Influence of secondary air opening on the performance of gasifier-based improved biomass cookstove.

A huge population of developing and underdeveloped nations are using traditional biomass cookstoves (TCS). This direct combustion-based three-stone/brick stove is the least efficient and generates a large amount of gaseous & particulate emissions. Gasification-based improved biomass cookstove (ICS) has the potential to replace TCS as it has comparatively higher thermal efficiency and fewer emissions. In this stove, air is provided to the stove from primary holes (gasification process) and secondary holes (combustion process). This paper deals with the influence of secondary air flow rate on the performance of natural draft rocket-type ICS operated with wood as a feedstock. Thermophysical properties and chemical analysis are conducted for feedstock. Experiments were conducted to perform a parametric study with five different secondary air openings with ICS. A comparative study is included along with TCS. Parameters such as thermal efficiency, burning rate, firepower, effective firepower, specific fuel consumption, emissions, etc. were investigated. A higher quantity of secondary air offers a higher operating temperature which leads to a higher burning rate and fire power. Higher charcoal generation was observed with lower secondary airflow due to changes in stoichiometric conditions. Higher gaseous and particulate emission was also found with less secondary airflow due to incomplete combustion. Apart from that, thermodynamic analyses such as energy balance, exergy balance, and mass balance were also performed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]