Grantee Research Project Results
2019 Progress Report: Designing lighter weight, energy efficient cook stoves withmaterialsavailable in Malawi, Africa
EPA Grant Number: SU836955Title: Designing lighter weight, energy efficient cook stoves withmaterialsavailable in Malawi, Africa
Investigators: Ekegren, Ken , Bishop, Carter , Reed, Trevor , Thimmes, Victoria , Stricklin, Sara
Current Investigators: Ekegren, Kenneth J , Bishop, Carter , Reed, Trevor , Thimmes, Victoria , Stricklin, Sara
Institution: North Central State College
EPA Project Officer: Keating, Terry
Phase: II
Project Period: February 1, 2017 through January 31, 2020 (Extended to July 31, 2020)
Project Period Covered by this Report: February 1, 2019 through January 31,2020
Project Amount: $71,060
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet - Phase 2 (2016) Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Challenge Area - Air Quality , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
One of the original objectives was to use the heat from cooking stoves to generate electricity to charge cell phones using Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) technology. Due to improvements and economics of LED and solar powered versus TEG systems, the objective to charge cell phones and provide LED lighting has been changed to utilize solar panels and battery storage. The second aspect of the project is to demonstrate a more efficient method of building of rocket stoves in multiple African countries using research conducted during Phase I. Upon completion of research, development and testing of a solar powered charging and lighting system at the college, four students accompanied the professor to Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Malawi during summer, 2019 to demonstrate the more efficient methods of building rocket stoves and demonstrate the solar powered phone charging and lighting system.
Progress Summary:
Research and testing of a Thermoelectric generating system attached to a rocket stove was performed during the 2017-2018 academic school year. Multiple designs were built and tested on the newly designed rocket stove that was created during Phase I of the grant. The primary goal was to build a heat transfer system that could be manufactured and welded locally in Africa, using readily available steel tubing and flat bar. The students also researched and found electronic circuitry that would convert the low voltage generated up to standard USB 5-volt potential. Although the students were successful in creating a system that generated the necessary 5 volts to charge a cell phone, the thermal conductivity of the steel apparatus was not high enough to provide suitable amperage for the system. The phone charging circuit provided power, but the current was so low, it would be impractical to be used for charging. However, during the timeframe of the ongoing grant, solar panel and LED technology has advanced considerably, improving performance while reducing cost. As a result, the students decided to achieve the original outcome of charging phones by using solar power coupled with a lithium ion battery pack. In addition, the students have responded to the needs of the African villagers by adding LED lighting to the project by developing a solar powered home charging and lighting system.
Research and development of this system had been ongoing during the 2018-2019 academic school year and was tested and refined. A preliminary solar charging and lighting system was sent to Africa for initial testing during summer of 2018. The final design for a solar home charging and lighting system consisted of two solar charged LED light bulbs with 1-watt solar panels connected with 3 meters of wire, plus a 5000 mAH lithium-ion power bank.
During July 2019, Professor Ekegren and the college students traveled to Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, and Malawi. In each country, they demonstrated how to build simple rocket stoves using locally fabricated metal buckets, filled with either a clay and sawdust or clay and peanuts shell mixture. The students built wooden forms in each country to create the space in each stove for the combustion chamber and chimney. Local metal fabricators built a total of 24 stove shells in each country.
The students learned from the women in each country their preferred clay mixture based on available organic material, and then the students and women joined to build a pair of stoves at each location. The stoves were then allowed to dry for two days, after which they were fired for the first time to bake the clay insulation. The metal fabricators also built steel rings (skirts) to surround a typical cooking pot to improve heat transfer during operation. The fabricators also provided a metal shelf for each stove to allow air to flow under the wood stick fuel. The shelf provided an uninterrupted channel for pre-heated supply air that improves combustion thus reducing smoke.
While visiting each village, the students also demonstrated and distributed 24 pairs of solar charged LED light bulbs with included solar panel. Only two power banks were delivered to each village, as we were not able to carry more power banks on the airlines due to lithium ion battery restrictions. The power banks were left at a central location for villagers to use bring their phones for charging. The lithium ion power banks are to be shipped by ocean freight at a later date as they are not allowed as air cargo.
In February 2020, Professor Ekegren attended the Global Off Grid & Solar Forum in Nairobi, Kenya. The conference concentrated on providing "Last Mile Distribution" for expanding solar powered electricity in the rural areas of Africa. The exhibitions highlighted many cooking, lighting and charging systems that could also be used in the countries we visited. In addition, Ekegren performed follow-up trips to the Kenyan and Malawian partners that were visited during the previous summer. He was able to get first hand feedback on both the stoves that were built in 2019, and on the LED lighting systems. A full report of his findings will be included in the grant final report later this year.
Future Activities:
North Central State College had not been informed of funding until January 2018. As a result, the travel to the four African nations was postponed until summer 2019. However, prior to traveling to Africa, the students made progress in testing new, low cost solar powered LED lighting systems. As engineering students, they understood the poor performance of the original testing of thermoelectric generators and were able to recognize a solution that still meets the outcome of the grant, but using newer, more advanced technology. Providing more efficient stoves will reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses being generated during cooking and will reduce the amount of deforestation that happens using wood as the main fuel source. The introduction of solar powered charging will reduce the cost of cell phone ownership, allowing the villagers to charge at home rather than pay for charging at the local market. The introduction of LED lighting in the home will help reduce the occurrence of pneumonia in young children that is common when soot from kerosene lanterns is present in the homes. The LED lighting will also improve the villagers' prosperity in reducing or eliminating the cost of kerosene for their lanterns.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Rocket stove, thermoelectric generator, LED lighting, solar powerProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractP3 Phase I:
Designing lighter weight, energy efficient cookstoves with materials available in Malawi, Africa | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.