Evaluation of the Cooking Time for Some Food Samples Using a Designed and Consructed Improved Invented Mud (IVM) Stove in Gombe, Gombe State

Abstract

A study on testing the effectiveness of a designed and constructed fuelwood stove for domestic energy consumption has been carried out in Gombe State. Fuel wood and Cornstalk were used as the available energy sources. Three types of fuel wood namely mahogany (Khaya senegalenses), mark (Annogeissus leoicarpus) and Tifirmi (Combretum nigricans) and cornstalk were used as energy sources in comparative tests of the designed stove vis-à-vis the traditional stove. Three tests were carried out- KPT, WBT and CCT test. A 3-day KPT was conducted in a single household using fuel wood and cornstalk as sources of energy for both the designed stove and the traditional stove. The results indicated an average daily consumption of 231.47 MJ and a per capita  consumption of 43.52 MJ with a standard deviation of 13.0 between the two energy sources for the traditional stove against the respective values of 194.67 MJ and 36.65 MJ and a standard deviation of 5.1 between the two energy sources for the improved stove. Thereafter, 20 households were randomly selected and the same procedure was repeated. The result obtained indicates great fuel wood saving using the improved stove because the per capita daily energy consumption of households varies from 14.4 to 25.60 MJ with an average daily consumption of 19.40 MJ giving a fuel wood savings of (44.60 %. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and the two sample t-test shows significant difference between energy used in 20 households before and after intervention at 5 % level of significance. For WBT, the results indicated that it took less time, meaning less amount of wood, to boil water in the order (Mahogany, Mark and Tifirmi). The time taken for each are 7.10, 13.50 and 16.80 minutes respectively, thus indicating an energy equivalent of 2636.92 kJ (0.73 kWh), 6984.25 kJ (1.94 kWh) and 1825.56 kJ (0.51 kWh) respectively. Results for CCT, using rice and beans followed the same pattern. It took less time to cook both rice and beans using Mahogany than Mark and Tifirmi. The times for each were: 18.50, 30.50 and 34.50 minutes respectively for rice and for beans the  rder was: 24.50, 36.50 and 39.50 minutes respectively. The SC was found to be 0.002 of fuelwood per each kg of food cooked using Mark and 0.0031 of fuelwood per kg of food cooked, using Mahogany. The fuel burn rate per cycle was found to be 0.01 kg/min with a cycle time of 35 minutes. This designed and constructed stove is good, saves cooking time, wood used in cooking and can be made available to rural dwellers at ffordable cost per unit. The stove efficiency using WBT was found to be 65.45 %. The cost implication for a unit of the designed stove was estimated as N3, 700.00; this cost may however be less under mass production. It is therefore recommended that government should encouragement massive production of this type of improved stove for use especially in the rural areas of Gombe State to reduce pressure on the already depleted forest resources in the State. It would also save time and energy used by women and children in gathering fuelwood in the rural areas.