Total Thermal Energy Conservation Strategy during the Utilization of a Common Charcoal Stove

Abstract

The proliferation and use of charcoal stoves is on the increase even in urban locations in Nigeria despite the environmental hazard associated with charcoal production. The rising cost of fossil fuel, smokeless nature of charcoal combustion and probably inexistent or ineffective legislation(s) against deforestation could be the reasons for this. This study aims at more efficient use of the energy available from the use of common charcoal stoves. A common slightly improved charcoal stove was placed in an enclosure with openings for air inflow and heating of the pot, and linked to a heat receiver through duct all of burnt brick. The stove enclosure, heat receiver inlet and outlet, and the ambient temperatures were measured during boiling of water for 3 periods/stages of 22 minutes per day for 6 days. The quantity of heat generated in the enclosure, the percentage reaching the heat receiver and the total heat losses from the system were computed under steady state conditions. A mean value of 93.85 kJ/kg of air was generated in the enclosure with about 34.33% reaching the heat receiver. The mean temperature within the heat receiver was 70.4⁰C and the mean total heat loss from the system was about 6.4 kJ/kg of air. This strongly indicates great potentials for utilizing part of the thermal energy generated from the use of charcoal stoves for cooking for other alternative uses such as drying and other forms of preservation of foodstuff thereby improving their utilization efficiency and probably compensating in part for the adverse effect on the environment as a result of sustained charcoal production.

Keywords: Charcoal, thermal energy, energy conservation, energy utilization efficiency, stove, environmental hazard