Update on Mayon Turbo Stove, Phillipines
Roger Samson REAP Canada April 2002
Dear stovers,
Here is an update from the Philippines on our current efforts with the
Mayon Turbo stove. We will be submitting a proposal to the Shell
Foundation for upscaling production in 5 countries and are looking for
partners to work with if any of you are interested or have suggestions.
Those of you waiting for a stove we will be shipping them shortly, sorry
for the delay but we made a few more modifications and we wanted you to
have the latest models.
This trip I have been working with our partners to optimize the smaller
model the Mayon Turbo 6000 and to reduce fuelbed fires in both models.
We have observed that there is somewhat more difficulty starting a fire
with the smaller model and that it tends to get a lot more fuelbed fire
activity. We have nearly eliminated fuelbed fires by putting a heat
shield at the base of our centre cone. This is essentially an upside
down skirt (4" in height on the 6000 model and 5" in height on the 7000
model) attached to the base of the centrepiece. It deflects the heat
away from the rice hull sitting in the hopper. It seems to work great
and if we just add fuel periodically it has eliminated the need for
stirring the rice hull in the hopper as a means to prevent or extinguish
fuelbed fires. On the larger model, fuelbed smoldering is basically
eliminated with this addition. We have also been finetuning the air.
Our quality of combustion is now rather impressive for such a low cost
cooker. We have a non-luminescent flame through the day and a blue
flame when cookingin the evening. With a limited amount of training, no
smoke events are experienced during the entire cook. One thing we have
noted is that there needs to be a good quality control when producing
the stoves. We have produced about 3700 to date. The distance the ash
pan is attached at the base of the hopper and the distance the
centerpiece is attached above the ashpan need to be consistent,
otherwise ease of operation and combustion quality can be affected.
Some other secondary issues we are examining is to assess alternative
materials for manufacturing the stove. Presently we are using 16 gauge
steel. On the old stove we are having some reports of the centrepiece
rusting out after about 18 months. Seems that the rice pot boils over
from time to time and helps rusts out the centerpiece. This may be
partly eliminated with the Mayon Turbo as the heat output is much less
erratic than the former model which had widely fluctuating heat output
(stove users simply opened up holes through the bottom of the ashpan to
avoid smoke).
We have also done a limited amount of testing with sawdust. Seems to
work best if mixed with rice hull. The stove appears to need extra air
if burning sawdust and it doesn't flow as nicely. I would suggest
putting in three air injectors as a starting point for anyone looking to
burn sawdust. One could simply be blocked if burning rice hull. Hoping
to test coffee shells shortly.
Well I hope some of you have built stoves and are getting some results.
It would be rather good to hear about your efforts.
Roger Samson
Resource Efficient Agricultural Production-Canada
Box 125, Maison Glenaladale,
Ste Anne de Bellevue,
Quebec, CANADA
H9X 3V9
Tel. (514) 398-7743
Fax (514) 398-7972
"Creating ecological energy, fibre and food production systems"