Impact of ignition technique on total emissions of a firewood stove

A comparison of the effects of traditional stove ignition with paper under the wood versus the Top-Down ignition of a wood crib is made, comparing the gaseous and particulate emissions. Top-Down ignition reduced the unburnt gas emissions by a factor of 2. The Total Suspended Particle (TSP) emission was reduced by about 1/3, while Organic Carbon (OC) was reduced by 73% relative to traditional under-fire ignition. Never the less the Elemental Carbon (EC) doubled in Top-Down ignition. The particle formation mechanism is also different with primary emissions being nanoparticles (20 nm - 50 nm) which agglomerated as they passed along the flue duct. The TSP were generally composed of CHO while the smaller size range < PM1 and especially the PM0.1 contained other elements.