Project #5: A more efficient pot for those who cook over wood fires and related technologies
Thanks to Cledden Kwanin and Ivan Urdiales, we have a computational fluid dynaimcs (CFD) simulation based on OpenFOAM. We are approaching the ability to test hypotheses with this tool.
We have a particular design based on an initial hypothesis: The faster the flow around the pot, the more the flames and hot flue gases will be "sucked" against the pot due to the Coandă effect/Bernoulli effect. Based on this idea, we have made a "fish" shaped pot (and lid) which is streamlined, with heat transfer fins.
Our initial goal is to compare this pot to a cylindrical pot.
Team Ecopot, of Rice University, did the initial work on this base on ideas from Public Invention. They are:
- Christopher J Fang
- Kaitlyn Wang
- Stephanie A. Ponce
- Concepcion C Appio-Riley
- Sana A. Mohamed
- Samuel Robedee
"Revisiting the optimal shape of cooling fins: A one-dimensional analytical study using optimality conditions" by Joe Alexandersen and Ole Sigmund.