Difference between revisions of "Alcohol Stoves"

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==&gt; [[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium|Back to Overview GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium ]]<br>
 
  
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[[File:GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium small.png|left|831px|GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium|alt=GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium small.png|link=GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium]]<br/><br/><!--
  
= 1. Cooking with Alcohol Fuels  =
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-->{{#ifeq: {{#show: {{PAGENAME}} |?Hera category}} | Policy Advice |'''[[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Policy Advice on Cooking Energy|Policy Advice]]''' {{!}} | [[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Policy Advice on Cooking Energy|Policy Advice]] {{!}} | }} <!--
  
== Cooking with methanol  ==
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-->{{#ifeq: {{#show: {{PAGENAME}} |?Hera category}} | Planning |'''[[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Planning Cooking Energy Interventions|Planning]]''' {{!}} | [[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Planning Cooking Energy Interventions|Planning]] {{!}} | }} <!--
  
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-->{{#ifeq: {{#show: {{PAGENAME}} |?Hera category}} | ICS Supply |'''[[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Designing and Implementing Improved Cookstoves .28ICS.29 Supply Interventions|Designing and Implementing ICS Supply]]''' {{!}} | [[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Designing and Implementing Improved Cookstoves .28ICS.29 Supply Interventions|Designing and Implementing ICS Supply]] {{!}} | }} <!--
  
== Cooking with ethanol  ==
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Ethanol and Methanol are like plant oil liquid biofuels generated from agricultural products. However, the difference is that ethanol and methanol for cooking purposes can not be produced (economically) at smallholder level. Thus access to ethanol would be as commercial as the purchase of kerosene or LPG.
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Bio-ethanol is obtained by converting carbon-based feed stocks from agriculture; thus it is a renewable source of energy. Several crops can be used as feedstock; including sugar cane, maize, cassava, and sweet potato. Various types of cellulose waste and agricultural residues can also be converted – particularly wastes from sugar cane. Ethanol is produced by the process of microbial fermentation, during which glucose molecules are broken up producing ethanol and carbon dioxide. Water presents in the system results in a mix that is around 95% ethanol and 5% water. This can be used in stoves, but not when ethanol is used as a transport fuel. The purified ethanol can be used either directly in a stove, or it can be thickened and used as gel. In Brazil, ethanol produced from sugar cane has been used as a supplement for petrol almost 30 years and annual production is about 16 billion litres. It is blended with petrol and saves significant amounts of oil.
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-->{{#ifeq: {{#show: {{PAGENAME}} |?Hera category}} | Extra |'''[[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Climate Change Related Issues|Extra]]''' | [[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Climate Change Related Issues|Extra]] }}<br/>
  
Methanol is another potential household fuel. Where natural gas is available, it can be produced at a fraction of the cost of ethanol. To date, development of this fuel for household energy is still in its infancy.
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= Introduction =
  
Ethanol and methanol burn much more cleanly than kerosene, Provided that ethanol or methanol has been adequately (or fully) distilled, it contains only minute amounts of impurities, along with some additional water, making it very clean.  
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Stoves fueled with alcohol (ethanol and methanol) are not widely used in households. They are mainly used in areas where such stoves and fuels have been fostered and promoted by studies and projects.
  
The advantage of cleanleness comes at the expense of strengh. Ethanol stoves are good for keeping food warm, but are commonly not strong enough for the preparation of larger portions of food.
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= Cooking with Alcohol Stoves =
  
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A stove to burn alcohol fuels can be very simple. It can be made relatively cheaply in countries with industries producing articles such as aluminium pots, etc.
  
=== Experiences on cooking with ethanol  ===
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==== CleanCook ethanol stove  ====
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The main components of the burner are shown here<ref>http://www.hedon.info/BP33_EthanolStovesForMauritius?bl=y</ref>:
  
The Gaia-Project has developed the “CleanCook-Stove”, a two-burner ethanol stove for households. It is a non-pressurized alcohol stove with a refillable fuel canister that contains a permanent, porous, refractory mass that absorbs and retains its liquid fuel in a manner that prevents spilling, leaking, fires and explosions. The ethanol and methanol (denatured to prevent ingestion) can be used as a mix in any proportions. When ethanol burns outside of its bounds, it burns lazily, taking on excess air. Both ethanol and methanol are safer than kerosene because they are miscible with water, and therefore easily extinguishable by water.&nbsp;
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<span style="color: rgb(255,0,0)">[[File:Components of a non pressure ethanol stove.png|313px|RTENOTITLE]]</span><br/>
  
<br>[[Image:Hedon1.JPG|left|Hedon1.JPG]]
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In the households studied in Ethiopia, the CleanCook became the stove of choice, except for baking the local bread – injera. Pilot projects started in 2005, and it is hoped that the first commercial project will commence in 2008.<br>([http://www.bioenergylists.org/en/taxonomy/term/159 http://www.bioenergylists.org/en/taxonomy/term/159] and [http://www.projectgaia.com/ www.projectgaia.com])&nbsp;
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Alcohol stoves have a very clean combustion, emit no soot and negligible emissions. Cooking is very fast as heat is available instantly after ignition of the fuel.
  
In Brazil the stove was tested by 100 households, mainly in the vicinity of ethanol distilleries to assure continuous and convenient availability of the fuel. The main fuels used by the households before the study commenced were LPG and fuelwood. In general, the stove was well-received by the participants and they felt that, in terms of cooking time and cost, it was superior to LPG. Numerous families talked of being able to buy ethanol in small quantities, which suited their household economics better than saving for the refueling the LPG cylinder.<br>For further information see [http://www.projectgaia.org/ www.projectgaia.org]
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For further advantages and disadvantes of alcohol as a fuel see also the article on<span style="color:#FF0000">[[Cooking with Ethanol and Methanol|Cooking with Ethanol and Methanol.]]</span>
  
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Source:''HEDON/Boiling Point''
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= Experiences of Cooking with Ethanol Stoves<br/> =
  
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One of the pioneering efforts in use of low concentration ethanol for cooking and lighting <ref>[http://nariphaltan.org/ruralethanol.pdf Ethano fuel for rural households]</ref><ref>[http://www.nariphaltan.org/ethstove.pdf Development of low concentration ethanol stove]</ref> was done in early 2000s by Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute<ref>[http://nariphaltan.org Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute]</ref> in India.<br/>
  
=== Additional information resources on ethanol ===
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The most documented ethanol stove model is the [http://stoves.projectgaia.com/page.php?page=stoverview CleanCook Stove] by [http://cleancook.com/about-us/ CleanCook Sweden AB,] which is produced in South Africa and promoted mainly by Project Gaia.<br/>
  
HEDON Household Energy Network <br>This network provides information on all aspect of ethanol as a household fuel. Visit&nbsp;[http://www.hedon.info/ http://www.hedon.info/] and type ‘Ethanol’ in the search box.<br>  
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The "CleanCook" Stove is available as a single or double-burner model for households and institutions. It is made from aluminium or stainless steel. The CleanCook is a non-pressurized alcohol stove with a refillable fuel canister of a capacity of 1,2 liters.<ref name="http://cleancook.com/productsstove-sales/">http://cleancook.com/productsstove-sales/</ref> The canister contains a porous fiber that adsorbs alcohol and retains it in a manner that prevents spills, leaks, fires and explosions.<ref name="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Gaia#The_CleanCook_Stove">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Gaia#The_CleanCook_Stove</ref> The power output per burner is rated at 1.8 kW at maximum heat, allowing for a cooking time of 4-5 hours. It can burn ethanol and methanol.<ref name="http://cleancook.com/productsstove-sales/">http://cleancook.com/productsstove-sales/</ref><br/>
  
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Up to 2019, 75,000 cleancook stoves have been provided, mainly in Africa.<ref name="http://cleancook.com/about-us/">http://cleancook.com/about-us/</ref><br/>
  
= 2. Cooking with Plant Oils  =
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[[File:Hedon1.JPG|left|159px|Hedon1.JPG|alt=Hedon1.JPG]]
  
''“Instead of cutting down trees for firewood, the smallholder farmer is growing crops with oil seeds which he is harvesting every year. By pressing the oil, he is generating plant oil which he can either sell to the world market or use for his own cooking needs. Thus he is protecting the environment, cooking on a powerful modern fuel and is improving his income situation”.''
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Project Gaia and its Ethiopian sister organization, Gaia Association, have lab and field tested alcohol stoves since 2005. To date, alcohol stoves have been used by households in Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa, Malawi, Madagascar, Mozambique, Vietnam, Brazil and Haiti. Click [http://www.projectgaia.com/page.php?page=resources here] to access country study/project reports. The largest number of households using alcohol stoves is in the UNHCR refugee camps near Jijiga, Eastern Ethiopia where more than 4,000<span style="color:#FF0000"></span> households rely on the CleanCook stove and ethanol fuel as their main source of energy. The UNHCR now aims to scale up to provide ethanol cookstoves and fuel to up to 27,678 households by 2017.<ref name="http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=541b5acf6da7c1b89cf4193b7&id=849ff674b0&e=da11811f02">http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=541b5acf6da7c1b89cf4193b7&id=849ff674b0&e=da11811f02</ref>
  
This is the kind of vision that is driving the projects which are promoting the use of plant oil for cooking (in the meaning of “fuel for food”-preparation). However, the topic of liquid biofuels has become subject to a hot debate (“food versus fuel”), though rather concerning the production for the world market. The focus of this section of the compendium is on the domestic use of plant oil for cooking only. The section comprises (a) the production of plant oil as well as (b) the use of plant oil for cooking.  
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Project Gaia currently leads four community-based, small-scale ethanol distillation projects in Ethiopia. Also in Brazil and Haiti microdistillery projects are being implemented. These projects aim to allow communities to produce clean cooking fuel using local feedstocks, simultaneously adding value to agricultural markets by taking advantage of co-products of the distillation process<ref>http://www.projectgaia.com/index.php</ref>.
  
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[http://www.blueflame.no Blue Flame Stoves AS] (Norway) also offer&nbsp;ethanol stoves with single and double burner, mainly for the African Market. [[File:Blueflame ethanol burners.png|right|200pxpx|link=https://www.blueflame.no/our-products/]]They are developed by the Norwegian research & design company Abry & Kavanagh Design AS, and have been manufactured under license in China since 2014. Up until 2019, over 55,000 stoves have been distributed under the Safi brand in Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar through their partners. SeTAR in South Africa and KEBS in Kenya tested them. The stoves are approved for Green Development’s Carbon Credit program in Madagascar authorized by the World Bank, and field tested by UNCHR in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. In addition, Green Development have in partnership with Samsung Electronics, delivered over 20,000 SAFI branded stoves in Kenya.<ref name="https://www.blueflame.no/our-products/">https://www.blueflame.no/our-products/</ref>
  
== <br>The production of plant oil  ==
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= Further Information<br/> =
  
A broad variety of oil plants grow in the tropics and subtropics that can be used as renewable fuel sources. Examples of plants whose oils are suitable as fuels include; several species of castor oil plants - such as the physic nut (Jatropha), coconut, cotton seed, corn, and soy beans. <br>In the view of the current debate, smallholder farmers have to make decisions on the use of their resources based on their own knowledge and perception of opportunities and risks. As with any other cash crop, farmers perceive competing options:
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*[[Cooking with Ethanol and Methanol|Cooking with Ethanol and Methanol]], article on energypedia
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*[http://hedon.info/ HEDON Household Energy Network]: This network provides information on all aspect of ethanol as a household fuel
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*The [http://cleancookstoves.org/technology-and-fuels/fuels/ ‘Cookstove Fuels’] section of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves
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*[https://projectgaia.com/ Project Gaia homepage]
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*[https://projectgaia.com/ten-years-in-ethiopia/ Ten Years in Ethiopia: A look back at the last decade.] Project Gaia (January 2015)
  
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*Food versus Fuel: the same crop can be consumed as food or used for fuel for cooking;
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= References =
*Cash versus Fuel: the same crop can be used for cash income (e.g. soap making) or as fuel for cooking;
 
*Seed versus Fuel: a special form of “cash versus fuel” is the use of e.g. Jatropha seed as a commodity sold for planting rather than for producing oil. This is a particular problem in expansion phases where the value of seed used as planting material is considerably higher as compared to the value of the same seed as raw material for oil.
 
*Competition for land: the same piece of land can be used to grow a fuel crop or any other crop (e.g. food or cash crop)
 
*Competition for water: for irrigated production and limited access to water, the scarce resource can be applied to grow various products.
 
  
The mode of production of oil plants can accommodate some of the concerns above:
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This article was originally published by [http://www.giz.de/fachexpertise/html/2769.html GIZ HERA]. It is basically based on experiences, lessons learned and information gathered by GIZ cook stove projects. You can find more information about the authors and experts of the original “Cooking Energy Compendium” in the [[Imprint - GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium|Imprint]].
  
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*Intercropping: e.g. jatropha trees are planted within the food producing fields with enough space between them to allow enough light for the food crops;
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*Fieldside cropping: e.g. jatropha is planted as a hedge around fields or around the house.
 
*Use of degraded land: e.g. jatropha grown on land which is no longer suitable for crop production (with lower yields of crop)
 
  
The processing of oil at smallholder level is another important area to be observed. It comprises both the pressing of the oil as well as the filtering of fiber out of the oil.
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== <br>The use of plant oil for cooking  ==
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[[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium|--> Back to Overview GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium]]
  
Plant oil differs from other liquids when used for cooking:
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{{#set: Hera category=Cooking Energy System}}
  
*'''Safety''': Plant oil is has a high viscosity and a higher flamepoint as compared to kerosene. For the user, this has the advantage of safety (it does not ignite spontaneously and is not so explosive when spilled).
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[[Category:Bioalcohol]]
*'''Smell''': Most plantoils also do not emmit undesirable (it does not smell as intensive as kerosene).
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[[Category:Cookstoves]]
*'''Pre-heating''': This advantage comes to the expense that it usually needs to be preheated with another fuel (e.g. ethanol or methanol) in order to be ignited. This pre-heating is another cost factor and it consumes time.
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[[Category:Cooking_Energy_Compendium_(GIZ_HERA)]]
*'''Fast cooking''': Plant oil has a high energy content (only 5% less than kerosene). Hence it produces a powerfull flame if used in a pressurised stove. Cooking large quantities can be managed fast.&nbsp;
 
*'''Simmering''': The linked disadvantage is that it is difficult to simmer as in a pressurised system it is difficult to regulate the plant-oil supply down to a small heat.
 
*'''Cleaning''': Plant-oils contain – dependent on the kind of oil and the quality of the filter method applied – a certain amount of fibre. As the oil is burned as gas, the fibre remains behind and tends to cloque the burner (depending on the type of stove). The results into regular cleaning requirements.
 
*'''Noise''': if burned in a pressurised system, cooking on plant oil can be quite noisy (like a vacuumcleaner next to your ear).
 
 
 
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== Experiences on cooking with plant oil  ==
 
 
 
During the last decades, projects have sought to design household appliances for cooking and heating that use plant oil. Until recently, none of them got beyond the test phase. <br>Some of the reasons for the past failure of plant oil cookers are:
 
 
 
*Plant oil cookers have a rather complicated design which is not easy to construct;
 
*They may require ongoing maintenance;&nbsp;
 
*Production of plant oil is labour-intensive and expensive;
 
*The use of some plant oils as fuels competes with other uses, such as food crops, soap production etc., which are more profitable.&nbsp;
 
*In most cases, production of fuelwood is much easier and much cheaper than production of plant oil.
 
 
 
BSH (Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH) designed a plant oil cooker named "Protos" that can use a variety of vegetable oils; even oils that have been used for frying. The stove can be used by households and by small enterprises such as restaurants. It has been tested in the Philippines and in Tanzania and is now ready for market introduction. The Protos will be first produced in Indonesia.&nbsp;For further details and pictures see [http://www.plantoilcooker.com http://www.plantoilcooker.com].
 
 
 
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== Additional information resources on plant oil  ==
 
 
 
Reinhard K. Henning (2006): [http://www.underutilized-species.org/Documents/PUBLICATIONS/jatropha_curcas_africa.pdf Jatropha curcas L. in Africa]. Assessment of the impact of the dissemination of “the Jatropha System” on the ecology of the rural area and the social and economic situation of the rural population (target group) in selected countries in Africa<br>This paper gives a good overview on production of the Physic Nut in Africa and the variety of its use. Special attention is paid the use of plant oil as a fuel. An overview of existing cooker models is given including technical details. <br>[http://www.underutilized-species.org/Documents/PUBLICATIONS/jatropha_curcas_africa.pdf http://www.underutilized-species.org/Documents/PUBLICATIONS/jatropha_curcas_africa.pdf] &nbsp;
 
 
 
'''The Jatropha System - An Integrated Approach of Rural Development in Tropical &amp; Subtropical Countries <br>'''The very comprehensive homepage provides a good overview of the role of Jatropha in different countries, technical aspects of oil extraction, different cooker models developed so far, a selection of projects working in the field of Jatropha use as well as a large amount of literature on the issue. <br>[http://www.jatropha.de/ http://www.jatropha.de/]<br>
 
 
 
'''The Protos plant oil cooker'''. Additional information regarding this stove can be found at: <br>[http://www.bsh-group.com/index.php?109906 http://www.bsh-group.com/index.php?109906]  
 
 
 
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[[Category:Cooking]] [[Category:Biogas]] [[Category:Cooking_Energy_Compendium]]
 

Latest revision as of 17:16, 2 March 2020

GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium small.png



Cooking Energy System | Basics | Policy Advice | Planning | Designing and Implementing ICS Supply | Designing and Implementing Woodfuel Supply | Climate Change | Extra

Introduction

Stoves fueled with alcohol (ethanol and methanol) are not widely used in households. They are mainly used in areas where such stoves and fuels have been fostered and promoted by studies and projects.


Cooking with Alcohol Stoves

A stove to burn alcohol fuels can be very simple. It can be made relatively cheaply in countries with industries producing articles such as aluminium pots, etc.


The main components of the burner are shown here[1]:

RTENOTITLE


Alcohol stoves have a very clean combustion, emit no soot and negligible emissions. Cooking is very fast as heat is available instantly after ignition of the fuel.

For further advantages and disadvantes of alcohol as a fuel see also the article onCooking with Ethanol and Methanol.



Experiences of Cooking with Ethanol Stoves

One of the pioneering efforts in use of low concentration ethanol for cooking and lighting [2][3] was done in early 2000s by Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute[4] in India.

The most documented ethanol stove model is the CleanCook Stove by CleanCook Sweden AB, which is produced in South Africa and promoted mainly by Project Gaia.

The "CleanCook" Stove is available as a single or double-burner model for households and institutions. It is made from aluminium or stainless steel. The CleanCook is a non-pressurized alcohol stove with a refillable fuel canister of a capacity of 1,2 liters.[5] The canister contains a porous fiber that adsorbs alcohol and retains it in a manner that prevents spills, leaks, fires and explosions.[6] The power output per burner is rated at 1.8 kW at maximum heat, allowing for a cooking time of 4-5 hours. It can burn ethanol and methanol.[5]

Up to 2019, 75,000 cleancook stoves have been provided, mainly in Africa.[7]

Hedon1.JPG

Project Gaia and its Ethiopian sister organization, Gaia Association, have lab and field tested alcohol stoves since 2005. To date, alcohol stoves have been used by households in Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa, Malawi, Madagascar, Mozambique, Vietnam, Brazil and Haiti. Click here to access country study/project reports. The largest number of households using alcohol stoves is in the UNHCR refugee camps near Jijiga, Eastern Ethiopia where more than 4,000 households rely on the CleanCook stove and ethanol fuel as their main source of energy. The UNHCR now aims to scale up to provide ethanol cookstoves and fuel to up to 27,678 households by 2017.[8]

Project Gaia currently leads four community-based, small-scale ethanol distillation projects in Ethiopia. Also in Brazil and Haiti microdistillery projects are being implemented. These projects aim to allow communities to produce clean cooking fuel using local feedstocks, simultaneously adding value to agricultural markets by taking advantage of co-products of the distillation process[9].


Blue Flame Stoves AS (Norway) also offer ethanol stoves with single and double burner, mainly for the African Market.

Blueflame ethanol burners.png

They are developed by the Norwegian research & design company Abry & Kavanagh Design AS, and have been manufactured under license in China since 2014. Up until 2019, over 55,000 stoves have been distributed under the Safi brand in Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar through their partners. SeTAR in South Africa and KEBS in Kenya tested them. The stoves are approved for Green Development’s Carbon Credit program in Madagascar authorized by the World Bank, and field tested by UNCHR in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. In addition, Green Development have in partnership with Samsung Electronics, delivered over 20,000 SAFI branded stoves in Kenya.[10]

Further Information


References

This article was originally published by GIZ HERA. It is basically based on experiences, lessons learned and information gathered by GIZ cook stove projects. You can find more information about the authors and experts of the original “Cooking Energy Compendium” in the Imprint.



Top of the page

--> Back to Overview GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium