Experimental Study of A Furnace Equipped with Refractory Bricks

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Résumé

Faced with the continued growth in global energy demand and the persistent dependence of rural households on solid fuels, alternative solutions are needed to improve the efficiency of cooking systems while reducing their environmental impact. This work presents an experimental study on improving the thermal efficiency of charcoal furnaces through the integration of insulating refractory bricks locally made from clay. In a context where more than 80% of the Burkinabe population depends on wood energy, this innovation aims to reduce fuel consumption, polluting emissions and pressure on forest resources. The designed furnace includes a combustion chamber surrounded by refractory bricks that store the heat produced by the combustion of charcoal and release it gradually, thus prolonging cooking. To evaluate thermal performance, a test protocol was applied (three-phase water boiling test) with measurement of furnace temperatures, water boiling time and charcoal consumption. The results reveal a clear superiority in performance of the furnace with refractory bricks: a reduction of nearly 64% in coal consumption, and a thermal efficiency of 0.48. The furnace with refractory bricks also maintained a high temperature longer after the fire was extinguished, demonstrating its ability to conserve thermal energy. This research thus provides a sustainable solution to domestic energy challenges in rural areas, while contributing to the fight against deforestation and the transition to cleaner and more efficient cooking methods.

Mots-clés

Improved furnace, refractory bricks, charcoal, thermal efficiency