The Development and Testing of a Clean Cookstove Testbed

Abstract

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. The field of improved cookstoves has developed, which looks to design improved alternatives to traditional cookstoves. The goal of this project was to enable Union to participate in experimental ICS research, by 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. 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\u27s 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