Running header: DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 1

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE FOR PRODUCTION

AND USE IN GUATEMALA

ARTURO SULLIVAN - 893833

Politecnico di Milano
School of Design
Laurea Magistrale in Design and Engineering
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 2

ABSTRACT

English

Improved cookstoves offer a practical solution to many medical, environmental,

social, and economic issues facing developing economies that still rely on biomass fuels
for cooking. This project presents the factors influencing the design and performance of
an improved cookstove for Guatemalan markets and synthesizes these factors into a
final concept. The research phase explores the potential impacts new cookstoves can
have on a micro and macro scale, as well as the cultural and economic elements that
need to be addressed in order to make any potential product marketable. Additionally
detailed are the physical principles that dictate clean and efficient cookstove operation.
The design phase presents the steps taken to evolve a project from ideation to final
product in the cookstove sector, including creating design objectives, concept
generation, material selection, and engineering design. Ultimately this project not only
seeks to create a particular solution for cooking in Guatemalan markets, but also to offer
an example for other design engineers to follow when making products for developing
countries.

Italiano

Molte economie in via di sviluppo dipendono ancora dalla combustione di

biomassa per la cottura dei cibi, un metodo che richiede la riprogettazione di piani
cottura che siano ottimizzati risolvere molti problemi in ambito sanitario, ambientale,
sociale ed economico. Questa tesi di ricerca descrive i fattori che influenzano il design e
le prestazioni di un piano cottura ottimizzato per i mercati in via di sviluppo, a partire dal
caso studio del Guatemala, e li sintetizza in un concept finale.
La fase di ricerca esplora il potenziale impatto dei nuovi piani cottura su piccola e
larga scala, includendo anche gli aspetti culturali ed economici da considerare per
rendere il nuovo prodotto appetibile sul mercato. Inoltre è stata fatta una ricerca
dettagliata sui principi fisici che garantiscono una prestazione pulita ed efficiente del
piano cottura.
La fase di progettazione presenta tutti passaggi dello sviluppo del progetto:
dall’ideazione al prodotto finale inserito nel suo settore, incluse la definizione degli
obiettivi di progetto, la generazione dell’idea, la selezione dei materiali e
l’ingegnerizzazione del progetto.
Infine, questo progetto non cerca soltanto di creare una soluzione specifica per il
contesto del Guatemala, ma offre anche alcuni spunti per la progettazione di prodotti
per paesi in via di sviluppo.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

1 INTRODUCTION 6

2 BACKGROUND 7
2.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT 7
2.2 PRODUCT BACKGROUND 8
2.3 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS 9
2.3.1 HANDS FOR PEACEMAKING 9
2.3.2 BURN DESIGN LAB 9

3 RESEARCH 10
3.1 HISTORY OF IMPROVED COOKSTOVES IN GUATEMALA 10
3.2 IMPACT AREAS 12
3.2.1 CLIMATE AND THE ENVIRONMENT 13
3.2.1.1 EMISSIONS IMPACTS 13
3.2.1.2 DEFORESTATION IMPACTS 14
3.2.2 HEALTH 15
3.2.3 HUMANITARIAN 19
3.2.4 LIVELIHOODS 20
3.2.5 WOMEN AND GENDER 21
3.3 MARKET 22
3.4 CULTURAL BACKGROUND 26
3.4.1 COOKING METHODS 27
3.4.2 CUISINE 29
3.5 FUNCTION OF IMPROVED COOKSTOVES 31
3.5.1 TESTING 32
3.6 COMBUSTION 36
3.7 HEAT TRANSFER 38
3.7.1 CONDUCTION 38
3.7.2 CONVECTION 39
3.7.3 RADIATION 40

4 PRIOR ART 41
4.1 ESTUFA DONA DORA 41
4.2 CHISPA PLANCHA 42
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 4

4.3 ZOOM PLANCHA 43

4.4 ECOSTUFA 44
4.5 ENVIROFIT SUPER SAVER GRIDDLE 45

5 DESIGN 46
5.1 DESIGN OBJECTIVES 46
5.2 METHODOLOGY 47
5.3 SOFTWARE 47
5.3.1 ONSHAPE 47
5.3.2 SIMSCALE 48
5.4 CURRENT HFP DESIGN 49
5.4.1 MODEL DEVELOPMENT 52
5.5 AESTHETIC REFERENCES 53
5.5.1 MOODBOARD 54
5.5.2 REFERENCE PRODUCTS 55
5.6 DESIGN EVOLUTION 56
5.6.1 INITIAL COMBUSTION CHAMBER LAYOUTS 56
5.6.2 MORE RADICAL AESTHETIC APPROACHES 58
5.6.3 REGRESSION TOWARDS TRADITIONAL KITCHEN AESTHETICS 60
5.6.4 DUAL COMBUSTION CHAMBER DESIGNS 61
5.6.5 HYBRID DESIGN 64
5.6.6 FINAL DESIGN 66

6 DEVELOPMENT 67
6.1 MATERIAL SELECTION 67
6.1.1 PREVIOUSLY UTILIZED MATERIALS 68
6.1.1.1 MILD STEEL 68
6.1.1.2 PUMICE SAND 71
6.1.1.3 BRICK 71
6.1.2 PLANNED MATERIAL 72
6.1.2.1 WOOD 72
6.1.2.2 304 STAINLESS STEEL 73
6.1.2.3 WOOL INSULATION 74
6.1.3 BILL OF MATERIALS 74
6.2 MANUFACTURING PROCESSES 75
6.2.1 PLASMA CUTTING 75
6.2.2 SHEET METAL FABRICATION 76
6.2.2.1 PRESS BRAKE 76
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 5

6.2.3 WELDING 77
6.2.3.1 STICK WELDING 77
6.2.3.2 SPOT WELDING 78

7 DETAILED DESIGN 79
7.1 DESIGN FEATURES 79
7.1.1 STOVE BODY 80
7.1.1.1 COMBUSTION CHAMBER 81
7.1.1.2 SIDE BODY 86
7.1.1.3 BURNERS 87
7.1.1.4 SHELVES 89
7.1.2 TABLE 90
7.1.2 ASHTRAY 91
7.2 COMBUSTION 92
7.3 HEAT TRANSFER 94
7.4 ENGINEERING DESIGN 96
7.4.1 STRUCTURAL DESIGN 96
7.4.1.1 SHELF 96
7.4.1.2 SHELF BRACKET 98
7.4.1.3 CANTILEVERED DOOR 100
7.4.2 DURABILITY 102
7.5 CUSTOM PRODUCTION TOOLING 104
7.5.1 EDGE BENDING TOOL 105
7.6 RENDERINGS 107
7.6 STORYBOARD 108

8 CONCLUSIONS 109

9 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 110

10 REFERENCES 111
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 6

1 INTRODUCTION

In the title of his 1949 novel, “Hombres de Maíz” Guatemalan Nobel

Prize-winning author Miguel Angel Asturias related the Mayan belief that the flesh of

man was made from corn. This association of food to the very makeup of the human

body reflects the significance we have, as humans, placed on food. Corn has and

continues to be the most important crop in the indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica and

features heavily into the staple foods of their diet, particularly tortillas and tamales.

The cultural significance we place on food underlines the sustaining role it has on

our daily lives. Women in Guatemala can spend up to twelve hours a day preparing

food for their families, often over open fires in poorly ventilated kitchens. In these

kitchens, they process the corn into masa, a dough used for tortillas, tamales, and other

daily meals. Over the same fires, they flatten and prepare the tortillas, and steam the

masa in plantain leaves to make the tamales. By the end of the day, their hands are

more corn than flesh.

Creating an improved cookstove requires the consideration of many different

engineering and design variables that work together to create a stove that is efficient

and easy to use. However, this challenge also means taking into account the cultural

backgrounds of the users. Delivering an appropriate cooking solution is important for the

health, economic security, and social standing of Guatemalan women, but also for the

preservation of their cultural identities as ​Mujeres de Maíz​.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 7

2 BACKGROUND

2.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT

According to the World Health Organization [WHO] (2014), nearly 3 billion people

in the world still use biomass solid fuels, such as wood, for their cooking and heating

needs. In 2012 the illnesses resulting from exposure to indoor air pollution caused by

cooking with biomass fuels led to nearly 4 million premature deaths in both adults and

children (WHO, 2014). In addition to the health risks associated with cooking on an

open fire, there are major economic and ecological implications. In Guatemala, firewood

collection can take over 2 hours every day; an especially rigorous task in the country’s

highlands (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2013a). This is time that men, women, and children

could be using for farming, other household tasks, cooking, working, and studying; not

to mention the physical effect it has on the body. Environmental concerns occur on both

a micro and macro scale. Deforestation as a result of firewood collection has resulted in

devastating effects on local communities, increasing the chances of mudslides and

decreasing biodiversity (Early, 2009). On a global scale, the inefficient burning of wood

contributes to the increase in greenhouse gases and global warming (Nijhuis, 2017).

Finally, the social concerns associated with cooking in Guatemala makes the design of

improved cookstoves a fundamental need. Cooking is conducted almost exclusively by

women in developing economies (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2013d). By providing a

household with an improved cookstove you are empowering the women of that home

with time, with health, and with money.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 8

2.2 PRODUCT BACKGROUND

In Guatemala, it is typical for meals in low-income households to be cooked on a

three-stone fire, a method where three stones are placed closely together and firewood

is fed in the spaces between the rocks (ESMAP, 2004). As a cooking surface generally

a flat griddle, or comal, is placed on top of a fire to allow for the chef to make tortillas; a

staple of Guatemalan cuisine (ESMAP, 2004). It has been found that 95 percent of rural

households and 45 percent of urban households in Guatemala use fuelwood for cooking

(Heltberg, 2005, p. 15). Although wood stoves have been available in Central America

since the 19th century, they have largely been reserved for the most wealthy of

households and derived from European designs (Ahmed, Awe, Barnes, Cropper,

Kojima, 2005, p. 49). Attempts to improve cooking techniques in rural Guatemala have

been prevalent since the 1970s, specifically with the introduction of Lorena stoves,

composed of a combination of earth and sand (Ahmed et al., 2005). These stoves

significantly reduce the indoor air pollution that the cooks were being exposed to

(Ahmed et al., 2005). However, their efficiency did not improve on those of the open fire

(Bryden, 2005)​. They also required a skilled craftsman to be assembled in the home,

lacked any standardization, and had no ability to be repaired (Ahmed et al., 2005).

Since then, the use of metal components has become more standard in the design of

improved cookstoves, with the ​plancha, ​a stove with an enclosed combustion chamber

and large flat metal cook surface, being the expected design in most new models

(Ahmed et al., 2005).

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 9

2.3 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

2.3.1 HANDS FOR PEACEMAKING

Hands for Peacemaking is a not-for-profit foundation whose mission is to “promote

opportunities for self-reliance in rural Guatemala”. Their projects include providing clean

drinking water, improving local education systems, and providing cookstove solutions to

rural households. The foundation is currently in the process of creating a facility

dedicated to the production of their improved cookstoves.

Key People

Marco Maldonado - Global Director

2.3.2 BURN DESIGN LAB

Burn Design Lab (BDL) is a not-for-profit organization based on Vashon Island in

Washington, USA that works on the design and development of various cookstoves and

combustion-related projects from around the world. BDL has a robust prototyping and

testing facility that allows for rapid assessment of complex design concepts. Previous

successful projects that have been run through Burn Design Lab have been the Jikokoa

and Kuniokoa stoves designed for the East African stove company Burn Manufacturing.

Key People

Paul Means - Executive Director

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 10

3 RESEARCH

3.1 HISTORY OF IMPROVED COOKSTOVES IN GUATEMALA

The history of improved cookstoves (ICS) is intrinsically linked with Guatemala as

many of the earliest efforts to develop clean cooking solutions started there. While

enclosed wood stoves have been available in Central America for centuries, these

products were almost exclusively limited to rich families (Ahmed et al., 2005). It wasn’t

until the 1970s with the creation of the ICADA Choqui Experimental Station, did focus

start to be dedicated towards creating healthy solutions for the poorest citizens of

Guatemala (Ahmed et al., 2005). The earthquake of 1976 spurred the creation of the

Lorena stove; a portmanteau of the Spanish words ​lodo​ for earth and ​arena​ for sand

(Ahmed et al., 2005). Distributed as a set of guidelines for construction rather than a

true commercially available product, the Lorena stove struggled from a lack of uniformity

and standards (Ahmed et al., 2005). Although well distributed during the late 70s and

early 80s, the program languished during the latter part of the 80s due to a lack of

sustained adoption and poor testing results (Ahmed et al., 2005). Aprovecho has since

evaluated the Lorena stove as being worse for stove efficiency because of its high

thermal mass ​(Bryden, 2005)​. A common misconception is that compacted earth acts

as a good insulator for cookstoves, ​when in ​fact, the packed earth absorbs the heat

which would ultimately go to cooking ​(Bryden, 2005)​.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 11

During the 1990s the introduction of metal planchas and a push for more

commercially viable and standardized products led to a change in the design of stoves

in Guatemala. However, the style of Guatemalan cooking meant the creation of designs

that could not be distributed in a way similar to ICSs from programs initiated in Asia and

Africa (Bieleck & Wingenbach, 2014). Guatemalans required larger stoves for cooking

tortillas that were more difficult to transport as opposed to the smaller and more portable

rocket stoves prevalent elsewhere in the world (Bieleck & Wingenbach, 2014). In

addition to this, the Guatemalan stoves required the use of a chimney which, while it

greatly improved indoor air pollution, also required a degree of skill to install (Bieleck &

Wingenbach, 2014).

Subsequent stove programs have focused more on the scaling and distribution of

new designs (Ahmed et al., 2005). The end of the Guatemalan Civil War in 1996 has

exposed the country to broader access to external social programs that promote ICS

use (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2013c; Ahmed et al., 2005). Since the 2000s, focus has

been dedicated to producing more portable stove kits that can be easily deployed to

rural highland homes while also being broadly appealing to urban households (Ahmed

et al., 2005).

The history of cookstoves in Guatemala suggests a robust market with a

willingness to adapt to new technologies. However, broad distribution and the ability to

repair or replace the stove will be critical in the future of any successful stove program.

Additionally, respect for traditional cooking habits will be necessary in the sustained

adoption of any new stove design.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 12

3.2 IMPACT AREAS

In 2015 the United Nations drafted the Sustainable Development Goals which were

subsequently adopted by 196 countries. These goals represent guidelines to ensure the

safety and prosperity of the human race while also protecting the planet (United

Nations, n. d.). As stated by the United Nations website:

“Over the next fifteen years, with these new Goals that universally apply to all,

countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and

tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.”

Figure 1.​ The 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (United
Nations, n. d.)

According to the Clean Cooking Alliance, of the 17 goals set forward by the UN,

10 can be directly addressed by Improved Cookstoves solutions (Clean Cooking

Alliance, n. d.). These goals are: no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well being,
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 13

quality education, gender equality, affordable and clean energy, decent work and

economic growth, sustainable cities and communities, climate action, and life on land

(Clean Cooking Alliance, n. d.).

The Clean Cooking Alliance further distills these development goals into five

different impact areas for improved cookstoves: climate and environment, health,

humanitarian, livelihoods, and women and gender. Fully understanding these impact

areas is important in developing robust design and production goals for the product.

While the immediate impact of a product on an individual household can be readily

apparent, the more subtle local and global impacts are equally important.

3.2.1 CLIMATE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The environmental impacts of biomass cookstoves are twofold: the impacts

associated with greenhouse gas emissions as a direct result of the processing and

burning of wood fuels and the impacts associated with deforestation.

3.2.1.1 EMISSIONS IMPACTS

While much of the concern of cookstove emissions comes from the indoor

environmental health of the user, there is still a significant concern associated with

outdoor environmental impacts and increases in greenhouse gasses. While a number of

different types of pollutants are emitted during cooking (methane, carbon monoxide,

carbon dioxide), the most significant is the emission of black carbon (Chafe et al.,

2014). Household cooking contributes to 25% of the black carbon produced in the world

and contributes to 60-80% of that produced in Africa and Asia (Bond et al. (2013) cited
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 14

in Clean Cooking Alliance, n.d.-b). When in the atmosphere the black carbon absorbs

sunlight, causing global warming (WHO, 2015b; Clean Cooking Alliance, n.d.-b). It then

falls back to the Earth, further darkening snow and increasing the Earth’s absorptive

capacity (Clean Cooking Alliance, n.d.-b).

Often emissions are seen as a smaller issue with Guatemalan cookstoves

because the prevalent use of chimneys reduces exposure to indoor emissions.

However, chimneys can just push the issue onto the global environment, so any

opportunity to improve emissions must not be taken for granted.

3.2.1.2 DEFORESTATION IMPACTS

Deforestation can influence the environment on both local and global scales.

Firewood harvesting can be devastating for local environments: destroying habitats for

wildlife and decreasing biodiversity, increasing erosion which causes mudslides, and

mitigating flood protection. Mudslides can be especially devastating in the Guatemalan

highlands where entire villages have been buried as a result (Early, 2009).

Unsustainable woodfuel harvesting also results in an increase in greenhouse

gasses present in the environment. According to Ballis et al. (2015) (as cited in Clean

Cooking Alliance, n.d.-b), 30% of the woodfuel harvested globally is done so

unsustainably. Trees serve to absorb CO​2​ present in the air, so a global reduction in

plant life will further increase the carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere. The figure

below shows that the vast majority of woodfuel harvesting in Guatemala goes towards

residential purposes, such as cooking and heating.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 15

Figure 2.​ Sectorial consumption of woodfuel (2010) (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2013c)
p. 25

According to the Clean Cooking Alliance (2013c), “Annual consumption of

woodfuel is around 16 million tons of dry matter per year, largely dominated by rural

residential demand. Many different factors contribute to the levels of woodfuel

consumption, and there is no unique consumption pattern”. The best way to combat

such a large scale and scattered mode of wood fuel consumption is with the introduction

of improved cookstoves to rural communities.

3.2.2 HEALTH

There are extensive studies related to the health effects of cooking with an open

fire and the potential benefits of using an improved cookstove. Most of these relate to

the long term respiratory effects on women and children who spend most of their day in

close proximity to open fires for cooking and heating. However, there are a number of
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 16

other potential health benefits, such as reductions in burns or house fires, that can be

achieved with improved cookstoves (World Health Organization [WHO], 2006).

Biomass combustion can release a multitude of pollutants that are harmful to

respiration depending on the quality of the fuel and the completeness of the

combustion. These pollutants can include: respirable particulate matter (PM), carbon

monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur oxides (SOx) (WHO, 2015a).

According to the WHO (2015a), complete combustion of biomass should produce only

non-toxic CO2 and water. However, complete combustion is difficult to achieve and the

products of incomplete combustion (PIC) can produce high amounts of carbon

monoxide and elemental particulate matter, or soot.

Figure 3. ​Black carbon deposits on the ceiling of a kitchen in Guatemala (HFP n. d.)
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 17

The Clean Cooking Alliance has published voluntary performance targets for

improved cookstoves that includes two performance metrics for emissions: fine

particulate matter and carbon monoxide.

Figure 4.​ Voluntary performance targets for ICSs (“Voluntary Performance Targets”,
n.d.)

The EPA breaks particulate matter down into two different sub-categories: PM10

and PM2.5. PM10 are particles with a diameter of 10 microns or smaller, while PM2.5

particles have a diameter of 2.5 microns or smaller (“Particulate Matter (PM) Basics”,

2018). PM2.5 is generally viewed as the more harmful of the two as the smaller

diameter allows it to enter deeper into the lungs and potentially into the bloodstream

(“Particulate Matter (PM) Basics”, 2018).

Carbon monoxide is the largest pollutant by mass of incomplete biomass

combustion and is toxic for humans to inhale (Penney et al. 2010). Exposure to carbon

monoxide can cause dizziness, headaches, and at high levels can cause

unconsciousness and death (Penney et al. 2010). However, carbon monoxide exposure
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 18

is not as great a threat to wood stove user health as in charcoal stoves which are less

prevalent in Guatemala (McCracken, Schwartz, Diaz, Bruce, & Smith, 2013).

Various studies have shown the positive effects of reductions in household air

pollution. A study by Smith et al. (2010, 2011) found that a chimney could help reduce

cases of severe pneumonia in children living in households using woodfuel. A further

study by McCracken et al. (2007) found that a reduction in indoor air pollution can aid in

lowering the blood pressure of Guatemalan women exposed to wood smoke for long

periods of time. The following graph from the Clean Cooking Alliance’s sector mapping

study shows that household air pollution is the second leading disease risk factor in

Guatemala.

Figure 5.​ The burden of disease attributable to 15 leading risk factors in 2010,
expressed as a percentage of Guatemala DALYs (Disability-adjusted life years)
(Clean Cooking Alliance, 2013c, p. 34)
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 19

Understanding the health effects of cooking with biomass fuel is important in

allowing a designer to understand the impacts and tradeoffs of different design

decisions. It can also allow for the focused improvement of specific combustion and

heat transfer metrics, because it allows the designer to know how these changes can

affect emissions and thus how it can affect the user.

3.2.3 HUMANITARIAN

This impact area of the Clean Cookstove Alliance pertains less to Guatemala

than it does to other areas using improved cookstoves, such as sub-Saharan Africa,

where political strife, drought, and harsh environments pose larger threats to the women

and children involved in firewood collection. In addition to this, Guatemalan households

have a more even division of labor between men and women when it comes to firewood

collection, as opposed to African markets where the task is performed almost

exclusively by women and children, leaving them exposed to gender-based violence

and physical injury (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2013c).

Figure 6. ​Man collecting firewood in Guatemala (HFP, n.d.)

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 20

This being said, Guatemala is not immune to humanitarian crises, and access to

clean cookstoves is a crucial part of emergency response. Particularly in the

Guatemalan highlands, it can be extremely difficult to deploy cooking solutions during

natural disasters. Creating a design that is adequately deployable and safe is necessary

for these quick response situations.

3.2.4 LIVELIHOODS

Cookstoves have the potential to be powerful stimulants of local economies and

promote large strides towards in-country development of both manufacturing and

commerce infrastructures. Especially if a company is committed to producing the

product in-country (as Hands for Peacemaking is), this can result in the creation of

hundreds of jobs across production, engineering, shipping, and retail. Local

entrepreneurs will have new opportunities to sell and distribute a product that is

thoroughly needed throughout the country (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2013a).

With products like ICSs, it’s important to not only think about the impact on a

micro-scale but on a macro-scale as well. The steps associated with the implementation

of an Improved Cookstove program can act as a bridge to further in-country

development and pave the way for other entrepreneurs and manufacturers to invest in

development (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2013a). It is also an easy and effective way to

introduce women on the ground floor in industry, which will benefit later on with a more

socially equal society (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2013d). In Guatemala alone, nearly 50%

of the microentrepreneurs employed in the cookstove sector are women (Clean Cooking
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 21

Alliance, 2013a). In countries like Bangladesh and Ghana where there are more robust

ICS programs in effect, these numbers are even higher (Clean Cooking Alliance,

2013a).

Sustainable and consistent growth is critical for the further improvement of

livelihoods in developing economies. A market-based approach to cookstove design is

not only critical for the successful adoption and acceptance of said designs, but also the

appropriate scaling of the market. The infrastructures and facilities needed to facilitate

the market growth will track with product demand and push forward the economic

development of a nation.

3.2.5 WOMEN AND GENDER

In developing countries cooking is performed almost exclusively by women and

can be exceedingly unhealthy and time-consuming. Girls and young women often must

forgo formal education in order to attend to cooking chores at home (Clean Cooking

Alliance, 2013d). Cooking consumes so much time during the day that women are

unable to pursue independent economic or personal pursuits. The gender dynamic

associated with current cooking norms in developing countries can leave women and

girls perpetually disadvantaged medically, intellectually, and economically.

Providing countries with an improved cookstove can empower women on a broad

social scale that extends well past the household. Women play a critical role in the

adoption and scaling of clean cooking solutions by acting as entrepreneurs within the

sector. Additionally, their expertise within the field makes them uniquely positioned and

empowered in developing countries to occupy positions extending from marketing and

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 22

sales to design and production. In parallel with the moral benefits of a more socially

equal society, community benefits come from specifically empowering women with

economic resources as women will reinvest 90 percent of their personal income into

their families and communities while men will only reinvest 30 to 40 percent (Clean

Cooking Alliance, 2013a).

The Clean Cooking Alliance compiled a resource guide entitled “Scaling Adoption

of Clean Cooking Solutions through Women’s Empowerment”. In this, they detailed how

women can play a critical role in each link of the clean cooking value chain: product

design, production, consumer finance, supplier finance, distribution, and after-sales

service. The link most associated with the objectives of this thesis are product design.

Engaging women in the product design process is important in the development that will

be readily adopted by local communities and will appropriately address the needs of the

user. Ideally, a full product development cycle will include household surveys, focus

group discussions (FGDs), and cooking observations. These are currently outside of the

scope of funding allotted for this project, but the hope is that the results of this thesis are

enough to secure funding and ensure a pilot program that can fully engage women in

the design process.

3.3 MARKET

Guatemala is one of the eight countries identified by the Clean Cooking Alliance

that has “demonstrated considerable market potential to foster a robust market for clean

cooking solutions” (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2013c). In 2016 they released a market

segmentation for the country which could be used by developers and investors to
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 23

understand the opportunities available. This provides a valuable resource to designers

in understanding the users driving the market and creating price points.

2.4 Million Guatemalan households use firewood regularly for cooking, primarily

coming from lower incomes (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2013c). Also, households have a

tendency to “stack fuels”, or to use two different fuel sources at a time (Heltberg, 2005).

For example, 28.5% of households using LPG stoves also use firewood for cooking

(Clean Cooking Alliance, 2013c). While this is a huge market potential, the competing

solution is the Three Stone Fire, a traditional and free method of cooking.

The Clean Cooking Alliance’s sector mapping of Guatemala places the potential

market for buying an efficient cookstove at 0.7 to 1.4 million households, provided that

appropriate financing measures are in place. The following table, adapted from the

Clean Cooking Alliance’s sector mapping, shows the market drivers behind improved

cookstoves and who they would likely benefit:

Table 1
Market Drivers of Improved Cookstoves in Guatemala

Driver How Likely Target Audience

Economic Economic savings when wood fuel is ● Family members with

accessibility and purchased, purchase cost must be repayable economic power
savings in an adequate timeframe, it must remain decisions
accessible to people with limited incomes ● Commercial/Institutional
buyers
● Social Responsibility
(SR) programs in
industry

Time savings Collecting firewood when applicable, cooking ● Wood collectors (men
time (several plates cooked at the same time) and women)
● Women (more time to
spend with children, on
person ventures, or
other economic
opportunities)
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 24

Credit Access Reduction of the up-front cost barrier by the ● Banks and MFI,
access to affordable credit from bank or MFI, cooperatives
possibility to get a credit from company or ● Large industry and
industry where people work companies, to comply
with SR
● Government offices

Health Concerns Elimination of smoke from the kitchen, ● Female consumers

healthier children, reduced danger of burns, (caretakers of house
reduced eye irritation, breathing, less and children)
physically demanding posture for cooking, ● Ministry of Health
reduce expenses in doctors and medicine (reduction in health
expenditures)
● Donor agencies and
“mission-driven”
institutional purchaser

Cleanliness Improving the look and overall cleanliness of ● Female consumers

the kitchen, utensils, and home. Reduction of (main cook, presence in
lingering smells on clothes and hair the kitchen)

Aspirational Improving the look and overall cleanliness of ● Female consumers

Technology the kitchen. Cookstove appearance that is (main cook, presence in
attractive to a potential customer the kitchen)
● Suppliers

Acceptability, Size adapted to the family needs, a cooking ● Female consumers

quality, and surface that allows the preparation of tortillas, (main cook)
guarantee durable stove, solid guarantee, and ● Certification centers
maintenance (trust builder) ● Suppliers

Demonstration To give the opportunity of users to be exposed ● Women looking to

to cookstoves and see the functioning (trust purchase and ICS
builder) ● Municipalities
● Cooperatives
● Manufacturers
● Financing Institutions
(adapted from Clean Cooking Alliance, 2013c)

A recurring theme is a need for awareness of an available cooking solution and

the availability of financing for a market to be fully developed (Heltberg, 2005). There

are several consumer financing options such as; the highly subsidized model,

microfinance, corporate and institutional financing, carbon financing, and revolving

funds (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2013c). However, many of these options are not fully
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 25

developed in Guatemala, and others (such as the highly subsidized model) can lead to

the widespread distribution of poorly designed stoves.

Figure 7. ​The three pillars dictating the successful adoption of an improved cookstove
design (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2013b)

A designer must fully understand the market they are working in in order to

create a product that addresses the needs of the consumer. Many of the factors that

define a successful product should be readily apparent: aesthetic, easy-to-use,

affordable. Other factors are less apparent because they relate more to developing

economies and Guatemala specifically: easy to transport, financing availability, general

product awareness. Creating a design and business plan that can successfully address

these subtleties is of great importance.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 26

3.4 CULTURAL BACKGROUND

The cultural background of a country is one of the most complex aspects

dictating the design of a product for a developing economy. In some ways, it divulges

the designer of an auteurial voice because the cultural tastes of the consumer take

precedence over the background of the designer. The ultimate goal of these products is

to be as broadly appealing to people as possible, so as to satisfy the most people for

the least amount of money (Bergmann, Noble, Thompson, 2015). This is contradictory

to much design in developed nations where niche designs can earn enough money to

sustain a product line.

When designing for a country that a designer doesn’t share a cultural

background with, and especially when they don’t share an economic background,

understanding the consumers becomes a critically important step in the design process.

Personal experience and tastes become useless in these environments because they

simply aren’t the same. In some cases, personal and cultural prejudices need to be

discarded in order to create the most successful and useful product possible.

When it comes to designing cooking solutions for developing countries, one of

the most prominent cultural norms that need to be acknowledged is that cooking is

performed exclusively by women, yet most of the purchasing decisions are made by

men. Guatemala is not immune to this structure, and it must be treated with both a

sensitivity and a frankness. It creates the difficult task of having to design a product for

women but sell it to men. That being said, women can have considerable influence over

decisions and can be especially influential in communities.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 27

3.4.1 COOKING METHODS

Guatemalan cuisine is time-consuming and work-intensive to prepare, with

women often spending more than 12 hours a day cooking (Granderson, Sandhu,

Vasquez, Ramirez, & Smith, 2009). The article “Fuel use and design analysis of

improved woodburning cookstoves in the Guatemalan Highlands” provides a detailed

overview of the typical Guatemalan cooking regimen. The study found that almost all

households begin cooking at around 6 AM with the stove in continuous use until 8 PM

(Granderson et al., 2009). In some households, the fire would be extinguished between

meals, but generally, it was maintained to warm the kitchen in addition to its cooking

function (Granderson et al., 2009). Breakfast is usually cooked between 6 AM and 8

AM, lunch is prepared just before 12 PM, and dinner is prepared at around 6 PM

(Granderson et al., 2009).

It is not uncommon for the kitchen of a rural household to be in a separate

structure from the main living quarters (Granderson et al., 2009). However, the kitchen

still acts as a congregation place. Observers in the study saw women and children

sitting near the fire in order to warm up (Granderson et al., 2009). Women care for their

children during cooking, thus increasing adolescent exposure to harmful emissions from

cooking.

For households using an open fire for cooking, pots are supported between the

three stones during the cooking of beans and tamales (Granderson et al., 2009). For

tortillas, a separate tool, called a comal, is used over the fire (Granderson et al., 2009).

In traditional plancha stove designs, the flat plancha surface serves the purpose of the
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 28

comal, while rings in the plancha can be removed to allow pots and pans to be exposed

directly to the fire in the combustion chamber (Granderson et al., 2009).

Figure 8. ​A typical three-stone fire setup (Clean Cooking Alliance, n. d. -c)

Figure 9. ​Guatemalan girl cooking tortillas with a comal over an open fire (HFP, n.d.).
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 29

3.4.2 CUISINE

Corn is a staple of the Guatemalan diet and is used in multiple dishes, most

notably for tamales and tortillas. Depending on the cooking habits of a household, the

preparation of corn for use in tortillas and tamales can be a time-consuming process.

Nixtamalization, a process originating in Meso-American cultures, involves the boiling of

raw maize in an alkaline solution followed by a series of rinsing steps and finally the

grinding of the kernels into a dough (Pappa, de Palomo, & Bressani, 2010). This dough,

known as masa, or masa harina in its dried form, is the key ingredient in the dietary

staples of Guatemalan cuisine (Pappa et al., 2010). Although masa harina is widely

available in grocery stores, some rural Guatemalan households may still perform the

process themselves. A report by Bieleck and Wigenbach (2014) has told of the

nixtamalization taking from 4 to 6 hours of cooking time and its requirement to be

cooked in large batches.

Tortillas are one of the most important staples of Guatemalan cooking and one of

the most work-intensive foods in Mesoamerican culture. The ubiquity of tortillas is why

planchas have become a necessary feature of Central American stove design as they

require a large, flat, evenly heated surface in order to be prepared. The basic

preparation requires the creation of a masa dough which is then flattened by hand or

with a tortilla press. This is a delicate process that takes practice and patience in order

to do correctly. The tortillas are then placed on the plancha surface in order to cook.

Observations from the Hands for Peacemaking organization have shown users using

either calcium powder or cooking oil to prevent the tortillas from sticking to the plancha
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 30

surfaces. The calcium has been observed to cause the plancha to rust prematurely,

however this is likely the result of the lack of protection provided by the calcium rather

than a direct chemical reaction. Cooking oil will continue to provide a protective layer

over the stove’s lifetime if it’s used regularly during operation on the plancha.

Tamales involve the steaming of masa dough wrapped in banana leaves (Bieleck

& Wingenbach, 2014). The actual steaming process is relatively short at about 30

minutes, but requires a high and consistent heat source to maintain steam production

(Bieleck & Wingenbach, 2014). While tamales are eaten on a regular basis, they are

also a common meal during holidays where larger quantities need to be prepared.

Having a design that can support such quantities is an important factor in consumer

selection.

One other important food in the Guatemalan diet is black beans (Bieleck &

Wingenbach, 2014). These can often take between two to four hours to cook and, like

tamales, require a high, consistent heat source (Bieleck & Wingenbach, 2014). A benefit

of many foods in Guatemalan cuisine is their ability to be prepared in large batches and

then reheated later on for subsequent meals. However, this requires that any ICS

solution must be able to handle large pots and perform multiple tasks at a time.

Other less time-intensive dishes, such as eggs, vegetables, and rice, are

common in the Guatemalan daily diet but will influence buying choices less (Bieleck &

Wingenbach, 2014). In households that exhibit fuel stacking, it is often reported that

these meals can be cooked on small propane or gas stoves (Clean Cooking Alliance,

2016).
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 31

3.5 FUNCTION OF IMPROVED COOKSTOVES

The main piece of literature on cookstoves has been set out in the guideline

“Design Principles for Wood Burning Cookstoves” written by the non-profit group

Approvecho. Central to this piece of literature is its outline of the “Ten Design Principles”

developed by Dr. Larry Winiarski for cookstove development. For the purpose of this

thesis it is worthwhile to list out these 10 design principles:

1. Whenever possible, insulate around the fire using lightweight, heat-resistant

materials.

2. Place an insulated short chimney right above the fire.

3. Heat and burn the tips of the sticks as they enter the fire.

4. High and low heat are created by how many sticks are pushed into the fire.

5. Maintain a good fast draft through the burning fuel.

6. Too little draft being pulled into the fire will result in smoke and excess charcoal.

7. The opening into the fire, the size of the spaces within the stove through which

hot air flows, and the chimney should all be about the same size.

8. Use a grate under the fire.

9. Insulate the heat flow path.

10. Maximize heat transfer to the pot with properly sized gaps.

(Bryden, 2005)

These design principles will act as guides in defining the design of the concept rather

than hard rules because other factors (e.g. traditional cooking habits, available materials

and manufacturing techniques, and cost) will greatly influence the design. For example,
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 32

creating a skirt around a pot that directs exhaust flames around the pot’s sides can

greatly increase the efficiency of a design, but is difficult to implement in practice given

that all pots are different and would require more material and a change in cooking

habits from the user.

3.5.1 TESTING

Testing plays an important role in the design of a cookstove. However, it sits

outside the scope of this thesis project. Nonetheless, developing a testing plan and

preparing how to evaluate the success of a design is a necessary step in the process.

The Clean Cooking Alliance has developed a broad system of testing for clean

cookstoves and biomass fuels. While most testing focuses on performance metrics in

the efficiency and emissions categories, there are protocols for testing safety and

durability. Probably the most utilized testing protocol is the Water Boiling Test (WBT).

The stated objective of the protocol is to, “measure how efficiently a stove uses fuel to

heat water in a cooking pot and the quantity of emissions produced while cooking”

(Clean Cooking Alliance, 2014). The simplicity and rigidity of the test make it an ideal

tool during the development process to detect how small changes can influence the

design. A general WBT is broken into three phases: cold-start high power, hot-start

high-power phase, and the simmer phase. The cold-start test measures performance

when a pot of water is brought to boil on a stove at room temperature. The hot-start is

conducted after the cold-start when the stove is still warm and again measures the time

it takes to bring a pot of water to boil. Finally, the simmer phase measures the stove’s
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 33

performance when maintaining a pot of water’s temperature just below boiling for 45

minutes.

Figure 10.​ Temperature during the three phases of the water boiling test (MacCarty,
cited in Clean Cooking Alliance, 2014)

Depending on the sophistication of the test and the testing facility, a WBT measures the

following metrics:

Table 2
Stove Characteristics

Burning Rate (g/min) -Average grams of wood burned per minute during the test

Firepower (W) -How quickly the fuel was burning

Turn-Down Ratio -How much the user adjusted the heat between high power and low power
phases
(Clean Cooking Alliance, 2014)
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 34

Table 3
Efficiency Metrics

Time to Boil (min) The time it took for the pot to reach boiling during the cold-start phase

Temperature Corrected The time it took for a pot to reach boiling temperature, corrected to reflect
Time to Boil (min) a temperature rise of 75 deg C from start to boil

Thermal Efficiency (%) The fraction of heat produced by the fuel that made it directly to the water
in the pot

Specific Fuel The amount of fuel required to boil (or simmer) 1 liter of water
Consumption
(MJ/(min*L))

Temp-Corrected Specific Specific fuel consumption corrected for a temperature rise of 75 deg C
Fuel Consumption from start to boil
(Clean Cooking Alliance, 2014)

Emissions are generally measured based on the amount of emissions per megajoule

(MJ) delivered to the pot, emissions rate, specific emissions rate, and emissions per

task (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2014). The most common pollutants measured are CO​2​,

CO, and Particulate Matter (PM), but a handful of other pollutants can be tested (Clean

Cooking Alliance, 2014). The unit for emissions is mass on an equivalent dry basis.

Understanding these metrics is necessary for the engineering design process

because they can dictate how the combustion and heat transfer mechanisms for the

stove are developed. Burn Design Lab is one of the few places in the world where

comprehensive performance and emissions testing is conducted. Creating a complete

testing plan will allow for BDL to pinpoint issues in the design as a result of testing and

make minute changes in order to optimize the stove.

Because of the significant difference in the operation of traditional plancha style

designs and the single pot stove designs typical with other ICS programs, it is important

to look at other literature to gather insights about plancha design optimization. In the
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 35

article “Comparative performance of five Mexican plancha-type cookstoves using water

boiling tests” by Medina et al. (2007) a number of recommendations are set out by the

authors. Of note is their caution that traditional laboratory testing techniques (such as

the Water Boil Test) do not accurately reflect the woodfuel savings experienced by

users in actual use (Medina et al., 2007). In fact, the results from the study found that a

traditional three-stone fire performs with a higher thermal efficiency in standard water

boiling tests when compared to any plancha style stove because more heat is diverted

to the plancha rather than directly to the pot (Medina et al., 2007). This diversion of

energy is intentional because it serves to cook the Guatemalan staple food of tortillas,

but it ends up isolating Guatemala in the ICS community because they cannot

accurately stack up in one of the most important testing metrics of cookstoves against

other designs. In much the same way planchas consistently feature a chimney exhaust,

a feature uncommon with most other ICS designs and confounding when comparing

testing metrics.

There are a number of other cooking tests that can prove additional information

on the function of a stove. Most notably there is the Controlled Cooking Test (CCT), the

Uncontrolled Cooking Test (UCT), and the Kitchen Performance Test (KPT). The CCT

is a lab test following closely the measurement protocol of the WBT, but features the

preparation of a standard meal for the stove’s locality (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2014).

The UCT is performed in the home of an actual user using their preferred equipment

and techniques (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2014). The KPT is a broader ranging test that
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 36

can evaluate components including comparative overall fuel usage and qualitative

impressions of the users (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2014).

3.6 COMBUSTION

Combustion is a complex and multi-stage process that can depend greatly on the

type and quality of fuel used. As stated by M. Kumar, S. Kumar and Tyagi (2013),

combustion of solid fuels (e.g. firewood) can be broken down into two basic processes:

the combustion of volatiles and the combustion of char (M. Kumar et al., 2013). As the

firewood increases in temperature, volatiles begin to escape as smoke while the

cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin begin to decompose (M. Kumar et al., 2013). When

the volatiles are released and mix with the oxygen they burn around 550 C, creating a

yellow flame (M. Kumar et al., 2013). As the volatiles are progressively released a char

layer will be left behind which continues to catalyze the breakdown of the escaping

gases (M. Kumar et al., 2013). This charcoal will normally burn around 800 C (M. Kumar

et al., 2013). When the char completely burns off it leaves behind only mineral salts in

the form of ash.

Controlling the amount of air that can enter into the combustion process is

imperative because too little oxygen will stifle the combustion process, while too much

air will reduce the temperature of the reaction and create smoke. Preheating the air

before it enters into the combustion chamber is an effective way to introduce air without

affecting the temperature, but this requires a concerted effort to direct the flow of air in

an intelligent way.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 37

The three major fuel characteristics - fuel type, fuel size, and moisture content -

can have important impacts on the quality of combustion (Sedighi & Salarian, 2017).

While wood is the recommended fuel source and what most ICS programs are designed

around; charcoal, manure, pellets, corn husks, and straw are all common fuel types in

cookstoves. Even different species of wood have different fuel characteristics that need

to be taken into consideration for the design and testing of a stove.

The cross-sectional area of the fuelwood can play a role on how well it combusts.

“The heating value of the combustible gases decreases when the fuel size increases”

(Sedighi & Salarian, 2017). This creates a challenge for designers because it is a

largely uncontrollable factor in cookstove design. Splitting wood is a time consuming

and rigorous task, so users will often try to forgo it during the cooking process. This

results in larger than ideal pieces of wood being used during cooking. Education and

demonstration can help combat this, and design limitations (such as door opening) can

help guide users, but ultimately it’s something that needs to be worked around.

Fuel moisture can influence both the efficiency and emissions rate of

woodstoves. When moisture is contained within the wood, energy is required to bring

that water up to boiling - energy that could be dedicated to combustion. A study by

MacCarty (2013) found that a fuel moisture change from 0% to 30% can lead to a 2.7%

drop in efficiency. However, an additional study found that some moisture content can

lead to reductions in emissions (Yuntenwi, MacCarty, Still, & Ertel, 2008). This again is

a highly uncontrollable factor for a designer, but one must understand when testing and

designing cookstoves.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 38

Ultimately, while designing with specific fuel factors in mind may increase

individual laboratory testing results, a design that can handle a diverse fuel range will

ultimately be better for the consumer. This reflects the constant give-and-take with

cookstove design. While testing metrics are important and decisive factors in project

funding and marketing, they might not ultimately reflect the design that is best suited for

the user.

3.7 HEAT TRANSFER

Heat transfer can be broken down into three primary modes of thermal energy

exchange: conduction, convection, and radiation. These three modes of heat transfer

will dictate how a cookstove will operate, and controlling them in an appropriate way will

ensure safe and efficient combustion.

3.7.1 CONDUCTION

Conduction​ can be defined by the transfer of thermal energy from areas of high

temperature to low temperature, propagated by vibrations at an atomic level (Kumar et

al. 2013). Conduction tends to move more rapidly through solids than through liquids or

gases and moves particularly quickly through metals that allow free electrons to move

and transmit energy (Kumar et al. 2013). This would be the sensation of placing your

finger on a hot stovetop.

Being careful about where you maximize and minimize heat transfer by

conduction in the stove is important in establishing the efficiency and ease of use. For

example, it’s important for the cooking surface (the plancha in our case) to be of a high
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 39

conductivity because that’s where heat is transferred to the food or the pot. Conversely,

the material on the sides of the stove should be composed of a poorly conductive

material, so as to reduce the heat loss to the environment and improve the efficiency of

the stove. In the case of the current Aler stove design, firebrick is used. While these do

have low conductivities, they also have high masses, so they ultimately aren’t the most

efficient choices.

3.7.2 CONVECTION

Convection i​ s the bulk transfer of heat energy through the movement of fluids

(Kumar et al. 2013). This can be a very rapid and effective mode of heat transfer in

terms of liquids and gases. It would be typified by blowing on a hot bowl of soup to cool

it down.

Convection is probably the trickiest type of heat transfer to control but can have

huge effects on how the stove operates. Most cookstoves, including the planchas

designed by Hands for Peacemaking, are what would be classified as natural draft

stoves. That is, they rely on buoyancy to drive the movement of hot gasses through the

stove ​(Bryden, 2005)​. This movement of air is crucial to the function of the stove

because, in order for the combustion reactions to operate continuously, oxygen must be

constantly added to the chamber. How this oxygen is introduced, where in the

combustion process it is added, at what temperature, and at what quantity all can have

an effect on how well the stove operates: from its efficiency to how much black carbon it

emits.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 40

3.7.3 RADIATION

Radiation​ is the transfer of heat across a vacuum or transparent medium (Kumar

et al. 2013). This heat transfer represents the transport of energy through

electromagnetic waves (Wickström, 2016). The most prevalent example of radiation

heating would be the feeling of warmth of the Sun on a hot day.

In wood-fired cookstoves, radiation will play a smaller role in stove function than

in charcoal stoves. However, it still needs to be taken into consideration, especially with

regard to how people interact with the stove. In the Guatemalan highlands, it is common

to use stoves for heating in addition to cooking, so assuring that the heat radiates

appropriately from the stove is important.

Insulation is a significant characteristic to understand in the combustion process.

In the Aprovecho guideline, it is particularly highlighted not to confuse high mass with

good insulation. Using something like packed earth or concrete will only serve to create

a heat sink into which energy will be lost, thus negatively affecting the efficiency of the

stove. However, there is a flip side to this because high mass stoves can also be

beneficial, depending on the cooking style of the community. The ability of a stove to

retain heat will allow the stove to stay lit longer, which is beneficial for dishes with long

cooking times, such as beans and maize.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 41

4 PRIOR ART

There are currently several plancha style stoves on the market in Central

America. Many are created and distributed by local manufacturers and aided by

Government or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). An important resource for

looking at prior art regarding cookstoves is the Clean Cooking Alliance’s Catalog. This

provides a free directory of clean cooking solutions from around the world, classifying

them based on fuel type, cooking style, production methods, and several other metrics.

Also logged within the catalog are a number of test results for many different stoves.

4.1 ESTUFA DONA DORA

Estufa Dona Dora is a plancha manufacturer based in Quetzaltenango,

Guatemala that produces both mobile and fixed stove solutions. Their Doña Dora 24

and 34 stoves are composed of a combination of brick and metal, with the traditional tile

and griddle cooktop surface (“DOÑA DORA”, 2019).

Table 4
ESTUFA DOÑA DORA

Dimensions 864 x 864 x 864 mm

Retail Price N/A

Weight 100.0 kg

Lifespan 10 years

Country of Production Guatemala

(adapted from Clean Cooking Alliance, n. d. -c)

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 42

4.2 CHISPA PLANCHA

The Estufa Chispa Plancha was developed by Soluciones Apropiadas based in

San Antonio Aguas Calientes and is produced in Guatemala (Estufas Chispas, n. d.).

The unique design characteristic of this stove is that it’s composed primarily of a single

piece of cement with what is described as a “hybrid rocket” combustion chamber. The

simplicity of the design makes it easy to assemble and maintain. However, this also

limits the design’s reparability; if there is an issue with the cement chamber, the entire

stove is compromised.

Table 5
Chispa Plancha

Dimensions 1200 x 800 x 850 mm

Retail Price 150-200 USD

Weight 90.0 kg

Lifespan 5 years

Country of Production Guatemala

(adapted from Clean Cooking Alliance, n. d. -c)

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 43

4.3 ZOOM PLANCHA

Ecozoom is one of the largest and most globally prevalent cookstove

manufacturers operating currently. They hold the exclusive production rights to

Aprovecho designed stoves; the organization that wrote the design guidelines for

improved cookstove design (Clean Cooking Alliance, n.d. -c).

Their design essentially is an attachment that unifies two of their standard Versa

rocket stoves beneath a plancha. It differs from most other stoves in this prior art in that

it is made in China rather than Central America, thus bypassing a number of the

benefits associated with the Livelihoods impact area proposed by the Clean Cooking

Alliance.

Table 6
Zoom Plancha

Dimensions 550 x 450 x 330 mm

Retail Price 100 - 130 USD

Weight 36.0 kg

Lifespan 5 years

Country of Production China

(adapted from Clean Cooking Alliance, n.d. -c)

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 44

4.4 ECOSTUFA

This Mexican produced stove is one of the only designs composed entirely of

metal. The company started in 2010 and has since grown significantly, distributing in

both Mexico and Guatemala (Ecostufa, n.d.). Their sophisticated production operation

has over 130 workers creating 10,000 stoves each month in Mexico (Ecostufa, n.d.).

The Ecostufa’s business model and construction techniques offer an interesting

template for manufacturers in Central America.

Table 7
ECOSTUFA

Dimensions 850 x 500 x 910 mm

Retail Price N/A

Weight 50.0 kg

Lifespan 9 years

Country of Production Mexico

(adapted from Clean Cooking Alliance, n.d. -c)

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 45

4.5 ENVIROFIT SUPER SAVER GRIDDLE

Envirofit is another one of the most globally present brands. Much like the

Ecozoom Stove, the Super Saver Griddle eschews traditional design standards of the

plancha, but to a lesser extent.

Table 8
ENVIROFIT SUPER SAVER GRIDDLE

Dimensions 989 x 640 x 787 mm

Retail Price N/A

Weight 26.0 kg

Lifespan 5 years

Country of Production Honduras, Mexico

(adapted from Clean Cooking Alliance, n. d. -c)

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 46

5 DESIGN

5.1 DESIGN OBJECTIVES

The key objectives of this project as stated by Marco Maldonado of Hands for

Peacemaking is to take the current Mediana plancha design and develop a concept that

is more readily manufacturable in a medium scale production facility, easier to transport

to rural households (i.e. lighter, collapsable), and more aesthetic. Secondary objectives

are to improve the usability of the stove and to improve the combustion of the stove.

Stated in the table below are the design objectives for this project.

Table 9
Mediana Plancha Design Objectives

Price ● Reduce the price of the stove to between 100 and 150 USD

Performance ● The stove meets the IWA Tier 4 standard for indoor air pollution on
both Carbon Monoxide and PM
● The efficiency of the stove increases by 25% over the current design

Portability ● Reduce the weight by 50% over the current design

● The stove should be able to be transported on the back of a healthy
adult for over a mile (without the shelves or bricks)

Safety ● The stove meets the IWA Tier 4 standard for safety (minimal sharp
edges, minimal tipping factor, protection from hot surfaces)

Durability ● Achieve a lifetime durability of over 10 years

Manufacturability ● The stove design should be able to achieve a medium level

manufacturing capacity (~10000 a year)
● The design should be able to be manufactured primarily with stick
welding, spot welding, 2D plasma cutting, press brake bending, and
shearing.

Aesthetics ● The stove conveys a distinct Guatemalan identity while also

acknowledging the technological advancement over traditional
designs.
(IWA - International Workshop Agreement)
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 47

Several of these metrics exist outside of the scope of the project (performance,

durability), however, it is important to establish them before the design regardless.

5.2 METHODOLOGY

The methodology approach to this project featured a two-pronged design

exploration which eventually merged into a final design. One pathway featured a more

conservative design that followed closely with the original design of HFP’s Mediana

plancha but with advancements to the exterior appearance of the stove. The other

featured more radical approaches to the combustion chamber and air pathways. As

concepts began to settle a pathway was found to create a hybrid combustion chamber

design that fit within an appropriate aesthetic appearance.

5.3 SOFTWARE

A goal of this thesis is to set precedents for future design engineers when it

comes to creating products for developing economies. One way of doing this is by

selecting software that is less cost-prohibitive and offers greater accessibility for people

with more limited resources.

5.3.1 ONSHAPE

Onshape is a cloud-based computer-aided design (CAD) software introduced in

2015. Generally, commercial CAD software is cost-prohibitive for smaller startups and

especially companies working in the social enterprise sector. This makes them

dependent on donations or outdated software packages. Onshape was selected

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 48

because of its affordability for small businesses and individual designers, and also

because of its cloud-based platform. This allows a user to access it from most

computers and even on a mobile app. This can be important for designers who need to

assess designs remotely or on the factory floor. Additionally, since much of the

computing is handled by a server, the hardware requirements are less restrictive to use

this software. So compared to many programs that need a dedicated workstation for

developing a model, Onshape can be utilized on even a laptop. Again, this is a huge

benefit for operations with limited budgets both on the software and computing side.

The requirement of an internet connection is somewhat limiting, but internet availability

is rapidly expanding and this software can easily be used while hot-spotting.

5.3.2 SIMSCALE

SimScale is a cloud-based computer-aided engineering (CAE) tool that was released in

2013. Their product suite includes finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid

dynamics (CFD). Much like OnShape, they have varying package plans, which includes

a free community plan. This is beneficial for companies that aren’t sensitive about their

intellectual property, open-source projects, and non-profit operations. The community

plan is good for early startups, but the bought packages may be a better option for

growing operations that need an affordable alternative to more expensive CAE

programs. In addition to this, the software is user-friendly, which is in contrast to much

FEA software. However, it also currently a little simplistic. This isn’t a huge issue for

cookstove design because there are rarely very complicated structural or dynamic
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 49

problems to solve. For other products in the developing world, it may become more of

an issue.

5.4 CURRENT HFP DESIGN

Before proceeding to the design phase it is necessary to have an overview of the

current Mediana stove design currently in production by Hands for Peacemaking. The

stove is composed primarily of carbon steel sheet metal, ranging in thicknesses from

3/64” (1.2 mm) to 3/16” (4.8 mm), carbon steel angle and flat bar, brick, and pumice

sand insulation. Auxiliary features are composed of tile and pegamix, rebar, and

chimney piping.

Figure 11.​ Hands of Peacemaking’s Aller Stove in typical use (Hands for
Peacemaking, n. d.).
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 50

The main construction methods are done through shearing, plasma cutting, press

brake bending, stick welding, and spot welding. The stoves can be purchased fully

assembled, but for certain stoves, especially in the case of the Pequeña stove which is

often deployed to more rural households, the stove can be assembled onsite.

Figure 12.​ Aller stove being assembled (Hands for Peacemaking, n. d.)

The design is heavily limited by available materials, available manufacturing

techniques, and sales price. As a result, it relies on high mass but robust materials to

ensure longevity, and simple designs to reduce manufacturing costs.

The inner combustion chamber is composed of a brick base on which the fire

typically burns (this will be the hottest part of the stove). On the sides the fire bricks are

flanked by the “metal bricks” which flare up towards the thick plancha surface in order to

distribute the heat evenly for cooking. Outside of the internal combustion chamber sits a

secondary wall that supports the pumice sand which acts as an outer insulation wall.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 51

The entire combustion chamber is enclosed in a sheet metal box with openings at the

front and the back for the chamber opening and the chimney exhaust, respectively.

Platforms with tile surfaces are affixed to the sides of the stove to act as a workspace

for cooks, while a third tiled platform sits in front of the combustion chamber opening to

act as a support for wood being fed into the stove. The legs are composed of the steel

L-bars welded together and connected by a ribbed platform on which wood or other

kitchen tools can be placed. Overall the main body of the stove is about 800 mm long,

400 mm wide, 600 mm tall, and can weigh about 90 kilograms.

Figure 13.​ Aller stove without the plancha surface showing the interior of the
combustion chamber. This smaller model is shown without the “metal bricks” flanking
the combustion chamber (Hands for Peacemaking, n. d.)
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 52

5.4.1 MODEL DEVELOPMENT

It was decided to first develop a model based on the original design of the stove.

Hands for Peacemaking didn’t have a definitive design or even blueprint for the original

stove, so it was necessary to make design assumptions based on the dimensions and

images sent online. Having this reference model is helpful during the design process

because it allows for quick recall for critical design dimensions and provides a

side-by-side visual representation of where the stove is coming from.

Figure 14.​ Isometric view of the model developed of the original Aller stove.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 53

Figure 15.​ A section view of the standard Aller stove model showing the combustion
chamber layout

5.5 AESTHETIC REFERENCES

Developing the aesthetic appearance of this design proves a complex challenge

largely because of the lack of culturally relevant references. Most traditional cooking

methods in Guatemala, that aren’t three-stone fires, utilize designs constructed from

masonry and are often built into homes. Industrially constructed plancha designs are

generally limited and often don’t take aesthetics into account. Kitchen stoves from

developed markets generally don’t utilize wood as a fuel source and often feature

manufacturing techniques outside the capabilities of a mid-size production facility. Wood

stoves from developed markets are designed mainly for heating and generally use a

cast iron design - which is again is outside the capabilities and needs of the product

being developed.

It was instead decided to focus on three different design areas: traditional

designs and colors of Guatemala, classic domestic wood stove designs from the United
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 54

States and Europe, and modern Scandinavian furniture design. The traditional designs

and colors of Guatemala were selected because the product should have a distinct

Guatemalan identity that is both appropriate for the average Guatemalan household and

also instills a sense of pride in the Guatemalan consumer. Highlighting the construction

origins in Guatemala should play a large role in the marketing and sale of the product.

The classic domestic wood stoves are an important reference because they a rare

reference of a truly aesthetic example of a domestic wood stove used for cooking. While

generally dated in their design and complex in their construction, they represent

important precursors to plancha stove designs. Finally, modern Scandanavian furniture

design features the functional minimalism and simple construction necessary for making

a design affordable for a developing economy while still being aesthetically pleasing.

5.5.1 MOODBOARD

The left side of the moodboard seeks to convey traditional aesthetics of

Guatemala, bright colors, and the surrounding cuisine of the kitchen. The right side

reflects the domestic industrial aesthetics of kitchen and wood-burning products. The

color of blue and white are present to represent Guatemalan identity and brown, yellow,

orange, and black reflect the combustion and pyrolysis of wood.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 55

Figure 16.​ The moodboard developed to help define the product identity of the stove

5.5.2 REFERENCE PRODUCTS

These two reference products from IKEA served to establish a general aesthetic

associated with economic kitchen furniture. Preliminary designs of the stove featured a

much more dynamic shape. However, after looking at several aesthetic references it

was noticed that kitchen furniture tends towards basic and robust shapes. Bror and

Rimforsa were found to exemplify these characteristics while also conveying a domestic

comfort and ease of use.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 56

Figure 17.​ From the IKEA line of kitchen islands and carts, the Bror is on the left, and
the Rimforsa on the right (IKEA, n. d.).

5.6 DESIGN EVOLUTION

5.6.1 INITIAL COMBUSTION CHAMBER LAYOUTS

HFP was lukewarm to the notion of creating radical changes to the combustion

chamber of the stoves since the functionality has been positively received by

consumers up to this point. However, the research pointed to there being significant

ways to improve combustion and there is importance in advancing a design when the

opportunity is given.

Initially presented were two concepts, one more radical and one more

conservative. The radical concept featured a newly centralized combustion chamber

that was suspended from the plancha surface and off-shooting secondary burners for

lower heating. HFP viewed this change in layout as unideal because it went against
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 57

traditional plancha designs and believed Guatemalans wouldn’t adapt well to cooking on

the same side as where the fire is being fed (traditional planchas allow users to cook on

the sides).

Figure 18.​ Radical concept with centralized combustion chamber (cut view).

Figure 19.​ Front cut view of the radical concept.

The more conservative concept featured much the same layout as the original

HFP design, but the combustion chamber bricks were half as thick and suspended

within the stove body. The idea with this being that the reduction in stove mass would

improve efficiency while the air gap would reduce heat loss to the stove body, while not

damaging the durability of the stove significantly. This design also introduced an

ashtray, which are common in ICS rocket and charcoal stoves but not available in
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 58

plancha designs. HFP was more receptive to this concept but was skeptical of its

manufacturability.

Figure 20.​ Side-cut view of the more conservative design approach with the air gap
shown towards the bottom of the stove body

Figure 21.​ Ashtray concept at the front of the stove

5.6.2 MORE RADICAL AESTHETIC APPROACHES

Concurrently the outward aesthetic appearance of the stove was developed.

Three stove components were focused in particular: the shelves, the legs, and the body

shape. The original HFP Mediana design was very conservative in its aesthetics,
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 59

featuring a boxy shape and was nearly entirely black except for tiles on the shelves. In

order to bring some modernity to the design, attempts were made to increase the

dynamic appearance of the stove by including rounded stove body edges and slanted

legs. In addition to these changes, the shelves were removed to make accessing the

plancha easier for the user and to reduce the cost. These ideas were met with

excitement about the design and skepticism about the manufacturability.

​ arly concept design with more dynamic legs and body shape
Figure 22. E
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 60

Figure 23.​ Front and side view of the dynamic design

5.6.3 REGRESSION TOWARDS TRADITIONAL KITCHEN AESTHETICS

This radical approach to kitchen aesthetics didn’t quite fit with what was trying to be

achieved with the project and was also becoming difficult to create manufacturing

solutions around. Following a suggestion by Marco Maldonado to create “the IKEA

plancha stove”, focus was directed more toward Scandanavian functionalism in terms of

design aesthetics. Missing was a sense of warmth in the appearance and robust

functionality in the design. While the stove body maintains the same rounded edges of

the previous design, the legs returned back to their functional straightness which was

felt to convey a sense of sturdiness and ease of use. Additionally, wood was introduced

to act as the shelves on the design. This was done for multiple reasons: it would be

easier to be produced, repaired, and customized by Guatemalan carpenters, it added

color and domestic comfort to the design, and it would provide a comfortable working

surface that wouldn’t easily conduct heat for the user to interact with.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 61

Figure 24.​ The new aesthetic approach of the stove with the ashtray shown.

This design also featured a new ashtray design which could be pulled out from

either side of the stove. This makes the ashtray much easier to access and more

centrally located in the combustion process. All of these design changes were well

received

5.6.4 DUAL COMBUSTION CHAMBER DESIGNS

Within this new aesthetic approach, two different combustion chamber designs were

proposed: one radical and one conservative. The radical design again featured a

suspended combustion chamber, however this time it conformed to traditional plancha

stove layout. It also introduced the idea of a grate and a ceramic-lined chamber. Here,

heat is directed upwards from the front of the plancha, back along the length of the

plancha surface, and finally into the chimney exhaust.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 62

Figure 25.​ Section view of the radical combustion chamber design

The main objective of this design was to reduce the weight and the cost of the

material composing the combustion chamber. It was theorized that the performance of

the stove would not be greatly hindered, but the improvements on efficiency and

portability would be significant.

Figure 26.​ Detail of the radical combustion chamber

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 63

The conservative design has much the same layout of the original HFP Mediana

except with a hole cut out for the ash to fall into. However, this concept follows the new

aesthetic appearance proposed. The suspended thin brick concept was rejected due to

complexity and concerns about durability.

Figure 27.​ Cut view of the conservative combustion chamber design

Figure 28.​ Side view showing the brick layout in the conservative design
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 64

Both of these concepts also introduced the door/wood shelf concept as well. This

idea would allow the door also to act as the wood shelf since they would never be used

at the same time.

Figure 29.​ Door/wood shelf concept showing the fixed tile design to improve durability.

These concepts were well received by both BDL and HFP, but there was a belief

that they needed to be flushed out a little bit further.

5.6.5 HYBRID DESIGN

The hybrid design was the penultimate step in unifying the concepts into a single

stove that could ideally be modified in production or in the field as new design

developments were achieved. It featured a combustion chamber that supported directly

the plancha surface and directed heat outwards to all edges of the stove. The bottom of

the chamber was meant to be interchangeable depending on what durability dictated

was possible; whether it was steel, brick, cast iron, or some other option.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 65

Figure 30.​ Hybrid concept with the cast iron combustion chamber bottom

Figure 31.​ Side section view of the hybrid combustion chamber design

This was, however, a much more expensive design, so when proceeding to the

final concept, much of the effort was placed on making it more affordable and

manufacturable.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 66

5.6.6 FINAL DESIGN

The final design of the stove features a combustion chamber that lifts away from

the stove body and then connects to a thinner upper chamber to save on material costs

and weight. It uses a grate design to allow ash to fall into the ashtray during combustion

and is presented with a brick to act as the combustion chamber floor. Additionally, the

chimney connection point was moved to the plancha top to improve on the stove’s

durability. These features will be given in greater detail in the development section of

the thesis.

Figure 32.​ The final design of the stove with the internal layout of the combustion
chamber shown on the right.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 67

6 DEVELOPMENT

6.1 MATERIAL SELECTION

A major challenge when it comes to designing for developing economies is the

limitation on raw materials that are generally easier to access in more vertically

integrated countries. This is why it’s important to work closely with local suppliers and

developers familiar with local resources and supply chains, as they will have a better

understanding of material limitations. This project benefited from Hands for

Peacemaking having an existing design and already developed supplier relations. Their

current design is made primarily from mild steel (sheet, angle, and bar), fire brick,

pumice sand, tile, and a number of auxiliary parts (chimney piping, paint, fixtures, etc.).

These choices are deliberately economical and require fewer than seven suppliers. As a

design engineer it’s necessary to work around the limitations of the client, but it can be

equally important to push the boundaries of the design. For developing economies, this

requires both making creative solutions using local materials and processes, and finding

new supply chains that allow atypical materials to be used in the design.

This section will detail the three main materials in the current design (mild steel,

brick, and pumice sand) which will likely have a place in any conservative design

pursued by HFP, and also the new materials which will be introduced in a more radical

design (wood, stainless steel, ceramic wool insulation).

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 68

6.1.1 PREVIOUSLY UTILIZED MATERIALS

6.1.1.1 MILD STEEL

Mild, or low carbon steel is a ubiquitous construction material due to its low cost,

high strength, broad availability, malleability, and weldability. It also is readily available

in sheet, angle, and rebar stock. This makes it an ideal material for product designs

requiring structural stability in developing economies as it is already widely utilized by

construction industries. Low carbon steel is defined as any carbon steel containing

between 0.05-0.3% carbon (Hughes (2009) cited in ScienceDirect, 2018).

The major downside to low carbon steel is that it is susceptible to corrosion,

especially when subjected to high heat and saline solutions - both of which are common

in cooking environments (Zarras & Stenger-Smith (2014) cited in ScienceDirect, 2018).

While there are many different types of corrosion, the type most familiar to us, and likely

to cause an issue with carbon steel, is rust. This results from the reaction of oxygen and

iron in the presence of water moisture (Zarras & Stenger-Smith (2014) cited in

ScienceDirect, 2018). Combatting the effects of rust and other types of corrosion is

critical in the durability of our design.

There are a number of different ways to combat corrosion and many are currently

used in the Hands for Peacemaking stove design. The most rudimentary approach is to

simply use more material so it takes longer to corrode through. The inner combustion

chamber walls utilize a roughly 5 mm thick mild steel that survives simply because it’s
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 69

thick. While not the most elegant solution and it does increase the weight of the stove, it

is also simple and easy to implement.

Another option is to paint the mild steel, which Hands for Peacemaking currently

uses for the lower structural pieces of the design. This effectively creates a barrier that

protects the interior mild steel from exposure to oxygen and moisture. However, painting

can be time-consuming and expensive, and if even a little bit of steel is left exposed it

can compromise the underlying steel. In addition to this, paint does not handle high

temperatures well as it can peel (thus exposing the steel), or off-gas which can create

fumes even more toxic than those created in combustion. This prohibits it from being

used in locations directly exposed to heat.

Figure 33.​ An early Hands for Peacemaking design showing the corrosion around the
chimney exhaust on the stove

A third option is known as seasoning, and this develops as a result of the stove

being used. The general population would be familiar with seasoning as it relates to the
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 70

preparation of a cast-iron skillet for use. Seasoning is developed through the repeated

heating of cooking oil or animal fat on a cooking surface until it becomes coated and

slick (Canter, 2010). It results in the added benefit of making the surface non-stick when

cooking. However, seasoning is a difficult process to implement in production and

generally an oil coat can be applied to the surface of cast iron and carbon steel cooking

surfaces to prevent rusting before they reach the consumer. This is the method

currently implemented by Hands for Peacemaking. Mild steel will be the main material

used for the subsequent design of the plancha stove, but more tactical decisions can be

made about its use.

Figure 34.​ Corrosion shown on the rings of the plancha surface which is aggravated
by the use of calcium powder during the cooking of tortillas.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 71

6.1.1.2 PUMICE SAND

Pumice is a type of volcanic rock that forms with a vesicular texture which makes

it light and full of air pockets (King, n. d.). It is a common material used in improved

cookstoves because of its low thermal conductivity, high metal point, low cost, and its

relative strength (Bryden, 2005). The porous nature of the rock makes it unusual among

masonry and creates its atypical material properties. The tiny air pockets within the

porous matrix make it difficult for heat to transfer rapidly through it, thus reducing the

amount of heat lost to the environment. However, since it is mostly air, the stone is still

very light, thus reducing the amount of heat lost directly to the material.

In the present design, the pumice is used in a gravel form to fill in any cavities in

the stove body in order to reduce the amount of heat reaching the outer body of the

stove. While better than other masonry options, it still increases the weight of the stove

significantly, contributing to thermal mass and making the design more difficult to

transport. Design efforts have been dedicated to removing this material as well.

6.1.1.3 BRICK

Brick is a common material on plancha style stove designs because of its low

cost, broad availability, durability, and insulative capacities. It is more common in

designs constructed in less vertically integrated economies, such as Guatemala, where

material sourcing is more challenging. It also has the more subtle benefit of allowing a

stove to retain heat for longer time because of its higher mass and ability to aid in both

cooking and heating tasks, for which planchas are commonly used.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 72

However, brick is also very heavy - increasing the mass of the stove for transport

and ultimately reducing it efficiency. Depending on the supplier its construction can be

somewhat inconsistent. Hands for Peacemaking has described issues with quality on

the 1-inch thick brick in their designs. A major goal for this design has been to reduce or

eliminate the use of brick in the design because of its drawbacks. A lighter, more

consistent material will be a more viable option for scaling the design and improving

transport.

6.1.2 PLANNED MATERIAL

6.1.2.1 WOOD

Wood is being considered for the design because of its visual warmth, low

thermal conductivity, customizability, and its ability to be repaired/replaced by local

carpenters. This is a material that could very easily be sourced locally and would

probably benefit from local expertise in terms of the exact supplier.

A study by Bumgardner and Bowe (2002) found that generally darker woods

convey a sense of greater cost (even if they are not more expensive), while a lighter

wood conveys a sense of modernity. These findings may be less helpful in Guatemalan

markets where local perceptions could differ significantly from the sample from

Bumgardner and Bowe’s study.

A survey of local suppliers in Guatemala found that cypress and pine were the

most commonly sold type of lumber, with cypress being the more expensive of the two.

An option could be to allow local distributors or designated contractors to handle the

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 73

wood components of the design. This way, stoves could be shipped across the country

without the added weight of the wooden components. They could then be customized to

meet whatever the local needs of the consumer are (staining, sealing, etc.) and what

matches the local timber supply.

6.1.2.2 304 STAINLESS STEEL

304 Stainless Steel is a common grade of stainless steel that has many different

applications in the cooking industry because of its ability to withstand high temperatures

without corrosion (Lenntech, n. d.). It is often used in pots and pans, as well as various

types of food processing equipment (Lenntech, n. d.).

Using 304 in certain locations rather than a thicker carbon steel will be an

appropriate way to lower the weight of the stove without compromising on durability.

The only issue is that 304 can cost around 4 times as much as a low carbon steel. For

this reason, the use of stainless steel in the design must be focused and thoughtful. It is

also useful to think of 304 as a temporary solution while other options are tested in

durability or other production functionalities are explored. For example, an enameled

carbon steel could replace a 304 stainless steel for a lower price per part if Hands for

Peacemaking decides to implement an enameling line in their facility.

Another thing to keep in mind is that stainless steel can be difficult to weld for

welders inexperienced in it (Stainless Steel World, n. d.). It may take adjusting the

design to minimize the need for stick welding in place of spot welding so as to reduce

the need for skilled labor.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 74

6.1.2.3 WOOL INSULATION

High-temperature insulation wools are made with mineral fibers and can sustain

temperatures over 1000 C (InsulationNet, n. d.). Their weight, flexibility, low heat

capacity, and low thermal conductivity make them ideal for heating applications like

cookstoves. Specifically, it can make the stove much easier to light and reduce the side

body temperatures of the stove (thus reducing the chances of burns or discomfort)

It’s important not to compress the insulation as this reduces its effectiveness as

an insulator (InsulationNet, n. d.). Wool insulation has such a low thermal conductivity

because air pockets between the fibers make it difficult for heat to transfer rapidly

across it. Compressing the wool will eliminate these pockets.

A major issue with ceramic wool is that continuous exposure to the fibers can be

hazardous to health, so it’s important to implement safety considerations in the factory

(proper eye protection and respiratory equipment). It can be difficult and messy to

handle so making their utilization in a design as simple as possible is of critical

importance.

6.1.3 BILL OF MATERIALS

The bill of materials can be an effective tool for design when the cost is an extremely

limiting factor because it allows for quick analysis of where cost and weight are being

stored in the design. HFP had an initial bill of materials that highlighted the cost of

materials used in the design but didn’t quite pinpoint how much was being spent on

individual components. A second bill of materials was created which broke down the
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 75

design by part and material. Once a bill of materials is set up for a design it becomes

easier to toggle different design options in order to see how it influences the cost.

There is a considerable amount of guesswork that can go into the pricing and

material lost in a design, so once the design goes into production it will be important to

reassess the bill of materials and update prices.

6.2 MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

6.2.1 PLASMA CUTTING

Hands for Peacemaking is currently in the process of purchasing a 2D plasma

cutting machine for use on their subsequent designs. This secures it as a critical

manufacturing tool in the future of their designs. CNC cutting machines are of

superlative use in mid-range production facilities and particularly in developing

countries. The flexibility and speed of plasma cutting allow for concepts in production

that could only be achieved 10 to 20 years ago by hydraulic punching. Plasma cutting is

particularly adept a cutting thicker sheets of metal when compared to laser cutting, and

at higher speeds than oxy-fuel cutters (TWI, n. d.).

The product being implemented by HFP will be a Hypertherm Powermax85

plasma cutter with a CNC gantry and 8’ by 10’ bed. Plasma cutters do have a distinct

kerf associated with them, which is larger than for laser cutting and water jetting

(Powermax, 2018). However, in a number of situations in the design, these kerfs are

beneficial because it allows for tolerancing when it comes to nested parts. For example,

on the plancha burners, the kerf from plasma cutting allows the inner rings to be all cut
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 76

from the same piece. Another example is on the front door which has 2 mm of tolerance

from the stove body so they can be cut from the same piece. The graph below shows

the estimated kerf associated with mild steel thickness.

Figure 35.​ Estimated kerf-widf compensation for Mild Steel from the Powermax
Owner’s Manual (Powermax, 2018)

6.2.2 SHEET METAL FABRICATION

Currently in the Hands for Peacemaking facility there is a press brake and shear

available for fabrication of sheet metal pieces. These tools can offer a lot in terms of

structural, box-like design, however, they are somewhat limited when shapes become

more complicated. In these cases, custom jigs and tools need to be created.

6.2.2.1 PRESS BRAKE

Press brakes can be used to create bends and jogs in sheet metal pieces, generally at

sharp 90 degree angles, but other bends are often created. In traditional operation, the

top die drives down into the sheet metal which is held over the bottom receiving die to

create the bend. The location of the bend on the sheet can be located using a backstop.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 77

An issue with our design is that press brakes often cause scratching so all bending

needs to happen before the sheet metal piece is painted.

6.2.3 WELDING

6.2.3.1 STICK WELDING

Stick welding, or shielded metal arc welding, is “the simplest, least expensive, and

mostly widely used arc welding process” (Antonini 2014 cited in ScienceDirect 2019a).

In stick welding a coated electron melts in an arc to the metal workpiece, with the

coating providing the shielding as it decomposes (Antonini 2014 cited in ScienceDirect

2019a). This method of welding is generally viewed as having the lowest quality welds,

but since the welds on the stove are mostly internal and not structurally dependent in an

important way, this is less of an issue. It can be used with both carbon steel and

stainless steel.

Designing around shielded metal arc welding is useful for products in developing

economies because of its flexibility, ease of use, and its cost. Being able to

appropriately hide welds and distributing structural responsibility can lead to effective

use of the process.

Figure 36.​ Detail of shielded metal arc welding (Antonini 2014 cited in ScienceDirect
2019a)
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 78

6.2.3.2 SPOT WELDING

Spot welding is done when an electrical current passes between two pieces of metal

that are held together under a high force (Hong et al. (2014) cited in ScienceDirect,

2019b). The current melts the metal creating a nugget weld that holds the two pieces of

metal (Hong et al.). This is a quick and effective method of welding sheet metal and is

currently in use by HFP in their factory.

Figure 37.​ Spot welding diagram of operation (Hong et al. (2014). Cited in
ScienceDirect 2019b)
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 79

7 DETAILED DESIGN

7.1 DESIGN FEATURES

The final design of the stove seeks to provide the user with a modern and warm

product that offers improvements in customizability, efficiency, and usability. The upper

rounded edges of the stove body and the wooden shelves seek to add comfort for the

user, while the robust lower table provides stability and security.

The design features burner rings that can be removed depending on the size of

the pot being used. Alternatively, the plancha can be left completely flat to allow for the

cooking of tortillas. The door at the front acts as both the door and the wood shelf when

feeding wood into the combustion chamber. The ashtray is centrally located on the

sides of the stove to facilitate the cleaning of the stove. The lower rack can be used to

store wood or pots and other various kitchen utensils. The final hole on the stovetop is

where the exhaust chimney exits from the combustion chamber, creating draft and

removing smoke from the kitchen.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 80

Figure 38.​ Model view of the final Mediana plancha stove design.

7.1.1 STOVE BODY

The Stove Body represents the upper part of the stove, encompassing several

components including the combustion chamber, the upper chamber, the side bodies,

and the burners. A goal of the design was to segment certain tasks so as to make

assembly simpler both in the factory and in the home. For example, the combustion

chamber can be built completely separately from the side body. Overall, the Stove Body

is assembled using 4 mm stainless steel rivets that should prove heat and corrosion

resistance over the lifetime of the stove.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 81

Figure 39.​ Model view of the Stove Body assembly

7.1.1.1 COMBUSTION CHAMBER

The combustion chamber is where the fire is going to be burning during stove

use. The assembly encompasses the door, combustion chamber skeleton, and the

upper chamber. Together these components act to direct the flames up and onto the

bottoms of the plancha burners.

The bottom floor of the combustion chamber is designed to be customizable. In

the design presented here the intention is for a refractory brick to act as the combustion

chamber bottom. However, further durability research could be done to test the viability

of a stainless steel, 3/16” mild steel, enameled 3/64”, or cast iron combustion chamber

bottom.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 82

Figure 40.​ Model view of the Combustion Chamber assembly

The grating is made by sliding the stainless steel wiring in through holes in the

combustion chamber side then bending them when they’re in place. The same is done

for the door hinge and door limiter located towards the front of the combustion chamber.

The entire design anchors at two places on the stove body: the front on either

side of the door and near the back using a set of two support brackets. The back

support bracket is there to prevent the entire CC from being cantilevered on the front,

but also reduce the amount of surface area coming in contact with the stove body.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 83

Combustion Chamber Skeleton

Figure 41.​ Model view of the Combustion Chamber Skeleton

The combustion chamber is skeleton is composed entirely of 3/16” mild steel welded

together to create the overall structure of the lower chamber. The design was chosen

for three reasons: lower the cost, decrease the weight, and directing the flames

upwards towards the chamber exhaust. The following image shows how the flat pattern

of the main design pieces nest together in order to save on material costs:

Figure 42.​ Flat pattern of the combustion chamber skeleton pieces

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 84

These pieces are welded together via stick welding with the addition of a few

extra pieces. Removal of burrs and excess materials is needed using disk grinders, but

no other finishing is required otherwise.

Upper Chamber

Figure 43.​ Model view of the Upper Chamber

The upper chamber directs the heat outwards away from the stove but also acts

to support the burners. It is currently designed with a 3/64” 304 stainless steel, but in the

future this could be replaced with a thinner gauge stainless or even a treated mild or

galvanized steel. Durability research will help in aiding the reduction in the price of this

component.

The current plan is for this piece to be assembled using stick welding, but it could

be modified so that it could be assembled with spot welding. A goal associated with the

stove design was to reduce the number of parts that require the use of a plasma cutter

for production. All of the pieces in this assembly could be made using a shear, drill jig,
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 85

and press brake. Making it more complex could necessitate the use of the plasma

cutter, so factory economics can dictate how this design is implemented

Door

Figure 44.​ Model view of the Door

Since the door plays two roles in the design (door and wood shelf), designing it

with structural robustness and adequate durability was necessary. It features a painted

mild steel shell, a stainless steel interior face, and a wooden handle. On top, there is a

stainless steel spring latch that helps to hold the door closed. The wood handle was

chosen because it creates a comfortable interface for the user to interact with (they

won’t be burnt by it because of its low heat coefficient) and also to add an accent of

warmth to the front of the stove face.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 86

The mild steel shell of the door will be plasma cut, welded together, and painted.

The stainless steel inner face can again be created without the need for plasma cutting.

Since the outer shell will be painted before the stainless steel inner piece is added,

rivets will be needed to attach the two together. The handle can be made from a simple

wooden dowel that is milled or sanded on the edges with a simple jig.

7.1.1.2 SIDE BODY

Figure 45.​ Model view of the side body assembly

The side body represents one of the more complicated components of the

construction. It works to hold the entire stove body in place while also providing a barrier

from the heat generated in the combustion chamber. It is made entirely of 3/64” mild

steel which is bent using a press brake and custom bending jigs. These pieces are then
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 87

welded together using stick welding. Additionally, M6 bolts will need to be welded onto

the four anchor points where the shelf brackets will attach. Once all welding is

completed the entire piece will be painted white.

The current plan is to place ceramic insulation into the cavity of the sidewall, but

with extra research the use of a metal heat shield could be explored. A heat shield

might be easier to implement but possibly won’t offer the temperature protection to be

expected.

7.1.1.3 BURNERS

Figure 46.​ Model view of the stove’s Burners

Unlike in previous designs, the front and back burner in this concept are different.

This is to address the durability issue associated with the heat around the chimney

which caused rapid corrosion of the stove body. Following a suggestion by Paul Means,

the chimney exhaust was moved to the plancha surface which is more durable. Overall
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 88

the burners are made from 3/16” plasma cut mild steel. To prevent the rings from falling

through a 3/64” mild steel lip is welded to the underside of the burner.

Figure 47.​ Detail showing the ring lip to prevent inner pieces from falling through

Since paint would off-gas during cooking the plancha surface is left untreated.

However, to prevent the plancha from rusting before being shipping, HFP will coat these

pieces with a layer of cooking oil. In the future, a more robust coating could be

implemented, such as a chemical seasoning or an enameled coating.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 89

7.1.1.4 SHELVES

Figure 48. ​Model view of the shelf attached to the stove side body

Planks

The wood and processes used for the shelves will be largely dictated by which

approach HFP decides to take with the marketing and sale of this stove. Potentially it

could be handled by local carpenters, individual distributors, or in factory. A standard

design would require that the wood be cut to appropriate size and then milled to

produce final dimensioning and finishing standards. Durability will dictate the finishing

method for the surface, but an epoxy coating is recommended for its strength. It could

also be painted or left raw.

Bracket

The brackets are composed of two pieces of bent mild steel flat iron pieces. These can

be created using a simple bending jig then welded together using a spot welder. After
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 90

grinding the pieces can be painted and attached to the stove. The nuts welded on the

side body piece will act as the anchor points for which they can attach to. The slot on

the outer bracket piece is there to allow a screwdriver to pass through in order to attach

the shelf to the bracket.

7.1.2 TABLE

Figure 49.​ Model view of the table

The construction of the table is fairly straightforward and is composed of mild

steel sheets, mild steel angles, and wooden planks. The angle stock legs need to be

drilled for their anchor points, welded at the ends to create flat points for connections

with the ground and the stove body, and painted. For the lower shelf support angle

stock, these need to be mitered, drilled, welded, and painted. The upper heat guards

and the ashtray channel need to be cut, bent, and painted. The whole thing can be
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 91

assembled using either nuts and bolts or rivets. It depends on if the user wants to be

able to take it apart.

The lower wooden shelves have the same dimensions of the upper shelves so

the same stock could be used. It simply requires wood screws to attach them to the

design.

7.1.2 ASHTRAY

Figure 50.​ Model view of the ashtray

The ashtray is a simple rectangular construction and could be constructed with

just a shear, a bending jig, a press brake, and a spot welder. To create the handles, a

simple wire-bending tool is needed, and a weld jig to locate them accurately on the

design.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 92

7.2 COMBUSTION

To improve the combustion in the stove a concept called secondary air was

introduced, which is common in traditional rocket stove development but not so

common in the development of plancha stoves. The basic concept of secondary air is to

introduce airflow at a later stage in the combustion process so as to promote greater

mixing of the combustible gases with oxygen, which causes improved combustion. The

concept implemented in this design will have two functions because the air used for

secondary air will be drawn in through the front of the stove and directed between the

combustion chamber and the outer walls. This should increase the heat of the

secondary air (thus preventing it from cooling the combustion process), and reduce the

amount of heat lost to the external environment.

Figure 51.​ Section view of the stove showing various airflow pathways. The blue lines
indicate primary air, the pink lines shows air which enters underneath the grate, and
the orange lines are secondary air which enters right before the exhaust exit.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 93

Figure 52.​ A side view of the airflow pathways described in the previous figure.

A second combustion improvement is the introduction of the grate on which

combustion occurs. This allows air to enter into the combustion process directly through

the charring wood, allowing it to heat up before it begins mixing with the fire. This is

Principle 8 from Larry Winiarski’s design principles for wood stoves. Since plancha

stove combustion chambers are so often composed entirely of some sort of masonry,

this principle is rarely implemented. This could greatly improve combustion and increase

the usability of the stove by making it easier to light. When lighting a fire over a grate,

rather than on a flat surface, air passing through the kindling and ignition fuel promotes

faster combustion. The secondary function of this is that it creates an opening for which

the ash can fall through into the ashtray. This will make the stove easier to clean and

prevent the stove from clogging with ash during combustion, which can stifle burning.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 94

Figure 53.​ A view of the combustion chamber from above showing the combustion
chamber grating and secondary air entrance point.

The overall combustion of the stove should also improve as a result of the

combustion chamber being lighter. Since only a single brick will be used at the base of

the stove, rather than multiple bricks surrounding the entire chamber, less energy is

required to heat up the stove and start cooking. This should also make the lighting of

the stove easier because when there is less thermal mass it is harder for the fire to stifle

early on in the combustion process.

7.3 HEAT TRANSFER

Convection and conduction are the two main heat transfer faculties that are

controlled with this design. Radiation could be further controlled with the introduction of

heat shields, but that may only be introduced with production scaling.

Conduction is controlled in three ways: the minimization of combustion chamber

contact with the exterior body of the stove, the direct connection of the combustion
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 95

chamber to the plancha surface, and the use of ceramic wool insulation to slow heat

transfer to the side bodies. Conduction is limited by the amount of surface area in

contact, so creating a combustion chamber design that lifts up and away from the

stove’s body will reduce the amount of heat that is allowed to conduct from the hot

combustion chamber into the cooler stove body. This improves the efficiency of the

stove and also makes it easier for the user to be near it without being burnt.

Furthermore, having the upper chamber be the only contact point of the plancha to the

stove ensures that all of the conduction heating from the stove goes directly towards the

cooking surface. If the plancha was connected to the stove body in any way the heat

from the stove could go into the plancha and out into the stove body, which is not ideal.

Finally, the ceramic wool will slow the conduction of heat into the side body. This

improves the efficiency of the stove, but more importantly, prevents the stove body from

becoming too hot.

Convection did not play a large role in the original design of the stove other than

through the induction of draft in the combustion chamber. In this design, convection

draws air into the front of the stove via slots in the side body. This air then passes along

the side of the combustion chamber, capturing heat that would otherwise be lost to the

stove body, and injecting it back into the combustion process as primary and secondary

air. This again acts to reduce the side body temperature and improve the combustion.

Convection plays a greater role in woodstove combustion than it does in other stove

designs because of the importance draft plays.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 96

7.4 ENGINEERING DESIGN

7.4.1 STRUCTURAL DESIGN

7.4.1.1 SHELF

Since the shelf is one of the most commonly interacted with pieces of equipment on the

stove, making it stable is critical in ensuring the stoves durability. A feeling of security in

the design will also instill a level of trust in the user.

Figure 54.​ Setup and dimensions of the loading scenario on the shelf.

In order to assure structural stability, it is necessary to assess its strength when

subjected to a load at its center. This can be done with a simple beam stress calculation

as set up in the following diagram. In our problem setup, a 50-kilogram weight is used to

simulate a large child sitting on the shelf (an unlikely but not impossible example of

product misuse).
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 97

Figure 55.​ Free-body diagram of the shelf

Since the compressive strength of wood is about half the tensile strength of wood and

the stress will be the highest at the center, the stress on the middle-upper surface will

be used to analyze the strength of the shelf. The equation for this stress can be found

using this equation:

M
σ max = Ze

Where:
2
bh
Ze = 6

The moment is the internal moment at the very center of the board. The free-body

diagram of this setup is shown below:

Figure 56. ​Bending and moment diagram for the shelf showing the internal reaction
forces
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 98

Solving for the moment we find:

ΣM M − P2 x = 0

PL
M= 4

And plugging into our original equation we find:

3P L
σ max = 2bh
2

This finds that our maximum compressive stress on the shelf is 2.8 MPa. Since the

compressive strength of pine wood is 33 MPa, our factor of safety is nearly 12

(MatWeb, n. d. -a). So structurally there is little worry about with regards to the shelf .

7.4.1.2 SHELF BRACKET

The shelf bracket is a little more structurally complicated so an FEM model will be used

to assess the stress and deflection of the component. The initial design of this

component was more simple, featuring just a single piece of bent metal. To set up the

simulation of this model, the faces connected to the stove’s side body were set as fixed

and a 500 N force was placed at the very edge of the bracket (again simulating a 50 kg

load on the bracket). Since the yield strength of steel is 250 MPa, the stress in this

model were a little too high for comfort.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 99

Figure 57.​ Initial FEM simulation of the bracket showing a von Mises stress of up to
165 Mpa

As a result, the design was changed to include a brace in the bracket to distribute the

stresses more easily throughout the bracket design. The desire was to make this as

simple to construct as possible.

Figure 58.​ Second FEM model showing the bracket reduced the maximum von Mises
stress and improved stress distribution
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 100

This reduced the stresses found in the bracket by about half and creating a FOS

of about 3. Below shows the defection in the bracket never goes above 1 mm, which

should be unnoticeable to the human eye.

Figure 59.​ The maximum deflection in the bracket never goes above 0.2 mm

7.4.1.3 CANTILEVERED DOOR

Making sure the cantilevered door remains strong and minimizes deflection during use

is important because the load placed on the door will be constantly cycled and be

subjected to high heat. In this simulation, the load from a 50-kilogram weight is

simulated on the outer edge of the door in order to visualize the stress present at the

hinge and limiter points. The part is again made from mild steel which has a yield stress

of 250 MPa.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 101

Figure 60.​ Diagram showing the load modeled on the outer edge of the door.

Figure 61. ​ FEM model displaying the von Mises stress occurring under loading
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 102

Figure 62.​ The largest displacement in the door is less than 1/10th of a millimeter

The highest stress found in the door is 50 MPa, meaning there is a factor of safety of

about 5. Additionally, the deflection is less than 1/10th of a millimeter at its most severe.

This indicates that the door design should be plenty strong to handle daily use in

Guatemala. Empirical durability testing should be performed to see how the door

performs over time.

7.4.2 DURABILITY

A durability testing plan should be implemented that can allow for the various

components to be tested under stressful conditions in order to assess the lifetime of the

stoves. It’s through this plan that reductions in cost can be determined. Presented here
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 103

is a suggested testing protocol and stove layouts to optimize testing options for the

stove.

Protocol

A durability protocol should simulate normal use of the stove over a lifetime in a

compounded timeline. The difficulty with the HFP design objective is that they are

planning for a stove lifetime of 10 years, which even in a compounded timeline can

prove to be a significant amount of time. There are few ways to test the lifetime of a

stove other than running it over and over again. To replicate a standard cooking event,

first, two pots placed over the front and back burners (10L and 5L respectively) should

be brought to boil using aggressive feeding of wood into the combustion chamber.

During this phase a solution of water mixed with masa harina should be poured on the

front burner and a solution of saltwater should be poured on the back burner. This will

replicate pot pour-over during the nixtamalization of corn on the front burner and the

cooking of beans on the back burner. After boiling has been reached, the pots should

be removed and the stove set to plancha mode. Any excess water can be squeegeed

off. The combustion fire can be reduced to a low flame and calcium powder should be

sprinkled over the plancha surface. Leave the stove to burn in this way for 45 minutes to

replicate the cooking of tortillas. Once completed the stove can be allowed to cool. This

thermal cycling of the stove is an important stress test on the stove because of the

physical effects it can have. Running through this cycle three times can represent a

single day of cooking in an average Guatemalan home. Potentially this could be run 4

times in a 24 hour period, so full durability results on the stove won’t be achieved for at
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 104

least 2.5 years. However, lessons will certainly be learned along the way and

adjustments to the design can even be made before the stove completely fails.

Stove Layouts

These stove layouts offer potential material alternatives that could be tested and

ultimately used as price-reducing or performance-enhancing changes to the design.

Table 10
Durability Stove Design Layouts

Stove 1 Stove 2 Stove 3

Combustion Chamber 3/16” Mild Steel 3/16” Mild Steel ⅛” Mild Steel

CC Bottom Material Brick Cast Iron 3/16” Mild Steel

Upper Chamber 1/32” Stainless Steel 3/64” Mild Steel 1/32” Mild Steel
Material

Inner Door Face 1/32” Stainless Steel 3/16” Mild Steel 1/32” Mild Steel

Insulation Scheme Ceramic Wool 3/64” Mild Steel Shield 0.3 mm Galvanized
Steel Shield

7.5 CUSTOM PRODUCTION TOOLING

For mid-level production facilities, and especially for manufacturing in a developing

economy, access to adequate machinery can be limited. Often, tasks that could be

done using machinery common in more vertically integrated manufacturing facilities

need to be supplemented with custom-designed jigs and tools so as to reduce overhead

costs. This design features a number of designs that could be easily automated with
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 105

more sophisticated tooling, but for which HFP currently doesn’t have the capital. As

production starts to scale, HFP will be able to invest in this type of machinery.

7.5.1 EDGE BENDING TOOL

This bending tool serves to create the radius of the side body and stove body sheet

metal pieces. The current HFP press brake doesn’t have the capacity to make these

types of bends with sheet metal of this length. Dedicating capital to purchase machinery

just to make these bends doesn’t make economic sense. Additionally, it streamlines

production to have it not depend on machinery that could be dedicated to other

processes in production.

Figure 63.​ Model view of the sheet metal edge bending tool
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 106

Figure 64.​ Workflow showing the operation of the edge bending tool

Figure 65.​ Detail of the edge bending tool’s clamping design.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 107

7.6 RENDERINGS

Figure 66.​ Renderings of the final design of the stove

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 108

7.6 STORYBOARD

Figure 67. ​Storyboard showing the use of the stove

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 109

8 CONCLUSIONS

This thesis serves as a first step in an intensive and iterative design process that

will not finish even after the product is launched. The design presented above can act

as a first design for a myriad of durability, performance, and market tests, a tool for

securing further funding, and a guideline for future designs. What it isn’t is a final

product. It is irresponsible to release a product so vital to the users without doing proper

testing. Without the approval and feedback of the women who could potentially be using

this design, the performance metrics demonstrating its marked improvement over

competitors, and durability results showing a responsible lifetime, the design presented

here simply represents a series of educated guesses. The design objectives stated

above were chosen deliberately out of the scope of this thesis precisely to ensure the

process continuation after its release. Improved cookstove design is a relatively new

field and an inexact science, so the projects associated with it must be treated with

care. Empirical testing is the most secure way to do that.

The final thing that should be emphasized with this project is the importance of

joining the dual disciplines of design and engineering when creating projects for the

developing world. Design is often viewed as a luxury, but it’s a critically important factor

in creating market desire and allowing a product to become viable in the long term.

Often with projects like these it is viewed as being either/or when it comes to design and

engineering. Instead, both should be considered necessary in the development process

to create a functional and marketable product.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 110

9 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost I would like to thank Paul Means who advised me substantially

in the development of the stove and has been a formative figure throughout my career

as a design engineer. The work being done by Paul and his team at Burn Design Lab is

substantive yet unsung research and development of cookstove projects that continue

to improve the world. Additionally I would like to thank Marco Maldonado from Hands for

Peacemaking for offering this project for me to work on and providing me with valuable

insight into production, distribution, and customer preferences in Guatemala. Hands for

Peacemaking has been generous with their time and resources when it comes to

developing this project. I would like to acknowledge Anthony Ruh, who has experience

working with both BDL and HFP, who was also able to provide me with engineering

insight into the design and production of the stove. For guiding me through the writing

process of this thesis and helping me establish clear objectives in my design process, I

would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Silvia Ferraris. For helping me to crystallize my

project approach and offering new avenues to explore I would like to thank Gabriele

Diamanti. For his endless support in the creation of my technical drawings I would like

to acknowledge Dr. Rodolfo Poleni. Finally, I would like to thank my parents, who have

only ever greeted my adventures away from home and farfetched projects with

excitement and encouragement. And also I’d like to acknowledge my sister Genevieve

because she might actually read this and she hates it when I start sentences with the

word “and”.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 111

10 REFERENCES

Ahmed, K., Awe, Y., Barnes, D. F., Cropper, M. L., Kojima, M. (2005). ​Environmental

Health and Traditional Fuel Use in Guatemala.​ Washington, D.C.: The World

Bank.

Bergmann, J. H. M., Noble, A., Thompson, M. (2015). Why is designing for developing

countries more challenging? Modelling the product design domain for medical

​ . 5693-5698.
devices. ​Procedia Manufacturing. 3

Bieleck, C. & Wingenbach, G. (2014). Rethinking improved cookstove diffusions

programs: A case study of social perceptions and cooking choices in rural

Guatemala. ​Energy Policy. ​66. 350-358.

Bryden, M., & United States. (2005). ​Design principles for wood burning cook stoves.​

Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and

Radiation.

Bumgardner, M. S. & Bowe, S. A. (2002) Species Selection in Secondary Wood

Products: Implications for Product Design and Promotion. ​Wood and Fiber

​ 4(3). 408-418.
Science. 3
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 112

Canter, S. (2010). Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning: A Science-Based How-To.

Retrieved from

http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seaso

ning-cast-iron/

Chafe, Z. A., Brauer, M., Klimont, Z., Van Dingenen, R., Mehta, S., Rao, S.,...Smith, K.

R. (2014). Household Cooking with Solid Fuels Contributes to Ambient PM2.5 Air

Pollution and the Burden of Disease. ​Environmental Health Perspectives.​ 122.

1314-1320.

Clean Cooking Alliance. (2013a).​ 2013 Results Report: Sharing Progress

on the Path to Adoption of Cleaner and More Efficient Cooking Solutions.

Washington DC.

Clean Cooking Alliance. (2013b). ​Guatemala Cookstoves and Fuels

Market Assessment: Intervention options.

Clean Cooking Alliance. (2013c). ​Guatemala Cookstoves and Fuels

Market Assessment: Sector mapping.

Clean Cooking Alliance. (2013d) ​Scaling Adoption of Clean Cooking Solutions through

Women’s Empowerment: A Resource Guide. ​Smith, G., Hart, C.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 113

Clean Cooking Alliance. (2014). ​The Water Boiling Test - Cookstove

Emissions and Efficiency in a Controlled Laboratory Setting.

Clean Cooking Alliance. (2016). ​Market Segmentation: Improved

Cookstoves and Clean Fuels in Guatemala.

Clean Cooking Alliance. (n. d.-a). ​Delivering on the Sustainable

​ etrieved from
Development Goals Through Clean Cooking. R

https://www.cleancookingalliance.org/feature/delivering-on-the-sustainable-devel

opment-goals-through-clean-cooking.html

Clean Cooking Alliance. (n. d.-b). ​Climate & Environment. ​Retrieved from

https://www.cleancookingalliance.org/impact-areas/environment/index.html

Clean Cooking Alliance. (n. d. -c). The Clean Cooking Catalog. Retrieved from

http://catalog.cleancookstoves.org/

DOÑA DORA. (2019). Retrieved from ​http://www.opesfund.eu/investments/dona-dora/

Early, C. (2009). Deforestation in Guatemala. Retrieved from

https://www.theguardian.com/journalismcompetition/deforestation-guatemala
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 114

Ecostufa. (n. d.). ​¿QUIÉNES SOMOS?. ​Retrieved from

http://www.ecostufa.com/somos.php

ESMAP. (2004).​ Evaluation of Improved Stove Programs in Guatemala: Final Report of

Project Case Studies​. Washington, D.C.

​ etrieved from
Estufas Chispa. (n. d.). ​Estufas Chispas. R

http://www.estufaschispa.com/nosotros.html

Granderson, J., Sandhu, J. S., Vasquez, D., Ramirez, E., Smith, K. R. (2009). Fuel use

and design analysis of improved woodburning cookstoves in the Guatemalan

​ 3. 306-315.
Highlands.​ Biomass and Bioenergy. 3

Hands for Peacemaking. (n. d.). ​What’s Happening? ​Retrieved from:

https://www.handsforpeacemaking.org/latest-news

Heltberg, R. (2005). Factors determining household fuel choice in Guatemala.

Environment and Development Economics​. 10. 337-361.

10.1017/S1355770X04001858.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 115

​ etrieved from
IKEA. (n.d.). ​Kitchen islands and carts. R

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/cat/kitchen-islands-carts-10471/?itm_campaign=Kitc

hens&itm_element=Rooms-PageList&itm_content=islandcarts

InsulationNet. (n. d.). High temperature insulation wool. Retrieved from

http://insulationet.com/en/materials/high-temperature-wool/

King, H. (n. d.). Pumice. Retrieved from ​https://geology.com/rocks/pumice.shtml

Kumar, M., Kumar, S., Tyagi, S.K. (2013). Design, development and technological

advancement in the biomass cookstoves: A review. ​Renewable and Sustainable

Energy Reviews. ​26. 265-285.

Lenntech. (n. d.). Stainless Steel 304. Retrieved from

https://www.lenntech.com/stainless-steel-304.htm

MacCarty, N. (2013). ​A zonal model to aid in the design of household biomass

cookstoves​. (Graduate thesis). Retrieved from: Iowa State University Digital

Repository.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 116

MatWeb. (n. d.). American Eastern White Pine Wood. Retrieved from

http://www.matweb.com/search/datasheet_print.aspx?matguid=1bec7114d2524b

63826044c3cc6c344c

McCracken, J. P., Schwartz, J., Diaz, A., Bruce, N., Smith, K. R. (2013). Longitudinal

Relationship between Personal CO and Personal PM2.5 among Women Cooking

with Woodfired Cookstoves in Guatemala. ​PLOS One.​ 8. 1-4.

McCracken, J.P., Smith, K.R., Diaz, A., Mittlemn, M.A., Schwartz, J. (2007). Chimney

Stove Intervention to Reduce Long-term Wood Smoke Exposure Lowers Blood

Pressure among Guatemalan Women. ​Environmental Health Perspectives.​ 115.

996-1001.

Medina, P., Berrueta, V., Martinez, M., Ruiz, V., Edwards, R.D., Masera, O.(2007).

Comparative performance of five Mexican plancha-type cookstoves using water

​ . 20-28
boiling tests. ​Development Engineering. 2

Nijhuis, M. (2017). Three Billion People Cook Over Open Fires ― With Deadly

Consequences. Retrieved from

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/07/guatemala-cook

-stoves/
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 117

Pappa, M. R., de Palomo, P. P., Bressani, R. (2010). Effect of Lime and Wood Ash on

the Nixtamalization of Maize and Tortilla Chemical and Nutritional

Characteristics.

​ 5. 130-135.
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. 6

Particulate Matter (PM) Basics. (2018). Retrieve from

https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics

Penney D, Benignus V, Kephalopoulos S, et al. Carbon monoxide. In: WHO Guidelines

for Indoor Air Quality: Selected Pollutants. Geneva: World Health Organization;

2010. 2. Available from: ​https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK138710/

Powermax65/Powermax85 Owner’s Manual. (2018). Hypertherm. Hanover, NH.

Retrieved from: www.hypertherm.com

Ruiz-Mercado, I., Masera, O., Zamora, H., Smith, K. R. (2011). Adoption and sustained

use of improved cookstoves. ​Energy Policy.​ 39. 7557-7566.

ScienceDirect (2018).​ Carbon steel - an overview.​ Retrieved from:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/carbon-steel
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 118

ScienceDirect (2019a). ​Shielded Metal Arc Welding. ​Retrieved from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/shielded-metal-arc-weldi

ng

ScienceDirect (2019b). ​Spot Welding. ​Retrieved from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/spot-welding

Sedighi, M. & Salarian, H. (2017). A comprehensive review of technical aspects of

biomass cookstoves. ​Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. ​70. 656-665.

Smith, K. R., McCracken, J. P., Thompson, L., Edwards, R., Shields, K. N., Canuz, E.,

Bruce, N. (2010). Personal child and mother carbon monoxide exposures and

kitchen levels: Methods and results from a randomized trial of woodfired chimney

cookstoves in Guatemala (RESPIRE). ​Journal of Exposure Science and

Environmental Epidemiology​. 20. 406-416

Smith, K. R., McCracken, J. P., Weber, M. W., Hubbard, A. Jenny, A. Thompson,

...Bruce, N. (2011). Effect of reduction in household air pollution on childhood

pneumonia in Guatemala (RESPIRE): a randomised controlled trial. ​Lancet.​ 378.

1717-1726.
DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 119

Stainless Steel World. (n. d.). The weldability of stainless steel. Retrieved from

https://www.stainless-steel-world.net/basicfacts/the-weldability-of-stainless-steels

.html

TWI (n. d.). Cutting Processes - Plasma Arc Cutting - Process and Equipment

Considerations. Retrieved from

https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/job-knowledge/cutting-processe

s-plasma-arc-cutting-process-and-equipment-considerations-051

United Nations. (n.d.) ​17 Goals to Transform Our World. ​Retrieved from

un.org/sustainabledevelopment/

Voluntary Performance Targets. (n. d.) Retrieved from

https://www.cleancookingalliance.org/technology-and-fuels/standards/voluntary-p

erformance-targets.html

Wickström U. (2016) Heat Transfer by Radiation. In: Temperature Calculation in Fire

Safety Engineering. Springer, Cham

World Health Organization. (2006). ​Fuel for Life: Household Energy and Health.​ (NLM

Classification: WA 754). Geneva.

DESIGN OF A WOOD BURNING COOKSTOVE 120

World Health Organization. (2014). “Indoor air pollution”. Retrieved from

https://www.who.int/features/qa/indoor-air-pollution/en/

World Health Organization. (2015). Reducing Global Health Risks Through The

Mitigation of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants. Geneva

World Health Organization. ​WHO Indoor Air Quality Guidelines: Household fuel

Combustion.

Yuntenwi, E. A. T., MacCarty, N., Still, D., Ertel, J. (2008). Laboratory study of the

effects

of moisture content on heat transfer and combustion efficiency of three biomass

cookstoves. ​Energy for Sustainable Development. ​2. 66-77.