SINOPSIS

This paper presents the characteristics, thermal performance, and emission performance of conventional burners (CB) and a new porous radiant burner (PRB). The PRB was designed and fabricated with the purpose of improving the thermal performance of the existing self-aspirated cooking burners and to maintain the emissions within acceptable limits. The PRB was trilayered and consisted of a ceramic matrix made from a ceramic base, stainless steel balls, and a mild steel plate. The outer cover of the burner was cylindrical in structure and made up of mild steel so that it could be easily adaptable to normal cooking stoves. The maximum thermal efficiency was improved by 7% compared to CB under similar experimental conditions. Also, it was observed that the emission values were well within the WHO standards. A uniform surface temperature distribution was achieved for the PRB compared to CB used in this work. Use of a sophisticated design and fabrication process might further improve the performance of the burner.