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Tanzania Environmental Health

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Entrepreneurship with insulating ceramic rocket stoves can be initiated with little capital.

                                                      Background

      Production of responsible cook stoves and granulated ceramic water filters will come naturally to rural clay workers. In the developing world the most apparent problems of environmental health involve safe drinking water and clean air, around cook stoves.

       At left, ladies of Gbotoye, Guinea, load their kiln with energy

       efficient cook stoves.

      Of those who are vulnerable, thousands die every day, as a result of pathogen contaminated water and respiratory illnesses.  Tanzania Environmental Health is dedicated to providing simple solutions to these dire health problems, starting with the training of rural clay workers, in production of environmentally optimized cook stoves, and granulated ceramic water filters

For further background click:        http://tzenvirohealth.wixsite.com/tzenvirohealth   

      Traditions of work with clay are widespread in the developing world, in production of such products as water storage containers, cook pots and construction brick.

      For the two products of ceramics in environmental health, as produced by rural clay workers, first training is with insulating ceramic rocket stoves. Uniquely, the stove which is shown here is sustainable, in being low cost as such, and with production made simple.  The necessary clay, and other resources, are readily available.

     The insulating ceramic rocket stove, shown at right, burns        sticks of wood, or bio-mass, while giving no smoke all.

      Note that while many who are environmentally aware regard the burning of wood fuel as irresponsible, in fact, this is not the case.  Rather, burning wood in a responsible way, prevents the need for charcoal, while its production requires ten times its weight in wood.  The status quo of irresponsible cook stoves is causing an environmental catastrophe while vast areas of land have been deforested by the production of charcoal.

Kibondo, TZ, Gets Insulating Rocket Stoves

December 2016 Training, First Application

 

      As a result of our December 2016 training, insulating ceramic rocket stoves are being fabricated for the kitchen of the Kibondo District Hospital. In fact such institution sized stoves are necessary, all over the west of Tanzania.

      New to this kitchen, it's anticipated that the stove will prevent the worsening of respiratory problems, among the three ladies who prepare meals for those at the hospital.  Note that while these large sized stoves are hand built from scratch by local experts, those of the next phase of the project will  be fabricated using mold-made bricks. Thus, given the special bricks produced by the clay workers, the fabrication of the stove will be simple.

The stove at left is shown under construction, built by the experts, Christopher, Happiness and Samuel.

Mold made bricks will allow cook pots of various sizes

 

While the rocket stove design is arguably the most environmentally responsible alternative, this has one disadvantage. Because the cook pot fits down inside, any given stove can only accommodate one diameter of pot. As it haopens, by using the working molds produced from the four master molds shown below the curved bricks can be produced for the stoves with cook pots of any diameter, between 24 and 48 cms.

Shown above are various molds, as necessary for the special bricks of the stoves.

 

At the left, a rubber-faced master mold is shown, necessary in forming working molds, as that above it.

At center, next, concentric master molds will be used in forming the bricks, for stoves of various sizes.

At the right, with a master mold turned upside down, this is ready for gypsum plaster, poured over it.    Thus the working mold will be made.

Why the rocket stove?
      Because the cook pot fits down inside, and the combustion chamber is optimally shaped, the rocket stove is arguably the most environmentally responsible alternative of all. For our project, the stove has been adapted to sustainability: low cost and reproduceable on a widespread basis.
      Uniquely, the stove allows for the burning of wood or bio-mass, thus eliminating the need for production of charcoal. Because of this, not only are respiratory illnesses halted, but so is the de-forestation implicit to the production of charcoal. Such production requires ten times its weight in wood.

For further background on the stoves, click, http://tzenvirohealth.wixsite.com/tzenvirohealth

About water filter systems of media of granulated ceramics, containing a small amount of bonded silver, click:  http://rharvey211.wixsite.com/tamceramics

Please contact us!

You can address your message to either Bartholomew Segu, Director of the Kibondo project, or Reid Harvey, ceramic designer.

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