Test of pyrolysis gasifier stoves in two institutional kitchens in Uganda

: The main purpose of the paper is to evaluate tests of institutional kitchens carried out at schools in Uganda 1997. The results of the tests for the institutional kitchen with pyrolysis gasifier stoves are compared with the fuel use in traditional kitchens with three-stone stoves. The project was financed by the Norwegian Forestry Society and involved two institutional kitchens in the northern part of Uganda.

The pyrolysis gasifier stove, which is used as heating source, is a simple batch feeded top-down inverted gasifier. The two institutional kitchens prepared food for 107 students and 700 pupils, respectively. The cooking place was build up with a rotating plate on which tree gasifier units were placed.

In this way it was possible to change on of the gasifier units when necessary. The pot was then mounted on a tripod app. 10 cm above the gasifier units. The results of the tests show that the improved institutional cooking places can be used to prepare the local food and that it saves at least 2/3 of the wood compared with the use of traditional three stone stoves.

Furthermore, the use of the gasifier units, which burn without smoke, reduces the exposure to smoke considerably; however, this is only evaluated qualitatively.