Design and Implementation of a Low-Cost IoT-Based Real-Time Emission Monitoring System for a Thermoelectric Generator-Integrated Biomass Cookstove

Abstract

More than 2 billion people globally depend on biomass for cooking, predominantly using conventional cookstoves. This leads to approximately 4 million annual deaths due to indoor air pollution. Currently, air pollution stands as the biggest environmental health challenge worldwide, having harmful effects on human health, climate, and ecosystems. These health risks can be reduced by improving stove design and combustion characteristics. This article focuses on the design and development of a low-cost IoT-based real-time emission monitoring system (LIEMS) integrated with a thermoelectric generator-integrated biomass cookstove (TIBC). The TIBC is designed to support multi-fuel use, improve user-friendliness, reduce emissions, and enhance overall efficiency. Here, the emission performance evaluation is facilitated by the LIEMS, which monitors pollutants such as particulate matter PM2.5, PM1.0, PM10, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) while also capturing temperature profiles of the cookstove. The LIEMS system is powered entirely by the thermoelectric generator, eliminating the need for an external power source. Built on the ESP-WROOM-32 development board and integrated with the ThingSpeak IoT platform, the system enables real-time data visualization, email alerts for unsafe pollutant levels, and air quality management strategies. Validation results showed measurement discrepancies of ±5.42% for PM2.5, ±5.46% for PM1.0, ±5.49% for PM10, ±23.68% for CO, ±2.38% for CO2, and ±2.17%, ±8.57%, and ±2.17% for the cookstove's hot-side temperature (Thot) and ±8.57% for its cold-side temperature (Tcold). This new integration of IoT technology with TIBC offers a reliable and user-friendly solution for real-time indoor air quality monitoring, advancing household air quality management and sustainability.