Rocket Stove

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Mobile rocket stoves

A rocket stove , rocket stove or rocket stove is a stove for preparing food that burns the fuel particularly efficiently thanks to a special arrangement of the combustion chamber . They are mainly produced as a replacement for open cooking fires in developing countries for operation with biomass (wood). There is an extended variant for space heating, the Rocket Mass Heater .

technology

Schematic structure of a rocket stove

The firebox of a Rocket Stove is essentially L-shaped. The fuel in the form of long pieces of wood (branches, split wood) is inserted on the short side of the L. A grate protruding into the combustion chamber serves, on the one hand, to keep the lower half of the cross-section of the furnace opening free for fresh air to enter and, on the other hand, to prevent excessive pieces of wood from being inserted. The inlaid wood burns down on the side in the stove, the combustion gases are drawn off upwards in the long part of the L and are burned there afterwards. The entire combustion chamber is usually lined with fire-proof clay for insulation , less often with acid-proof stainless steels . The insulation achieves a high combustion temperature, which not only increases the efficiency of the stove, but also enables as complete a combustion as possible and thus a reduction in harmful dust / fine dust , carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons .

Rocket Stoves for permanent installation in fireplaces essentially consist of a prefabricated clay combustion chamber that is built into an external structure on site. The mobile version also has a housing made of sheet steel with a pot holder, a support surface and handles.

Use in developing countries

Industrially manufactured Rocket Stove, as it is e.g. B. of atmosfair is spread

A large number of governmental and non-governmental development aid organizations such as GIZ run programs through the Global Alliance for Clean Cooking Stoves to improve living conditions through more efficient and healthier stoves, some of which can also be produced locally. Cookers based on the Rocket Stove principle are relatively easy to manufacture and, compared to an open cooking fire, mean a significant saving in fuel while at the same time reducing the harmful components in the exhaust gas.

Manufacturing

The refractory lining of the firebox can usually be formed from locally available clay and then fired. Often this is done by women who can thereby improve their social status and their financial situation. The cutting of the outer sheets and assembly can be done by local blacksmiths, as only a few tools are required. There are also a large number of suppliers who manufacture Rocket Stoves industrially and import them into the respective application area.

acceptance

The respective oven must be very precisely tailored to the local conditions (for example, to cooking while sitting or standing, cooking or frying the food, the visibility of the fire) so that it is actually used and works efficiently.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Reduction of fine dust PM2.5 compared to the open fireplace with the Rocket Stoves 43% (Envirofit) and 24% (Ecozoom), decrease of the carbon monoxide concentration over 48h by 35% (Envirofit) and 13% (Ecozoom), in: Fuyuen Yip - Evaluation of Acceptability and Performance of Stove Options for Reducing Household Air Pollution in Rural West Kenya , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA (PDF file, accessed September 30, 2015).