JP-8 Powered Flameless Griddle for Army Field Kitchens

The Army is seeking to develop more efficient, safer logistics fuel burners for cooking appliances in field kitchens. Existing appliances that operate on logistics fuel primarily involve open flames which are inherently inefficient and vent both heat and potentially hazardous combustion products into the kitchen atmosphere. To improve efficiency, comfort, and safety, we are developing fully enclosed logistics fuel burner technology that can be mated with multiple kitchen appliances. Kitchen appliances are retrofit with heat exchangers to transfer heat from the burner exhaust to the cooking appliance. Exhaust is then vented outside of the kitchen. During Phase I, we demonstrated the feasibility of our approach using a commercially-available oil burner, custom heat exchanger, and steam griddle appliance. During Phase II, we will optimize the burner for the combat feeding application and develop a lightweight version of the steam griddle. We will then perform a detailed demonstration of the integrated burner-griddle system. In addition, we will develop design concepts for interfacing the burner with other cooking appliances, such as ovens and kettles.