Baobab Processing Machinery
Penn State students in the Engineering Leadership Development Minor have worked for several semesters on a baobab processing machine that can be implemented in Eastern Africa. The work on their project can be seen on their website. The purpose of a baobab processor is to separate the fruit and make a nutritious powder that can be added to water. Baobab is a plentiful fruit in eastern Africa. It looks similar to a coconut with a hard outer shell and seeds inside. It has a high concentration of Calcium, Protein, Vitamin C, and pectin. With an effective way to separate the seeds grind them to a soft powder, the people in Africa can have an easy way to receive nutrients from a locally-available product. The latest prototype processor was required to process about 400 kilograms of pulp in an eight-hour day, and package the powder into 5 and 10 kilogram bags. The students traveled to Africa to study the culture and test their prototype in May 2011.
Solar Panel Assembly
A solar panel being used in Africa.
The sun is one of the most important sources of renewable energy available today. Solar cell research and solar panel assembly are being conducted at Penn State. Students compete in a Solar Decathlon sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, where their knowledge of solar energy is tested. These students are from many backgrounds both inside and outside of the College of Engineering. The Architectural Engineering Department received a $122 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for research in energy innovation. Additionally, Penn State has a Center for Sustainability that researches topics such as photovoltaics, hybrid renewable energy systems, and solar centers.
The main focus of Penn State’s Center for Sustainability is to advance the ethics and science of sustainability. There are constantly new projects available that focus on sustainability and outreach initiatives. One such project is a solar panel assembly to stress the importance of renewable energy. Mr. Matt Fedorko is the Solar Education Program Coordinator. Penn State also has a minor in Sustainability Leadership, which can be focused on solar panel assembly.
The main focus of Penn State’s Center for Sustainability is to advance the ethics and science of sustainability. There are constantly new projects available that focus on sustainability and outreach initiatives. One such project is a solar panel assembly to stress the importance of renewable energy. Mr. Matt Fedorko is the Solar Education Program Coordinator. Penn State also has a minor in Sustainability Leadership, which can be focused on solar panel assembly.
Biodiesel Processor
The Penn State Department of Chemical Engineering currently does research on biodiesel processing, and various techniques used to make biodiesel. The research group creates biodiesel by using a separator tank and funnel to cause a reaction between chemicals. Biodiesel is efficient and easy to make, although it takes a significant amount of time for a proper reaction to occur. Biodiesel is a great option if fuel is needed for any machinery needed in Africa, because biodiesel can be made, instead of purchased, and is also environmentally sustainable and economical. Only simple machinery is needed to make a biodiesel processor, and all this machinery will be available at African Innovation’s hub of activity in Djibouti.
Food Processing: The Injera Project
Injera is one of the most common sources of food in Eastern Africa, especially in Ethiopia. It is a type of flatbread that is traditionally used in every meal. Penn State students are currently developing a manufacturing site in Ethiopia to create Injera in a safe and timely manner. Currently, when the people in Africa make this bread, they oftentimes inhale toxic fumes from the cooking equipment that is used. Indoor air pollution in homes affects the lives of the whole family. Additionally, deforestation is becoming a huge problem, because the African people are cutting down forests to get wood to make this bread. This is drastically changing the climate and resources in the area.
Through Penn State’s efforts in the College of Engineering and the Smeal College of Business, students have developed the machinery to mass-produce Injera in Ethiopia. The design of the machines and the implementation in Ethiopia have been taken into consideration. Sketches and small models have been completed using the resources in the Learning Factory. This is a project that can be easily implemented in African Innovation’s hub of activity, and applied to other areas in the Horn of Africa.
Through Penn State’s efforts in the College of Engineering and the Smeal College of Business, students have developed the machinery to mass-produce Injera in Ethiopia. The design of the machines and the implementation in Ethiopia have been taken into consideration. Sketches and small models have been completed using the resources in the Learning Factory. This is a project that can be easily implemented in African Innovation’s hub of activity, and applied to other areas in the Horn of Africa.
Three-wheelers
In Eastern Africa, it is common for children to spend several hours a day traveling by foot to gather wood for cooking, building and other purposes. These children that gather the wood have to miss school so that their family can eat that night. They have to carry heavy loads on their back, sometimes through rigorous terrain. Currently, there are vehicles called “three-wheelers” that are used in India that could solve these issues. The three-wheeler technology could be easily redesigned and developed by Penn State engineering students and built in the hub of activity in Djibouti. The three-wheelers could be redesigned to be affordable and made out of local materials in Eastern Africa, to make them economically and environmentally sustainable.