16-year-old Indian student built a kerosene stove that runs on water, won top prize at science exhibition

Vyasji Mishra was 16 when his interest in science led him to develop a hybrid stove powered by kerosene and steam. A student of Class 11 in Devsar, Madhya Pradesh, Mishra had developed an interest in science and its applications from an early age and had already participated in several science competitions.

His innovation received attention at science exhibitions and in newspapers, eventually earning him a first prize from then Education Minister Indrajit Kumar Patel at a science exhibition in 2003.

Mishra had also developed a model of a drip irrigation system, which won first prize at a science exhibition in 2000.

How Vyasji Mishra developed the stove

The idea for the stove emerged after Mishra’s elder brother, Pawanji Mishra, attempted to build a similar model for a science fair in 2001-02 but was unsuccessful.

When Vyasji decided to participate in the “Sources of Energy” section at a school science exhibition in 2002-03, the brothers worked together on a new version.

Also Read: Farmer noticed one unusual rice plant, selected its seeds for years and developed a paddy variety yielding 8,000 kg per hectare

They built the device by combining two conventional kerosene stoves and adding three regulators. One regulator controlled kerosene, another controlled water and the third was used to switch the burner on and off.

Controlling the flow of kerosene and water was one of the major challenges during development. The brothers addressed the problem to some extent by using the three regulators.

The stove took around six months to conceive and manufacture.

Two tanks, one burner and three regulators

The invention consisted of two tanks, one containing kerosene and the other water, connected to a common burner. Each tank had a pump to create air pressure, while pipes carried kerosene and water to the burner assembly.

The stove was first started using kerosene. The kerosene tank was primed and the burner heated until it became red hot.

The kerosene regulator was then closed and the water regulator opened. The heated water produced steam, which was then used for heating.

When the flame became dim, the water supply was stopped and the kerosene section was switched on again until the burner became hot. The process was then repeated.

Mishra wanted the stove to work continuously

Mishra recognised that the prototype still had limitations and needed further development.

Because the system used water, he observed that the burner could become cold after some time and stop working. He said further research was needed to develop a system that could continue operating on water without stopping unless it was switched off.

The stove also came with safety precautions. When the water regulator was opened, the kerosene regulator had to remain closed. Care also had to be taken while filling the tanks to ensure they remained free of dirt.

Claimed to reduce kerosene use and smoke

The stove was developed with the aim of substantially reducing kerosene consumption while producing less smoke than a conventional stove.

The concept was considered particularly relevant to households that depended heavily on kerosene, and its potential was also suggested for use in places such as glass and toy factories, laboratories and small-scale establishments.

The prototype was estimated to cost around Rs 600 in the market.

However, the idea still required further research and testing. The Indian Institute of Petroleum in Dehradun had reservations about the concept, while IIT Guwahati worked on optimising the stove.

After calibration, IIT Guwahati found that the device could save about 20 per cent of kerosene, rather than delivering the substantially higher savings initially claimed.

Family support helped develop the innovation

Mishra lived with his parents, elder brother and sister in Devsar. His father, who had a BA degree, worked as a clerk at the Devsar Tehsil Office. His elder brother Pawanji was a first-year BCA student.

The family’s annual income was around Rs 60,000 and came entirely from his father’s earnings.

Mishra acknowledged the financial limitations of his family, saying, “I am a student, and my father is a clerk. Since our financial condition is weak I don’t have most of the required equipment with me.”

He credited his elder brother with providing constant encouragement as well as financial and technical support during the project. Apart from his family, he did not receive monetary assistance while developing the prototype.

Innovation fund supported further development

The National Innovation Foundation (NIF), in coordination with the Grassroots Innovations Augmentation Network (GIANs), sanctioned Rs 37,250 from its Micro Venture Innovation Fund for prototype development and market research of the water-kerosene stove and three other innovations.

Mishra had also exhibited the stove at multiple science exhibitions, and the invention received newspaper coverage in February 2002.

Despite its limitations, the project reflected the teenager’s effort to find an alternative approach to reducing dependence on kerosene and demonstrated the scope for further development of the underlying concept.