AEOLUS - Novel combustion air supply regulation systems for increased robustness of wood stove operation and maximum thermal comfort

The ability for small and medium-sized enterprises to stay high-tech in advance is an important prerequisite for coping with a tough international market. The now-finished project AEOLUS has already provided a strong start for the industry partners, by providing solutions for automatic regulation of small-scale fireplaces for space heating. Throughout the project, there has been an optimistic collaborative air among all partners about the expected outcome of the project. Jøtul, the project owner, is optimistic and wants to commercialize the developed technology ASAP. It is crucial for smaller Norwegian industrial companies to catch-up with the European industry in offering high-tech products that both enhance the user experience and reduce climate and health issues related to emissions from small-scale fireplaces. Wood burning accounts for about 2.6% of total energy consumption in the EU and contributes to more than 46% of total emissions of fine particulate matter, about three times more than road transport. In Norway, around 14% of the heating demand is covered by wood-burning and the particle emissions correspond approximately to the same amount as from the transport sector. Manufacturers of cast iron and soapstone stoves are surely in need of a customized control system, which is not available on the market today. Similar early systems for steel plate stoves already exist on the European market in an early version, but with an entry fee, that makes the supply unlikely for Norwegian manufacturers. It is also uncertain whether these first solutions are optimal; disproportionately complicated, costly and whether they provide a good enough user experience. The project was completed according to plan (2018-2019) both regarding activities and meetings, meetings both in plenary and separately with each partner. Although the project did not start until the end of Q2 2018, due to a time-consuming contract process, we have nevertheless, by the end of 2019, achieved the project's goals. A prototype system was assembled as of late spring 2019, based on the industrialized Arduino electronics (www.arduino.cc/). As of today, both a Lambda- (O2) and temperature sensor(s) provide input variables to obtain an optimized air supply and hence, optimized emissions. The prototype, which is a common solution for all participating industry partners, has been tested and shown to operate as intended. A full-fledged final industry-ready system will be finalized in the upcoming NFR IPN AEOLUS+ project. An alternative prototype has been in development as well, based on stoves existing valve air-intake system. A parallel regulation strategy could be to motorize an existing valve system which is then automated in the same manner as the full system. This alternative system will also be finalized in the new NFR IPN project AEOLUS+. This is what Jøtuls R&D manager has to say about being part of the project: AEOLOUS is another exciting research project where there will also be products on the market as a result of our participation here. We, as a major player, believe that the AEOLUS project will bring new technology into the market that will be pioneering for the entire industry. Here, there is a very high focus on this with environmental friendliness and that the stoves of the future should have a place in society's energy accounts. A very important project that nature (and Jøtul) will benefit from. The project is important for testing technology and providing measurement data, as well as suggestions and opportunities for new products, which the participants in the project can collaborate on to develop further over a common platform, or further use in their own projects. By participating in AEOLUS, I mean that the industry is serious about wanting to think about the environment, in my opinion, this is the most important project we have participated in for many years, and we have participated in many projects that have been important to us. Generally speaking, such projects that we participate in together with SINTEF are extremely important for us as a producer, for the research data, solutions, opportunities and conclusions we get, we are not able to procure on our own. As an apropos, in a recent report from IMPELLO early 2019*, research on wood stove development was mentioned as one of 48 cases, showing that government funding of research activities related to wood stove development repays itself through increased value production. *https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktuelt/ny-side/id2625970/

Prototype system assembled late spring 2019. A common solution for all participating industry partners. Has been tested and shown to operate as intended. An alternative prototype has been in development based on stoves existing valve air-intake system. Jøtul about the project: AEOLOUS is another exciting research project? We, as a major player, believe that the AEOLUS project will bring new technology into the market that will be pioneering for the entire industry? By participating in AEOLUS, I mean that the industry is serious about wanting to think about the environment, in my opinion, this is the most important project we have participated in for many years? Generally speaking, such projects that we participate in together with SINTEF are extremely important for us as a producer, for the research data, solutions, opportunities and conclusions we get, we are not able to procure on our own.

The current project proposal is a product of a direct request from the leading Norwegian woodstove industry, organized as a cross-collaboration between the wood stove manufacturers: JØTUL AS, DOVRE AS and NORSK KLEBER AS, the technology development company Flow Design Bureau AS, together with research partners Bergfald Miljørådgivere AS, highly qualified in industrial design and interpretation of end-user experience and SINTEF Energy Research, highly renown within small-scale biomass combustion and wood stove development. The aim of this industrial constellation is to develop and industrialize, within 2020, an automated air supply control system compliant with selected wood stove models from each of the participating industry partners, to ensure a future national and international competitive edge on wood stove technology towards more robust products regarding real-life emissions, high efficiency and heat comfort. The planned system, a fully electronic sensor-driven automatic control system, is intended to become an important property of new high-volume stove models, especially designed to take maximum ad-vantage of automated combustion and enhanced user experience. Depending on the flexibility of the control systems, it is also anticipated that existing popular high-volume stove models can be equipped with the new system. Besides allowing the participating manufacturers to enter into a new market, allowing for increased market share, the novelty of the proposed control system is that it will be developed as a low- to medium cost product, enabling automation of high-volume selling stoves. If the current project successfully reaches its objectives, the industry will have the necessary means to meet increasingly stringent regulations for space-heating energy efficiency, emissions, air quality as well as heat comfort challenges related to new building regulations.