Abstract

Flat Bottom Pot Institutional Cookstove: Assessing the Efficiency and Power with and without a Blower

Author(s): MK Commeh*, A Agyei-Agyemang , E Kwarteng , J Sarpong and E Heijndermans

Cooking is a vital part of life, and it is usually done on a cook stove. Cook stoves have seen various modifications and improvements along the lines of various reasons. For instance, there have been modifications based on fire control, usage, and size among others. In recent times, stove modifications are geared towards increased fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. Improved cook stoves that run on solid biomass have the potential to increase the nutritional value of meals prepared with it. These stoves also have reduced emissions due to complete combustion and this can help curb indoor air pollution and its attendant problems. The Applied Industrial Ceramics and Rural Enterprise Development Unit (AIC-RED) of Technology Consultancy Centre (TCC), KNUST, Kumasi, has developed and constructed an Institutional Cookstove. The stove was tested to assess its power and fuel efficiency with and without a blower forced draft. The stove had a power of 11.5 kW without a blower and 11.6 kW with a blower. The fuel efficiency was 47.4% without the blower and 54.5% with the use of a blower. The amount of fuel used for the stoves with forced and natural draft was 11.93 kg and 14.2 kg respectively, a difference of 2.27 kg. On the other hand the amount of charcoal produced by the stoves with forced and natural draft was 0.14 kg and 0.47 kg respectively, a difference of 0.33 kg.