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Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed a materials technology that would make cookstoves using LPG, biogas and kerosene energy-efficient, economical and eco-friendly.
Burners made using porous medium combustion (PMC) technology, developed by the IIT team led by P Muthukumar, professor of mechanical engineering, can help cut fuel use by up to 25 per cent and reduce emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) between 80 to 89 per cent, depending upon the fuel used.
Under a research funded by the Department of Science and Technology and Ministry of Human Resources Development, the researchers developed porous radiant burners for various cookstoves using the technology.
“These PRBs operate on the principle of PMC, where the reaction is entrapped in a porous matrix due to which the heat loss to the surroundings is restricted and a higher amount of heat is transferred to the load,” said Muthukumar in a statement.
Apart from publishing in peer-reviewed journals, the scientists have filed patent application for the technology. The newly developed PRBs can be effectively used for fuels like LPG, biogas and kerosene for domestic as well as community/commercial cooking.
The prototypes needed for the invention have been developed in-house and are rigorously tested against available BIS standards for cookstoves. Fuel saving from these cookstoves is highly promising. In residential LPG stoves, fuel reduction was found to be 25 per cent and reduction in emission of harmful gases was found to be around 80 per cent. In cookstoves using biogas, the fuel saving was around 20 per cent but had higher emission reduction of up to 85 per cent, the scientists showed.
The research team plans to commercialise the technology within one year and collaborate with industrial partners to extend the reach of these cookstoves in the Indian market. The research team believes that the work will have a global impact on the burner-based applications and their multi-billion-dollar market worldwide.
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