Improved thermoelectric biomass cookstove

Abstract

This paper documents the development of an improved, thermoelectric biomass cookstove, a product aimed at making the cooking process among off-grid communities more environment-friendly and safer for use. A biomass cookstove is embedded with a thermoelectric generator that uses the Seebeck effect to convert waste heat into electricity. Produced electricity is in return, used to blow air into the combustion chamber hence, increasing the air-to-fuel ration. In addition, this paper reports the building and testing of additional functionalities aimed at increasing efficiency of the stove. These are; automatic fuel-level indicator and fan-speed control. Results are recorded and analyzed, providing possible measures for optimization for the future.