Engineering topics

Lask, Kathleen

Publications and source records attributed to Lask, Kathleen.

3 records

DOE OSTI2017

Performance and emissions characteristics of a lighting cone for charcoal stoves

We report a lighting cone is a simple metal cone placed on the charcoal bed during ignition to increase draft. Many traditional charcoal-burning stoves are difficult to light due to poor draft through the fuel bed, so lighting cones are used as an inexpensive accessory to help with charcoal ignition. The goal of this work was to determine the validity of using a lighting cone to decrease the ignition time of traditional Haitian charcoal stoves, and evaluate its impact on stove emissions and fuel consumption during the typically inefficient and slow ignition phase. We found that the lighting cone successfully reduced ignition time by over 50%. Due to a more efficient, shorter ignition stage, charcoal consumption during ignition was reduced by over 40% and carbon monoxide was reduced by over 50%. This suggests that lighting cones are a viable and beneficial accessory for aiding ignition in shallow-bed charcoal stoves.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2017

Lessons learned from a comparison study of charcoal stoves for Haiti

Biomass is the predominant cooking fuel in Haiti, where it creates burdens on both the environment and the Haitian people. Following the 2010 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, the need for fuel-efficient cookstoves was acute. Although several organizations were quite interested in dissemination of fuel-efficient stoves in the relief effort, there was little knowledge about the performance and usability of the proposed stoves. To help fill the knowledge gap, stove researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory evaluated and compared the performance of several cookstoves intended for dissemination in Haiti. This paper discusses the decisions made throughout the course of that work, from project identification and approach through the dissemination of results. It identifies the challenges faced and how they were addressed, while briefly presenting the data from stove performance evaluated using Water Boiling and Controlled Cooking Tests. Furthermore, it also highlights the importance and benefits of evaluating technologies such as cookstoves prior to dissemination, even in urgent disaster relief situations.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2016

Berkeley Lighting Cone

A lighting cone is a simple metal cone placed on the fuel bed of a stove during ignition to act as a chimney, increasing the draft through the fuel bed. Many stoves tend to be difficult to light due to poor draft through the fuel bed, so lighting cones are used in various parts of the world as an inexpensive accessory to help with ignition.

42 ENGINEERING↗