Methods for particulate matter emissions reduction in wood burning cookstoves
Date
2015
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
About 3 billion people cook by burning biomass. Most use inefficient cooking technologies that lead to high levels of domestic air pollution. This results in tremendous damages to human and environmental health. For example, in 2012 the World Health Organization estimated that 4.3 million people died prematurely from illnesses attributable to inefficient household use of biomass fuels.
Colorado State University's cookstove laboratory has challenged this global problem by developing technology that reduces Particulate Matter (PM) emissions by over 80% from wood burning rocket elbow cookstoves, and by over 90% from traditional cookstoves.
To achieve this reduction, the effects of exhaust gas recirculation and ambient air injection on PM emissions were evaluated experimentally. Exhaust gas recirculation significant decreases in PM emissions through the mechanisms of oxygen and particle recirculation, and enhanced mixing. However, for the case of the approximately 3kW rocket elbow cookstoves, ambient air injection was found to outperform exhaust gas recirculation.
In order to design air injection technology that effectively reduced emissions, significant effort was put towards optimization of the injection location, injection angle, nozzle geometry and flow rates. Ultimately, a robust and effective air injection design that approaches IWA Tier 4 PM pollution standards is recommended for use in a commercial product.
Colorado State University's cookstove laboratory has challenged this global problem by developing technology that reduces Particulate Matter (PM) emissions by over 80% from wood burning rocket elbow cookstoves, and by over 90% from traditional cookstoves.
To achieve this reduction, the effects of exhaust gas recirculation and ambient air injection on PM emissions were evaluated experimentally. Exhaust gas recirculation significant decreases in PM emissions through the mechanisms of oxygen and particle recirculation, and enhanced mixing. However, for the case of the approximately 3kW rocket elbow cookstoves, ambient air injection was found to outperform exhaust gas recirculation.
In order to design air injection technology that effectively reduced emissions, significant effort was put towards optimization of the injection location, injection angle, nozzle geometry and flow rates. Ultimately, a robust and effective air injection design that approaches IWA Tier 4 PM pollution standards is recommended for use in a commercial product.
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Rights Access
Subject
combustion
emissions
engineering
cookstoves
biomass
energy