Four types of up-draft gasifiers have been tested and two (AfricaRice Modified Viet (AfricaRice MV) and AfricaRice Modified Paul Olivier (AficaRice MPO) gasifiers have been validated for out-scaling. AfricaRice MV and AficaRice MPO gasifiers of different sizes have been produced and tested with different crop residues including rice husk. These gasifiers can be used for in-door and out-door cooking with the smaller ones more acceptable for indoor while the larger ones are more adapted for out-door cooking such as rice parboiling.

Up-draft gasifiers (Biomass fed from the top and air supplied from the bottom) are suitable for rice husk gasification. The process from top to bottom is as follows: Drying-Pyrolysis-Combustion-Reduction to produce SYNGAS + Tar + Water. Up-draft system has higher thermal efficiency and is good for materials with high moisture and ash content.

A fan powered by solar batteries to prompt air ventilation has been coupled to the gasifier so that the user can get both thermal and electrical energy for cooking and lighting respectively.

 

AfricaRice MV gasifier (Ndindeng et al. (2017)

Technical drawing of the AfricaRice MV gasifier

 

 

AfricaRice MPO gasifier (Ndindeng et al. (2017)

Technical drawings of the AfricaRice MPO gasifier coming soon.

Publications

Ndindeng SA, Carr M, Manful J, Toni M, Graham-Acquaah S, Wopereis M, Futakuchi K. 2017. Evaluation of rice husk fueled and fan-assisted cookstoves for application in sub-Sahara Africa. Energy for Sustainable Development (final revision step)

 

Story on what we do on gasification by Thompson Reuters Foundation

 

TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED BY AFRICA RICE CENTER IN COLLABORATION WITH PARTNERS ARE PUBLIC GOODS. KINDLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE AFRICA RICE CENTER IF YOU USE ANY ON THE TECHNOLOGIES DESCRIBED HERE.