Thermal performance of the “Rohini”—An improved wood cookstove

Abstract

A detailed thermal analysis of the “Rohini”, a new damperless, three-pot, L-shaped improved cooking stove, developed by the authors, is reported. The stove was designed for an optimum power output at a wood-burning rate of 1.0 kg/h, which is the average rating of the stove used in rural areas. The performance of this stove has been evaluated at different power outputs. The study shows that the thermal efficiency of the stove is not unduly affected by operation at burning rates lower than the design value but shows a fall at the higher burning rate of 1.5 kg/h. The rate of heat gained by the individual pots and the various heat losses, such as convection, radiation and flue gas losses, at different burning rates, are also discussed. This study shows that widespread use of this stove in India could save nearly 150 MT wood/yr.