International Journal of Scientific Research Engineering & Technology (IJSRET)

Volume 2 Issue 11 pp 711-716 February 2014

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ISSN 2278 0882

Improved Biomass Solid Fuel Based Cooking Devices and

Adoptability Issues
Vivek Kumar Singh *, P L Ravi Teja*, Rajeev Kumar **, R.Sundaresan**
*(University of Coimbra-MIT Portugal Program)
** (Galgotia College of Engineering and Technology, Greater Noida, India

ABSTRACT
The planner & developer of Improved Biomass stove
technologies for cooking successfully came with more
energy efficient stove & significant household pollution
for human health. Some studies have, so far, been made
towards the identification of barriers to dissemination of
Improved Biomass stove technologies for cooking in
developing countries. However, most of these studies
are quite general and, simultaneously, deal with several
end uses of energy. An end use oriented energy\strategy
is recently being advocated. In this, energy demand is
disaggregated by energy end use activity, so as to
highlight the technological, economic, socio-cultural
and institutional issues that are relevant for each
important end use.
The present study is a modest attempt towards
identification of barriers in dissemination of Improved
Biomass stove technologies used for one of the most
important end uses of energy, i.e. cooking. An effort is
made to provide some insight regarding the issues and
factors that are likely to affect the adoption of Improved
Biomass stove technologies for cooking.
Keywords - Biomass, Efficiency, Stove technologies

I.

INTRODUCTION.

Biomass is the fourth largest source of energy

worldwide and account for about 35% of consumption
in developing countries [1]. Biomass provides a large
share of world commercial energy consumption in
sustainable energy [2]. These biomass sources of
energy are considered as the renewable energy.
Biomass is used as fuel mainly in developed country in
rural area for domestic cooking [3]. This one not
convenience to users due to higher emission of indoor
pollution so required to clean combustion for human
health Objective of biomass cooking devices force

either draft or natural draft in the rural environment to

assessing of clean combustion with biomass fuel with
suitable design equipment for biomass heat needs to
understand the performance characteristics of biomass
in order to avoid possible problems and utilize the
biomass effectively.
1.1 Characteristics of biomass, fuels and their usage
Biomass is defined as The measurable organic matter
include trees & shrubs, crops and grasses ,algae aquatic
plant agricultural and forest residues plus all form of
human animal plant waste
The chemical composition of biomass varies among
species, but basically consists of high, but variable
moisture content, a fibrous structure consisting of
lignin, carbohydrates or sugars, and ash. Biomass is
very heterogeneous in its natural state and possesses a
heating value lower than that of coal. An effectively
uses of biomass can be a source of liquid fuel (e.g.,
biodiesel) or gaseous fuel (e.g., wood gas), but the
most common use is as a solid fuel (e.g., wood, biomass
pellets).
In spite of economic development, traditional solid
biofuel (such as wood, agricultural waste, and dried
animal manure/ dung cake) is still widely used for
meeting cooking and space conditioning needs though
per capita usage of cooking bio-fuels has
declined[4],[5]. Dependence of the population on
unprocessed solid biofuels is expected in continue in
foreseeable future [6].The use of firewood or
agricultural residues for cooking is accompanied by two
environmental problems. First, pollutants like
suspended particles, carbon monoxide and unburnt
hydrocarbons affect the indoor air quality [7].Bio-fuel
combustion in traditional mud stove for cooking in
households is a common phenomenon [8], [9] after
modifications to adjust for variance in diet and cooking
styles as a complex web of social, economic, technical,

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International Journal of Scientific Research Engineering & Technology (IJSRET)

Volume 2 Issue 11 pp 711-716 February 2014
organizational, and individual factors interact to
influence adoption decision of cooking technologies at
household level [9].
1.2 Technology development
Combustion of biomass in a cook stove is a variable
process because thermodynamic efficiency of a cook
stove depends upon a large number of factors such as
stove design, fuel composition, vessel design, culinary
practice, meteorological conditions and operational
variables, such as fire tending and rate of heat supply,
etc. Most of these factors are variable in nature and
hence the thermodynamic efficiency of a cook stove is
not a unique property of the cook stove. Thus, it has a
limited utility and cannot predict the actual fuel
consumption. The efficiency is a design tool rather than
a means of predicting field performance of ICS.
Gasification is the process of converting solid fuels,
such as wood, agricultural residues and coal, into a
combustible gas. A biomass gasifier consists primarily
of a reactor or container into which fuel is fed along
with a limited (less than stoichiometric, or amount
required for complete combustion) supply of air. Heat
for gasification is generated through partial combustion
of the feed material. The resulting chemical breakdown
of the fuel and internal reactions result in a combustible
gas usually called producer gas. The heating value of
this gas is in the range of 4-6 MJ/Nm, or about 10-15 %
of the heating value of natural gas. Producer gas is a
mixture of the combustible gases hydrogen (H), carbon
monoxide (CO), and methane (CH) and the
incombustible gases carbon dioxide (CO) and nitrogen
(N); the actual gas composition may vary considerably
depending on fuel type and gasifier design.
Biomass energy pathway (Table-1)contain mainly
Combustion & Gasification for cooking, in accent days
people also using Combustion Technology for cooking
& lighting, cooking with combustion Technology
having efficiency 6-9% as way 94% of energy waste
due to Lack Of high performance devices. So we can
say that combustion technologies are Immature
Technology or inappropriate technology. Now Days
improved combustion Technology has been developed
which are costly due using of expensive raw material &
these technology efficiency having 15-25%, still 60%to
75% Energy going to wastage, for further improved
technology are biomass gasification which having
efficiency more than 40-55%, Due to lack

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governmental support, Unavailability of adequate Poor

technology transfer Difficulty in integration manpower
to develop, with the social structure installation, operate
and maintains.

Tabel -1 Combustion & Gasification Technology

S.N Combustion
1

2
3

Gasification

Natural
convection Natural or Forced
(without blower)
convection (blower)
provided
good
mixing of air & gas
for cooking
Inefficiently
without Clean combustion
clean combustion
& efficiently
4 Stage i.e-1 Heating
and
Drying,
-II
Pyrolysis, -III Gas
Phase Reactions, -IV
Char
Oxidation
reactions

Stage - I. Heading,
Drying & Pyrolysis
Stage - II. Thermal
Cracking of Tar and
Clean Combustion.

1.3 Natural draft Vs force draft cook Stove.

In traditional mud stove combustion, combustion
happens almost as soon as volatilization around the
solid fuel zone; this can lead to significant emissions of
products of incomplete combustion. In contrast, force
draft (FD) stoves and natural draft (ND) stoves tested
were designed on the basis of principles of microgasification to improve combustion efficiency [10]. In
micro-gasification stoves, air supply [from either fans
(FD) or free convection (ND)] is partially supplied into
the combustion chamber from primary small openings
located at the bottom of the stove [11]. The remaining
air supply is channelled to the top of the combustion
chamber (and preheated) through secondary small
openings [12]. Originally stage micro- gasifier based
cook stove developed by Reed and co-workers
developed a free convection-based gasifier stove and
have subsequently discussed the development of forced
convection-based gasifier stove force draft stove
reduces smoke by up to 80-90%, significantly optimizes

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International Journal of Scientific Research Engineering & Technology (IJSRET)

Volume 2 Issue 11 pp 711-716 February 2014
fuel consumption, can cook faster and is portable while
the force draft runs on battery power pack [13].

II.

BARRIERS AND POTENTIAL

VARIOUS TECHNOLOGIES

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Table 3 Primary benefits and barriers to the Natural

draft stove

OF

All fuel-device combinations face economic, cultural,

environmental, social/political and technological
barriers: even the three-stone firewood stove. Beyond
these barriers are the potential benefits of each
combination [14].The potential benefits and barriers of
force, natural draft
improved stoves, traditional
discussed here.Summarized below are the primary
bene-fits of and barriers to various biomass stoves in
Table-2, 3, 4, Stoves commonalities are increased
efficiency and a need for changes in operator
behaviours. Durability and portability are also
important design features of cook-stoves [15].

Table 2 Primary benefits and barriers to the Force draft

stove
Potential

ISSN 2278 0882

Potential

Barriers

Quick

Unreachable to reaching capacity

to end user, lack of local market,
some financial outlay needed.

Cooking pots of limited shapes

and sizes
Small hardwood, other crop
Biomass fuel
residue and bio-dung applicable
Repairer and Need to develop service networks
in rural area.
maintains
Pan

Table 4 Primary benefits and barriers to the traditional

stove
Potential

Barriers

Efficient

Local repairer and maintains

skills.
Construction materials largely
local at least zero cost
Loving nature to ancient age

Barriers

Quick

Unreliable supply, especially

in rural and remote areas, lack
of local market

Pan

Cooking pots of
shapes and sizes

Construction
materials
Easy to use
Biomass fuel

limited

Small hardwood, other crop

residue
and
bio-dung
applicable
Repairer and Need to develop Service
networks in rural area.
maintains

Drudgery

Hardwood , Crop residue, Biodung

Leading to causes health injure

Biomass fuel

The most important reason seems to be the fact that

many of the improved cook stove designs do not fulfil
their claim to save substantial amounts of fuel. Properly
designed cook stoves are undoubtedly more efficient
than the traditional ones under laboratory conditions,
but their fuel savings, under field conditions, are yet
debatable [16].

III.

MULTIPLE
ENVIRONMENT
CONNIVANCE PERSPECTIVE WITH
BIOMASS COOKING STOVE

A questionnaire based feedback on biomass cooking

stove direct user of three type of ND,FD,and TC stove
,with sample 25 village housholds selected for our
study to getting judgment for sustanable habit practice
of bimass cook stove uses as: cooking pot,device
technology,biomass fuel choice in cooking and user
prior with time fuel and smokeless

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International Journal of Scientific Research Engineering & Technology (IJSRET)

Volume 2 Issue 11 pp 711-716 February 2014

Figure 3 Users prospective with biomass fuel.

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Figure 5 Users prospective with devices technology

Figure 6 Users prospective with time and fuel saving

Figure 4 Users prospective with cooking pot

87% households wanted double pot biomass cooking

stove based on FD ( Pankhewala or Fan wala chulha)
reason behind it they using double pot TC stove since
ancient history, also single pot FD size the minimum
power requirement to cook food for a meal for a family
of 4persons [17].

Village households not fully awareness with biomass

cooking device technology, they want only a device to
fit for sufficient need 38% household in favoring FD
due to small hardwood applicability and 37 % TC with
bio dung and multi fuel user of 25% favoring to ND
Stove.
50% using bio dung and 25% crop residue as main fuel
in our study sample households due to least zero cost of
fuel. Only 5 % households using uniform hardwood in
cooking and reaming 20% households using gathering
fuel as multi fuel in cooking. User prior with 25% fuel
saving 12% time saving and 63% smokeless.

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International Journal of Scientific Research Engineering & Technology (IJSRET)

Volume 2 Issue 11 pp 711-716 February 2014

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ISSN 2278 0882

COOKING

zero private cost. & operating of improved stove

Requirement of skilled manpower

Meeting the needs of society in ways that can continue

indefinitely into the future without damaging or
depleting natural resources. In short, meeting present
needs without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability is
the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the
long-term maintenance of responsibility, which has
environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and
encompasses the concept of stewardship; the
responsible management of resource use for next
generation. Sustainability depends on The Triple
bottom line made up of People, planet and profit.
Biomass cook stove also enclose on universal
sustainability pillar in corporate as Social as poverty of
household income& cooking fuel, Economics as high
cost and long payback period of device [18 ] and
Environment as emission reduction.

TechnologicalLack of high performance devices

locally, Training /Education

IV.

BIOMASS
BASED
SUSTAINABILITY

Institutional - Subsidy for fossil fuel or Electricity,

Lack of Co- ordinate among government agencies,
Lack of product standards or performance
Socio-Cultural Poverty Household income & cooking
fuels

"Cradle to cradle" design - ending the "cradle to grave"

cycle of manufactured products, by creating products
that can be fully reclaimed or re-used. And also
optimization by experimental and modeling of biomass
cook stoves.
Figure 7 Sustainability Model
Source reduction - reducing emissions and high thermal
efficiency by changing patterns of production and
consumption.
Innovation - developing alternatives to technologies as
Natural Draft to Force draft for better performances.
Viability - creating a center of economic activity around
technologies and products that benefit the environment,
speeding their implementation and creating new careers
that truly protect the planet.
4.1 Sustainability Model for Improved Biomass cooking
devices
Economical- High cost The main Barriers to
dissemination of Improved Biomass stove technologies
for cooking high investment cost & long payback
period, biomass cook stove generally use in rural area,
mostly rural people poor reliability so Lack of
purchasing power uncertainty about benefits of dives, in
improved stove required slightly modified fuel for these
fuel are costly. Already alternated fuels available at

V.

CONCLUSION

The majority of households in developing countries

belong to the category of low income fuel gatherers.
Thus, identification of potential users of the
technologies is quite crucial in rural area. Many times,
the cook stove designs are found to be incompatible
with traditional ways of cooking. For example, any
change required in the position of the cook while
cooking may not be accepted. The paper conclusively
proves the role biomass fuel applicability with
improved stoves can play towards improving the design
and it sustainability. There are important parameters
like user acceptance and operational issues which are
critical for widespread acceptance of any alternate
cooking technologies.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author sincerely thanks the Energy Resources
Institute, New Delhi; as well as the field staff of TERI

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International Journal of Scientific Research Engineering & Technology (IJSRET)

Volume 2 Issue 11 pp 711-716 February 2014
PMU Jagdishpur Utter Pradesh India for their
enthusiastic cooperation in field level data collection.

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