This gasifier stove uses a pre-heating and counter-flow burning mechanism to complete the combustion. The stove uses solid biomass as fuel. Fuels that can be used are for example woodchips, wood shavings and sticks (maximum size 2 – 4 cm) and corncobs. Leaves or plantation residues in the form of pellets or briquettes or pellets made from a blend of biomass and coal can also be used. Compared to the traditional three-brick stoves, the biomass UB.03-1 stove can save up to 80% of fuel, while producing no smoke during operation if fuel is properly dried.
“Stove is simple and easy to use. It uses small pieces of wood and reduces the amount of wood for cooking. However, when it’s broken, it can’t be fixed, so either we need to get replacement parts or establish some kind of post-sales maintenance and service care. ”
“This technology is something new in the countryside so that they are very enthusiastic and started to switch to renewable energy firewood. However, wood specific needs in size (piece of wood), type (hard wood) to make them culturally not used to, so that a constraint. If using a size too small pieces of wood that will make the fire out quickly, whereas if a large piece of wood, the fire was not fast life.”
“Biomass Stove UB 03-1 is really helpful for the people living in the rural areas and those affected by natural disasters. They have plenty of biomass to use as fuel for this stove such as tree branches, twigs, corn cob and many other dried biomass material from plantation. The biomass materials are usually thrown away and becoming pollution for the environment. They usually leave it to rot or burn it and cause air pollution. ”
“For fuel, the biomass stove is very cost effective. The ratio of the wood used with biomass stove and that with traditional stove is 1:4. For example, one bundle of wood that costs Rp. 10,000 to Rp.15,000 lasts three to four days with a traditional stove. But with a biomass stove, one bundle of wood can be used for 15 days. Compared to the traditional brick stove, it also cooks food faster and is much healthier for users because of the little to no smoke it produces. It is also convenient in that the users can do other tasks while cooking because they are not required to keep feeding the stove with extra wood. However, chopping wood to make it fit into the stove is a big issue that many complain about. Also, the availability of dry wood really depends on the season, and the stove doesn't perform as well when you use damp wood. These are the two main reasons why people say the stove could be better.”
This gasifier stove uses a pre-heating and counter-flow burning mechanism to complete the combustion. The stove uses solid biomass as fuel. Fuels that can be used are for example woodchips, wood shavings and sticks (maximum size 2 – 4 cm) and corncobs. Leaves or plantation residues in the form of pellets or briquettes or pellets made from a blend of biomass and coal can also be used. Compared to the traditional three-brick stoves, the biomass UB.03-1 stove can save up to 80% of fuel, while producing no smoke during operation if fuel is properly dried.
Able to operate biomass-fueled stove
Do not use water to clean the stove. Use soft brush to wipe out dirt. It is also necessary to smear the internal parts of the stove with used oil to avoid the corrosion.
Stoves that incur damages from the shipping process can be returned within 7 days of shipment date. Please notify the manufacturer with photo evidence as soon as the damage is found.
This guarantee does not apply for damages cause by:
This Biomass Stove UB.03-1 saves up to 80% of biomass fuels.
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Pak Nurhuda and us have also been receiving/gathering feedback from other users, and we sometimes receive contradicting feedback. Taking the feedback positively, Pak Nurhuda continues innovating and improving the stove. Hence, after sending UB 03 to Salatiga and Oecusse, Pak Nurhuda has developed and manufactured the latest design, and it is called Biomass Stove UB 03-1. The surface posts have been made lower, so that the flame would be closer to the pot bottom. However, there is consequence, i.e. there is less room to refuel the stove during cooking process.
Since it is biomass stove, it has to use biomass fuel: twigs, chopped wood, corn cob, etc. Ideally the size has to be small enough so that it will occupy the space in the inner barrel evenly. Thus, there should be an activity to prepare this biomass fuel, i.e. cutting it to small pieces. However, using bigger biomass is also possible, but there will be less biomass can be put into the inner barrel.
Three-legged or four-legged and three-post or four-post are definitely a choice. It is understandable that in several community kitchen with floor surface that is not flat, it may face problem with stove stability. However, many commercial kerosene and LPG gas stoves are also using four-leg design since it is considered more stable than 3-leg design, and this is also the feedback that we have received. UB 03-1 has four-legs and four-posts, is lower in height (but still with the same size of inner barrel), and with a rectangle shape. With this design, it is more stable.
The inner barrel may last for up to 1 year. It is replaceable with a new one for Rp 30,000 per barrel, and it should last for another 1 year with proper maintenance. The outer part of the stove can last much longer provided they lubricate the metal surface if it is not in use.
The painting on the stove surface may need to be skipped as the purpose of the painting is for aesthetical purpose. The black paint on UB 03 flakes off rather easily. UB 03-1 is painted in matt grey and might stay slightly longer.
We have also tried the stove ourselves. For comparison, boiling 6.5 liter water in a pot using this biomass stove took 24 minutes, while with LPG gas stove, it took 22 minutes, thus there are 2 minutes difference and it is not bad considering LPG cookstove should have much higher efficiency.
For those in Salatiga, that is indeed the process of preparing the fuel, i.e. the wood has to be chopped down into small pieces.
The top part of the stove will normally peel off quite easily. It is however not supposed to be a problem. The main purpose of the paint is to improve the stove image (aesthetic).
The inner barrel, or the combustion tube, will last longer if it is used regularly. The rust can be avoided if it is used properly. What happen when it is not used anymore is that it starts to rust. There is a better material for this combustion tube, i.e. SS 446, however, the price will not be affordable for the community.
Therefore, I would like to remind the users to lubricate the stove with used oil (automotive oil is better).
Another way to avoid rusting is not to let the window open too widely during the ember phase of the remaining biomass combustion process. Overheating may damage the inner parts of the stove.
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http://tech4dev.wordpress.com/2010/12/22/who-said-there-wasnt-time-for-fun-and-games/
http://tech4dev.wordpress.com/2010/12/26/hot-hot-heels/
http://tech4dev.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/once-more-with-feeling/
http://tech4dev.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/youve-got-to-admit-its-getting-better-all-the-time/
http://tech4dev.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/nada-dan-irama/
This technology is something new in the countryside of Central Java, Indonesia, so that the community was very enthusiastic.
This stove, however, requires small pieces of hard wood that are not common in the area, making the adoption of the technology somewhat challenging.
1. (biggest point and a MUST fix) Everyone agrees that the stove would be better with three legs and three "posts" on the top. Three legged things are inherently always stable, whereas four legged things wobble against all but the most regular surface (both the pot and the ground)
2. The paint scratches really easily when it's hot (I scratched it with a twig). Is the paint to stop rust? If so we should get some more durable paint.
3. The black paint is flaking off the top after just three uses. Why is it there if it's coming off so easily?
4. A question rather than feedback: the inner barrel is rusting already (all metals oxidise in air, and heat speeds this up), what is the lifetime of this stove? Will they sell replacement inner barrels that wear out under high heat? (the outer shell won't wear as fast)
5. You can start it really easily without kerosene, just use straw, or coconut husk, or dried palm leaves...
6. I think the stove could be even more efficient if the posts at the top were shorter : they let the pot closer to the hole of the fire. You don't need a big gap to have enough ventilation for the fire, but this does put the pot closer to the heat and decreases the effect of wind on the stove. It does make it more difficult to refuel...
7....which they don't teach you to do while the pot is on, but which we do, because it feels natural. We don't use the tongs either, just because we don't feel like we need to. I really wish it was easier to refuel with the pot on. I think this will be the biggest problem that people have with it (culture: to turn up the heat on a three stone fire, you push the sticks further in. no need to move the pot)