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The new developments in cookstove design have been made for better usage of sustainable energy and reducing the worse impact of climate change on environment. A cookstove is a combustion device which liberates lot of heat energy during cooking. In the recent developed design of TEG integrated forced draft biomass cookstove, the liberated waste heat energy is utilized for generation of electricity with the help of a thermoelectric generator. A power of 5W is achieved through the thermoelectric generator. The generated electricity is stored in a Li-ion battery and used further for running a 12Vd.c. fan, lighting a LED light, and charging a mobile phone. The novelty in charging a Li-ion battery is to run a fan for domestic biomass cookstove for cleaner combustion. The fan is also used for cooling one side of TEG through heat sink for improving electrical performance of TEG and thus improving the combustion of the cookstove. This cookstove has been deployed in the rural areas to check its usability, viability, electrical and thermal performance under the umbrella of clean combustion.

No abstract

This paper signifies a method of development of a forced draft biomass cook stove for off-grid rural areas where the technology of thermoelectric generator has been implemented for electricity generation. The thermoelectric generator is a semiconductor device that converts heat energy directly to electrical energy. The thermoelectric generator is positioned on outer wall of the cook stove's combustion chamber. The biomass, that is burnt inside the combustion chamber heats one side of the thermoelectric generator. The temperature difference between the two sides of the thermoelectric generator causes for electricity generation. The electricity generated from the thermoelectric generator is used to run a DC fan. The excess energy generated from the thermoelectric generator is stored in a rechargeable battery. The energy from the battery is used for multipurpose applications like lighting a LED lamp, charging a mobile phone battery and kick starting of the fan when the temperature of the flame is low during ignition period. The main purpose of the DC fan is to supply air inside the combustion chamber to increase fuel-to-air ratio and to achieve a cleaner fuel burning by reducing harmful emissions. The fan also cools one side of the thermoelectric generator to produce greater temperature difference. The temperature difference between the two sides of the thermoelectric generator is directly proportional to electricity generated. The performances of the 25 stove were evaluated on the basis of feedback from the stove users.

A prototype is developed for thermoelectric power generator module integrated with a double chambered forced draft cookstove. A module of an appropriate rating is chosen for the testing and then power generation is observed. The voltage generated is further stepped-up using a DC-DC step-up converter to run a DC brushless fan of 5V, 0.3A. The fan serves two tasks, first is to cool the one side of thermoelectric power generator and second is to supply the air to the combustion chamber of cookstove. The air is directed to the combustion chamber through a duct which increases the air-to-fuel ratio which helps for a cleaner combustion. A net output of 4W is generated from the thermoelectric power generator.