More Efficient

Woodstoves for
Household use

EE 5053 Energy Efficiency Demand Management &

Conservation

K. H. G. S. Jayaneth

128869D

MSC/PG Dip. in Electrical Engineering

2013

Content
1.

Introduction......................................................................................................... 1

2.

Traditional Woodstoves........................................................................................ 2

3.

Improved, Efficient Woodstoves..........................................................................3

3.1

Efficient Woodstoves in Sri Lanka..................................................................4

3.2

Efficient Woodstoves in Other Countries.......................................................5

4.

Conclusion........................................................................................................... 7

5.

Reference............................................................................................................ 8

List of Figures
Figure
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Figure
Figure
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Figure
Figure

1:
2:
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5:
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7:
8:

Traditional Three-Stoned Stove...................................................................2

Basic Enclosed Clay Stove...........................................................................2
Modified Enclosed Clay Stove.....................................................................3
Anagi Stove................................................................................................. 4
Upesi Stove................................................................................................. 5
Baker Cookstove......................................................................................... 5
Uganda Stove.............................................................................................. 6
Prolena Eco Stove....................................................................................... 6

1.Introduction
Cooking has become a basic and an essential activity in every home in the
world. In about half of the world's homes, people use biomass, while others
use gas, kerosene or electricity for cooking. Most of this biomass is used for
cooking on traditional, inefficient stoves or poorly constructed stoves, where
most of the energy is wasted, and leads to a high level of air pollutants
emitted to the atmosphere.
In Sri Lanka, as a developing nation, more than 50% of energy requirement
is provided by biomass, and 80% of this biomass is actually consumed for
cooking food. Out of that 80%, firewood is the largest contributor for
cooking, and widely used as the fuel for stoves.
Burning firewood obviously has environmental impacts. The burning process
releases greenhouse gases and soot which pollutes the atmosphere.
Greenhouse gases cause global warming, which has irreversible impacts on
both living beings and the planet Earth. Using firewood, in general, involves
cutting down trees. This destroys natural habitats, decreases amount of
Oxygen in atmosphere and contributes to land erosion. In addition to those
impacts, wood smoke interferes with normal lung development in infants
and children. Wood smoke exposure can depress the immune system and
damage the layer of cells in the lungs that protect and cleanse the airways.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), toxic air pollutants
are components of wood smoke, and it can cause coughs, headaches in
healthy people.
Therefore, burning firewood inefficiently should be addressed globally, while
promoting other renewable energy resources for cooking. Development of
cooking stoves is a necessity to improve energy efficiency, protect
environment and prevent safety and health hazards.
One of the easiest and most economical ways to improve the quality of life
for those using firewood as a fuel is to provide improved and efficient
woodstoves. A lot of research and development work is going on all over the

world on the use of woodstoves in the rural domestic energy sector in the
developing countries.
This report explains some of the improved woodstoves compared to
traditional woodstoves widely used in developing countries.

2.Traditional Woodstoves
In most of the rural areas traditional three-stoned woodstoves as shown in Figure 1,
which has an open fire arrangement with low efficiency less than 10% is used with
firewood as the fuel source. Cooking on an open fire arrangement has many
shortcomings. These include very low cooking efficiency

(5 8%) ,

difficulty over control of the fire, exposure to heat and smoke, and fire
hazards.

Figure 1: Traditional Three-Stoned Stove

Subsequently, the three-stoned configuration was changed to an enclosed

clay stove with an opening in the front for feeding the fuel and entry of
Oxygen. Plenty of modifications were done later by the users, which
increased the efficiency up to a considerable extent. By adding three small
humps at the top of the enclosure, support was provided for the cooking pot.
It also created an entry point for more air needed to complete the
combustion of firewood, and also an exit for the exhaust gas. Another major
modification that occurred was the inclusion of additional enclosures as
shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Basic Enclosed Clay Stove

3.Improved, Efficient Woodstoves

Enclosed woodstoves were developed with the time, and two separate stoves were
joined by a tunnel inside the main structure to improve efficiency, and a chimney is
also added to release the smoke. Excess heat coming through the tunnel from the
main stove was used to heat another pot on the second stove as shown in Figure 3.
To get higher efficiency, the both burners should be used at a time. This modified
enclosed clay stove gives higher efficiency of around 15 20%, compared to the 10
15% efficiency of the conventional enclosed stove.

Figure 3: Modified Enclosed Clay Stove

To provide higher efficiency, a stove should satisfy two things - Change the
energy in the wood to heat without wasting energy and get the heat into the

pot. If the fire is very hot, most of the energy in wood will be converted to
heat. If it is not, some of the wood will turn to smoke or black soot, and it will
not be changed to heat. The wall around the fire should stop heat and keep
it inside the stove. If the walls are made of mud or other heat transferring
material, the required heat levels for complete burning will not be
maintained. Provision of air passage is also very important for complete
burning. If the level of Oxygen inside the stove is not enough for the burning
process, complete burning will not happen, and the overall efficiency of the
stove will be reduced.
To deliver all the produced heat to the pot, the bottom and the sides of the
pot should be exposed to the fire. If the heat goes through the bottom and
the sides of the pot, that will let most heat be used for cooking.

3.1 Efficient Woodstoves in Sri Lanka

Most popular energy efficient stove used in Sri Lanka is Anagi Stove, which
is two pot single-piece clay stove as shown in Figure 4. This stove encloses
the cooking fire with insulating ceramic, protecting it from cooling draughts.
The stove then guides the hot gases across the bottom of 2 pots. It can
accommodate medium size hard or soft wood and other loose biomass
residues such as coconut shells, fronds and leaves. The stove design has
been carefully developed to suit the cooking habits and the types of food
cooked in Sri Lanka and to be energy efficient. The efficiency of this stove is
more than 18%, and the life time of the stove is about 3 years, if it is used
with insulation (normally insulation consist of clay/mud cover). Efficiency can
be maximised by utilising both burners at once, burning wood chips, pairing
burners with proper sized pots and by ensuring adequate ventilation.

Figure 4: Anagi Stove

Lanka Shakthi Wood Gas Stove is another well-known candidate for

efficient cooking in Sri Lanka. The efficiency of this stove is around 25 30%
and it saves 2/3 firewood compared to three-stoned stoves. Speciality of this
stove is it ensures complete combustion and utilises a variety of woody
substances including little pieces of firewood, coconut husks, rubber seeds,
etc. For one hour's cooking, the stove needs 600 grams of wood chips and it provides
sufficient heat for preparing a complete meal for an average family.

Positive impacts of this stove are, it enables a lower grade fuel to compete
with modern fuels, reduces the use of firewood and improves the kitchen
environment and related health hazards.

3.2 Efficient Woodstoves in Other Countries

The Upesi Stove is a simple pottery cylinder which is built into a mud
surround in the kitchen. It is basically designed to burn firewood or cow
dung. Fuel is fed into the fire through an opening at the front of the stove.
The stove does not have a chimney, but produces less smoke than an open
fire. This is because it burns firewood more efficiently. As an improved
woodstove, the Upesi stove has gained much popularity in Kenya.

Figure 5: Upesi Stove

Baker Cookstove is an energy efficient cookstove for the developing world,

which is widely used in Kenya. This stove is made of recycled aluminium and
with a trapezoid folding that cause light-weight, heat transmission and
strength. Tests at the University of Nairobi showed the Baker Cookstove
achieved a 56% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and a 38% reduction
in smoke particles.

Figure 6: Baker Cookstove

Uganda Stove is a submerged pot rocket type stove which uses firewood
as the fuel. Exposing the sides as well as the bottom of the pot to heat
improves fuel efficiency. It uses insulate materials between the pot and
stove body, which prevent heat transfer to the outside.

Figure 7: Uganda Stove

Prolena Eco Stove is an indoor smokeless stove which uses firewood

efficiently. Speciality of this stove is it has both burner and an oven in the
same stove. This stove has an efficiency of about 20%, and if properly
operated, the air pollution can be negligible.

Figure 8: Prolena Eco Stove

4.Conclusion
Biomass is one of the major energy resources in developing countries. Most
of the people in developing countries use firewood as the fuel for daily
cooking. Using inefficient traditional stoves cause irreversible impacts on
both mankind and the planet Earth.
Therefore, the efficiency of firewood burning should be improved to enhance
the condition of living and to protect the environment. By improving
woodstoves, most of the impacts of firewood burning can be reduced.

5.Reference

Energy Management Guide Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority

http://www.ehhi.org/woodsmoke/health_effects.shtml
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Simple_japanese_hearth,Kama
do,Katori-city,Japan.JPG
http://practicalaction.org/docs/energy/EnergyBooklet3.pdf
http://www.bioenergylists.org/stovesdoc/George/WoodstovesforUganda
.pdf
http://davidreport.com/201305/baker-cookstove-energy-efficientcookstove-developing-world/
http://www.bioenergylists.org/stovesdoc/Ezzati/Home%20Page%20of
%20Majid%20Ezzati.htm
http://www.inforse.org/asia/P_C_kitchen_improvement.htm
http://archives.dailynews.lk/2003/05/27/bus16.html
http://www.bioenergylists.org/stovesdoc/Still/Uganda
%20Stove/Uganda.html
http://www.energia.org/fileadmin/files/media/EN112001_njenga.pdf
http://www.bioenergylists.org/stovesdoc/Miranda/Ecostove/Ecostove.ht
ml