Press Trust of IndiaFeb 24, 2021 5:15:53 pm IS
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Guwahati have developed a technology that makes cooking stoves energy-efficient, economical and environmentally friendly. According to the team, the burners used in these stoves are based on PMC (Porous Medium Combustion) technology, which can have improved combustion properties. The research was published in the prestigious Science Direct magazine, and the team has also applied for a patent.
“The sustainable use of clean cooking energy is influenced by several factors, such as the accessibility of the fuel, the affordability of the recurring cost of the fuel, consumer awareness of the adverse health effects, etc. Therefore, clean cooking energy solutions need to be assessed on a multi-dimensional Lens, “said P Muthukumar, professor at IIT Guwahati.
“One of the important aspects of cooking energy solutions is developing efficient and environmentally friendly cooking stoves. Significant research has been done over the years to achieve this goal. However, the effects of these improved cooking stoves are limited due to the inherent disadvantage of combustion technology,” he added .
Muthukumar and his research team have developed Porous Radiant Burners (PRBs) for various cookers using advanced combustion technology known as porous media combustion.
Significant research has been carried out over the years to make cooking energy efficient while being economical. These improvements in stove effects are limited due to the inherent disadvantage of combustion technology, the researchers said. Image: Kwon Junho / Unsplash
The project is funded by IMPRINT, a technology development initiative by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology.
“These proprietary stoves are backed up with specially designed PRBs that perform better than their traditional counterparts on all three fronts in terms of energy savings, emissions and overall costs. The newly developed PRBs can be effectively used on fuels such as LPG and biogas, and kerosene for domestic as well as communal and commercial kitchens.
“These PRBs work on the principle of porous media combustion (PMC), in which the reaction is confined in a porous matrix, which limits heat loss to the environment and transfers a greater amount of heat to the load. The prototypes The ones needed for the invention Products have been developed in-house and are rigorously tested against the available BIS stoves standards. The fuel economy with these stoves is promising, “said Muthukumar.
The research team plans to commercialize and validate the technology with industry partners within a year to expand the reach of these cookers in the Indian market.
“We believe the work will have a global impact on burner-based applications and their billion-dollar global market,” said the professor.
