Influence of the constructive features of rocket stoves in their overall efficiency

Cooking has become a challenge in areas where the energy access is limited and the single available fuel is wood. Day by day, more people have been reported with respiratory diseases, caused mainly by the smoke, carbon monoxide and other highly harmful compounds result-ing from the poor combustion generated on the simplest stoves. Besides, the high timber consumption caused by the extremely low efficiency of open fires implies an extra pressure over a resource that in some areas is already scarce and consumes valuable time that could be used in other activities that can contribute to improve the quality of life.

The improved cooking stoves have been presented as the solution and, in fact, they have contributed to a great extent solving the problems with the traditional open fire. Neverthe-less, it has been seen that these stoves, specifically the rocket stoves report efficiencies below 20%. This fundamental aspect catches the attention and helps to call on the fact that much more has to be done in this field.

Key words: Rocket stove, efficiency, water boiling test