A comprehensive review of technical aspects of biomass cookstoves

Interest in reducing household energy consumption and indoor air pollutants has increased. Simple devices such as cookstoves are important items in the reduction of the amount of domestic energy consumed in developing countries. This paper summarizes the literature available on biomass cookstoves used in villages of underdeveloped countries to determine their holistic performance, including efficiency and emissions. This is a detailed discussion on gasification, biomass fuel characteristics and heat output control of cookstoves. It reviews cookstove design, performance considerations, materials and geometric parameters along with the impact of supplementary tools on efficiency and emissions. Mathematical modeling and simulations are included and evaluation criteria consisting of testing protocols and performance parameters are compared. An efficiently designed pot can reduce domestic energy consumption, although its impact has been overlooked. Literature concerning the effects of materials and geometrical variables versus heat transfer efficiency of cookware is also discussed. The review addresses the gaps in the literature to pave the way for future research.