[Stoves] Key differences of performance test protocols for household biomass cookstoves

[Cookswell Jikos]

Dear Crispin - thank you for sharing this,

Have you (or anyone else) by any chance read this article
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2014/06/thermal-efficiency-cooking-stoves.html


It a real mind turner to say the least.... I would be very interested to
hear some of your thoughts on this matter. To quote one of the opening
paragraphs -

*''In fact, an electric cooking stove is only half as efficient as a
well-tended open fire, while a gas hob is only half as effective as a
biomass rocket stove. And even though indoor air pollution is less of an
issue with modern cooking stoves, research indicates that pollution levels
in western kitchens can be surprisingly high.'' *

The author then follows that article up with this one -
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2014/07/cooking-pot-insulation-key-to-sustainable-cooking.html

What do you think? I think I need to double my forestry efforts.

Kind Regards,

Teddy

*Cookswell Jikos*
www.cookswell.co.ke
www.facebook.com/CookswellJikos
www.kenyacharcoal.blogspot.com
Mobile: +254 700 380 009
Mobile: +254 700 905 913
P.O. Box 1433, Nairobi 00606, Kenya

Save trees - think twice before printing.







On Mon, Jun 30, 2014 at 12:27 PM, Crispin Pemberton-Pigott <
crispinpigott at outlook.com> wrote:

> Dear Testers
>
>
>
> Please see the paper “Key differences of performance test protocols for
> household biomass cookstoves” by Zhang, Y *et al* at
>
>
>
>
> http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6827753&queryText%3DKey+differences
>
>
>
> Abstract
>
> “In this study, different ways of testing household biomass cooking stoves
> are compared and analyzed. The differences between test methods relate to
> the stove operation and data analysis methods, the fueling procedure, the
> end point selection, the choice of metrics and others factors. The
> influences of these differences were analyzed by using an induction heater.
> The results show the use of a pot lid or not, and the selection of the end
> point of the test have the greatest influence on the rated performance.
> Consequently test results provided by laboratories using different test
> methods will place the same stove-plus-fuel combination on significantly
> different performance ‘tiers’. Also the results show some metrics in
> popular tests should be reviewed. Some recommendations are provided for
> improving the accuracy and repeatability of test procedures and select
> metrics are defined for greater clarity.”
>
>
>
> The comment “some metrics in popular tests should be reviewed” is a polite
> way of saying they are not valid. This is a major issue when making
> performance comparisons. If the metric itself is not valid then the
> comparisons of it between products is not meaningful. One cannot trade
> money or products on the result.
>
>
>
> From the conclusions:
>
>
>
> b)       Some metrics still need to be revisited, even if they are
> generally agreed within the “stove enthusiast” community. National or
> international compulsory regulation of stove products as envisaged by ISO
> TC 285 must be based on credible science. The point of testing is to
> provide useful information. Selected indicators that meet specific needs
> must first be agreed and validated, and then a test method or methods
> developed to collect the information necessary to deliver product ratings
> that can be widely compared and accepted by the public.
>
> The paper is accessible free through academic services.
>
>
>
> Regards
>
> Crispin
>
>
>
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