Efficiency test of different charcoal cooking stoves commonly used in Uganda

Abstract

Charcoal cooking accounts for a large portion of Uganda’s energy usage and leads to severe economic, health and environmental hardships. Several organizations are looking to fuel efficient charcoal cook stoves to help solve the problem however, reliable performance data is needed for cook stove distributors to select stoves. In this study, three charcoal cook stoves intended for dissemination in Nagongera, Eastern Uganda were rigorously assessed and compared using Boiling test method and constant heat method. Each cook stove was tested for specific fuel consumption, thermal efficiency and combustion efficiency. It was found that although traditional stove had a comparable, if not better combustion than the improved stoves, its poor thermal efficiency meant that all improved stoves save fuel on average over the traditional with the majority also reducing the total emissions released. Through the testing, the number of trials conducted was found to be an important consideration for error analysis. Also, noticeable differences in stove performance were seen between boiling test method and constant heat method indicating the potential necessity to use both types of protocols for scientific comparisons.