Performance Evaluation Of A Gas (Butane) Fired Oven

Abstract

A gas-fired oven for commercial production of bread was designed and

constructed using locally available material, and was subjected to various'tests to

come out with its performance characteristics. Itsperformance was evaluated

and then compared withsrespect to the total time required to bake a specified

mass of white flour dough using the gas oven with that used by clay wood fired

oven for the same mass of white flour dough. .,

The outcome of the test result indicated that the ni&ximum temperature attained

by the oven was 400'~ with the gas control valves at close to the tqaxir.num

point (without load). This temperature was' attaivd seven minutes after firing

the oven. The clay wood fired oven tested attained a peak temperature of 280'~

one hour after it was fired. White flour dough of mass 0.2kg was baked in the

gas fired oven in thirty nine minutes (first load), this corresponds t6 the total

baking time. The same unit mass of dough was baked in the wood fired oven in

a total baking time of eight-five 'minutes.

A test cqied out on the insulating machine, sawdust, showed that it minimized

the heat loss from the oven by maintaining a high temperature gradient ,between

the inside wall and the outer'wall of the 'oven. The preliminary economic

analysis of tie cost of production of the oven and the cost of fuel showed that it

is cost effec't~vea nd viable.

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