Its inventors like to call it SCORE, for “Stove for Cooking, Refrigeration and Electricity supply,” but who are we kidding; it’s a Stofrigenerator. There is no other true name for the brilliant hybrid machine that will fit neatly in the corner of the kitchen.
According to Physics World, the useful little beastie is the product of a collaboration led by the University of Nottingham, started two years ago with the goal of creating an appliance that would satisfy the energy needs of rural people in developing nations where power is a scarce resource.
Here’s how it works: A fire, to be used for cooking, is burning at one end of a pipe, causing gas to move from hot to cold areas, thereby sparking sound waves — as in a shrieking tea kettle — which are converted into electrical energy (aka electricity) by a linear alternator. Meanwhile, some of the sound waves hit a thermoacoustic engine, which works in reverse to create a cooling effect. Voila, simultaneous cooking, refrigeration and electricity generation!
What rural household in India or Uganda wouldn’t want such a device? The development team is currently testing the contraption in Nepal and the UK to see if they have a winner on their hands. If so, they hope to offer the device for an affordable price (£20/$33) to communities that most need access to sustainable and efficient energy technology.
Photo courtesy of SCORE project