Performance Evaluation of a Forced-Aeration Micro-Gasifier Stove for Rice Husk Gasification

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article- En

Authors

Z. Ebrahimi

J. Baradaran Motie

M. A. Ebrahimi Nik

M. Khojastehpour

Department of Biosystem Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.2026.97465.1464

Abstract

Rice husk is a widely available agricultural residue used for energy generation in many developing countries. Its gasification in micro-gasifier stoves offers a practical method for clean energy production. However, the unique shape and bulk density of rice husk cause fuel bridging and poor flow, leading to incomplete gasification unless sufficient aeration is provided. In this study, design modifications were applied to an existing micro-gasifier stove, and a forced-aeration system was integrated to ensure adequate oxygen supply during combustion. A full factorial experiment was conducted to evaluate stove performance, with injection air velocity and fuel mass selected as experimental factors. Using a 3.97-litre micro-gasifier stove, three air velocities (0.6, 0.7, and 0.8 m s^-1) and three fuel levels (200, 300, and 400 g) were tested during the cold-start phase following the water boiling test protocol. Results were statistically analysed using factorial analysis within a completely randomised design. The findings showed that both air velocity and fuel mass factors significantly affect stove performance metrics (p ≤ 0.05), including thermal power, thermal efficiency, fuel consumption rate, and boiling time. The highest thermal efficiency (51.7%) was achieved with 200 g of fuel at an air velocity of 0.6 m s^-1. The maximum thermal power (5420 W) occurred at an air velocity of 0.8 m s^-1.

Keywords

Biomass

Micro-Gasifier

Rice Husk

Thermal Efficiency

Thermal Power

Subjects

• Sustainability and Circular Bioeconomy, and Environmental Resilience

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Authors retain the copyright. This is an open access article distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0)

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