Low Cost Wood Gas Stove
Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India April 2006
Look at this blog of a wood gas stove developed with community participation.
A low-cost portable Woodgas stove has been developed based on the Garlington’s downdraft gasifier model stove. A small tin can of 3.5 inches diameter and 5 inches height (“Lactogen” tin can) is used for making the Wood-gas stove. For grate an aluminum wire is used at the bottom. Primary and secondary air slits are puctured into the tin to make the stove. A tin sheet or bricks or mud and stone can be used for the skirt and fire place.
For fuel one inch length small pencil size sticks (pruned twigs) or shavings and chips of wood from a carpenter’s workshop can be used. This stove burns for about 8 minutes with the wood gas generated and later on the resultant charcoal burns for next 5 to 8 minutes giving sufficient heat for boiling one liter of milk or one person can take bath with the boiled water.
Price : Rs. 2/- (Rupees two only)
Time for making it : 20 to 30 minutes
Efficiency : Highly efficient as compared to rocket stove.
This stove has the following advantages:
Requires only small wood pieces – saves trees
Batch feeding – lit and forget
Low cost any one can make it and use
Light weight - highly portable
Note: Preferably should be used in good ventilation conditions.
