Evaluation of the impact of combustion chamber geometries for biomass plancha-type cookstoves

Abstract Improved cookstoves are used to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere and the impact of deforestation, thus improving the quality of life of their users. The main objective of this work is to evaluate three combustion chamber geometries for biomass plancha-type cookstoves, in the range of 9.5–12.5 kW, which corresponds to real operating conditions. The first geometry corresponds to a traditional rocket elbow section that is widely used in this kind of device. The other two geometries are new modified designs. They make use of three and four chamfers above the rocket elbow. Additionally, for all the geometries, the effect of a baffle close to the exit of the chimney is evaluated. Numerical simulations for fluid flow, heat transfer, and gas-phase chemical reactions for the three-dimensional internal volume of the geometries are conducted using ANSYS Fluent 2019 R3. Results for the average temperature on the comal and total mass flow rate at the exit of the chimney are validated with experimental measurements and a theoretical model, respectively. The main findings are that the use of a baffle in all geometries increases the flow recirculation below the comal; as a result, the average temperature of the comal and hence the thermal efficiency reach higher values. Based upon numerical predictions, the cookstove with three chamfers and a baffle provided a more temperature homogeneous distribution on the comal.