SUPER TURBO RICE HUSK QUASI GASIFIER STOVE

by
Alexis T. Belonio, BSAE, MSc, PAE
AppropriateTechnology Center
College of Agriculture
Central Philippine University
Iloilo City, Philippines
Good newsand Glory to God!!!
A super turbo rice husk quasi gasifier
stove was a recently discovered
technology for burning rice husks with
the use of super heated steam jet.
Enhancing the firing of rice husk with
steam, efficient and clean burning of fuel
can now be achieved. This super turbo
technology of burning rice husk was
recently discovered at the Appropriate
Technology Center ofthe Department of
Agricultural Engineering and
Environmental Management with the
assistance from agricultural engineering students -- DanielH. Belonio, Lucio E.
Larano, Xykster Pelaez, and Raymond Paul Aungon. By injecting steam into the
burning ricehusks, a pinkish color flame is generated during combustion of fuel.
The pinkish-color flame is suspected tobe due to the separation of hydrogen gas
from water.
Schematic Drawingofthe Rice Husk Quasi GasifierStove
AshPan
SupportLeg
Ash
Discharge
Lever
Pot Holder
CylindricalPlate
Cover
ConicalFlue Duct
Conical
Grate
AirPipe
CylindricalFlue Duct
This stove, as
schematically shown,
employs the conical grate
rice husk stove for
domestic use developed at
CPU way back in the 90’s.
The cylindrical plate cover
has a diameter of 20 cm
and a height of 25 cm.
The steam tank has a
capacity to contain 650 ml
of water per load. Instead
of the side-in steam
injection, steam is
introduced from the center of the stove.
One distinct feature ofthe stove is that
even it is designed for domestic size
cooking, it can suitably be adopted for
slightly bigger pot (5-liter capacity) that is
commonly used for small restaurant
and/or institutional cooking.
Performance tests have shown that
ignition of fuel can be done in just a
minute using 2 to 3 pieces of burning
paper. When the firing has started, saturated steam can be converted to
superheated steam within a period of 3 minutes. This superheated heated
enhances the firing of the stove. Water boiling tests haveshown that 2 liters of
water can be boiled in the stove ina shorter period of 6 min as compared with
that of without steam which boilsthe same amountof water for 11 minutes. Fuel
consumption rate is slightly reduced to 3.19 kg rice husk per hour when operated
as super turbo with a steam consumption rate of 1.34 liters per hour. The overall
thermal efficiency of the stove is 50 to70% higher than when operating the stove
without steam injection. The power outputof the stove is 1.28 kW which is
higher as compared to 0.93 kW withoutthe steam. The percentage rice husk
char produced is 35%. It was observed that the color of the flame turned from
yellow to pinkish color right after the
superheated steam is injected into
the burning gases. Hydrocarbons
and sooth are eliminated upon
injection of steam. The measured
level of CO during the tests
averages to 215 ppm, which is the
same with the amount of CO in the
ambient air.
Pictorial views of the stove
operated by injecting saturated and
superheated steam are shown
below. As can be seen from the
photos, the stove that was injected with superheated steam produces a luminous
flame with pinkish color whereas the one with no steam has yellow-orange color
and the one with saturated-steam injection has enhanced firing with yellow color.
The stove as it is shown in the picture above can be fabricated locally using
available materials and labor in the locality. Using stainless steel liner at the
combustion chamber will require an investment cost of P2,500.00 per unit.
(a)    (b)     (c)
Comparative Pictures of Rice Husk Quasi Gasifier Stove: (a) without steam,
(b) with saturated steam, (c) with superheated steam.
The technology is presently being improved in terms of design and being readied
for commercialization. Interested organizations or individuals who wish to
collaborate in this project may contact the Project Director, Appropriate
Technology Center, Departmentof Agricultural Engineering and Environmental
Management, College of Agriculture, Central Philippine University, Iloilo City,
Philippines.Our landline is 063-033-3291971 loc 1071. You can also send
email to cpu_aprotech@yahoo.com. Good day and God bless!!!
1 US$ = 55 PHP