This study describes the exploitation of wood waste (Pinus spp.) in the form of sawdust and shavings generated during the production of furniture and artisanal items in a community in the state of Michoacán, western Mexico. A process is described to densifying this raw material, to produce solid-type biofuel briquettes that can be used to satisfy the need to generate low-power heat for residential sectors. Briquette production involved six stages: (a) gathering samples of sawdust and shavings from artisanal workshops in the community; (b) proximal characterization of the samples; (c) elaborating the briquettes; (d) physicochemical characterization of the briquettes; (e) evaluation of the physical-thermal combustion of the briquettes; and (f) an economic evaluation of briquette production to determine viability. Finally, we performed a comparative analysis of the energy, economic, and environmental indicators of the briquettes produced and conventional pine and oak firewood (Pinus spp., Quercus spp.) in the study community. The results show the viability of using biomass residues to make briquettes, which are efficient, economic and easy to make and use.

While plancha-type cookstoves are very popular and widely disseminated in Latin America, few peer review articles exist documenting their detailed technical performance. In this paper we use the standard Water Boiling Tests (WBT) to assess the energy and emission performance of five plancha-type cookstoves disseminated in about 450 thousand Mexican rural homes compared to the traditional 3-stone fire (TSF). In the high-power phase, average modified combustion efficiencies (MCE) for plancha-type stoves were 97±1% which was higher than TSF 93±4%, and reductions in CO and PM2.5 total emissions were on average 44%. Time to boil and specific fuel consumption, however, were increased in plancha-type stoves compared to the open fire as a result of the reduced overall thermal efficiency of the plancha during WBT. In the simmering phase, plancha-type stoves showed much more consistent performance reductions compared to the TSF. MCE for plancha stoves were on average 98±1% and 95±3% for the TSF, while reductions in CO and PM2.5 total emissions were on average 55%. In this phase 27% average savings in fuel use are achieved by plancha-type stoves. Removal of the plancha rings resulted in savings of specific fuel consumption (SFC), thermal efficiency (TE), and time to boil; however, CO and PM2.5 emissions increased significantly as flue air is drawn through the comal surface rather than through the combustion zone, resulting in suboptimal combustion conditions.International Workshop Agreement (IWA) energy performance Tiers for plancha-type stoves ranged from 0 to 1. However, these results contrast sharply with the well documented reductions in fuel consumption during daily cooking activities achieved by these stoves. IWA indoor emissions Tiers are 4 for both PM2.5 and CO using locally measured values for fugitive emissions. Optimization of combustion chamber design on these stoves in Mexico is desirable to further reduce indoor emissions and to reduce the impacts of neighborhood pollution that can re-infiltrate kitchens. Comparison of performance between plancha-type stoves and unvented stoves should reflect the substantial gains that are made by reducing indoor air pollution and exposures by venting pollutants

The pervasiveness of “stacking” between traditional and clean fuels/stoves is moving the household clean cooking research and policy agenda from programs that are centered on one-fuel or stove, to multi-clean fuel/device interventions that could result in a more effective displacement of traditional biomass stoves. However, there is little recognition and knowledge of the benefits realistic clean-stacking cooking solutions can have on indoor air quality and health. In this paper, particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) concentration levels that are associated with stove-stacking options (Patsari-U-shaped open fire (U-type), Patsari-liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stove, U-type-LPG, and Patsari-U-type-LPG) common within rural Mexico were evaluated while using a controlled cooking cycle (CCC) from the Purepecha Highlands, which mimics the most common dishes prepared daily within the region as well as their sequential arrangement. The results confirms that the WHO Interim Target-1 (IT1) of 35 μg/m3 for PM2.5 is exceeded whenever woodburning open fires are part of the stacking combination (Patsari-U-type 107 ± 9 μg/m3, U-type-LPG 131 ± 55 μg/m3 and Patsari-U-type-LPG 107 ± 22 μg/m3). However, well-designed and properly operated woodburning chimney stoves, such as the Patsari can meet the IT1, either used exclusively (21 ± 8 μg/m3) or as a “clean stacking” option with LPG (24 ± 5 μg/m3). Given stove stacking patterns, evaluating the health and environmental consequences of stove transitions while assuming the total replacement of traditional fires by clean cooking options will lead to misplaced expectations, and programs should evaluate more realistic “clean-stacking” options.