For an updated project description, click on the following link for the Project Readiness Package.

According to the WHO, more than three billion people depend on biomass fuels for cooking. This practice has destroyed many ecosystems and requires an enormous effort to gather. Furthermore WHO studies have shown that exposure to biomass smoke increases the risk of common and serious diseases in both children and adults, resulting in an estimated 1.6 million deaths per year.

RIT is working with a partner in Haiti called H.O.P.E., and was initially funded by an EPA Energy Research Grant to develop an enhanced stove. The goal of this project is to build on the work done by previous projects P10461, 11461, and 11462 to develop an improved cook stove that will substantially reduce (by more than 50%) the emissions and fuel needed for cooking compared to the traditional stoves currently used in Haiti.

The first generation of stoves developed by teams P10461 and 11461 were designed to use forced draft to improve combustion and heat transfer to the pot. The forced air requires an electric fan, which is to be powered by a thermoelectric generator. P12441 will develop a thermoelectric power pack that converts heat directly into electricity to power a fan and provide power for auxiliary loads such charging cell phones. The team will build on the experience and prototype developed by team P11462. The project deliverable will be a nicely packaged thermoelectric power pack: thermoelectric, charging system, fan power, and control system that can be integrated into future stoves.

Project Background Reading:

Thermoelectric Power Pack Primary Reading

Thermoelectric Stove Developments

Cook Stove Project Overview Slides

Prototype being tested.

Project Name

Thermoelectric Power Pack for Stove

Project Number

P12441

Project Family

project family

Start Term

2011-2

End Term

2011-3

Faculty Guide

Jag Tandon, jctddm@rit.edu

Robert Stevens, rjseme@rit.edu

Edward Hanzlik, echeee@rit.edu

Primary Customer

Robert Stevens, rjseme@rit.edu

Sponsor (financial support)

RIT and H.O.P.E.

Photo Gallery

Planning & Execution

Systems Design

Detailed Design

Project Review

Photo Gallery

Planning & Execution

Build, Test, Document

Project Review

IEEE RIT SDC Presentation

IEEE RIT SDC Poster

Final Presentation

Technical Paper

Imagine RIT Poster

Final Poster