DEVELOPMENT OF A DC STOVE PROTOTYPE FROM LOCALLY AVAILABLE COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR THE USE OF RURAL FARMERS

Abstract

The locally crafted DC heater stoves signify a groundbreaking initiative in the realm of household items in Nigeria. The need to mitigate the greenhouse effect and to reduce deforestation coupled with the increase in the cost of cooking fuels like gas, kerosene and even firewood has necessitated the consideration of alternative means through the use of solar modules for direct generation of heat (without conversion of electricity from DC to AC) using DC heaters. These stoves were developed in conjunction with local artisans who have limited understanding of engineering principles. A prototype DC heater stove was designed, featuring a cylindrical composite material casing with iron sheet for ease of handling. This stove was developed and evaluated at the Department of Agricultural Technology, Engineering Section, Farm Mechanization Unit, Federal College of Freshwater Fisheries Technology in New Bussa. The testing utilized a modified version 4.12 of the University of California water boiling test (WBT). The performance results of the DC heater stove were compared to those of an AC heater stove. The cold start test revealed that the solar heater stove required an average of 35 minutes to bring 1 liter of water to a boil, while the AC heater stove achieved this in 25 minutes. Furthermore, the thermal efficiency of the DC heater stove was measured at 67%, significantly surpassing the 16% efficiency of the AC heater stove, thus making it a recommended option for use.