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Biomass Stove Design

Effective cooking stoves share some key design principles. Here we hope to share those with you. Let us know if you find areas we have missed.

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TLUD

  • Construction Plans for the “Champion-2008” TLUD Gasifier Cookstove

    Construction Plans for the “Champion-2008” TLUD Gasifier Cookstove (including operational instructions) Paul Anderson, March 1, 2009

    TLUDTLUD


    The document attached contains detailed instructions for the construction of Anderson’s "Champion-2008" top-lit updraft (TLUD) gasifier that can be used in many different cookstove structures. On 18 pages with 39 Figures, the “Champ” is described in three versions (Hobbyist, Refugee and Artisan) with the same dimensions but using different materials and metal-working skills.

  • Marshall Islands Energy Fair--- Stoves March 2009

    Marshall Islands Energy Fair--- Stoves March 2009 Michael Trevor, Marshall Islands,March 8, 2009

    Firing Things UpFiring Things Up

    See slide show attached. I did this in conjunction with a Woman's Club, "Kare in Okrane." Essentially, "Women of the Break of Dawn," a reference to women getting up a the break of day to prepare for the family's day. We did have hundreds of observers and a strongly expressed interest. In this case the rocket stove had the clear edge. Burning fuel is what people understand. Women have been doing it at their grandmother's knee since childhood. The Solar oven probably came in second. Here it was much like a microwave. I had to constantly open it up and invite people to touch the pot. Ouch, that it hot, hey it does work. What can you cook in it? Sadly the TLUD was more of curiosity. . The kerosene/propane like flame did surprise people, and I repeatly brought up charcoal and terrapreta as a benefit over time. However, the small size and short burn worked against it. I simply switch between two to resolve this. Best Regards to all Michael Trevor mtrevor@ntamar.net

  • Marshall Islands Energy Fair--- Stoves March 2009

    Marshall Islands Energy Fair--- Stoves March 2009 Michael Trevor, Marshall Islands,March 8, 2009

    Firing Things UpFiring Things Up

    See slide show attached. I did this in conjunction with a Woman's Club, "Kare in Okrane." Essentially, "Women of the Break of Dawn," a reference to women getting up a the break of day to prepare for the family's day. We did have hundreds of observers and a strongly expressed interest. In this case the rocket stove had the clear edge. Burning fuel is what people understand. Women have been doing it at their grandmother's knee since childhood. The Solar oven probably came in second. Here it was much like a microwave. I had to constantly open it up and invite people to touch the pot. Ouch, that it hot, hey it does work. What can you cook in it? Sadly the TLUD was more of curiosity. . The kerosene/propane like flame did surprise people, and I repeatly brought up charcoal and terrapreta as a benefit over time. However, the small size and short burn worked against it. I simply switch between two to resolve this. Best Regards to all Michael Trevor mtrevor@ntamar.net

  • Bolivia Inti-Sud Soleil Retained Heat Stove and Efficient Cookers

    Bolivia Inti-Sud Soleil Retained Heat Stove and Efficient Cookers Rozenn Paris, Bolivia Inti-Sud Soleil, February 2009

    Le cuiseur à bois économeLe cuiseur à bois économe

    In attached French documents you will find the information relative to the cookers: the retained cooker and the efficient stove we use in Chile and Africa. Bolivia Intl Sud-Soleil

WoodGas

  • Finned Pots as a Means of Increasing Efficiency

    Finned Pots as a Means of Increasing Efficiency Dale Andreatta, Ph.D., P.E., dandreatta@sealimited.com, February 13, 2009

    Finned PotFinned Pot

    Executive Summary A pot with heat transfer fins has much greater surface area than pots with no fins. In theory, this could lead to greatly increased heat transfer to the pot for a given stove, and the pot would theoretically improve the performance of the stove under all conditions. While we often concentrate on the stove as the primary element of a cooking system, the efficiency of a stove is mainly determined by the heat transfer to the pot, and designing a better pot would be an easy way to make a more efficient stove. A variety of types of finned pots were built and tested. The best designs were separated out in the lab, using natural gas to simulate a wood flame. Several types of fins can be retrofit to existing pots. The better designs of finned pots performed well over a range of conditions using simulated stoves, and sometimes also with an actual wood burning stove modified to use natural gas to simulate a wood flame. With fins on or near the bottom of the pot the finned pots typically gave around a 1.76-fold improvement in heat transfer. If the fins were on the sides of the pot a greater than 2-fold improvement was achieved. Tests on actual stoves using wood as the fuel generally gave smaller improvements in performance, generally 1.33 or less, corresponding to a 25% or smaller reduction in fuel usage. These tests were done under a variety of conditions with a variety of stoves, including the open fire (3-stone fire). On industrial fuel stoves using kerosene or alcohol, improvements were even less, with the finned pots giving 1.2 fold improvements or smaller. In some tests the finned pot used more fuel than an unfinned pot. The reasons for this wide range of results is not known. It is not recommended that finned pots be pursued as a means of increasing the efficiency of stoves. Better results can probably be achieved with less effort by using skirts around the pot. These skirts could be attached to the pots with optimum dimensions. See attached report presented to ETHOS 2009

  • Natural Draft Biomass Gasifier Stove

    Design and Development of a Natural Draft Biomass Gasifier
    R. Krishna Kumar February 28, 2009

    Naturl Draft Gasifier - KumarNatural Draft Gasifier - Kumar

    N D G - BASICS & PRINCIPLES

    • Operates under the principlle of “ Chimney Effectt ”
    • Natural draft caused by density difference

    UNIQUE FEATURES COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL SYSTEMS

    • No blower is required for the operation
    • Automatically takes the required quantity of air for Gasification
    • Convey the Producer Gas formed by Gasification - Naturally
    • Reduced fuel consumption compared to traditional chulas

    More detail, schematic pictures and testing information are in the attached pdfs and in the 2004 discussion:
    http://www.repp.org/discussiongroups/resources/stoves/kumar/ndg.htm

Cooker

  • Natural Draft Biomass Gasifier Stove

    Design and Development of a Natural Draft Biomass Gasifier
    R. Krishna Kumar February 28, 2009

    Naturl Draft Gasifier - KumarNatural Draft Gasifier - Kumar

    N D G - BASICS & PRINCIPLES

    • Operates under the principlle of “ Chimney Effectt ”
    • Natural draft caused by density difference

    UNIQUE FEATURES COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL SYSTEMS

    • No blower is required for the operation
    • Automatically takes the required quantity of air for Gasification
    • Convey the Producer Gas formed by Gasification - Naturally
    • Reduced fuel consumption compared to traditional chulas

    More detail, schematic pictures and testing information are in the attached pdfs and in the 2004 discussion:
    http://www.repp.org/discussiongroups/resources/stoves/kumar/ndg.htm

Finned pot

  • Finned Pots as a Means of Increasing Efficiency

    Finned Pots as a Means of Increasing Efficiency Dale Andreatta, Ph.D., P.E., dandreatta@sealimited.com, February 13, 2009

    Finned PotFinned Pot

    Executive Summary A pot with heat transfer fins has much greater surface area than pots with no fins. In theory, this could lead to greatly increased heat transfer to the pot for a given stove, and the pot would theoretically improve the performance of the stove under all conditions. While we often concentrate on the stove as the primary element of a cooking system, the efficiency of a stove is mainly determined by the heat transfer to the pot, and designing a better pot would be an easy way to make a more efficient stove. A variety of types of finned pots were built and tested. The best designs were separated out in the lab, using natural gas to simulate a wood flame. Several types of fins can be retrofit to existing pots. The better designs of finned pots performed well over a range of conditions using simulated stoves, and sometimes also with an actual wood burning stove modified to use natural gas to simulate a wood flame. With fins on or near the bottom of the pot the finned pots typically gave around a 1.76-fold improvement in heat transfer. If the fins were on the sides of the pot a greater than 2-fold improvement was achieved. Tests on actual stoves using wood as the fuel generally gave smaller improvements in performance, generally 1.33 or less, corresponding to a 25% or smaller reduction in fuel usage. These tests were done under a variety of conditions with a variety of stoves, including the open fire (3-stone fire). On industrial fuel stoves using kerosene or alcohol, improvements were even less, with the finned pots giving 1.2 fold improvements or smaller. In some tests the finned pot used more fuel than an unfinned pot. The reasons for this wide range of results is not known. It is not recommended that finned pots be pursued as a means of increasing the efficiency of stoves. Better results can probably be achieved with less effort by using skirts around the pot. These skirts could be attached to the pots with optimum dimensions. See attached report presented to ETHOS 2009

Gasifier

  • Bolivia Inti-Sud Soleil Retained Heat Stove and Efficient Cookers

    Bolivia Inti-Sud Soleil Retained Heat Stove and Efficient Cookers Rozenn Paris, Bolivia Inti-Sud Soleil, February 2009

    Le cuiseur à bois économeLe cuiseur à bois économe

    In attached French documents you will find the information relative to the cookers: the retained cooker and the efficient stove we use in Chile and Africa. Bolivia Intl Sud-Soleil

  • CO and PM Emissions from TLUD Cookstoves

    CO and PM Emissions from TLUD Cookstoves Presentation to 2009 ETHOS Conference, Kirkland, WA 23-25 January 2009 Paul Anderson, Biomass Energy Foundation, January 22, 2009

    CO and PM in TLUDCO and PM in TLUD

    Introduction Since 2005, high quality quantitative data on emissions from cookstoves have been accumulating. For data to be properly comparative, both a standardized cooking task and reliable emissions measurements are required. The principal test continues to be the standard five-liter Water Boiling Test (WBT), about which much has been written and debated. Equipment for reliable emissions measurements has been gathered, installed, tested, and accepted for operation at the Aprovecho Research Center (ARC) in Cottage Grove, Oregon, USA. No known equivalent site exists anywhere else in the world. Sincere thanks are given to the Shell Foundation, other financial donors, the ARC organization, and the numerous scientists who assisted in the establishment and operation of those emissions hoods. While the ARC facilitated the gathering of data presented here, the author is responsible for interpretations and any errors or omissions. Dozens of different stoves have been tested to various degrees with the ARC equipment and methodologies. Hundreds of separate test results have been collected. The two measured emissions are carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM). This report is focused upon those emissions from four categories of cookstoves: 1. The traditional “three-stone fire,” which provides baseline data. 2. “Simple improved cookstoves” that utilize basic combustion that is confined in various stove structures made of ceramics, mud, or metal. 3. “Rocket stoves” that utilize clear principles and designs that provide significant control over the amount of wood in the area of combustion, with some restriction on the flow of air to the combustion area. 4. “TLUD (top-lit updraft) gasifier stoves” that essentially separate in time and location three processes of biomass burning (pyrolysis, char-gasification, and combustion). They also emphasize separate control of primary and secondary air supplies. Robert Flanagan, a TLUD stove developer in China, has coined the term “third-generation cookstoves” for these stoves that have the capability to easily create and save charcoal for use as a “biochar” additive to improve soil fertility (as in “terra preta”) and to remove permanently carbon from the atmosphere. See attached presentation

Natural Draft Gasifier KK NDG

Pot

Rocket

Aristo

  • Charcoal in the ARC stoves in Majuro

    Charcoal in the ARC stoves in Majuro
    Michael Trevor, Marshall Island, December 13, 2008

    Charcoal From ARCCharcoal From ARC
    Fuel and CharFuel and Char
    Prepping Flower Shoots Covers UtakPrepping Flower Shoot Covers Utak

    It was asked if the ARC's stoves here in the Marshall make charcoal Absolutely

    I went back and looked after we had to use the stove because the propane ran out, here in town. you answer pulpy punky material or not yes the stove does produce charcoal.

    The charcoal in the pictures is charred copra used to light the stove and the pieces of the flower shoot that even show the grain and structure of the original pieces.

    The flower shoot cover Spathe or Utak is an often used fuel anyway. Ripped by hand into small strips it works particularly well in the ARC rocket stoves. Copra, dried coconut meat, is the major cash crop and source of income for most. Its use would be limited to only a few chips as a starter material.

    I find a spritz of kerosene from a old 409 bottle or even a squirt of WD-40 does fine as a starter too. Various pieces of fronds and leaflets are really bio trash stuff and if they can be use effectively a really handy application.

    As for char structure, after it goes through my blender I am not at all sure there is much left.
    Remember I have been using Charcoal slurppees for a while. Charcoal, fish scraps if there are and a touch of 20/20/20 and a pinch of sugar.

    So better cooking and may your terra preta plot grow too.

    Michael N Trevor
    Marshall Islands
    mtrevor@ntamar.net

    See:
    "Cocos nucifera"

MJA Biomass Gas

Oil Stove

Anila

Coal Gasifier Stove

  • SMALL-SCALE INDUSTRY COAL GASIFIER STOVE FOR FRYING FOOD PRODUCTS

    SMALL-SCALE INDUSTRY COAL GASIFIER STOVE FOR FRYING FOOD PRODUCTS
    Alexis Belonio, Daniel Belonio, Franciscus Tria Garleman, and Djoewito Atmowidjojo
    Minang Jordanindo Approtech, Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia, November 2008

    Coal Stove
    Coal Stove

    The cost of frying food products for small-scale industry bake shop is now becoming expensive brought about by the ever-increasing cost of LPG fuel. Based on the experience of Sakura Ampan Bakeshop in Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia, a single-burner gas stove consumes about 2.2 kilogram of LPG per hour. With the present cost of LPG of IDR 350,000.00 per 50-kg tank, the bakeshop is spending around IDR 15,400.00 per hour for cooking and/or frying food products. For 8 hours operation per day, around IDR 123,200.00 is spent for its cooking/frying activities using LPG.

    Coal, which is abundant in supply and so far the cheapest of the fuels available in Indonesia, is the only alternative fuel to LPG that is considered economical and feasible for small-scale industry use. However, the emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2), which is the predominant reason for the unacceptability of this fuel among households, makes the use of coal unpopular for industry application. Nevertheless, this problem is now resolved by gasification. Injecting lesser amount of air to the coal bed during gasification in the stove greatly reduced the amount of SO2 emission as compared with the conventional direct combustion burning of fuel. By gasification, coal can be conveniently used with almost no SO2 emission during cooking.

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