner I would have thought was the best.

Have yet to give Adi's suggestion in the trial forum vote of using a blowlamp to pre-heat to see what that does, else would have made a vote.

Still like the meths(De natured alchohol) as it brings back memories of playing with the Mamod traction engine.

Anyway why am I still here at 3.30 in the the morning.

Simes

Because you want to languish in bed until noon, resurface, have a bit of breakfst, lounge around browsing sunday papers & websites various and ...
... suddenly realise it's tea-time on a day when metoff reckons its going to be cracking the pavements and you've done bugger all!
sounds better than being covered in 5h elbows deep in a Landrover clutch.
I enjoy it!
I enjoy it!
I enjoy it!
I enjoy it!
I ...

the generator rather than outside, was what I was thinking of..

I'm given to understand that the gas blowlamp is the priming method of choice used by many of Taylors Marine Paraffin Stoves in boat installations. It must be relatively trouble free as so many of them seem to do it. It also reduces the chances of mess in the boat.

Ian

The additive for cleaner engines is a name that springs to mind.

At this moment in time haven't thought what it might do for stoves, nor what nasties it might give off when burnt. It's meant to keep carbon down in ordinary IC engines if you add it to petrol or diesel in the tank.

Simes

That might be a different case I think - incomplete oxidation rather than pyrolytic cracking where the prototype would be say, methane decomposing to carbon and hydrogen. Just increasing the pressure would force the reaction to the left if it was in equilibrium, but I'm not sure if that is relevant or not here...

There seems to be a bunch of stuff on the web about suppression of coking in ethylene production, including coatings for the inside of cracking tubes. Can't see any manufacturere being interested in coating 2 inches of burner tube rather than 500m of industrial plant.