FOCUS : RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES

Project: Implementation and field testing of gasification stoves 

Funded By: Asian Regional Cookstove Program (ARECOP)

Duration: 2007 -2008

There has been a lot of research in wood burning stove designs recently and several improved stove designs based on the gasification technology have been developed. In an effort to take these designs out of the laboratory and in the working environment for which they were designed the Asia Regional Cookstove Program conducted a training workshop on "Biomass Gasification for Thermal Applications" in Kumning, China. As a follow up to that workshop TIDE interacted with the Combustion, Gasification, Propulsion Laboratory (CGPL), Indian Institute of Science to field test the improved gasifier stove for large scale cooking developed by them. 

TIDE identified a road side restaurant in Gudemaranahalli village on the Bangalore Mysore Highway for field testing the stove. The data on cooking practices and fuel wood consumption before shifting the stove to the site was collected. The gasifier stove was demonstrated in the restaurant and after a few days data was collected. The data showed that the stove was able to satisfactorily cook all the dishes routinely cooked in the restaurant with a fuel saving of 40% or more and also with saving in time. However CGPL and TIDE detected a reluctance on the part of the owner to regularly use the stove which was attributed to cultural factors and not to the stove design.

TIDE therefore identified another site for demonstration and data collection in a textile dyeing unit in Kumarapalyam, Tamil Nadu. In this site as well baseline data was collected and cooking on the stove demonstrated to the women cooks. The women took about a week to familiarize themselves with the stove and have been using the stove regularly for about three months. 

TIDE is in the process of interacting with CGPL and ARECOP to discuss future initiatives. 

Background

The textile-processing cluster in southern TamilNadu accounts for about 50% of Indian textile mills, 35% of Indian yarn production and about 19% of Indian textile workers. Textile processing is concentrated in a few districts of the state with cotton yarn and hosiery being the main outputs from the industrial units. Tirupur cluster in Tamilnadu is a major hub for cotton textile production and exports from India. At the generic level, textile-processing units include spinning mills, bleaching/dyeing units, sizing units, weaving units, ginning units and garment producers. A large number of dyeing and bleaching units are classified as household factories and are typically in the unorganized sector.

Objectives of the assessment  

• To obtain a listing of the tiny, small and medium textile-processing units using wood / biomass as fuel and located in select district
• To understand the fuel usage patterns of these industries
• To recommend appropriate wood / biomass conserving technologies for these industries.

Key Findings 

• All types of textile processing units use electrical energy for their operations while the use of thermal energy is significant in bleaching, dyeing and sizing units. 
• Thermal energy is required for generating large quantities of hot water in the process of cleaning the cloth/yarn and imparting the desired colour to the cloth/yarn. 
• Hot water is obtained by the combustion of biomass fuels (primarily fuel wood) in stoves and boilers, wood being the preferred fuel primarily due to economic reasons. 
• Total consumption of wood in bleaching, dyeing and sizing units is estimated at about 900000 tons per annum
• The use of agro-residues and alternate fuels (such as briquettes) is negligible due to constraints of availability, cost and combustion technology. 
• The combustion devices (stoves) in bleaching and dyeing units are highly inefficient with efficiency levels of about 10%-12%.

The way ahead

The project was survey-based with broad-based surveys and technical surveys being undertaken to result in information leading to achievement of the objectives. The survey has attempted to estimate the quantity of fuelwood used by the textile processing units in Tamilnadu and the potential for reducing emissions. Various studies have shown that in the medium and long term, considering the high rates of extraction, fuelwood may not be a sustainable option. The survey has assessed that with 60% of the units adopting improved technologies (such as improved stoves, gasification systems and solar water heating systems), about 156000 tons of fuelwood (about 280000 tons of emissions) can be conserved per annum. It was also assessed that with this quantum of savings, 650KLs of diesel (associated with transport of wood) could be conserved per annum. The survey also showed that reduction in wood consumption due to adoption of improved technologies would lead to savings of Rs.21.84 crores per annum by the industry.

Subsequent to the survey, TIDE has attempted to source resource support to develop entrepreneurial networks to promote renewable energy technologies in the textile-processing sector in Thailand.