Efficiency of African charcoal burning stove
Abstract
Fuelwood accounts for most of the domestic energy use in the
Third World. In East Africa the use of charcoal especially in
urban centres has continued though threatened by social factors
such as deforestation.
The typical East African metal charcoal stove has been
studied with emphasis on its efficiency and pollutant emission.
The study has brought to better focus the very low performance
figures and the dangerously high pollutant emissions by the stove.
The study consisted of:
i. Continuous flue gas monitoring which was achieved by
positioning the stove in a specially constructed
enclosure allowing sampling of the flue gases before
dillution with the surrounding air.
ii. Temperature monitoring of various .. posi tions both on
and off the stove to assess the heat energy distribution.
Following lighting up concentrations of over 3% CO and
8% CO were recorded each time. These concentrations reduced to
about half the above values within 10 minutes though for up to
30 minutes the concentrations were still1\3 times above the.:poisonous .,
threshold limit based on normal air. changes -wi thin an occupied room