EFFECT OF SKIRT WIDTHS ON COOKING TEMPERATURE AND TIME

Abstract

Combustion is the most direct process for converting biomass into usable energy and is currently the most common energy conversion method. Rural areas in developing countries mostly depend on traditional fuels like fire wood and cow dung for cooking and heating. These resulted many adverse effects on environment and human health. In this study the performance of wood burning stoves with the skirts of different diameters was tested under optimal conditions with the same metal pots (S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5), and the same types of primary fuel wood. Four of them used with skirts of different diameters (24cm(S2), 28cm(S3), 32cm(S4), and 36cm(S5))were considered to estimate maximum food temperatures (Tmax), onset cooking times (ti) and times it maintained temperature above 75℃ (). These were determined indirectly by cooking rice and by measuring temperature and times. The results were analyzed both mathematically and statistically. For the stove bodies and smoke outlets were analyzed graphically. The results of the study are given as follows. In terms of ti and Δt the ANOVA test shows significant differences at 0.05 level. In both cases pair comparisons show differences between S2 and S4 and S2 and S5. No such differences were observed among treatments as far as maximum temperatures are concerned. Stove body and stove smoke outlet temperatures were maximum for S2. More tests are needed with insulated skirts.