Using Residual Heat Of A Ceramic Barbecue To Power A Product

Abstract

ContextIn a society where sustainability is becoming more and more relevant, coal-burning kamado barbecues are more popular than ever in the Netherlands. From an ignited barbecue a significant amount of energy is lost through heated air. This brings up an interesting design opportunity; “Is it possible to design a product which proposes a more efficient use of the energy of a kamado barbecue?” This project investigates the possibility to design a product powered by energy lost during the process of a barbecue. It has been executed for the company 200Fahrenheit, a relatively young company that is specialised in ceramic barbecues known as kamados. The company is growing rapidly and where most competitors seem to barely change, the company is eager to invest in innovative products and sustainability in general to stay relevant in the future.Approach The foundation of the process was the classic double diamond design approach, consisting of Research & Analysis, Conceptualisation, Embodiment and Final Product. The outcome of the Research & Analysis phase brought valuable insights from extensive desk research to qualitative interviews with users and vendors. It led to a defined persona with valuable needs, preferences and frustrations. From the embodiment part of the process, the aim was to deliver answers to the high risk/high reward assumptions. The emphasis lied on the functionality and feasibility of the implemented technology, which was crucial for the company to know whether or not it was fruitful to continue developing. Research by design, design by doing and prototyping proved to give insights in a time efficient manner.ResultThe result of the project is a product that is able to keep food warm in a container at the right temperature after it has been grilled. The temperature of the container can be set to match the needs of the user. It was found that most heat energy was lost via the chimney of the kamado, which made this a suitable location to harvest energy. The energy that powers the product is completely recovered from the hot air that exits the kamado when it is ignited, in the form of heat energy collected by water. The water transfers the heat to the container, warming up the container. The electricity used by the system is generated by this residual heat as well using Peltier elements. Peltier elements are small electronic plates that are able to convert a temperature difference to electricity. This temperature difference is provided by the water which is always under 100 degrees Celsius, and the outgoing air of the kamado which when ignited, virtually always exceeds 100 degrees Celsius.The product empowers the user to take advantage of the normally wasted energy. Where kamado users were already putting an incredible amount of effort in their dishes, the product now enhances their dish until the last moment where it is presented to the table, under perfect conditions.Integrated Product Desig