June 30, 2010
Currently there are three designs of the solar autoclave that are being pursued in Nicaragua and a growing number that are being pursued at MIT.
The first design is the original design using two cafeteria food trays clamped together to create a pressure vessel. The problem with this design was keeping the gasket from blowing out and releasing whatever pressure had built up. The team in Nicaragua has taken measures to modify the edge of the two trays to prevent the gasket from blowing out during pressurization. More testing is taking place to determine if this modification helps to solve the gasket problem.
The second design being tested is the University of Dayton (UD) design which involved a steel tube with a sealed end and a steel cap on the other end held on by two rods and bolts. This design allows for two to three autoclaves to fit inside one solar oven.
The third design involves a purchased pressure cooker that is placed inside a solar oven. Because of the size of the pressure cooker a new solar oven is being constructed.
The team at MIT is working on continuing to develop both the cafeteria food tray design and the UD autoclave. Their work will help Salud del Sol to determine which design will be the best option to implement in rural clinics throughout Nicaragua.
Comments
One Response to “Solar Autoclave Research Updates”
Got something to say?
Subscribe to Salud del Sol- MIT Global Challenge Award Winners May 4, 2011 Bill
- MIT Global Challenge Awards Replay May 3, 2011 Bill
- 2011 IDEAS Competition & MIT Global Challenge Awards Celebration April 29, 2011 Bill
Just wondering if you’ve been in touch with the Gaviotas community in Colombia? If not, there’s a book called “Gaviotas: A village to Re-invent the World”
http://www.amazon.com/Gaviotas-Village-Reinvent-World–10th-Anniversary/dp/1603580565/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286485581&sr=8-1
They did a lot of work on appropriate technology, including a solar autoclave if I’m not mistaken …. or maybe it was using methane from cow manure to fuel the kitchen and autoclave? Anyway, an inspiring book.