Eco-friendly cooking
In the global race for eco-friendly technologies, some scientists are concerned to ensure that people in developing countries don’t get left behind. The SCORE project (Stove for Cooking, Refrigeration and Electricity supply), is creating an affordable, versatile domestic appliance for rural communities in Africa and Asia, where access to electric power is limited.

SCORE is led by Paul Howard Riley and brings together four major UK universities, the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the US, multinational electrical goods manufacturer GP Acoustics, international charity Practical Action, and universities in Asia and Africa.

The project is using thermoacoustic technology where heat is converted into sound, just like the piercing whistle made by the steam of a boiling kettle. SCORE uses this phenomenon to power an environmentally friendly appliance that combines a cooker, cooler and power generation system. It’s the first time the technology has been used in this way using biomass fuel.

Electricity generator
The researchers use thermoacoustic technology to convert biomass fuels, such as wood, into energy to power the stove. The wood is burned to produce heat to enter a specially shaped pipe which then produces areas of high and low gas pressure in such a way as to generate sound. The sound energy is converted into electricity by a linear alternator, a sort of giant microphone, which absorbs all of the sound. The electricity can then be used to power other devices.

Thermoacoustic technology is a more efficient way of using wood as a fuel than using an open fire to cook. The eco-stove produces fewer pollutants and is designed to be reliable, with few moving parts. The stove not only reduces the pollutants released into the atmosphere but also combats the health problems caused by smoke inhalation.

Encourage local business
The stove ‘will be easy to maintain,’ says Riley, ‘There would be local employment, making and supplying the stoves. We will generate businesses which can use the device to make or conserve produce as well as powering radios, charging batteries, and computers.’

The current design produces about 100 watts of power and can operate for 24 hours if needed. Team members are visiting communities in countries such as Nepal to understand what local people actually want and what might put them off.

Riley says, ‘Within 18 months we'll have a working unit and within three years something reasonably priced. Within five years we should be producing a million units a year.’ The project is promoting a unique and sustainable solution to a basic human need.