Powered by sound — revolutionary stove could help reduce poverty

The £2m SCORE (Stove for Cooking, Refrigeration and Electricity) project brings together experts from across the world to develop a wood-powered generator capable of both cooking and cooling food. By developing an affordable, versatile domestic appliance SCORE aims to address the energy needs of rural communities in Africa and Asia, where access to power is extremely limited.

Across the world, two billion people use open fires as their primary cooking method. These fires have been found to be highly inefficient, with 93 per cent of the energy generated lost. And when used in enclosed spaces, smoke from the fires can cause health problems.

The project team will use thermoacoustic technology for the first time to convert biomass fuels into energy, powering the stove, fridge and generator.

Thermoacoustics refers to the generation of sound waves through the non-uniform heating of gas — illustrated by the ‘singing’ of hot glass vessels which can be heard during the glass blowing process. This phenomena has been known for centuries, but could offer new possibilities in the energy conversion process.

The concept of the proposed device is based on proven thermoacoustic engines and refrigerators developed for applications such as combustion-fired natural gas liquefaction and radioisotope-fuelled electric power generation. Los Alamos Laboratories, in collaboration with several industrial partners, has played a lead role in the development of thermoacoustic technology.

Using thermoacoustic technology is a more efficient way of using wood as a fuel than using an open fire to cook. It produces less pollutants. The device will also have few moving parts making in more reliable.

The University of Nottingham, University of Manchester, Imperial College London and Queen Mary, University of London are partners in the project — from researching engine design to the manufacture and distribution of the stove in the developing world. Led by The University of Nottingham, the project will work with governments, universities and civil organisation across Africa and Asia, many of whom have already offered support. This collaboration will ensure the device is affordable, socially acceptable and that there is scope for communities to develop businesses to manufacture and repair locally.

This moving part, the linear alternator, is being developed in conjunction with GP Acoustics, a company that produces loudspeaker equipment.

Mark Dodd, Research Manager at GP Acoustics, said: “We at GP Acoustics and our manufacturing partner Dai-ichi in the Philippines are delighted that technology originally created for the leisure market is being used to help improve the lives of people in developing countries.”

Researchers from Los Alamos Laboratories are also supporting the project, along with Practical Action, a charity which promotes the development of sustainable technology to tackle poverty in developing countries. The SCORE consortium is funded by grants from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council as part of its initiative on energy and international development.

Professor Maksud Helali, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology has offered his support. “Bangladesh’s energy infrastructure is relatively small and inefficient, even to low income standards, and its access to energy is difficult,” he said.

“An efficient, expanding energy system is essential for accelerated economic growth and poverty alleviation. Industry and commerce depend on readily available, reliable, reasonably-priced energy to operate and expand. It will improve the quality of people’s lives.”

SCORE Project Director Paul Riley added: “Designed specifically for use by the rural poor in the developing world, SCORE is a unique design that generates electricity and can cool as well as cook. Manufactured on site it will give many business opportunities that should increase uptake by tenfold compared with current stove designs thus significantly improving health, education and wealth.”

More information is available from www.score.uk.com or email info@score.uk.com

All latest news from the category: Power and Electrical Engineering

This topic covers issues related to energy generation, conversion, transportation and consumption and how the industry is addressing the challenge of energy efficiency in general.

innovations-report provides in-depth and informative reports and articles on subjects ranging from wind energy, fuel cell technology, solar energy, geothermal energy, petroleum, gas, nuclear engineering, alternative energy and energy efficiency to fusion, hydrogen and superconductor technologies.

Back to home

Comments (0)

Write a comment

Newest articles

Lighting up the future

New multidisciplinary research from the University of St Andrews could lead to more efficient televisions, computer screens and lighting. Researchers at the Organic Semiconductor Centre in the School of Physics and…

Researchers crack sugarcane’s complex genetic code

Sweet success: Scientists created a highly accurate reference genome for one of the most important modern crops and found a rare example of how genes confer disease resistance in plants….

Evolution of the most powerful ocean current on Earth

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current plays an important part in global overturning circulation, the exchange of heat and CO2 between the ocean and atmosphere, and the stability of Antarctica’s ice sheets….

Partners & Sponsors