Development and Testing of a Clean Cookstove Testbed

A cookstove testbed has been developed, and subsequently tested, at Union College, which allows for the testing and research of improved cookstoves (ICS), in the hopes of finding a way to further improve them. There are many people in developing nations who do not have access to modern cooking facilities (i.e., sinks, stoves, microwaves). In these nations, people often must cook over “traditional cookstoves,” which are essentially just open fires with stones added to support a pot or cooking vessel. There are many issues with traditional cookstoves, including low fuel use efficiency, which results in adverse effects on the environment (i.e., deforestation), and high waste emissions (i.e., air pollution), causing many respiratory and other health complications. To address these shortcomings, the field of improved cookstoves has developed, which looks to design improved alternatives to traditional cookstoves. This is done through the use of forced air draft, fuel grates for increased flow, and combustion chamber insulation, among other things. The goal of this project was to enable Union to participate in experimental ICS research.  This involved developing a testbed in which ICS can be tested, and then determining the capabilities and limitations of the testbed itself. In doing this, we hope to learn about and hypothesize areas in which Union may be able to further develop improved cookstoves. A potential area of research at Union could include, for example, study of the ignition phase (the first couple of minutes after lighting the fire), which is when the most pollution is released from the stove. There is also significant research that needs to be done regarding fuel type, size, and moisture content, all of which have very large effects on the stove’s emissions. At the start of the project discussed here, there was an already existing, standing exhaust hood that needed to be connected to the laboratory exhaust system to allow for safe waste collection and removal. After initial tests confirmed that the testbed could contain – and safely remove from the lab – all cookstove exhaust, we began running small fire tests in a commercially available rocket stove (a common type of ICS). These tests provided information on both the rate and total amount of fuel use. Temperature readings were also recorded at different locations on the testbed to ensure it did not become too hot during extended testing (i.e., did not exceed maximum temperature ratings for the materials). It was further observed (qualitatively) how much smoke was being released from the stove. Additionally, the flow was measured in the lab's exhaust ducts using a flow grid and micromanometer. Through these tests and continuing tests in the future, it will be determined, with better certainty, what the capabilities and limitations of our cookstove testbed at Union College are, and therefore, how we will be able to research, test, and improve on ICS technology.