Evaporative Cooler - Storage of Fish_Team 2020-34

Prototype of an off-grid appliance

Hosted by Team 2020-34

This project is now archived and was part of DDW21

This project is part of
Efficiency for Access Design Challenge prototypes

Prototype of an Evaporative Cooler for Storage

Team 2020-34

We have developed a prototype of an Evaporative Cooler for Storage of Fresh Fish as part of the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge 2020 – 2021, a global, multi-disciplinary competition that empowers teams of university students to help accelerate clean energy access.

Summary of our design

Selling fish is an important source of income for many people in the Nyanza region of Kenya, but many of them lack refrigerators in which to store their catch. In response, we designed a direct evaporative cooler, which can help fishermen to store their produce before it is transported to markets or conveyed to industrial fish processors. The evaporative cooler provides low temperature storage and can help extend the shelf life of fresh fish. This is a more affordable option for most fishermen and traders compared to ice coolers and refrigerators. Key design highlights are as follows: - The cooler has a storage volume of 50kg, which provides enough space to store two days’ worth of fish. - Temperature target of less than 15°C - Frame material: Aluminium, mild steel, wood - Pad material: Manufactured cellulosic pad material, saw dust, foam mattress material, cotton waste - Tank material: aluminium, mild steel and plastic. The evaporative cooler is energy efficient and has a limited environmental impact.

Our experience designing and building the prototype

The prototyping experience was a huge learning opportunity for the group. A key part of the experience was learning that creating a technological solution is a complex endeavour that requires considering many factors in both the design and construction. Luckily, the webinars organised by the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge provided us with some of the knowledge and tools that helped us consider factors such as the reparability and durability of our device versus the use of locally available materials. Other webinars ensured that we thought carefully and placed users at the centre of our design. Throughout this process, we learnt a lot about our solution and how it works in the field.

Our design works to address the following SDGs

SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): Our evaporative cooler seeks to provide affordable technology and an energy efficient appliance. SDG 1 (No Poverty): Work towards SDG 7 can help promote economic empowerment by providing productive activities and economic incentives to the local fishermen. SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Our project is a technology designed with inclusive participation in mind.