DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

Increasing demand for wood and fossil fuel which have limited availability has, over the years, contributed majorly in environmental pollution. The availability of energy for cooking remains a major concern in developing countries and cooking is a daily household activity. The negative environmental effect of wood and fossil fuel necessitates inquest for an alternative energy source that is sustainable. Biogas, over the years of research has shown favorable characteristics which make it an excellent option as an alternative fuel source. However, more research has to be made into designing and developing devices or appliances that utilize the biogas efficiently. This study details the design and fabrication of a biogas stove for domestic use with rural communities of developing countries such as Nigeria in mind focusing on characteristics such as efficiency, simplicity and cost-friendliness of the design. The biogas stove consists of the following major components: burner head, mixing tube, the injector burner support, etc. The Bernoulli’s theorem was used to derive the flow rate of gas as well as key design dimensions to maintain this flow rate. The biogas stove was fabricated using stainless steel for the burner head, mild steel for the mixing chamber and a brass alloy for the injector component. The material selected were chosen based on considerations given to corrosion, local availability and then cost. The clearance between the cooking pot and the burner head is 45mm, while the clearance between the flame ports is 5mm. The injector is connected to the mixing chamber which tapers down to the throat diameter of 14.7mm which is maintained as the diameter of the mixing chamber. The mixing chamber is connected to the burner head which is a cylindrical component with a top having 32 burner ports each of 3mm diameter drilled into it, from which the gas can be ignited. The result of three water boiling tests places the heating efficiency of the stove at 58.51%