[Stoves] Thermal efficiency

[Crispin Pemberton-Pigott]

Dear Friends

 

Dean has a good point here

 

The WBT published by VITA was patterned after actual cooking tasks for good
reasons.

 

The determination of what is a reasonably proxy for local cooking habits is
the foundation of making a successful prediction of the future performance
of a candidate stove. 

 

If the test performed is not representative of actual use, then it is likely
make misleading predictions.

 

The purpose of an engineering formula is to make a prediction about
performance (or failure). Stoves are not in a special branch of engineering
- testes and evaluations must be predictive.

 

Cooking patterns, established by observation, are key to making predictions
about emissions and fuel consumption, durability and safety issues can also
be addressed. 

 

As many stove inventers have found out, having a 'better stove' does not
mean people will want to buy or use it even if given it free. That means we
need social science as well as engineering science to help us make
decisions.

 

VITA, which may yet again rise from the shadows, was an organisation of
engineering  people offering their time to assist enthusiasts working
overseas. They would appreciate the efforts made to produce evaluation
methods that are as predictive as possible.

 

Regards

Crispin

 

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