High Efficiency Stoves in Northern Uganda

Abstract

This project researched high efficiency wood stoves used in the internally displaced peoples? camps in Northern Uganda. The focus of this research was to design the most efficient and effective stove possible given the limited resources available in the area, and to compare the stove?s performance against a traditional open fire. To produce an efficient stove I tried to obtain the most complete combustion possible, while also maintaining a very high degree of heat flow to whatever object was being cooked. The first step in this process was to compare the performance of the currently used ?Six Bricks Rocket Stove? with that of an open fire. After that I quantified how modifications to the size of the openings at the top and bottom of the stove affected the performance. The standard I used to compare the stoves performance against was how much wood and the time it took to boil three liters of water on a pot without a lid. With this research I found that the ?Six Bricks Rocket Stove? used about 46% less fuel then a conventional open fire. This finding is significant when considering the scarcity of fire wood and the danger associated with gathering it for the Northern Ugandan?s who live in the Internal Displaced Peoples? Camps.