Global Dimension in Engineering Education Improved Cookstoves Assessment Mike Clifford, University Of Nottingham This project is funded by The European Union

Global Dimension in Engineering Education T ABLE OF C ONTENTS  I NTRODUCTION  Open fires for cooking  Health and environmental impacts  “Improved cookstoves”  CASE STUDIES  Household Rocket Stove  Rwandan Improved Canamake (RIC)  Gasifier Stove  Charcoal Beehive Briquette Stove  Solar Cookers  Biofuel Stoves  Jiko Stoves  A CTIVITIES – CLASS AND HOMEWORK

Global Dimension in Engineering Education INTRODUCTION  2.7 billion people rely on open fires for cooking  The resultant indoor air pollution is responsible for an estimated 4 million deaths each year  In some areas, the collection of wood for use as a fuel exacerbates deforestation  Open fires contribute around one third of global carbon monoxide emissions

Global Dimension in Engineering Education S MOKE / PARTICULATES ARE ONE CAUSE FOR CONCERN

Global Dimension in Engineering Education H EALTH IMPACTS Stove Type / interventionPM 2.5 µg/m 3 Open fire1000+ Chimney400 Improved stove380 Gas280 Ethanol120 Electric80 WHO short-term exposure guideline35 WHO annual air quality guideline10

Global Dimension in Engineering Education A CUTE LOWER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS IN CHILDHOOD open fire ethanol gas Improved stove chimney electric WHO Air Quality Guidelines

Global Dimension in Engineering Education E NVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Global Dimension in Engineering Education I MPROVED STOVES  Many “improved” stoves exist designed to burn biomass fuels more cleanly and efficiently  Different approaches and methods tried by charities, governments and private institutions since 1970s  These have advantages and disadvantages  Reasons for success/failure include cost of the new stoves, cultural resistance to change, experience with previous “development” projects, lack of fuel, failure to understand users’ needs, too much reliance on the attraction of new technologies rather than what is actually needed

Global Dimension in Engineering Education H OUSEHOLD ROCKET STOVE Advantages:  Efficient with high performance  Heat loss is minimal  Portable  Uses less fuelwood than other cookstoves Disadvantages:  Concern over urban household use, where fuelwood is not readily available  Concern surrounding the promotion of a fuelwood cooking device  Stove cannot be left unattended while in use

Global Dimension in Engineering Education T HE R WANDAN I MPROVED C ANAMAKE  Conical, ceramic-lined stove with two variants of pot rest – metal or clay  Cost 6.5 USD each, built by local cooperatives, local workers/artisans trained to make the kilns/moulds  Resulted in a 35% reduction in indoor air pollution and a 40% reduction in charcoal use, in comparison with the common cookstove, where they have been implemented in Rwanda

Global Dimension in Engineering Education G ASIFIER S TOVE Advantages:  Efficient with high performance  Heat loss is minimal  Portable  Recycling – wood to charcoal Disadvantages:  Difficulty in refilling fuel immediately after the initial fuel input burns out  Fuelwood needs to be cut to a certain size to fit to the combustion chamber of the stove  Height of stove in relation to its light mass makes it liable to tipping  Concern over urban household use, where fuelwood is not readily available  Concern surrounding the promotion of a fuelwood cooking device

Global Dimension in Engineering Education C HARCOAL B EEHIVE B RIQUETTE S TOVE Advantages:  Well-designed, aesthetic quality  Heat loss is very minima  Portable  Practical for slow cooking practices  Once ignited it doesn’t need any attendance by the user to function Disadvantages:  Time to pre-heat the briquettes  Time igniting the fuel  Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) – high cost of collection of raw materials, wear and tear of screw and barrel, localised environmental impacts due to emission of CO, CO2, SOx, air pollution during production, and lack of government commitment to technology

Global Dimension in Engineering Education S OLAR COOKER Advantages:  No fuel costs, no collecting fuel  Zero smoke / pollution  Constant temperature Disadvantages:  Can be difficult to use  Safety concerns  May need to be adjusted during cooking to follow the sun  Food might taste different  Can only be used when the sun is shining

Global Dimension in Engineering Education B IOFUEL STOVES Advantages:  Lower levels of pollution (PM2.5 / smoke)  Faster to cook food than wood Disadvantages:  Expensive  Fuel vs food issues  May not be appropriate to cook certain foods

Global Dimension in Engineering Education B IOFUEL STOVES  A ceramic liner fitted inside a metal case.  Burns 25 to 40 per cent less charcoal than the traditional stoves on which its design was based.

Global Dimension in Engineering Education C LASS A CTIVITY  You are asked to evaluate a real life improved cookstove project in groups of approximately 4. You can choose one of the examples described, or a different one based on your own research or your lecturers ideas  A poster is to be produced and a 5min presentation carried out by each group.  The project / technology should be evaluated using the criteria / questions outlined in the class handout – based on technological, social and health / safety

Global Dimension in Engineering Education H OMEWORK A CTIVITY  In groups of approximately 4, you are asked to design and manufacture a simple cooking stove and to (safely) cook and share a meal produced using the stove.  Stoves designs could be based on available plans for a rocket stove, or for a solar cooker, depending on the location of the class. Construction should use locally available / recycled materials and simple tools only. A risk assessment should be completed by the students for the activity.  Participation and culture are key to this activity. How will the tasks be divided up? Will the group approach the task from the perspective of the stove or from the perspective of the food? Will gender stereotypes be reinforced – i.e. will female members of the group be expected to prepare the food / cook the meal?