Journal of Fundamentals of Renewable Energy and Applications
Open Access
ISSN: 2090-4541
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2090-4541
+44 1300 500008
Sangeeta Kohli
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Fundam Renewable Energy Appl
In the developing world, rural population still depends largely on biomass for cooking. Besides, traditional rural
artisans making pottery, bell-metal craft, bangles, hand-tools etc. use biomass based furnaces. Decades back,
the problem of improving the traditional systems using biomass particularly cook stoves was taken up by selected
researchers across the globe with the last decade seeing a sharp increase in the concern over emissions from biomass
as health hazards and agents of climate change. Efforts to develop and disseminate clean cooking devices have met
with limited success due to several challenges on the ground. Ironically, the impact of large scale exploitation of the
forest resources and that of traditional use of biomass have been put in the same basket leading to an undue rejection
of this fuel by policy makers while it qualifies to be a fuel for a sustainable future due to its renewable nature, carbon
neutrality and decentralized availability. The need of the hour instead is to provide more technical inputs in close
engagement with the users along with social awareness and mobilization to result in better technologies acceptable
to the user. This has been the focus of work group of researchers at IIT Delhi which has been trying to use scientific
methodologies for design and development of a downdraft gasifier cook stove, producer gas burner, pottery kilns,
furnaces for bangle making and bell metal craft etc., and (ii) design of testing protocols for cook stoves, hood for
emission measurement. Scientific rigor and interaction with the users wherever possible have been at the core of
the approach followed. Despite that, there are many challenges in the adoption of the technologies which will be
highlighted in this talk. Specific recommendations will be made emphasizing the need for coordinated efforts to
make biomass an energy resource for sustainable development.
Recent Publications:
1. Sutar K B, Kohli S and Ravi M R (2017) Design, development and testing of small downdraft gasifiers
for domestic cookstoves. Energy 124:447-460.
2. Sutar K B, Ravi M R and Kohli S (2016) Design of a partially aerated naturally aspirated burner for
producer gas. Energy 116:773-785.
3. Sutar K B, Kohli S, Ravi M R and Ray A (2015) Biomass cookstoves: A review of technical aspects.
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 41:1128-1166.
4. Ravi M R, Dhar P L and Kohli S (2007) Energy audit and improvement of an up draught pottery kiln.
SESI Journal 17:70-86.
5. Yadvika, Sreekrishnan T R, Santosh and Kohli S (2007) Effect of HRT and slurry concentration on biogas
production in cattle-dung based anaerobic bioreactors. Environmental Technology 28:433-442.
Sangeeta Kohli is trained as a Mechanical Engineer with specialization in Thermal Science and Engineering and is currently a faculty member at IIT Delhi. She focusses on using her technical training for design, development and analysis of biomass based rural energy systems. She, along with her colleagues and students has developed the smallest downdraft gasifier cook stove using solid biomass at the lab scale, which is being developed as a product. She is particularly interested in working with rural communities for developing technical solutions for the rural energy needs and also encouraging students to take up such projects as part of their engineering education.
E-mail: skohli@iitd.ac.in