Air cooled wok to reduce water use

CSIRO has developed an air cooled wok for commercial kitchens to reduce water use. Usually water is used to cool the wok. This saves about 5,000 litres of water a day, per stove. The unit has a heat shield around the burner and an air gap, reducing transfer of heat to the stove top and removing the need for water cooling. While the units are described as "waterless" they still use some water, but have features such as a timer to automatically turn off the water so the operator can't leave it running. An example is the Luus Waterless Wok range.

CSIRO Food Sciences, supported by Sydney Water, has developed an air-cooled wok burner with a user-activated spout, which not only reduces water consumption by 90% but also halves gas consumption. It is understood that Sydney Water is working to make the design commercially available. All models commercially available at present are of the conventional water-cooled type. ...

From: Switch on Gas - Revised Work Plan for 2007 to 2007/08, Report No: 2006/11, DRAFT DISCUSSION PAPER, EQUIPMENT ENERGY EFFICIENCY GAS PROGRAMME, E3 Gas Secretariat, Australian Greenhouse Office, October 2006