A project called SCORE - Stove for Cooking, Refrigeration and Electricity aims to create an all-in-one device that could be used in other remote areas like a mountain top cabin where electricity is not available and fuel sources are scarce or difficult to transport. It also could definitely improve the quality of life in rural areas of Africa and Asia.

Dr Keith Pullen of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London is leading Imperial's side of the project with Ron Dennis and says the new device will significantly improve economic growth and reduce poverty in remote areas, as well as introducing inexpensive applications in less explored or populated areas.

"Heat, refrigeration and energy form the basis of a decent quality of life, from storing medicines at the right temperature to improving access to education through electricity for computers and lighting. But you can't just go into communities and tell them what they need - what's so important about this project is that we are working in partnership with people to work out what's possible and develop something sustainable based on the skills and the raw materials available locally," said Pullen.

The device will work using thermoacoustic principles to convert sound waves into heat and then into electricity, and the reverse process, as well. The efficiency is far superior to fossil fuel generators or the main method used today for cooking, which still relies on burning wood in an open fire.

Even though technology is advancing in giant steps, there are still many areas around the world where electricity is not available and fuel is expensive and hard to obtain.

"Using this technology while ensuring that the device is relatively low-cost and can be produced using local materials and labour is one of the great challenges of this project. Thermoacoustic systems have always been expensive and high-tech - a great deal of the first stage of this project will be taken up with translating the technology into something that can easily be mass produced."