USA-Botswana collaborative research towards portable power generation in rural Africa

University Of South Florida, Tampa FL

Investigators

Abstract

This project focuses on investigating a new paradigm in renewable energy harvesting that would be of great use for developing modular power source for use in most of the developing world, and specifically for the continent of Africa. Currently only 20-23% of the population in Africa has access to electricity. Large percentage of the population lives far from urban centers. Only portable energy sources will be able to meet, at least partially, the energy needs of rural populations. A diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in this program will engage in research on a novel concept of renewable energy harvesting. They will develop working modules that will be tested in the field with the aim of producing efficient portable energy sources to improve the lives of people living in rural Africa. In addition, the cultural experience gained through interactions with the tribal communities in Africa, and the knowledge gained on the way of life in each tribe, their societal rules and norms, and the struggles they face in day-to-day life, will transform their view of the world. Their efforts will be highly rewarding, as they will be contributing to increase the renewable and portable power generation in these remote areas that will greatly improve the quality of life for the segment of the world population that is lagging behind the norms. To implement the project the PI at the University of South Florida (USF) will collaborate with the researchers at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST). After completing a 3-week research program at USF, students will travel to Botswana and will team up with a cohort of students at BIUST for a 5-week period where they will learn, live, work, and travel together. The primary goal of research is to study the feasibility of combining thermoelectric modules and solar devices to generate much higher electrical power than what is possible with individual devices. Thermoelectric modules formed with materials of high Seebeck coefficient can produce high voltages but low conductivity that leads to low currents. Typical solar cell open-circuit voltages are relatively low, but high absorption of radiation can generate high density of carriers. However, high carrier recombination losses lead to low short circuit current. This project will investigate a novel paradigm in which the relatively high voltage (1-4 V) produced by the thermoelectric modules from the recovery of waste heat of cooking stoves used in rural Africa will be used to reverse-bias the solar cell for generating a high photo-generated current. The combination of the high voltage, high current, combined with a suitable circuit design, has the potential to enhance power generation and more efficient charging of batteries or capacitors. The outcome will be educating a cohort of graduate and undereducated students on energy challenges of the rural communities in the world, and developing innovative concepts based on fundamental science to resolve issues of the global society. Though the initial effort is to develop a power source for rural Africa, the concept can be extended to multitude of commercial products and military applications where power can be generated when plugging into the power grid is not an option. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.