Improved Biomass Cooking Stoves

UNCHR, Refugee Operations and Environmental Management, A Handbook of Selected Lessons Learned from the Field, 2002

Nike

Modernizing an 1800's parlor stove
Stephen Brown, December 27, 2008

Here in Vermont it is a good idea to have a backup source of heat in the winter. We have an 1800's parlor stove in the living room. Dealing with several cords of firewood, especially in the city is a real pain. This year we decided to try to find a way of using wood pellets to cut down on the carrying and storage and mess. I found myself looking into the engineering and physics of wood fires and stumbled upon a goldmine of information here and elsewhere on the web concerning efforts to create efficient, low pollution, simple and inexpensive to build biomass burning cooking stoves for use in the 'developing' world. I decided to adapt some of those ideas to my problem ... heating with wood pellets.

you can read my story in more detail on my blog http://srb-terrierdog.blogspot.com .

This is the prototype of Magh series "Magh Utham Woodgas Burner". http://e-maghutham.blogspot.com/ This is a natural draft burner (forced air is optional). Low cost, low weight, easy of operation, easy to collect the biochar by rotating the combustion frame and easy to reload it. As it is can be used for boilers / institutional stoves / domestic cooking / etc. The performance is good. There could be some more improvements in its design to increase its performance. For details and photographs see the link http://e-maghutham.blogspot.com/ . The term "Utham" refers to "Best" which is part of the name of Prof. K. Purushotham Reddy a very well known environmentalist in India.

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

Charcoal From ARC

Fuel and Char

Prepping 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"

Fresher cookers
Dec 4th 2008 The Economist print edition

Technology and development: The humble cooking stove is being overhauled around the world with the help of “user focused” design

Rice-powered stove ignites new hope for poor farmers

Alexis Belonio

Cooking With The Aprovecho Rocket Stove in the Marshall Islands
Michael Trevor, Marshall Islands, December 11, 2008

Frying with a little copra and udak

For some of you this may be old hat but for others maybe new bits of information

ETHOS Conference, January 23-25, 2009
Mark Bryden, December 2008

All,

It's almost that time again time again. The ETHOS conference will be held January 23-25 in Kirkland, Washington. Kirkland is a suburb of Seattle.

The 2009 ETHOS Conference aims to expand its reach from previous annual meetings. We invite presentation, workshops, and discussion of technology in the developing world. Particularly those talks focused on heating and cooking stoves, design for developing communities, incineration of medical waste, and lighting. In addition we are hoping to sponsor a track on the topic of carbon credits in the developing world.

We encourage the participation of Southern partners, international stoves experts, and development specialists with field experience in the transfer of appropriate technologies.

Talks
Please submit a title and brief abstract of your proposed talk on or before January 1.

Preconference workshops
Friday, January 23 morning and afternoon are available for preconference workshops. Please contact me before December 15 if you wish to present a preconference workshop.

Other Activities
There are many formats (paper session, workshops, hands-on sessions, panels, one-on-one mentoring etc) that can present relevant information to our community. If you wish to organize one of these please contact me with the details before December 15.

Complete details about the conference can be found at http://www.vrac.iastate.edu/ethos/conference.php.

Please contact me if you have any questions or want to discuss your ideas for the conference.

Mark
kmbryden@iastate.edu

Palm Fronds as Fuel in a TLUD (Top Lit Updraft)
Micheal Trevor, Marshall Islands, December 7, 2008

Loaded Chopped Fronds

Remember in the rocket stove I am use very "pulpy" stuff.
In the TLUDS-- XL Woodgas and my tincanium ones--- they make charcoal. As for shell I have not tried it much yet in the TLUDS althought my son burned out the first XLWoodgas unit on it.

I think a mix of broken shell chips with the chopped frond piece may work very well.
The chopped frond pieces work well but the burn is rather short.

In industrial applications like a bakery I am sure shell would be fantastic if you could get enough.I think everyone else would get it first

Michael Trevor
Marshall Islands
mtrevor@ntamar.net

Chopped Fronds for Fuels

Light Off

Nice Burn

Introducing the Aprovecho Research Center (ARC) rocket stove to the Marshall Islands
Michael N Trevor, Enemanit , Marshall Islands December 6, 2008

Cooking on Rocket Stove While Still Starting Shell Fire

Hello from the Marshall Islands, thing are progressing just slowly

I thought you might like these attached pictures. Dean Still and his crew John, Todd and Sandra along with Dr Richard Zellar on their (Aprovecho) Board really went the extra mile to help me get the stoves here to test. It took over half a year to accomplish. I complement them for the extra effort.

Initial reaction has been very positive, even right thru the roof. The best appellation was "fabulous", and others say "really good" or its almost like a kerosene stove. This thing really has potential to help people. Even the Ministry of Health has taken an interest for a public health view.

The stove being used next to a "normal" open fire from shell is really illustrative. The entire pot of eggs and potatoes for a picnic salad cooked on pieces of 2 or 3 flower spathes while the other fire was still being built.

The nearly smokeless fire is obvious. The steaming pot shows well right next to the harsh acrid shell smoke. Pollution.Junction !!!.

As for the fuel the difference in labor should be noted, Susan simply walked across the yard
picking up three "utok" from coconut spathes on the ground and lit them. Juli the young man however had to pick up and haul in a partial bad of nuts. Then they were husked, cracked and the meat cut out. Finally he spend the entire time Susan was cooking just getting his fire going,

Please note Susan is not even using the stove correctly as the pot was just big enough the the skirt fell down the outside of the stove. I believe the skirt is not going to be popular even though I carefully explained its importance and use to hold heat against the pot.

Fuel shortage is not an issue here as in some places. Right now I am working our a combination of chopped frond pieces for an XL woodgas stove and then running the midrib sections through the ARC rocket stove. The looks to be a nice usage of what is usually trash that is burned.

Sincerely yours

Michael N Trevor
Enemanit
Marshall Islands
mtrevor@ntamar.net

Stovetec http://www.stovetec.net
Aprovecho Research Center http://www.aprovecho.org