How the Project Began
A portable stove that converts sticks into clean-burning gas and saleable activated charcoal, while boiling/sterilising water using heat otherwise wasted.
The original stoves had to be easily manufactured locally from readily available materials. Adding a water jacket allowed us to use galvanised sheet that would otherwise have burnt through. The combustion chamber was simply a trench in the ground.
Producing saleable activated charcoal as a by-product can generate valuable income for families. The charcoal can either be burnt as a fuel or used to make sterile water filters that effectively remove most organic compounds, including bacteria. These filters produce crystal clear water without any need to pre-wash the charcoal. Even water heavily contaminated with soap and detergent is taste and odour free after filtration. As shown in the illustration above, filters can be made very cheaply from a variety of readily available containers.
Some statistics
(Times were taken from when the fire was lit. All figures were from the same trial. )
The concept works just as effectively scaled up, so we made bigger versions for a community kitchen.
Our stoves produced plenty of biochar for filtering water. In fact we made so much charcoal, we also developed a stove to burn it!
Over a decade later, with more climate awareness, we now mix any surplus charcoal with soil, to capture the carbon.
All the water we drink is filtered using the charcoal we produce!
Some Advantages
Purifies water
Water jacket boils/sterilises water using heat otherwise wasted.
Produces activated charcoal ideal for use in water filters.
Uses less wood
Uses less than half the wood of traditional stoves.
Converts wood into charcoal more efficiently (14%) than traditional methods (10%).
Eco-friendly
Burns completely cleanly, greatly reducing smoke-related health hazards.
Simple to use
Quick and easy to install.
Easy to operate.
Versatile
Can be operated continuously.
Can be scaled up to any size.
Low cost
Can be mass produced at low cost.
Water jacket protects metal from burning out so will last for a long time.
Gallery
Click on photos for descriptions
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