Adaptive Alcohol Cooking Stove

Abstract

The concept of the alcohol stove was birthed from the idea of burning pure organic compounds. The growing popularity of the can-alcohol stove has made the idea more attractive. Most people today use it when camping, to heat food, and to cook as well. The alcoholic fuel must have a substantial alcohol- percentage of about 70% and above, before it can be used. This property makes rubbing alcohol (methylated spirit) suitable for the stove. It is lightweight, and releases relatively low-level pollutants when combusted. Alcohol can also be extracted through simple fermentation, allowing our target consumers (low-income farmers) to make it themselves. Our aim was to design an environmentally friendly stove that is low in emissions, and can be used for cooking meals in rural areas. We accomplished this through careful design and simulation, using Autodesk Fusion 360 and the Circuit.io App. Fusion 360 is an engineering-based software that aids in constructing the CAD (Computer Aided Design) model of proposed prototypes. The Circuito.io app is an Arduino supported software, that helps to assemble different electronic components, and provides the pricing of all the parts used. The mechanical strength of the stove handle was validated through factors such as the Von Mises stress applied. The heat produced from five ounces of methylated spirit was enough to boil water and oil for close to 30 minutes. The derived results testifies that the alcohol stove is a good model, that fits adequately in the rural setting.