Key differences of performance test protocols for household biomass cookstoves

In this study, different ways of testing household biomass cooking stoves are compared and analyzed. The differences between test methods relate to the stove operation and data analysis methods, the fueling procedure, the end point selection, the choice of metrics and others factors. The influences of these differences were analyzed by using an induction heater. The results show the use of a pot lid or not, and the selection of the end point of the test have the greatest influence on the rated performance. Consequently test results provided by laboratories using different test methods will place the same stove-plus-fuel combination on significantly different performance ‘tiers’. Also the results show some metrics in popular tests should be reviewed. Some recommendations are provided for improving the accuracy and repeatability of test procedures and select metrics are defined for greater clarity.