Project Lead(s): Miguel Hadzich Marín
Issue
Peruvian peasant communities in high-altitude, mountainous areas have little access to clean water.
In addition, unheated water is too cold for washing and this can result in poor hygiene, the proliferation of respiratory infections and diarrhea, especially in children.
Solution
The project sought to develop a suitable technology for rural water heating using natural convection and energy efficiency for use in the high-altitude provinces of La Convencion and Canas, in Peru.
Such an approach aimed to improve grooming habits, allow children to shower with hot water, boil water with less fuel and improve hand hygiene by using hot water to wash.
The approach uses an improved stove, connecting a stainless steel case on one side of the combustion chamber so that the excess heat from burning wood can heat water inside the box. This box is then connected to a thermal isolated tank through a piping system.
Through passive heat exchange, water is constantly circulating from the box to the heater and vice versa, and this approach can heat water to an average 50°C, depending on the area where it is deployed.
Water stays warm for several hours due to insulation.
To date, one prototype has been installed in one home.
To evaluate acceptability of the technology 23 families, representatives from three restaurants and one popular diner visited the site where the prototype was installed.
A qualitative survey was conducted to gauge their content with the system, as well as their willingness to pay to use it.
Detection of contaminated water in the area led the team to also conduct a mass education campaign on the need to use heated water for drinking.
Outcome
The team was successful in demonstrating the feasibility of developing an improved cook stove that can also generate heated water for a homestead.
Survey results showed all of those who viewed the prototype were content with the technology.
Technicians have been trained to build the system and a training video has also been developed.
A business plan to initiate a social enterprise to manufacture the system has been developed.
A paper describing the project has been sent for publication in the journal Cuadernos Urbanos and three more publications are under development.