AAAR 33rd Annual Conference
October 20 - October 24, 2014
Rosen Shingle Creek
Orlando, Florida, USA
Abstract View
An Integrated Particulate and Gaseous Emissions Model to Investigate the Effects of Cookstove Design and Operating Conditions
SAMEER PATEL, Chang Ki Kang, Ahmed Amin Abokifa, Pratim Biswas, Washington University in St Louis
Abstract Number: 590 Working Group: Biomass Burning Aerosol: From Emissions to Impacts
Abstract Almost half of the world’s population depends on biomass for cooking; and inefficient biomass combustion has serious repercussions on both public health and climate. At the same time, biomass is a potentially sustainable and carbon-neutral energy resource; and therefore receiving attention as a serious contender to help us meet our energy demands. In recent years, a large variety of improved cookstoves have been introduced to the market which have been disseminated by organizations such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
Improved cookstoves have demonstrated lower emissions compared to traditional cookstoves but still emit unsafe levels of pollutants. While gaseous emissions, and to a lesser extent, particulate matter emissions from different types of cookstoves have been characterized in both laboratory and field settings [1,2], there is a lack of understanding regarding the variations in emission characteristics with cookstove design and operating conditions which limit further improvement in the design of cookstoves.
In this study, a combustion model was integrated with a particle growth dynamics model to predict size distributions of PM and gaseous emissions (CO, CO$_2 and CH$_4). The cookstove was modeled as a packed bed of biomass under steady-state combustion. Both traditional and improved (gasification-based) cookstoves were modeled. Sensitivity analysis was performed for airflow rate, both primary and secondary in case of gasification-based cookstoves, and bed temperature. Model results confirmed lower emissions (PM$_(2.5) and CO) from improved cookstoves. An optimum airflow rate associated with minimum emission levels was also determined. Lower air flow resulted in incomplete oxidation of VOC’s due to oxygen deficiency while higher airflow rate lowered the temperature thus decelerating the oxidation rate of VOC’s.
References:
1.Sahu et al. (2011) Env. Sci. Tech, 45(6):2428-34
2.Leavey et al. (2013) Aerosol Sci. Tech, 47(9):966-978