Philips Smokeless Stove Uses 80% Less Fuel, Saves Lives

We usually think of Philips as a maker of LCD's and LED's but they have been cooking up other things in Eindhoven, including this woodstove. 300 million families in the world's poorest regions burn wood for cooking, and smoke and toxic emisions kill 1.6 million people per year. When properly used the woodstove typically reduces fuel consumption up to 80% compared with traditional, three stone fires. Apart from faster and more convenient cooking, this energy efficiency means the stove can save the cost of the time needed to gather fuel, and should also slow deforestation. According to Philips: "The secret to many benefits of this stove is an electronically controlled fan forcing air through the stove, leading to higher temperatures and a better fuel to air ratio. This results in cleaner burning and more efficient use of fuel. A thermoelectric generator using the heat from the burning wood generates electricity for the fan. Apart from ensuring autonomy from electricity supplies, the generator can also power external equipment like radios or lighting." That's good green design. ::Philips via ::FreshGadgets