Advances in Phytochemistry, Textile and Renewable Energy Research for
Industrial Growth – Nzila et al. (Eds)
© 2022 Copyright the Author(s), ISBN: 978-1-032-11871-0
Open Access: www.taylorfrancis.com, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license
Experimental investigation of thermal efficiency enhancement of improved
biomass cookstoves
Waganesh Admase Wagaye ∗
Department of Mechanical, Production and Energy Engineering, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia
Africa Center of Excellence II in Phytochemicals, Textiles and Renewable Energy (ACE II PTRE), Moi University,
Eldoret, Kenya
Meseret Biazen Belete
Department of Mechanical, Production and Energy Engineering, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
Africa Center of Excellence II in Phytochemicals, Textiles and Renewable Energy (ACE II PTRE), Moi University,
Eldoret, Kenya
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Haramaya Institute of Technology, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
ABSTRACT: Biomass is one of the best and widest areas that has attracted the world’s attention as regards the
production of energy from renewable sources. A large proportion of world energy sources is renewable energy.
Improved biomass cookstoves are recently developed devices for domestic cooking utilizing biomass as fuel
through gasification. In Ethiopia, biomass is the most widely used source of energy for cooking and heating
applications. This study attempted to enhance the thermal efficiency of domestic cookstoves used in Ethiopia.
The developed model was tested experimentally using the water boiling testing protocol (WBT). Results showed
that the stove had a thermal efficiency of 45.17%, with specific fuel consumption of 11.53 g/L and 43–48 minutes
of cooking time. The mathematical model was implemented and validated, and the experimental results showed
that there was an improvement of the stove, as well as reduced fuel consumption and cooking time.
1 INTRODUCTION
Most of the world’s population in low- and middleincome countries still relies on solid fuels (wood,
animal dung, charcoal, crop wastes, and coal) which
are burnt inefficiently (Quinn et al., 2018). Starting
in the last decade, using solid biomass as a fuel for
domestic cooking applications has become a common
practice, especially for people who live in rural areas.
In most developing countries, more than 50% of the
population depends on the traditional use of biomass
(Bombaerts, Jenkins, , Sanusi, & Guoyu, 2019; Njiru
& Letema, 2018; Sime, Tilahun, & Kebede, 2020).
More specifically, in Sub-Saharan Africa, around
753 million people (i.e., 80% of the population) use
biomass as an energy source (Adem et al., 2019).
Harmful emissions from traditional biomass cookstoves causes around 4 million deaths per year globally
(Samal, Mishra, Mukherjee, & Das, 2019). Ethiopia is
one of those developing countries and more than 95%
∗ Corresponding author
of the country’s population relies on biomass feedstocks (Khatiwada, Purohit, & Purohit, 2019). This
shows that most of the country’s population does not
have electricity. Therefore, biomass is the basic energy
resource in the country (Bantelay, 2014). Mostly, they
use three stone cookstoves to prepare their meal (Adem
et al., 2019). Due to its simplicity, a three-stone open
firing continues to be used for cooking and heating
purposes (Jewitt, Atagher, & Clifford, 2020; Shiferaw,
2011). The use of inefficient combustion cookstoves
expose individuals to indoor air pollution. Due to deficient ventilation, it has a negative health impact on the
end-users, especially women and children (Bantelay,
2014; Jewitt et al., 2020). Globally, 3 billion people are
exposed to household air pollution caused by solid fuel
combustion (Pratiti, Vadala, Kalynych, & Sud, 2020).
Using biomass as a fuel will not end, but the technology will be upgraded for the future (Sutar, Kohli,
Ravi, & Ray, 2015). To reduce hazards caused by the
burning of solid biomass using traditional inefficient
cookstoves, cleaner and modern household cookstoves
are being developed in advance to produce clean gases
(Venkataraman, Sagar, Habib, Lam, & Smith, 2010).
DOI 10.1201/9781003221968-33
241
Industrial Growth – Nzila et al. (Eds)
© 2022 Copyright the Author(s), ISBN: 978-1-032-11871-0
Open Access: www.taylorfrancis.com, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license
Experimental investigation of thermal efficiency enhancement of improved
biomass cookstoves
Waganesh Admase Wagaye ∗
Department of Mechanical, Production and Energy Engineering, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia
Africa Center of Excellence II in Phytochemicals, Textiles and Renewable Energy (ACE II PTRE), Moi University,
Eldoret, Kenya
Meseret Biazen Belete
Department of Mechanical, Production and Energy Engineering, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
Africa Center of Excellence II in Phytochemicals, Textiles and Renewable Energy (ACE II PTRE), Moi University,
Eldoret, Kenya
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Haramaya Institute of Technology, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
ABSTRACT: Biomass is one of the best and widest areas that has attracted the world’s attention as regards the
production of energy from renewable sources. A large proportion of world energy sources is renewable energy.
Improved biomass cookstoves are recently developed devices for domestic cooking utilizing biomass as fuel
through gasification. In Ethiopia, biomass is the most widely used source of energy for cooking and heating
applications. This study attempted to enhance the thermal efficiency of domestic cookstoves used in Ethiopia.
The developed model was tested experimentally using the water boiling testing protocol (WBT). Results showed
that the stove had a thermal efficiency of 45.17%, with specific fuel consumption of 11.53 g/L and 43–48 minutes
of cooking time. The mathematical model was implemented and validated, and the experimental results showed
that there was an improvement of the stove, as well as reduced fuel consumption and cooking time.
1 INTRODUCTION
Most of the world’s population in low- and middleincome countries still relies on solid fuels (wood,
animal dung, charcoal, crop wastes, and coal) which
are burnt inefficiently (Quinn et al., 2018). Starting
in the last decade, using solid biomass as a fuel for
domestic cooking applications has become a common
practice, especially for people who live in rural areas.
In most developing countries, more than 50% of the
population depends on the traditional use of biomass
(Bombaerts, Jenkins, , Sanusi, & Guoyu, 2019; Njiru
& Letema, 2018; Sime, Tilahun, & Kebede, 2020).
More specifically, in Sub-Saharan Africa, around
753 million people (i.e., 80% of the population) use
biomass as an energy source (Adem et al., 2019).
Harmful emissions from traditional biomass cookstoves causes around 4 million deaths per year globally
(Samal, Mishra, Mukherjee, & Das, 2019). Ethiopia is
one of those developing countries and more than 95%
∗ Corresponding author
of the country’s population relies on biomass feedstocks (Khatiwada, Purohit, & Purohit, 2019). This
shows that most of the country’s population does not
have electricity. Therefore, biomass is the basic energy
resource in the country (Bantelay, 2014). Mostly, they
use three stone cookstoves to prepare their meal (Adem
et al., 2019). Due to its simplicity, a three-stone open
firing continues to be used for cooking and heating
purposes (Jewitt, Atagher, & Clifford, 2020; Shiferaw,
2011). The use of inefficient combustion cookstoves
expose individuals to indoor air pollution. Due to deficient ventilation, it has a negative health impact on the
end-users, especially women and children (Bantelay,
2014; Jewitt et al., 2020). Globally, 3 billion people are
exposed to household air pollution caused by solid fuel
combustion (Pratiti, Vadala, Kalynych, & Sud, 2020).
Using biomass as a fuel will not end, but the technology will be upgraded for the future (Sutar, Kohli,
Ravi, & Ray, 2015). To reduce hazards caused by the
burning of solid biomass using traditional inefficient
cookstoves, cleaner and modern household cookstoves
are being developed in advance to produce clean gases
(Venkataraman, Sagar, Habib, Lam, & Smith, 2010).
DOI 10.1201/9781003221968-33
241