Grantee Research Project Results

2014 Progress Report: Integrating Improved Sustainable Technologies into the Heart of the Home-the Kitchen

EPA Grant Number: SU835295
Title: Integrating Improved Sustainable Technologies into the Heart of the Home-the Kitchen
Investigators: Bormann, Noel E , London, Mara , Stevens, Christopher E. , Beyer, Krista , Lawrence, Paige , Ngan, Christine , Frager, Chris , Neal, Katie , Ross, Webster , Rogers, Charles
Current Investigators: Bormann, Noel E , Chelini, Zac , Hamke, Tyler , Phillips, Davis , Reiling, Allie , Ueki, Ryder , Zentner, Daniel , Zucca, Anthony
Institution: Gonzaga University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Phase: II
Project Period: August 15, 2012 through August 14, 2014 (Extended to August 14, 2016)
Project Period Covered by this Report: August 15, 2013 through August 14,2014
Project Amount: $90,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet - Phase 2 (2012) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources , P3 Challenge Area - Sustainable and Healthy Communities , Sustainable and Healthy Communities

Objective:

Many areas in Southern Africa have insufficient urban infrastructure to meet critical needs for potable water, sanitation, and energy requirements. 

The project goal is to improve the health of women and children via two measures:  (1) improving indoor air quality by using cook stoves with thermal electric generation (TEG) cells driven by waste heat from cooking fires with improved ventilation, and (2) by developing a novel water filter system that enhances sustainability of water treatment by reducing the amount of fuel-wood consumed.

The project is developing an integrated combination of sustainable technologies focused on activities in the kitchen.  Because women typically organize the water and food for the family, women also will lead the effort to encourage families to adopt the stoves and filters. The project will have products to introduce into the local communities and provide education and training to local women and local workers to produce the devices.  

The project provides an active and engaging opportunity for the team to participate in a multi-disciplinary effort to achieve complex results.  The team includes civil engineering, mechanical engineering and entrepreneurial business students.  The team experiences the challenges of cross-cultural and developing world communications, logistics and learning to apply US educational experiences to the requirements of problems in a developing peri-urban situation.  

Progress Summary:

The 2013-2014 team was composed of students in civil engineering and mechanical engineering. The team members that traveled to Zambia in the 2013-2014 field season were also students in the Comprehensive Student Leadership Program (CLP) at Gonzaga University. This CLP participation increased the ability of the team to present training to Zambian adults on stove and filter technology.

During the project activities, two types of rocket stoves were prototyped with an attached TEG cell and tested.  One series of stoves were constructed with 5-gallon buckets and the other using local clay bricks. Both types of stoves reduced particulate emissions, compared to the three rock fire and Zambian brazier fueled with charcoal. The TEG cell was tested as able to charge a cell phone battery.

The water filter development this year focused on using materials other than fired clay as a further means to improve manufacturability of filters. Clay-ceramic filters were not well received by users in Zambia in the 2013 field season.  Users felt no need to construct an inconvenient filter when they did not see the existing water with its invisible pathogens as a problem. In addition, even a modest cost for a filter was a barrier to adoption. The cost and desirability barriers were exemplified when the community had access to “Lifestraw” filters at no cost that had been donated. Those donated filter remained unused for over a year. The investigation of even cheaper, and easier to build filters, using concrete and bio-char was an effort to address the barriers to adoption. 

Filter results were mixed. Porous concrete and concrete combined with bio-char were both effective in removing pathogens and suspended solids. However, the pH level in the filtrate were high. Taste of the water was also impacted. The use of bio-char in combination with porous concrete reduced, but did not mitigate, the pH and taste issues. Results are summarized in Figures 1and 2.

Figure 1. Filter results.

Figure 2. Filter Flow Curves.

The team sent three students to Zambia to test the prototype cook stoves in Zambian applications and to continue to collect user input and costs.  This visit produced further information and contacts with Zambian stakeholders.  Figure 3 shows one of the stove burn tests in Zambia. The stoves shown were both constructed by Zambians after discussions with the team. Feedback from Zambians will continue to inform the project.  

Figure 3. Brick Rocket Stove in burn test with Zambian brazier. (Photo C. Ngan) 

Figure 4 shows a test burn in the Gonzaga laboratory beneath a fume hood. Time to boil and fuel consumption were measured,

Figure 4. Burn test of bucket-style prototype stove beneath fume hood. (Photo K. Neal)

Emissions were measure during a burn test that documented a reduction of particulates. The test stack is shown in Figure 5. The Zambian stakeholders encouraged the team to make a lighter, more mobile cook stove so that they were more similar to the braziers used locally for cooking. There was a high degree of itnerest in the use of the stove and TEG cell, but a semi-permanent installation of a stove-TEG in a kitchen wall was seen to be a disadvantage by women who wanted the ability to use the stove outdoors. Users also asked the team for feedback and general comments and suggested modifications to the second-generation prototype stove that will be incorporated into future prototypes.

The approach for water quality improvement for the ftuure will be based on the team experience in Zambia. 

Figure 5. Emission test of prototype bucket-type stove and Zambian Brazier. (Photo K.Neal)

Future Activities:

A multi-disciplinary team of students produced a second generation working prototypes for cook stoves that can charge small electrical devices. Stoves were tested in Zambezi, Zambia.  Prototype water filters using porous concrete are not suitable due to pH and resistance to cost. This year’s students in the capstone design course sequence achieved valuable educational benefits, performed training in Zambezi for water quality and indoor air quality and presented the project results at the annual Gonzaga Center for Engineering Design Project Exposition in May, 2014.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 3 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

Sustainable power, cook stove, thermal electric generation, water filter, entrepreneurial

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

2013 Progress Report

2015

Final Report

P3 Phase I:

Integrating Improved Sustainable Technologies into the Heart of the Home — The Kitchen  | Final Report