Comparison of Thermal and Emissions Performance on Three Stoves for Distilling Areke, A Traditional Ethiopian Beverage

Abstract

Areke is a traditionally fermented and distilled beverage. And it is one of the frequently consumed drinks in semi-urban and rural areas of Ethiopia. Also, it is a drink for most people in the country. Regarding its preparation, it is brewed using a three-stone fire which consumes a large amount of firewood and generates significant indoor air pollution. The evaluation and comparison of thermal and emissions performance of existing cook stoves employed for Areke distillation may help the rural poor and semi-urban population to reduce the economic and health costs associated with its preparation. In doing so, Control Cooking Test (CCT) protocol was employed for all the three types of stoves: a three-stone fire, traditional Areke stove, and Mirt Areke stove. The test results showed that Mirt Areke stove reduced fuel use by 51% compared to the three-stone fire while the improvement made by the traditional Areke stove is 36%. Indoor air pollution indicators of CO, PM2.5 and PM10 also showed a reduction by 29%, 53%, and 52%, respectively, while comparing Mirt Areke stove with three-stone fire. In the case of a traditional Areke stove, the percentage increase in CO is 14.3% while percentage reduction in PM2.5, and PM10, is 17.9% and 18.3%, respectively. These results indicate that the improved Mirt Areke stove has a better performance than the traditional Areke stove.