October 2011
More about the
Low Smoke Chulha
Chulha context
Killer in the kitchen
Respiratory illness affects the health of the huge number of
low-income people living in rural, underserved areas of the
world who still cook indoors with biomass fuels (e.g. wood,
crop residue, charcoal or dung). 2.4 billion people, which is
more than a third of the entire global population, use
biomass as their primary source of energy for cooking and
heating. If you include coal, the number rises to 3 billion.
This is having a disastrous effect on people’s health.
The proposition
A low cost, low smoke stove
Together with multiple local stakeholders various versions of
a stove (Chulha) were developed. With potential users, local
stove entrepreneurs and a few NGOs parameters were
defined, concepts refined and initial propositions tested to
jointly come up with the final proposition.
Two versions
There are two different Chulha smokeless stoves;
Sampoorna and Saral. The Sampoorna is an all-in-one unit
intended for cooking/boiling and with an integrated
steamer for preparing rice, lentils etc. The Saral is the more
basic version without accessories. Both stove types are
made of concrete and coated with local clay.
Saral chulha
Sampoorna chulha
Benefits of the Chulha
Social benefits
• Less time spent cooking and collecting wood
• Reduction in indoor air pollution means
healthier women and healthier families
• The slow cooking chulha fits the lifestyle and
nutritional needs of this region well
• Buying a smart solution gives pride of ownership
• More living space up as less firewood stored
Environmental benefits
• Lower fuel wood consumption
• Less need to cut trees for firewood, therefore
increased green cover
•Reduced carbon emissions and indoor air
pollution levels
Economic benefits
• Fit with all types of biomass fuel makes the
chulha an economical cooking solution
• No recurring or running costs
• Modular construction gives chulha a longer life
• Less indoor pollution means healthier families
and less spending on medical care
• Employment generation through local
fabrication and creation of entrepreneurs
• Entrepreneurs earn significant supplementary
income making and selling chulhas
Health benefits
• Healthier indoor air quality benefits young
children and women who spend maximum
amount of time in and around the kitchen
• Easy cleaning option reduces risk of injury
The proposition
Key stakeholders
•
NGO: The NGO is actively involved in
propagating this healthy cooking solution among
communities. They spread awareness about the
stove and its advantages in villages.
•
Stove-makers: The stove-maker is the person
who sets up the required infrastructure to make
and sell the stoves.
•
Mold-makers: The mold-maker makes the actual
molds that are used to cast the stove pieces.
•
Suppliers: Suppliers provide the raw materials
for the stove, as well as stove parts like the
chimney and steam cooker.
Stove-users: Stove users are the buyers of the
Low Smoke Chulha. A satisfied stove-user is the
best promoter of this cooking solution.
•
•
Sponsor: Sponsors can assist in all or part of the
stove dissemination process. From financing
chulha molds or materials for the stove-makers,
to arranging micro loans sponsors have a pivotal
role in making deployment of the stove a reality.
The proposition
Key stakeholders
facilitator
entrepreneur
Stove
maker
NGO
Mold
supplier
Material
supplier
Sponsor
end-user
Stove user
The stoves
Chimney cap
A sheet metal or cement or
clay cap, prevents rain
water entering the
chimney and allows smoke
exit.
Parts explained
Chimney
A cement / clay /
terracotta pipe
commercially available.
Clip
Sheet metal strip to fix the
chimney pipe to the wall.
Chimney mounting
bracket
Cast in cement concrete
acts as a wall bracket to
support the chimney pipes.
Chimney bracket cover
Cast in cement concrete, works as cover
for the bracket and facilitates chimney
cleaning from within the house.
Label
A place where the Stove name /
message can be written
Top
Cast in cement concrete
functions as the top surface for
the stove, has two pot holes
Tunnel
Cast in cement concrete functions
as the duct for fire propagation.
Chimney chamber
Cast in cement concrete , is used
to link the stove with chimney
Soot collector plates
Cast in cement concrete/ clay , helps in arresting
soot partials in the mid way and keeps chimney
clean used to link the stove with chimney
Back cover
Cast in cement concrete
functions as the back cover
Support
Cast in cement concrete
functions as the tunnel support
Chimney chamber cover
Cast in cement concrete covers the
chimney chamber.
Fire chamber
Cast in cement concrete functions
as the main combustion chamber
where fuel (biomass) is burnt.
Front cover
Cast in cement concrete covers
the area below tunnel.
Brick platform base
Built with a layer of bricks.
All the cement concrete parts are clad with earthen red paint
* The Samporna chulha comes with a steam cooker which is
fabricated with aluminum, has 3 SS containers and steam cooks
food on the second pot hole.
Grate
Cast iron grate functions as a
bed for burning the fuel, drops
the ash and provided air for
burning from below.
The stoves
Modular construction
Sampoorna parts
Sampoorna stove
Common parts
Saral parts
Saral stove
The stoves
Modular construction
Stove details
Features of Saral and Sampoorna
•Modular approach to address - lighter many parts, reduced thermal stress resulting in durability and
long lasting stove parts
•Improved chimney cleaner with help of chimney wall bracket
•Soot collector in chimney chamber, arrest more than half of carbon particles from entering into
chimney
•Three part chimney construction for easy cleaning within
•By pass tunnel helps in even distribution of flame for fist pot
•Ash pit below the grate helps in secondary draft and for removal of ash.
• Sampoorna has a steel cooker helps in cooking rice / lentils and vegetables without burning.
By pass duct for efficient draft
Soot collector for less
soot deposit
Detachable chimney connector for easy cleaning