Providing Clean Fuel for the Developing World (2021-2022)
Indoor air pollution from burning solid fuels causes approximately four million premature deaths annually, making it the leading cause of death after high blood pressure and smoking. Cleaner fuel sources can improve health while preserving forests, improving local air quality and mitigating impacts on climate change.
Unfortunately, the adoption of electric and natural gas stoves has proven challenging due to issues related to stove and fuel cost, the lack of a robust supply chain, existing cultural practices and barriers to developing a geographically and culturally appropriate marketing and promotion plan, as well as gaining the trust and credibility of local leaders and institutions.
The increased penetration of solar power into the developing world is providing people with carbon-free electricity to use pollution-free electric stoves, the most preferred alternative stove technology. However, without a reliable electricity source or an expensive battery to store solar power, households must still rely on traditional solid fuel stoves for cooking and heating at night. In addition, many simple solar-powered home systems do not provide enough power to run an electric stove.
This project team will take on the challenges involved in developing, translating and promoting new technologies to address global problems. Whereas burning solid fuel results in harmful pollution, burning hydrogen produces water vapor. Replacing biomass with hydrogen will therefore eliminate the excess deaths caused by indoor air pollution.
Team members will develop an alkaline water electrolyzer and hydrogen storage system that can provide fuel for cooking and heating at a lower cost than using electricity from an electrochemical battery (e.g., lithium ion or lead acid), eliminating the need for a supply chain.
Because technology alone is rarely sufficient to address global problems, team members will conduct a literature review on the various studies and programs that have been undertaken to introduce new cookstove technology.
The project will result in a system for producing, storing and burning hydrogen in a safe and economical manner.