ewb challenge 2015 report summaries

EWB Challenge 2015

Report Summaries

Nepal Water for Health (NEWAH)

[EWB CHALLENGE 2015: REPORT SUMMARIES]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS DESIGN AREA 1: HOUSING AND CONSTRUCTION ............................................................................... 1

Household ventilation system ............................................................................................................ 1

Coventry University, Team 4: Clay and bamboo chimney or cooker hood system ........................ 1

De Montfort University, Team 1: Two door latch window system ................................................ 2

De Montfort University, Team 3: Insect-‐proof recycled windows ................................................. 3

Weather-‐proofing homes ................................................................................................................... 4

Durham University, Team 2: Sustainable housing solutions .......................................................... 4

Portsmouth University, Team 1: Eco-‐friendly housing system ....................................................... 5

Coventry University, Team 5: Affordable improved housing ......................................................... 6

University of Manchester, Team 1: Improved bamboo housing design ........................................ 7

University of Portsmouth, Team 2: Improved housing with compressed earth blocks ................. 8

University of Portsmouth, Team 3: Improved housing with earthbags and clay ........................... 9

University of Portsmouth, Team 4: Composite stone, mud and straw housing ........................... 10

University of Portsmouth, Team 5: Dhajji dewari modular housing system ................................ 11

Lighting for households .................................................................................................................... 12

London South Bank University, Team 2: Plastic bottle natural lighting system ........................... 12

Birmingham University, Team 2: Lighting powered by bio-‐gas .................................................... 13

Imperial College London, Team 1: Solar water bottle bulb .......................................................... 14

Nottingham Trent University, Team 3: ‘Bright Idea’ solar lighting system .................................. 15

DESIGN AREA 2: WASH .................................................................................................................... 16

Appropriate toilet design ................................................................................................................. 16

Glasgow University, Team 4: Dry toilet design ............................................................................. 16

Nottingham Trent, Team 1: Self-‐constructed improved sanitation system ................................. 17

Sheffield Hallam University, Team 1: ‘WeeCycle’ toilet system ................................................... 18

Sheffield Hallam University, Team 3: Community all-‐in-‐one rainwater toilet system ................. 19

Rainwater harvesting systems .......................................................................................................... 20

Manchester University, Team 3: Rooftop rainwater harvesting system ...................................... 20

Birmingham City University, Team 1: Rainwater harvesting system ............................................ 21


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Sheffield University, Team 1: Optimised automatic first flush system ........................................ 23

Sheffield Hallam, Team 4: “Flow Reyt” improved first flush design ............................................. 24

University of Strathclyde, Team 5: Automatic first flush system ................................................. 25

Birmingham City University, Team 2: Wooden automated first flush system ............................. 26

De Montfort University, Team 2: Water drum first flush system ................................................. 27

University of Sheffield Hallam, Team 5: Double downpipe automatic first flush ........................ 28

University of Strathclyde, Team 2: Downpipe automatic first flush ............................................. 29

Coventry University, Team 3: Fog catcher and rainwater harvesting with first flush .................. 30

University of Strathclyde, Team 4: Terracing system for rainwater harvesting ........................... 31

Coventry University, Team 2: Water harvesting trenches and charcoal filter ............................. 32

University of Strathclyde, Team 3: Water soakaway and solar disinfection ................................ 33

Water purification ............................................................................................................................ 34

University of Liverpool, Team 2: Vortex and sediment water filtration system ........................... 34

London South Bank University, Team 5: Filtration and purification of harvested water ............. 35

Imperial College London, Team 2: Enzyme Coated Polyamide Water Filter ................................ 36

Liverpool University, Team 1: Water filter pump system ............................................................. 37

University of Glasgow, Team 5: Clay water filter design .............................................................. 38

Glasgow University, Team 1: Slow sand and charcoal water filter ............................................... 39

Nottingham Trent University, Team 2: FDSB water purifier ........................................................ 40

Birmingham University, Team 5: Solar disinfection system ......................................................... 41

University College Dublin, Team 2: Water purification by evaporation and condensation ......... 42

Women’s health and sanitation ....................................................................................................... 43

Birmingham University, Team 1: Menstrual hygiene education and improvement .................... 43

Multiple Use System (MUS) ............................................................................................................. 44

Glasgow University, Team 3: Ferro-‐cement tank multiple use water system .............................. 44

DESIGN AREA 3: ENERGY ................................................................................................................... 45

Alternative energy supply ................................................................................................................ 45

Heriot Watt University, Team 1: Micro hydroelectric system ...................................................... 45

Cardiff University, Team 2: Community solar energy system ...................................................... 47

Edinburgh University, Team 1: Micro-‐hydro system .................................................................... 48

Imperial College London, Team 4: Central biogas reactor ........................................................... 49


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Nottingham Trent University, Team 4: Bamboo and banana leaf wind turbine .......................... 50

Cooking technologies ....................................................................................................................... 51

Brighton University, Team 1: Biogas cooking system ................................................................... 51

Coventry University, Team 1: Improved biodigester .................................................................... 52

London Southbank University, Team 3: Rocket stove, improved cooking stove ......................... 53

London South Bank University, Team 1: Rocket stove and smoke hood ..................................... 54

Imperial College London, Team 3: ‘Yak Pot’ low smoke cooker ................................................... 55

Energy supply for water pumping .................................................................................................... 56

Durham University, Team 1: Floating water wheel for water pumping ....................................... 56

Water mill ......................................................................................................................................... 57

University of Manchester, Team 2: Integrated water mill and grinding wheel ............................ 57

Edinburgh University, Team 4: Water Mill Design ....................................................................... 58

DESIGN AREA 4: WASTE MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................... 59

Sludge management ........................................................................................................................ 59

London South Bank University, Team 4: Multi-‐purpose S-‐Bricks ................................................. 59

Waste as energy ............................................................................................................................... 60

University of Strathclyde, Team 1: Plastic bottle greenhouse ..................................................... 60

DESIGN AREA 5: TRANSPORT ............................................................................................................. 61

Vertical goods transportation systems ............................................................................................. 61

University of East Anglia, Team 2: Mule-‐powered wooden rail system ....................................... 61

Cardiff University, Team 1: Motorised ropeway pulley system ................................................... 62

Birmingham University, Team 3: Oxen powered vertical transport system ................................ 63

Edinburgh University, Team 2: Bicycle powered vertical transport system ................................. 64

Edinburgh University, Team 3: Block and tackle goods transportation system ........................... 65

Sheffield Hallam University, Team 2: ‘Paddy Pulley’ transportation system ............................... 66

University of East Anglia, Team 1: Power-‐assisted gravity ropeway ............................................ 67

Road maintenance and management .............................................................................................. 68

Birmingham University, Team 4: Combined road drainage system ............................................. 68


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DESIGN AREA 6: INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY ................................................ 69

Automated data recording system ................................................................................................... 69

Imperial College London, Team 5: Automated data recording system ........................................ 69

DESIGN AREA 7: CLIMATE CHANGE ................................................................................................... 70

Food security .................................................................................................................................... 70

University College Dublin, Team 1: ‘EnvelHope’ food dehydration system ................................. 70

Fly and mosquito management ........................................................................................................ 71

University of Sheffield, Team 2: Mosquito surveillance system ................................................... 71


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DESIGN AREA 1: HOUSING AND CONSTRUCTION

Household ventilation system

Coventry University, Team 4: Clay and bamboo chimney or cooker hood system

Proposal:

A simple ventilation chimney to greatly improve the well-‐being and living conditions of the local population

Design:

Two different variations of ventilation chimneys are used for different types of houses. The first one is based on a typical fireplace comprising clay and bamboo, but with a place just above the fire where food can be cooked. This design would only be used when the house’s walls are made from materials that are relatively easy to penetrate. This is because a large hole is made in order for the bottom half of the chimney to be inside the room. The second design comprises a clay hood that sits directly above the area where the residents normally cook. This is connected to an exterior chimney, held to the outside wall by steel braces and a wooden support. If the residents already have a place where they are cooking and need help getting rid of the smoke they could use this chimney. There would be a galvanised steel pipe going from the cooker to the chimney. This means that only a small hole will need to be cut from the wall as the pipe will be relatively small in diameter. The top part of the chimney is painted black to significantly improve air flow through the system.

Design one Design two

Cost:

Simple construction method using local materials to keep costs low. No specific cost information provided

Environmental and social impacts: • Communities can build and maintain systems themselves after training. • Construction based on traditional methods. • Uses locally available, low-‐cost and environmentally friendly materials, such as clay and

bamboo. • Potential for local business development of clay brick production for chimney construction

and repairs. • Reduction of smoke in the household and improvement of health


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De Montfort University, Team 1: Two door latch window system

Proposal:

A household system that provides ventilation (and prevents smoke build-‐up from cooking) and natural lighting during the day, without compromising the weatherproof nature of the home.

Design:

This solution involves a window that has two swinging doors that could be locked together or latched open. After installing the window the roll down insulating curtain can be installed on the inside of the window. The roll itself is woven from wool to a size that equals the window size, with a length of material woven in to the top left and right. When rolled up, material ties can be used to secure the roll to the rope. This curtain will be waterproof/absorbing and de-‐absorbing fabric that could be rolled over the closed window to insulate from the cold weather, as is sometimes used in tents and yurts. There would also be a mesh across the inside of the window that would act as a mosquito net. If three of these windows were installed and opened in a room the natural air flow would clear smoke from the fireplaces. If the windows were closed and the roll was let down then the room would be kept warm and dry.

Cost: Material Base Cost (cost per house/area)

Wood (doors, window frame) £10 per house Or sourced locally (black palm trees or similar)

Wool (roll down curtain) £6.15/sq. m 100mm thick to cover five windows or £3.70 per house, or sourced locally (blue sheep)

Tools ~£0, assuming all tools are available in the town Construction Materials (screws, wood treatment etc)

<£5 per house

Mesh ~£6 per house Estimated cost per house (3 windows) £24.70 or 3,642.71 NRPs

Environmental and social impacts: • Mostly constructed from locally available and sustainable materials. • Can be constructed and installed at a low capital cost • Requires regular operation, but is easy to operate by any resident in the households,

including children and the elderly. • Good natural lighting and ventilation while cooking, but also waterproof and insulates

from cold at night. • Improved health of household members (less respiratory problems and mosquito

transmitted diseases).


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De Montfort University, Team 3: Insect-‐proof recycled windows

Proposal: An insect proof window that protects household members against insects and the hard weather using recycled plastic sheets with tiny perforations. A hand-‐powered fan improves airflow through the windows.

Design: The design requires cutting rectangular sheets out of larger (2 litre minimum) plastic bottles, the rectangular sheets are flattened and micro holes are punched in them in a basic geometric pattern. To allow these sheets to fit in the size of the windows, the sheets can be bound at the edges by fibre string known as ‘Sisal’, nylon based fishing wire or hot melt pine resin. The holes that would be put into the plastic sheets would be at a maximum of 2mm diameter. As an example, on a sheet that is 161 x 87mm (approx. ) in the pattern arranged with 1mm holes that are 3mm apart in each double column and then each double column is spaced 6mm apart that means there are 850 holes on a single sheet. The ventilation sheet with perforations would be permanently fixed to the outside of the house, most likely by bolting the sheet to the wall, and then on the inside a removable solid sheet of plastic would be in place in parallel with the gap where the window would sit to provide insulation in colder weather. Simple ‘U’ brackets are installed to the inside walls of the house, one on each side of the window to hold the second solid plastic sheets in place when needed.

Another addition that can be added to the design to aid ventilation capabilities in the household is by adding a crank/ belt driven fan. This fan would be simple to make out of mainly out of wood with exception to the belt pulleys which will have to most likely be made from either aluminium or steel, and the belt itself which would have to be made from vulcanised rubber much like a car transmission belt.

Cost: As it stands costs for this project are not necessarily predictable as it is a slightly irregular approach, the only cost that could logically be estimated would be prices for whole large sheets of PET material, which for a 2mm thick, 1m by 1m sheet is roughly £80 GBP.

Environmental and social impacts: • Simple, affordable designing using locally available materials, many of which are waste

products. • Reduction of waste materials in community, which may improve health. • Can be constructed and maintained by community. • Increase in health as removes smoke from house during cooking with assistance of a fan. • Limited amount of ventilation without use of fan to drive air flow.


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Chimney design for ventilation

Weather-‐proofing homes

Durham University, Team 2: Sustainable housing solutions

Proposal:

A sustainable housing solution for the rural village communities of Nepal

Design:

The design solution comprises four components:

Weather-‐proofing: A removable, roll-‐up, composite wall consisting of bamboo and wool is suggested. Bamboo needed is 1 year old, 16mm diameter, 2.1m tall. 50mm of wool in a fabric case will be sewn into the back of the bamboo and 60mm diameter bamboo supports will be attached at either end and will slot into pre-‐placed wooden wall brackets. The bamboo will be tied together with long strands of string allowing it to be rolled up and stored when necessary.

Ventilation: An optimised wall chimney constructed from fired clay bricks and lined with slate would generate sufficient oxygen flow for fires to burn efficiently, without allowing the fire’s heat to leave the room via the chimney. It would also ensure that no smoke or other harmful gases created by the fire would enter the room containing the fireplace.

Lighting: Plastic bottles in the roof were chosen for a daytime solution, while LEDs were selected for night-‐time. The bottles refract the sun light into the room in all directions, giving an even distribution of useable light around the bottle. One bottle can provide approximately as much light as a standard 55 Watt bulb.

Windows: Shutters are already used in some houses in Sandikhola so it is recommended that houses not currently using shutters look into the possibility of implementing them.

Cost: Item Cost in NR Cost in GBP

Lighting 809 NR £5.40 Ventilation 24,445 NR £163.00 Weather-‐proofing 32,875 NR £219.17 Windows Not specified Not specified

Total 78,129 NR £387.57

Social and environmental impacts:

• Uses low-‐cost locally available and recycled materials • Easy construction that is similar to traditional methods and can be done by the local

community themselves • Improved living standard of community • Proposed designs have the same lifespan as a typical house


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Portsmouth University, Team 1: Eco-‐friendly housing system

Proposal:

Construction of a cheap, sustainable, eco-‐friendly housing system to suit the needs of those living in Sandikhola.

Design:

The design utilises cheap and sustainable rammed-‐ earth walls on the ground floor and light timber cladding on the first floor. Due to the building’s substantial ground floor and light first floor it is predicted that it would perform well under seismic conditions. The timber framework provides a skeleton on which the simple construction is based. The large surface area of the roof lends itself well to rainwater harvesting. The rainwater harvesting system is designed to source the purest possible water, due to the implemented first flush system. The overhang of the roof protects and preserves the earth rammed walls and provides a suitable area to store the rainwater harvesting system. The innovative passive ventilation system ensures sufficient ventilation throughout the house regardless of the weather. The refractive bottle and shutter system allows light into the building even when the shutters are closed due to poor weather. Plastic or glass windows can be retrofitted, dependant on the occupant’s preferences and budget.

Cost:

Environmental and social impacts:

• Bringing a “standardised” design into a community with large variation in incomes may cause an unwanted design

• Simple design that can be constructed easily by community members (if affordable). • Replanting of trees necessary to prevent deforestation due to heavy reliance on timber.

Item: Cost (NPR) Cost (£)Ground Levelling & Retaining Wall 58,834.34 £392.23Foundations 52,530.00 £350.20Timber Framework and Cladding 40,865.57 £272.44Earth Compacted Walls + Rendering 39,280.00 £261.86Roof System 75,772.80 £505.15Rainwater Harvesting System 6,130.00 £40.87Chimney 20,080.00 £133.87Expendable Tools 7,722.77 £51.49Apportioned Tools 9,937.34 £66.25Transport Costs 29,000.00 £193.33

Total = 340,152.81 £2,267.68


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Coventry University, Team 5: Affordable improved housing

Proposal: Increase living standards of the community with an affordable improved housing design.

Design: The house will be elevated using four columns made of concrete and local stones to avoid flooding and keep the house safe. The house will have just one level because of the earthquakes that usually happen in the village. The house is made using local materials. The base of the floor will be made by timber covered with slurry made from cow dung. The walls will be made by using concrete and local stones, with windows to provide a good ventilation system. Windows will be in the kitchen and in each room to recycle the air also provide lighting during the day. The windows will be made of timber and glass. The ceiling of the house will be made of bamboo tied to one to another with rope. The roof will be also made of bamboo tied to one to another, but then covered by leaves. The bathroom will be placed outside the house and water for washing harvested from the roof. Water will be collected from the rain using a plastic guttering leading the water to a storage tank. This water can be used for domestic uses, helping the population to have more water for use.

Cost:


• Design uses locally available, durable and low-‐cost materials. • Houses can be constructed by communities as design is simple. • Construction ensures house less likely to be affected by floods and earthquakes. • Rainwater harvesting provides additional clean water at household level. • Windows provide light and ventilation, reducing smoke inside the house. • Increased well-‐being due to improved housing.


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University of Manchester, Team 1: Improved bamboo housing design

Proposal:

Improved housing that is strong and made from cheap renewable materials that can be sourced locally.

Design:

The improved housing design consists of foundations, roof, walls, ventilation chimney and heater. Each house will have its own foundations offset 0.5m from edge going all the way around the house. Workers will have to line the edge of the trench with wood, bamboo or bricks and then fill the area with limestone mortar. Setting up a framework of bamboo is the first step in construction of the walls and roof. This Bamboo Grid is then erected onto the foundation using a bamboo column. Straw bales are then assembled around the bamboo grid. This is then held in place by a bamboo mashing and is then plastered using the lime mortar. In order to prevent any accumulation of precipitation, the roof design has a slope. All bamboo is treated against insects before being used. There is a ventilation chimney positioned in the centre of the house. The chimney is made from (mainly) clay bricks that are fired in a homemade kiln. A mixture of clay, mud and cow dung is used to hold the bricks together. A masonry heater protrudes 1m into the house and is connected to the central chimney. The clay bricks used in the masonry heater absorbs a lot of heat and releases this heat back into the house over the next 6-‐12 hours.

Overall design Ventilation chimney and heater

Cost:

Nails: £1.28 Bamboo: £9.57

Coconut fibre: £1.91 Cost of transport can be ignored.


• Uses low-‐cost sustainable locally available materials. • Reduction of smoke in the household • Resilient to extreme weather conditions.


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University of Portsmouth, Team 2: Improved housing with compressed earth blocks

Proposal:

An effective and sustainable “standardised” housing system with improved ventilation, weatherproofing and lighting.

Design:

The design used is similar to traditional houses in the region, with incorporation of several improvements. A gravel trench foundation, as this system is suitable for the hilly terrain as a stepped strip foundation can be utilised. The walls comprise compressed stabilised earth blocks (CSEB), which consist of clay, sand and around 8% cement with a small amount of water, mechanically compressed in a block press. These blocks can be dry stacked with a small amount of grout cast into the holes and also have provisions for reinforcement. The structural skeleton of the house, including the roof, is made from timber. Corrugated bitumen sheets are placed on top of the roof structure. A cavity wall of two skins of CSEB’s as well as a roof overhang ensures weatherproofing. Natural lighting within the house will be provided primarily through acrylic window blocks on both the first and second floor and secondly by the PVC sheet skylights. An improved cooking system will push hot air up and out of a chimney made from CSEBs. A simple guttering system collects rainwater which will be stored in a plastic lined tank. A composting ‘Ecosan’ toilet will also be provided with each house. Finally, a retaining wall comprising stone filled gabions will be constructed on steep terrain to reduce the risk of damage to homes via landslides.

Cost: Item Cost (GBP)

Housing structure (timber, stone, cement, windows etc) 2,566 Cooking system 50 Toilet 80 Water harvesting system 250 Retaining wall 100

Total cost: 3,046 GBP


• Design reflects traditional housing construction methods used in the region. • Uses primarily low-‐cost and locally-‐sourced materials. • Improved health due to weatherproofing and ventilation in house. • Reduction in money spent on lighting with increased natural lighting. • Increase in availability of clean water at household level. • Reduction in risk of structural damage and human injury landslides.


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University of Portsmouth, Team 3: Improved housing with earthbags and clay

Proposal:

A housing system that offers a long term solution to the current housing deterioration problem in the community.

Design:

The design comprises nine key components: terracing, foundations, structure, roofing, ventilation, electricity and lighting, sanitation and water harvesting. Terracing with gabion reinforcement will reduce the risk of landslides and soil removed can be used in the earth bags for construction. For the foundations, a trench will be dug and part-‐filled with gravel, with three earthbags to bring the foundation up to ground level. The main structure of the house is two stories high and comprises earthbags with a clay render cladding and timber used for structural elements and flooring. The room partitions throughout the building are going to be made out of bamboo. The single-‐pitched roof comprises a sheet of corrugated galvanised iron with an overhang to protect against water ingress. The use of shutters will help provide light and ventilation during the daytime in particular. Electricity will be supplied by the national grid, with LED lightbulbs used as a source of light in the households. A VIP latrine will provide sanitation for the household, inside the new house structure. The rainwater harvesting system will collect water from the roof and gabions, to be stored in a ferro-‐cement water tank with first flush filtration system.

Cost: Item Cost (NPRs)

Materials 352,181.99 Tools 56,395.85 Labour 75,400.00 Transport 63,000.00

Total cost: 546,977.84 NPRs


• Design includes aspects of traditional housing in the region. • Uses primarily low-‐cost and locally-‐sourced materials. • Improved health due to increased ventilation in house. • Increase in availability of clean water at household level. • Reduction in risk of structural damage and human injury landslides.


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University of Portsmouth, Team 4: Composite stone, mud and straw housing

Proposal:

An adaptable housing system that can be built anywhere in the Gorkha region, is sensitive to the environmental, social and economic situation, and thus increases the wellbeing of the occupants.

Design:

The design utilizes a strip foundation and low level stone wall built from a composite of stone, mortar that resists ingress of water and moisture with an added steel reinforcement. The next layer above the stone consists of compacted mud with available fibrous material mixed in that is applied up until the first floor. The final remaining wall above the compacted mud is straw bale with an uppermost ring beam on top to support the rafters. The stone, mud and straw wall materials are separated by wooden ring beams. The ring beams are all interlinked with a tensioned twisted wire running horizontally and vertically that are clasped through the ring beams that continue from the rebar at the base to the final ring beam supporting the roof. The roof is a simple low mono pitched design that has a large overhang. All internal, external surfaces and woven bamboo dividing walls are plastered with non-‐erodible mud slurry. Incorporated into the design as standard are: rainwater harvesting system, a twin pit Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) toilet, a flued hearth and Cholo stove. There are also windows with shutters, a number of wall mounted light tubes to provide natural light and a solar lighting system for the night time.

Cost: Item Cost (GBP)

Stage 1 2,850 Stage 2 3,980 Stage 3 4,750

Total cost: 11,580 GBP


• Designed to withstand weather conditions and natural hazards, particularly earthquakes. • Primary materials are cheap, sustainable and available locally. • Simple design can be easily modified by inhabitants to meet specific needs. • Improved health due to ventilation, heating, lighting and clean water. • Design reflects the lifestyle and traditions of the community. • Potential for local employment in construction of houses.


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University of Portsmouth, Team 5: Dhajji dewari modular housing system

Proposal:

A standardised modular, scalable structural system that is flexible and can meet the needs of individual families in the community.

Design:

The house structure itself uses a “Dhajji dewari” system, which consists of a stone masonry foundation, supporting a timber frame constructed using nails and simple joinery. Gaps in the timber frame are filled with roughhewn stone in mud mortar to produce walls. The walls are finished with a mud render, applied over chicken wire; the levelled surface may then be whitewashed with lime. For heating, a clay brick hearth is constructed spanning a wall between the kitchen and living space, thereby allowing for fires to heat both rooms. This hearth also conducts smoke produced during cooking into a pig iron flue, which extends out through the roof. Natural lighting is provided, without compromising warmth, through the use of clear PVC panels in the roof and walls. An off-‐the-‐shelf solar system provides a source of cheap electricity for lighting and phone charging, independent of the national grid. For sanitation, there is a ‘fossa alterna’ composting latrine with two pits, which also provides a source of fertiliser. Finally, a rainwater harvesting system collects water from the roof using guttering, which then flows through an automatic floating ball flush system and is stored in a ferro-‐cement tank.

Cost: Item Cost (USD)

Local materials 733.50 Kathmandu materials 2,545.50 Labour 1,200.00 Transport 1,550.00

Total cost: 6,029.00 USD


• Designed to withstand weather conditions and natural hazards, particularly earthquakes. • Primary materials are cheap, sustainable and available locally. • Simple design can be constructed, maintained and modified by community. • Improved well-‐being due to increased light and heat, reduction in smoke pollution and

provision of clean water. • Makes productive use of waste materials via composting toilets (fertiliser).


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Lighting for households

London South Bank University, Team 2: Plastic bottle natural lighting system

Proposal:

A modular roof fitting that used recycled plastic bottles to deliver either a natural lighting or ventilation solution as required.

Design:

The modular design requires re-‐used plastic bottles, a sheet of galvanised iron steel and minimal tools to create a lighting and ventilation solution. The lighting solution consists of a waste plastic bottle filled with water and a small amount of bleach, mounted in to a sheet of steel which could then be installed into the roof structure. It would enable sunlight to be refracted throughout the room. The ventilation system consists of a waste plastic bottle, mosquito netting and the steel sheet. With a few cuts and a few simple steps the bottle provides a path for hot air and smoke to escape out of the dwelling whilst remaining weather proof and keeping unwanted insects or debris out of the living space.

Cost:

Total cost: 18, 623.08 NPRs


• Uses sustainable locally sourced low-‐cost materials, including waste products. • Simple design can be constructed, installed and maintained by community. • Improved well-‐being and reduced electricity costs due to increased natural lighting. • Potential for local employment via production of the lighting/ventilation system. • Improved health due to reduced smoke pollution in households (if also used for ventilation). • Only provides additional light in the daytime.


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Birmingham University, Team 2: Lighting powered by bio-‐gas

Proposal:

Alternative lighting for both day and night in Sandikhola, providing self-‐sufficient light so that local people will not rely on expensive mains electricity.

Design:

Light in the daytime is provided via windows that will be installed in the roof of houses. Light at night is fuelled by a small-‐scale biogas plant. The daylight solution consists of plastic window panels sealed within the roof of houses. The windows comprise plastic bottles, adjusted by hand to one square metre sheets. To ensure privacy there are several options depending on the roof design, a window covering can easily be made to allow cloth to be hung as a curtain. The plastic windows have a curved surface allowing the rain water to run off and light to spread. An outwardly curved surface will allow light to come in at different angles as used within flat roof skylights. Lights at night are powered by a small-‐scale biogas plant built immediately next to the houses. Each plant accommodates up to 3 houses and is made of a large underground container, lined with bricks to hold the decomposing matter. Residents feed in agricultural

waste to the plant as well as organic household waste. The methane gas that is created is used as fuel for gas lamps. Gas will be fed through plastic pipes into houses, which will allow for hanging lights.

Cost: Item Cost (NRP)

Windows Negligible Digester 111,455.00 Labour 600.00 Plant 18837.47 Equipment 2353.68

Total for the system (NPR) 133,246.15 Total for the system (GBP) 880.66


• Windows are low-‐cost design and can be constructed/maintained by community • Design makes use of waste materials readily available locally • Improved quality of life (especially for the elderly and children)due to additional light in both

day and night, but risk of fire from use of gas lamps. • By-‐products of fuel for night lighting not harmful to environment • Sustainable cycle for fuel and crop production (bio-‐gas by product can be used as fertiliser).


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Imperial College London, Team 1: Solar water bottle bulb

Proposal:

Make use of waste glass bottles to make alternative lighting in houses and facilitate the creation of more jobs, as bottle collectors would be needed.

Design:

The glass bottle bulb is assembled and then fitted into the roof of the house. The bulbs are made by placing a glass bottle two thirds of the way into a round hole within a galvanised steel sheet, secured with sealant. The bottle is then filled with filtered water and about 10ml of bleach and covered with a cap. To install the bulb, a circular hole is cut in the house’s roof and the bottle is secured in place using rivet. Sealant is place around the bottle and the steel sheet to prevent water leaking into the house. The Solar Water Bottle Bulbs used in the Philippines, PET plastic bottles, have been estimated to provide a luminosity equivalent to a 55-‐watt incandescent light bulb.

Cost:

The capital required for start-‐up, includes tools for construction, materials for developing the sealant, and transport vehicles to deliver the product in bulk. In the Philippines, it costs $2-‐3 to build and install a solar bottle bulb in homes. It would cost approximately the same to carry the same initiative in Sandikhola. Costs could be lowered further by reusing unwanted glass bottles and iron sheets. One solar bottle bulb is able to last for up to 5 years.


• Simple design uses low-‐cost, locally available materials. • Improvements in local environment due to reduction in waste bottles. • Potential for local employment in manufacture of the light bulbs. • Not suitable for houses with thatch roofs. • Improved lighting in household during daytime hours only.


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Nottingham Trent University, Team 3: ‘Bright Idea’ solar lighting system

Proposal:

A lighting system based on the ‘Liter of light’ project that provides natural light to households in the daytime and electrical light at night.

Design:

The design involves using a 2L plastic bottle, filled with water and bleach (to stop the growth of algae) surrounded by four solar panels. To install the product, a circular hole is cut in the roof, and then a square corrugated panel with a hole in, is glued around the bottle. A PVC pyramid casing is then secured around the bottle and solar panels are attached. The pyramid casing is designed so that the solar panels are at an optimum angle for gathering solar energy. During the daytime, light shines through the bottle and acts as a light bulb, providing lighting to the house. Once no more natural light is coming through the bottle, solar energy stored in a battery encased in the pyramid structure powers LED lights.

Cost:

Considering pyramid casing, LEDs, batteries and solar panels, the total estimated cost is: 14.60 GBP


• Uses sustainable and in some cases waste materials (plastic bottles). • Improved lighting in both daytime and night. • Clean electricity source that does not pollute environment. • Cheaper lighting alternative compared to traditional light bulbs. • Design can be integrated into existing housing. • Construction process needs to be done in Kathmandu where appropriate facilities are

available. • Potential local employment in installation of the system.


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DESIGN AREA 2: WASH

Appropriate toilet design

Glasgow University, Team 4: Dry toilet design

Proposal:

A dry toilet with virtually 100% of its waste reused and converted into useful by-‐products.

Design:

The toilet comprises a toilet bowl structure split into two halves – one used for collection of urine (the smaller hole towards the front) and the other for collection of faeces (the larger hole at the rear). The system is waterless and there is no need to flush. Each hole leads to a different collection chamber – one for liquid waste and the other for dry waste. The chambers are relatively simple boxes made from plastic; making them light, inexpensive and easy to clean out. The bottom edge of the toilet bowl lies in line with ground level, so the collection chambers remain underground. There is a hinge between the lids of the chambers, so when they need emptied the lid can be opened and the chambers removed. Urine is naturally sterile and acts as a fertiliser that can be used directly on crops. The faeces must be left to compost in an open-‐air environment with good access so it can be easily managed and maintained. The toilet housing is constructed out of bamboo.

Cost: Materials Concrete Piping Locks Squat

Toilet Totals

Material Cost (NPR) 247,744 6,016 10,880 32,000 296,640 Transport Cost (NPR) 408,750 22,000 N/A 54,000 484,750

Total cost: 781,390 NPR


• Can be constructed and maintained by community themselves. • Uses low-‐cost, locally available materials. • Education required for community to accept use of faeces as fertiliser once composted. • Potential for local employment for collection of waste and distribution of compost. • Reduces ground contamination and reduces risk of disease, improving health. • Generates useful by-‐product that may increase crop yields and hence income.


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Nottingham Trent, Team 1: Self-‐constructed improved sanitation system

Proposal:

A system intended to reduce the spread of disease by improving sanitation through education and the implementation of human centred design.

Design:

The system comprises several interventions: an improved toilet structure, teaching soap-‐making using banana leaves, training on how to implement and use a wash station (within the new toilet structure), and use banana leaves as ‘toilet paper’.

Toilet unit and wash station: The walls and roof of the unit are constructed from prefabricated corrugated bamboo panels nailed to the pine posts situated a meter underground ensuring rigidity. The layout of the unit is designed in a ‘maze’ format to eliminate contact with door handles and surfaces. Below the unit a cavity is cut away where a wheelbarrow/ bucket collects the waste from the users. This waste will be transported daily to a compost heap by a villager assigned to the role. Inside the unit is a wash station that utilises the collected water from the sloped roof to make the most of limited supply and is designed to keep the spread of germs to a minimum. Villagers will be trained in how to make hand soap from the ashes of banana leaves to be used in the wash station.

Banana leaf toilet paper: locals will be encouraged to use cut up banana leafs over their hand as toilet paper. These leaves will then feed into the waste management cycle (see diagram).

Cost:

The total estimated cost of toilet unit and wash station is:

Item Cost Transportation £1.57 Materials £19.75 Labour £10.24 Tools £0.24

Total £31.80


• Cheap and easy to construct and maintain by community, supported by instruction guidelines. • Opportunity for local employment in construction and maintenance • Uses primarily locally sourced sustainable materials • Improved sanitation and hence improved health • Transforms waste into fertiliser for banana plantations


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Sheffield Hallam University, Team 1: ‘WeeCycle’ toilet system

Proposal:

The WeeCycle toilet system utilizes evaporation techniques and fermentation to turn urine and faeces into usable products, such as water and fertiliser.

Design:

The design comprises a hut on stilts made from locally sourced wood (Neem) and a plumbing system to process the urine and faeces surrounded by a greenhouse. Urine and faeces enter their relevant funnels at point 1. The faeces are deposited into the plastic bin, which is later taken off to a compost pit further away. The urine travels down a plastic pipe, entering the solar distillation chamber at point 3. Once the urine has entered the chamber, the plastic greenhouse catalyses the process (point 8) and the evaporation of the water from the urine is quickened. Once the urine evaporates, it hits a metal

panel which condenses the water and funnels it into a plastic storage tank at point 6. Once the water has been stored in the tank, it can be abstracted by the pump at point 7. This hand pump can then be operated by the user and used to provide water for cleaning whilst using the toilet. Points 4 and 5 act as an overflow and make sure that the tank of safe clean water does not become contaminated.


Materials 25,525.00 Labour 8,000.00 Transport 29,000.00

Total cost: 63,800 NPRs


• Low-‐cost and sustainable solution. • Wood is available locally, but all other materials must be sourced from outside the

community. • System produces useful products from waste materials (water and fertiliser). • Design takes cultural sanitation practices into consideration. • Possibility for local employment in construction.


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Sheffield Hallam University, Team 3: Community all-‐in-‐one rainwater toilet system

Proposal:

The community all-‐in-‐one rainwater toilet system reduces water demand by recycling and reusing rain water for showers and then using the grey water to flush the toilet.

Design:

The rainwater toilet system will be housed in a structure made of bamboo and cement. A slanted roof on the structure collects rainwater and causes it to flow into guttering along the lower roof edge. The roof would be made of corrugated iron sheeting and the guttering would be PVC covered by a mosquito net to avoid any debris entering the system. From here the water flows down PVC pipes and into a plastic storage tank that holds 100 litres of water. The water then flows to the sink and/or shower head. The shower head consists of a hose pipe end and a water bottle with small holes in the base. The flow of water through the showerhead is controlled through the use of an insert that can be pushed in or pulled out. Grey water from the sink will be used to flush the toilet. The toilet would not have a conventional flushing mechanism because the villages do not have plumbing but instead would work by using gravity to make the water remove the waste. Finally another PVC pipe would allow the waste water from the toilet and shower to be taken away from the system and placed in an appropriate area.

Cost:

Item Cost (NPRs) Materials 5,697.65 Manufacturing 1,059.04 Transport Zero Labour Zero

Total cost: 6,756.70 NPRs* *cost assumes placement of system in a pre-‐existing structure


• Uses a mixture of locally and externally sourced materials. • Improved health du e to better sanitation. • Reduced demand on drinking water sources due to increased use of rainwater. • Simple maintenance can be easily conducted by community. • No method of treating/reusing wastewater from toilet and shower.


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Rainwater harvesting systems

Manchester University, Team 3: Rooftop rainwater harvesting system

Proposal:

A rainwater harvesting system with an automatic first flush system that provides the cleanest water with locally sourced materials.

Design:

The design consists of first flush system to remove the dirt and contaminants from the roof and a filter to further purify the water. Water will run off the roof and into bamboo gutters. Bamboo should be treated to prevent problems of fungi and decay, using for example: protection by design, clump curing, or fixing type preservatives. Water flows along the gutters and into the first flush system pipes. A small hole of approximately 2cm will be made at the bottom of the three first flush system pipes to divert the contaminants into the container below, where they can be reused for purposes such as gardening. Once the dirt and contaminants have been filtered through the first flush system, the bottles in the first flush system will block the entry and the filtered cleaner water will be able to flow through the gutters into the tank. A water bottle is cut in half and filled with coarse sand which is positioned at the entry of the tank to filter the water as it enters the tank. Only coarse sand and cotton are used so that the time taken to filter the water into the tank is reduced. Another four bottles containing fine sand and cotton are also placed inside the tank to further filter and clean the water, to ensure that it is clean enough to be drinkable.

Cost:

Materials are locally sourced as the gutter system is mainly made of bamboo and reusable materials like water bottles are used for the first flush system. Hence, it is obvious that this design is cheaper than the alternative of using PVC pipes and guttering.

Social/Environmental Impacts

• Contaminants on catchment areas can impose health risks to water consumers, but risk minimised by good hygiene in catchment areas and presence of filters.

• Increases availability of potable water, as well as for other purposes, such as agriculture. • Most materials are locally sourced, which keeps costs low and is sustainable. • Low-‐cost design does not require any expertise and so easily constructed by locals.


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Birmingham City University, Team 1: Rainwater harvesting system

Proposal:

A water harvesting system to help the collection of water for drinking.

Design:

The tower system extracts moisture from the atmosphere, condensing the water and making it drip through the mesh. The droplets then are pushed by gravity and slowly go to the fitted pipe at the bottom of the structure, which transports the water to a water storage tank. The skeleton structure consisting of bamboo poles divided into 3 parts are grouped as a hollow cylindrical shape, utilizing hemp wires to tie the bamboo together. Within the cylinder of bamboo poles is the cotton mesh connected with chicken wire. Designed to absorb the moisture from the air, the chicken wire increases the rate of condensation due to the cold surface of the wire and as well as supports the structure of the tower due to its strength. The mesh is connected to the bamboo structure by the wire in an inclined direction, so due to gravity the moisture only enters the mesh and does not leave it. The water collected from the atmosphere then travels downwards (towards the pipe) and eventually into the water storage tank. In addition to this, heavy rocks are connected to the bamboo structure, being used for anchoring and stabilizing the tower, potentially avoiding the tower from collapsing due to environmental issues such as wind and earthquakes.

Cost:

Dimensions and Quantity US Dollars ($) (NPR/100)

Chicken Wire 350

Cotton 465

Bamboo 760

PVC Pipes 25

Total 1,600

Social and Environmental impacts:

• Combination of skilled labourers and community members can construct and install the system.

• All the materials used in the tower are available locally and mostly renewable resources. • Will not contaminate the water collected, or the environment. • Increases availability of clean drinking water at community level, which also improves health.


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• Relatively expensive for the community considering low income levels.


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Final design of automatic first flush system

Sheffield University, Team 1: Optimised automatic first flush system

Proposal:

The proposed solution for the optimization of the manual rainwater harvesting system is a rearrangement of pipes to design an automatic first-‐flush system with the addition of T-‐shaped connections and filters to collect a larger amount of cleaner water, especially during the dry season.

Design:

An existing gutter pipe directs contaminated water from the roof into our system. Water flows into the first path (yellow): the biggest sediments are partially gathered in the lowest part of the T connection (green) because of their higher density compared to the density of water. The latter is then completely filtered by the first filter (red).

During light rains, water does not fill any chamber and could be in this way filtered and efficiently exploited. During heavy rains, it is considered that the sediments and contaminants are completely removed from the roof and this effect could cause a blockage in filtering. In case of a blockage in the first filter due to a large amount of sediments or a lack of maintenance, the design would work as a traditional constant volume system, redirecting water into the second path (blue), designed to effectively deal with this issue. It allows water to circulate in the system and avoids a not controlled increase in pressure.

Cost:

Since a rainwater harvesting system already exists in the village, few materials need to be purchased and the overall cost is low. T-‐shaped tubes may need to be bought to allow junctions in the systems: prices start from $0.48/each. The cloth filter is free as almost any household cloth material can be used. Plastic filters do have a small cost but some are already used in Sandikhola to filter water entering existing storage tanks and therefore many more may not need to be purchased.


• Design is effective and simple, does not require drastic changes to present infrastructure. • Easily installed and maintained by community. • Many of the materials required are already in use by the community and others are

cheap/free to access locally. • Materials are not biodegradable, but are durable and have a long lifespan. • Scope for involvement of community in design development. • Increases availability of safe drinking water at household level.


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Sheffield Hallam, Team 4: “Flow Reyt” improved first flush design

Proposal:

Create an automatic first flush system using equipment and components easily available at the local level.

Design:

Water flows into a drainage pipe which houses the first flush system and allows the flow of water. A funnel at the inlet is sufficient to allow enough water to flow through at high rates, but small enough to allow it to be easily blocked to divert flow after the first flush is complete. The funnel comprises the top half of a 2 litre drinks bottle. The bottom half of the bottle allows slow water flow so that the device still fills up but also drains dirty water.

A table tennis ball (or similar floating object) is placed in the chamber formed by the two halves of the 2 litre bottle and stops the flow of dirty water through the funnel inlet once the chamber beneath is full. This allows clean water to flow over the top of the chamber and into the clean water system. Clay is used for sealing and joining the two halves of the bottle to the inside of the pipe as well as holding the base and the entire weight of the water.

Cost:

Low-‐cost as uses locally available materials and waste products.

Social and environmental impact:

• Simple construction and installation that can be done by community • Manual produced to assist construction and installation • Low cost as uses locally available materials • Increases availability of safe drinking water at household level


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University of Strathclyde, Team 5: Automatic first flush system

Proposal:

An automatic first flush system that improves separation of dirty water from clean water in rainwater harvesting systems.

Design:

The final design takes the form of an automatically sealing first flush system. A running outlet section is connected to guttering. Running outlets are produced in a variety of sizes so the diameter size of the guttering in Sandikhola would dictate the size of the running outlet required. A rubber head from a plunger is then used as the rubber seal, with a hole cut in the centre of the rubber to attach to the outlet. This rubber seal is glued onto the pipe. The bottom 3cm of a 2 litre plastic bottle is then cut off, a plastic ball (>60mm diameter) is inserted into this plastic bottle, and then the bottle pushed up onto the rubber seal.

Cost:

Material Cost

Running Outlet Section £2 -‐ £2.50

Plastic Ball £0.03 -‐ £0.10

Rubber (Sourced from plunger) £1.50 -‐ £2.00

Plastic Bottle £0.00 (Sourced from village waste)

Total Cost Per System £3.53 -‐ £4.60


• Simple and low-‐cost construction and maintenance that can be conducted by the community

• Uses locally available and in some cases recycled materials • Makes productive use of first flush water (eg. via Irrigation) • Increased availability of clean drinking water and hence improved health • Easily adaptable to individual household guttering systems


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Birmingham City University, Team 2: Wooden automated first flush system

Proposal:

A first-‐flush system that allows for the capture of an initial volume of rain water that would be highly contaminated with dirt from roofs and guttering.

Design:

The initial volume of rainwater (contaminated water) will run from the guttering and into the first flush device. The contaminated water will enter the wooden container, where a square wooden float will be raised. As more and more contaminated water fills the container, the wooden float will ascend until it reaches the top of the wooden container. The wooden float will block the hole so to allow fresh rainwater to be redirected to another tank for the purposes of storage. Both the wooden float and container cap have chamfered edges to allow for a tight fit between the two surfaces so to prevent mixing of contaminated water and clean water. A tap located on the wooden container is to allow for the removal of contaminated water when the first flush device is not being used. The location of the tap (located as close to the bottom surface as possible) means that almost all the contaminated water can be removed. To reset the system, the user would just need to drain away the contaminated water so that the wooden float is located at the bottom of container.

Cost:


• Materials are low cost and locally-‐sourced. • Careful management of tree-‐felling for timber needed to minimise potential for floods due to

tree removal. • Construction and maintenance can be conducted by local community. • Reduced extraction of water from springs and less time spent transporting water. • Increased health due to provision of clean water. • Potential for business through trading of clean water with neighbouring communities.


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De Montfort University, Team 2: Water drum first flush system

Proposal:

A wall/ground-‐mounted automatic first flush system that can be retrofitted onto existing rainwater harvesting guttering and tanks.

Design:

The device consists of standard 90mm of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) downpipe, which gravity directs water collected from a leaf box filter. The leaf box filter is angled to allow solid debris to run off, and allow water to pass through freely. The pipework feeds water through a piece of 110mm PVC piping, connected to the 90mm piping via a reducer coupling. The 110mm piping (diverter) is slotted along its length to allow water to ingress and the floatation ball is placed inside. The diverter is placed inside a standard UN 55 gallon drum and is sealed around the diameter using PVC solvent cement. The end of the pipework protruding from the bottom of the drum is capped with a standard PVC screw-‐on end cap, which is drilled and threaded to allow a variable bleed valve to be inserted, from which a hose may be attached for waste water. As the water level in the diverter chamber rises the ball floats, and once the chamber is full, the ball rests on a seat inside the diverter chamber preventing any further water entering the diverter. The subsequent flow of water is then automatically directed along the pipe system to the tank.

Cost:

Estimated unit production cost, excluding installation: £29.49.


• Simple design using low-‐cost, locally available and culturally appropriate components. • Systems can be assembled and maintained by community. • Increased availability of clean water, which reduces water transport and treatment costs. • Makes uses of an abundant natural resource in the community – rainwater – including water

collected in first flush. • System does not involve use of any potentially hazardous chemicals. • Easily connects to existing rainwater harvesting systems.


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University of Sheffield Hallam, Team 5: Double downpipe automatic first flush

Proposal:

An automatic first flush device and separates dirty water to ensure only clean water enters the household rainwater storage tank tanks.

Design:

The automatic first flush design comprises of two HDPE downpipes, the primary pipe has a height of 6m and the secondary has a height of 4m which is enough the make up the necessary storage volume. The downpipes are connected by a single horizontal pipe at the bottom, which is sealed at one end and capped at the other. The first flush water will flow into the longer downpipe first, then through the horizontal connecting pipe and into the second downpipe. A small floating ball in the smaller pipe rises with the water level and eventually seals it off at the top. As water backs up in the horizontal connecting pipe, the larger downpipe then fills with water and becomes sealed in the same way. The downpipes both have a reducer at each end to ensure the ball is held within them when the pipes are empty or full. When both downpipes are full water will be diverted into another pipe and flow into a

storage tank. When the rain stops, the cap in the horizontal pipe allows for the removal of the dirty water collected in the downpipes. To keep the device in place, it should be braced against a building or the storage tank in a similar way to existing pipes. To prevent larger debris from entering the system and potentially causing a blockage filters would be installed before the water enters the system, in a location that allows them to be accessed and maintained easily.

Cost:


• Uses materials available within the local region. • Simple construction and maintenance that can be done by community. • System can be modified as housing size changes and more runoff is collected. • Limited impact on environment, primarily through transport of pipes to village.


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University of Strathclyde, Team 2: Downpipe automatic first flush

Proposal:

Development of a water harvesting system with an automatic first flush device that will greatly reduce the need for other water sources and the requirement to travel long distances for collection.

Design:

The system consists of four main components: guttering, the automatic first flush device, pipes and storage tank. Rainfall lands on the roof and runs into the gutters, along with any debris on the roof. The first flush device separates the water and debris as there is a large difference in relative diameter of the ball to the pipe to ensure acceptable clearance for debris to bypass the ball. A pipe reducer is installed as a mechanism to stop the ball at the top of the foul flush reservoir. The system then diverts the “cleaned” water, which flows through the pipes into the storage tank. The device is designed to have a 1m clearance above the ground to allow the owner to empty the foul flow into a container.

Cost:

The cost of a single first flush device installed into existing infrastructure is £10. The overall cost of each household rainwater harvesting system is estimated to be £1,766.51.


• Can be incorporated into existing rainwater harvesting infrastructure. • Simple design that communities construct and maintain (potentially in phases). • Can be adapted to specific water needs of household. • Improved health due to removal of contaminants in water stored. • Increase in availability of clean drinking water reduces stress on other water sources and time

spent collecting water.


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Coventry University, Team 3: Fog catcher and rainwater harvesting with first flush

Proposal:

The provision of potable water using community fog collection nets and household rainwater harvesting systems.

Design:

The design consists of a central fog harvesting scheme, household level rainwater harvesting system and educational scheme. The fog harvesting site is situated high up the hill to maximise the amount of fog colliding with the nets. A plastic trough to collect the water from the mesh runs underneath with a pipe to move the water from the trough to the reservoir or cistern. Surrounding the central storage container is a plantation of bamboo which is sustainably harvested for replacement components of the network of pipes. This protects the storage container from direct sunlight which can encourage the growth of bacteria. In addition to fog catchers, each household has an individual rainwater collection system. The system essentially involves guttering, a first flush device and storage. The first flush device is based on a constant volume system. The proposed storage solution is Thai Jars. The jars are made of Ferro cement, which comprises cement poured around a steel mesh to increase strength the sourcing of this material should be relatively easy. The educational scheme will inform the villagers on how to use the harvested rain and fog water efficiently.

Cost:


• Rainwater harvesting is a simple, low-‐cost technology, but materials for fog-‐catchers are difficult to source locally.

• Amount of water collected is weather-‐dependant. • Scheme can be maintained by local community after training. • Possibility of employment due to bamboo cultivation. • Increase in availability of clean drinking water, which improves health and reduces time spent

collecting water


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University of Strathclyde, Team 4: Terracing system for rainwater harvesting

Proposal:

A system of terraces that capture, transport and filter rainwater, discharging it at the foot of the system via a spring box.

Design:

Rainfall runoff flows into the system from the slopes immediately above. This water flows through a series of terraces in series before reaching the spring box below. The terraces are supported by stone and mortar walls and act to slow runoff and encourage infiltration of rainfall. The supporting walls are impermeable and have gravel channels on the upstream edge of their base. Water that has infiltrated into the top of the terrace seeps down the slope through the soil until it reaches the nearest gravel channel. As the channel fills up, water flows to one end of the channel and eventually overtops it, flowing into the terrace below. The infiltration and transportation process is repeated at this and subsequent terraces in the system. The series of terraces and channels transports water into a larger channel at the base of the system. This larger channel then carries the water to the spring box where it can be abstracted and used for drinking. In cases of high rainfall when capacities of the terrace system and spring box are exceeded, water flows into an overflow channel and into an irrigation system.

Cost Item Cost (NPRs)

Tools 14,528.35 Materials 305,455.19 Transport 679,000.00 Labour 100,609.17

Total cost: 1,099,399.11 NPRs* *Not including soil investigation needed to identify potential system location


• Based on traditional terracing system used for crop production. • Design is simple and uses locally available materials. • Increase in availability of clean drinking water. • Construction method uses locally available skills, but requires significant earthworks. • System can easily be maintained by community. • Requires careful placement in area with suitable soil properties to function effectively.


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Coventry University, Team 2: Water harvesting trenches and charcoal filter

Proposal:

A water purification system and a rainwater harvesting system, which addresses the most significant issue faced by the community: lack of clean drinking water.

Design:

The system has the capability of mass water collection when it rains. Having three containers for water increases the overall potential volume of runoff that can be collected and stored and the capacity for larger amounts of water. It also has the advantage of a combination of two water purification systems. Surface run off is collected. In the trench at the top end of the system; the reeds in the trench remove any contaminants in the water just leaving solids and mycobacterial in the water. Water then flows through pipes and into the sump, which removes all the solid partials from the water and the char collects all the mycobacteria. This result is clean water that safe to drink, which flows to and is stored in a concrete lined underground reservoir. No pumps are used in the system, instead it uses the potential that the water has to build and the pressure in the system.

The regular intervals in the water harvesting and purification system also provide the village a level of protection from landslide debris. If they wanted to further protect the structure from potential damage, they could construct barriers using horizontal walls of bamboo along the hillside between the sections.

Cost:

The whole system should cost very little to build in comparison to most systems and would need minimal maintenance.


• Increases availability of clean drinking water, which improves health and hence productivity. • Reduces risk of landslide and associated reconstruction costs • Simple and relatively cheap system maintenance, although access to additional water-‐

purifying plants may be difficult for community. • Local employment opportunities during construction and maintenance. • Relies on char produced by current cooking methods, which may change in the future. • Potential environmental impact of large-‐scale excavation and collection of runoff.


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University of Strathclyde, Team 3: Water soakaway and solar disinfection

Proposal:

A soakaway water collection and storage system which incorporates sand filtration and solar disinfection to provide clean water at household level.

Design:

Filtration ditches would be dug at the inside edge of the road or above pathways/tracks located higher on the hillside from village, to a maximum depth of 1m. A perforated drainage pipe would then be laid to run the length of the ditch, before the ditch is re-‐filled with increasing sizes of aggregates. The end of this pipe would be connected to an underground non-‐perforated pipe network that would lead to a storage tank located within the village. Rainfall and the subsequent surface runoff would infiltrate through the varying layers of aggregate acting as a pre-‐filter against larger particles, before entering the filtration pipe at the bottom of the ditch. The water will then flow under the force of gravity along the pipework to the storage tank where it remains until required in the dry season. Before collection and use by household members, a tap will be opened and the stored water will be gravity fed into, and through, a much smaller filtration tank to remove particles and reduce turbidity. Once collected from the filter tank, households will disinfect water using the solar disinfection (SODIS). Plastic bottles will be placed on bamboo cradles lined with crisp packets, placed with their reflective interior facing upwards.


Collection and storage tank 152,100 Filtration tank 77,400 Tools and materials 39,317.85 Transportation 149,000



• Simple low-‐cost system that uses locally available materials. • Easy to construct and minimal maintenance required. • Improved health and reduction in time spent collecting water (particularly in the dry season)

due to proximity of tank to village. • Potential reduction in soil erosion and landslides due to reduction in runoff. • Reduction in waste due to use of plastic bottle for SODIS.


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Water purification

University of Liverpool, Team 2: Vortex and sediment water filtration system

Proposal:

A filtration system to turn rainwater into a safe alternate water source, which can supplement existing sources (springs, rivers etc.) and alleviate the pressure upon them, in a cheap and cost effective manner.

Design:

The final design is a system comprising two interconnected filters. The first filter (vortex filter) is intended to remove relatively large solid particulates from the rainwater. The vortex filter is made from PVC and comprises a lid, filter piece with conical inlet, seals, casing and mounting brackets. The vortex filter uses the centrifugal force to pass water through a vertical filtration element. It diverts and filters a portion of the water passing through it into the provided storage tank and diverts the rest for agricultural use. After passing through this filter, the water goes on to be purified by the second filter (sediment filter), after which it can be used as drinking water. The sediment filter consists of multiple components, its housing (Tank and Lid), the filter, a steel support frame, an anti-‐turbulence inlet fitting and an outlet pipe. The housing is made from rotation moulded HDPE and is used to store the filtered drinking water (for relatively short periods of time) before use. The filter itself is a steel cylinder, which holds the sand and gravel that filters the water. The filter has two handles which are welded onto it to aid in the maintenance of the filter within.

Vortex filter Sediment filter

Cost:

No information provided.


• Low-‐cost and makes use of some locally available materials (sand and gravel), although many parts need to be sourced externally.

• Simple design can be assembled, installed and maintained by community one parts obtained. • Increase in available drinking water reduces demand from other sources.


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London South Bank University, Team 5: Filtration and purification of harvested water

Proposal:

A rainwater harvesting system that purifies and filters water for drinking and sanitation purposes.

Design:

The concept is to harvest the rainwater that falls onto the house rooftops. This rainwater would be fed through a number of water filters and stored for drinking and satiation purposes. A guttering system will be created using bamboo that is cut in half, length ways. The guttering will be secured to the roof using natural vines. A whole piece of bamboo will be attached to the end of the guttering system, used as a pipe for the water to flow down, again the pipe will be attached to the guttering and house wall using vines. The water would be stored in water bottles for use and consumption at a later date. Alternatively, a large storage tank other than a plastic bottle could be manufactured using local cement. The bottle/storage tank will need to be positioned at a height above the ground to increase the gravitational potential energy helping the water to flow through the system. The large bottle will therefore be supported from the ground with a structure constructed out of bamboo. Beneath the large bottle will be a smaller plastic water bottle, cut in half and attached upside down to the end of the large storage bottle. This smaller bottle will be the filter bottle, filled with charcoal, stones and grass. Beneath this filter bottle will be another piece of bamboo used as a pipe to transport the filtered water to a storage bottle situated on the ground. The filtered water within the smaller bottles can be laid down outside in the sunlight on a piece of corrugated black sheet metal to heat the water, killing some of the bacteria.

Cost:

The tools that are required are a hammer, blade totalling less than 600 NPR. Bamboo is not grown in the region Sandikhola, however it can be purchased locally for 60 NPR per metre.


• Uses low-‐cost sustainable locally sourced materials, which in some cases would otherwise be waste.

• Simple design that can be conducted and maintained by community. • Improved health due to greater availability of clean drinking water. • Reduction in time to collect water increases free-‐time, but reduces socialising potential for

women.


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Imperial College London, Team 2: Enzyme Coated Polyamide Water Filter

Proposal:

A low-‐cost water purification system for local communities to reduce regional-‐specific biological (e.g. bacteria) and chemical (e.g. arsenic) contamination to meet WHO guideline.

Design:

Traditional use of diffuser plate (cloth supported by wooden/bamboo sticks) and coarse sand for removing turbidity forms the upmost section in a wooden basin (with the bottom replaced with the same material as diffuser plate to allow water flow), followed by a layer filled with rusty nails or other readily available small rusty metal parts; these have excellent arsenic adsorption ability, against both arsenite or arsenate. Below the rusty nail layer, a dense web built from enzyme-‐coated polymer (ECP) sticks is designed to disinfect the water. Ends of each polymer stick are stuck into the gaps in each of the two sheets of bamboo mat above and below the layer for stabilisation. Both rusty nail and ECP layers are contained in a wooden basin. A coarse sand layer is below the ECP layer, in the third modular basin, to avoid any debris escaped from the upper sand layer to flow through and to remove iron. The bottom is filled with gravels to prevent the passage of any sand leaked from the upper layer.

The three modular wooden basins are stacked upon each other and contained in a large recycled plastic bucket properly sterilised to prevent water leakage. A pipe connecting the water flow from bottom of gravel layer extends to a tap, attached to the outer surface of the plastic container.

Cost:

Based on a price sourced in China, 1cm2 (double-‐sided) of ZymeDeal prototype costs about £0.035. For a household of 4 people, the drinking water consumption will be 20 litres (estimated). Assuming a bacteria concentration of up to 1200 c.f.u./100ml , 100cm2 per system of polymer (costs £3) would be sufficient for disinfection. Thus replacement of the layer each year (cost £35 for 10 years) is still cost-‐effective. Rough estimate of cost per model: £15.


• Increased availability of safe drinking water and hence improved health and productivity, particularly for women and children

• Combination of traditional and novel methods • Collaboration with local institutions (VDC and WSUC) for project support and training • Simple maintenance that can be conducted by the local community themselves • Slow flow rate may not be suitable for household needs


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Liverpool University, Team 1: Water filter pump system

Proposal:

A cylindrical water extraction and filtration system that takes the form of a large bicycle pump to establish a source of clean drinking water.

Design:

The water pump filter contains 13 different types of parts: the handle, the cap, the cylinder body, the pump assembly, the hose connectors and hoses, the hose filter, the series of cartridges and wire meshes, the base and the base stands.

Unfiltered water enters via a hose from the top inlet port and is pumped through the filter with a round pump handle in a pumping motion. As the handle is pushed down, the piston moves down, the valves on the piston will close due to the increased pressure in the section below and decreased pressure above and the unfiltered water starts enter the cylinder from the top inlet. As the handle is pulled up, the piston moves up, the valves will open due to the increased pressure in the section above and decreased pressure below, and the unfiltered water flows through the valves to the filtration system. The filtration system comprises three or more cartridges that connect directly by screw-‐thread design. There is a piece of wire mesh between the cylinder and each cartridge. The cartridges house the activated carbon/charcoal filter, which works by the chemical process of adsorption or chemical reaction. After being pumped through the three layers of filtration, drinkable water is dispensed out of a hose attached to the base outlet.

Cost:

Materials and manufacturing methods chosen to keep production, transport and maintenance costs as low as possible.

Social and environmental impacts: • Increased availability of clean drinking water, and hence improvements in health and well-‐

being of community, particularly through time saving • Locally sourced materials used where possible, but some manufactured plastic parts required • Low cost, simple and portable devise • Provided in the form of a kit that can be easily constructed by community members • Removable water filter must be replaced every 250 litres


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University of Glasgow, Team 5: Clay water filter design

Proposal:

To provide clean, drinking water that is free from disease and water-‐borne viruses, water for livestock and irrigation if necessary and supply the village with water they can use regardless of the time of year.

Design:

The system fits into a pre-‐drilled hole at the bottom of the larger pre-‐existing water tanks. The design works as a simple water filter but with the ability to be incorporated into a wide variety of systems and can be adapted and tailored to fit a household’s specific needs. The water from the main tank flows into a pipe with a valve so that the water can be shut off for cleaning and maintenance purposes. In normal operation, this valve will remain open. Once the water has passed through this valve, it flows into a clay filter. The water flows into the main filter chamber from above and then slowly filters through the base into the smaller secondary tank. This tank is smaller so that the clean water that has been filtered already will not sit around for too long in the sunshine heating up and possibly becoming unsafe to drink due to the growth of bacteria or algae. At the bottom of this tank is a tap from which the villagers can access the clean water.

Costs:

Total cost per household system: 5473.87 NPRs 54.98 USD


• Provides clean water, which will extend life expectancies, reduce poverty and improve quality of life.

• Uses low-‐cost locally sourced materials • Employment opportunities for local people during construction • Simple maintenance that can be conducted by households using the systems • Minimal impact on the surrounding environment, including streams, flora and fauna.


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Glasgow University, Team 1: Slow sand and charcoal water filter

Proposal:

A water purification device that will solve the problem of inadequate access to safe drinking water, reducing the threat of diarrhoea and waterborne diseases.

Design:

The final design is composed of three main sections which fit together. The clay sections are designed to be securely slotted together and can be stacked. There is a flat and circular shaped clay piece at the top of the filter which can be pulled out via handle. This allows water stored in the top container to be either held in the top container until use or allowed to pass through the filter below. The middle section of the design holds gravel and sand. Small ventilation holes are situated at the top end of the middle container to provide ventilation for the formation of the Schmutzdecke layer. A clay mesh fitted in the top of the middle container, removes the larger particles from the water and it is easily removed to ensure that any large particles will not get stuck in the system. The small canister stored inside a cut out section on the bottom of the middle container stores the charcoal for the final stage of purification. After the water has travelled through the small canister of charcoal it will reach the final stage and flow down into the reservoir. The red clay material should keep the water reasonably cool. A hand pump is attached to the bottom of the structure, on the reservoir, so that the water can be extracted for drinking. The reservoir is estimated to hold 56.5 litres of water

Cost:

It is estimated that the cost of one of these filters would be a maximum of £70 (or 10,392 Nepalese Rupees)


• Low-‐cost design using locally available materials. • Improved health due to increased provision of clean drinking water. • Minimal impact on surrounding environment. • Simple design that can be maintained and repaired by community. • Relatively quick flow rate to allow adequate access to purified water for household needs. • Potential local employment opportunities for production and sale of filters (potters).


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Nottingham Trent University, Team 2: FDSB water purifier

Proposal:

A household level filtration system that uses both a ceramic filter and distillation to create clean drinking water.

Design:

The design consists of five parts: ceramic filter with biocide, polypropylene baseplate, plastic film, bamboo charcoal and stone. Four methods are applied to purify the water -‐ filtration, distillation, solar disinfection (SODIS) and bamboo charcoal – to ensure that the water is safe to drink, cook and wash. Ceramic filtration uses fired clay to filter impurities and bacteria from the water. As the ceramic filter is a good thermal insulator, heat energy from strong sunlight is absorbed by the water and a distillation process occurs. Water heats up, evaporates and condenses on the plastic film above, the droplets then flow to the tip and drop into the container. Solar disinfection uses UV-‐A rays and increased water temperature to disinfect the low-‐turbidity water. The water needs to be placed outdoor for 6 hours if sunny or 2 days if cloudy. Finally, there is a potential risk of recontamination of water through unsafe filter handling and water storage practices, so charcoal is used in the container to reduce this risk.

Cost:

Item Cost (GBP) Ceramic filter 3.50 Baseplate 3.00 Charcoal 0.63

Total cost: 7.13 GBP


• Uses primarily locally available materials. • Potential for creation of new business in production of bamboo charcoal. • Improved quality of life due to increased availability of clean water at household level. • Household water purification system may promote uptake of water harvesting and further

increase water availability at household level. • Compatible with existing water infrastructure.


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Birmingham University, Team 5: Solar disinfection system

Proposal:

A solar disinfection system as a sustainable, practical method of providing clean drinking water to the community.

Design:

The system consists of a bamboo frame sloped at 30°, with the incline chosen because of Nepal’s latitude in order to present the water at the optimum angle. The frame includes cross bracing to resist lateral wind-‐loading. Fourteen 10 litre water containers are held in place on the frame using “S-‐hooks” made of steel wire. This gives a total water capacity of 140 litres, which is enough to have 2 days of water purifying at the same time for one household (assuming average need of 70 litres/household/day), although the design can be easily modified to cater for different capacities. A sheet of galvanised corrugated iron/steel is placed over the bamboo frame in order to create a reflective surface, enhancing the efficiency of the disinfection process. Water is left in the sun for two days before it is fully purified and ready to drink.

Cost:

Each household will construct their own frames to meet their individual needs at an individual cost of $9.29.


• Simple kit construction and installation by individuals at household level. • Local WUSC involved in community training and construction. • Uses low-‐cost and locally available materials. • Potential depletion of bamboo trees due to use in construction. • Plastic bottles need to be replaced every 6 months and high cost of transport to recycling

depots. • Old bamboo can be used as kindling when replacements are required. • Range of potential social/cultural barriers to using solar disinfection technique.


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University College Dublin, Team 2: Water purification by evaporation and condensation

Proposal:

A system based on distillation as a form of purification to provide clean drinking water.

Design:

The design consists of an inlet/fill tank, two galvanised iron coiled pipes and a tap. Water flows into the system via the inlet of the first pipe (ideally connected to an infill tank). This first pipe coils into a conical shape, in order to facilitate its placement over a fire. Whilst within this coil, the water is heated by fire and boiled to form pure steam. The particles from the dirty water are left behind in the coil and the bacteria killed through the process of boiling. This steam rises through the coil and passes through a reducer into the condensing coil. The second pipe is also coiled into a cylindrical shape, but is kept in a cool environment, for example in wet sand. The difference in temperature between the two coils causes the water vapour to condense. The clean, safe condensation can then be collected from the bottom of the second coil by means of a tap.

Cost Item Cost (NPRs)

Primary coil 987.18 Reducer 137.86 Secondary coil 63.30 Transportation 22,000.00



• Uses low-‐cost and locally available (within Nepal) materials. • Fabrication of coiled pipes required skilled labour. • Improved in health and hence productivity due to increase in availability of clean water. • Use of system can easily be incorporated into existing household cooking practices. • Potential for job creation in production and distribution of the system across Nepal.


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Women’s health and sanitation

Birmingham University, Team 1: Menstrual hygiene education and improvement

Proposal:

A three-‐part solution that would better women’s health and sanitation during menstruation and improve the community’s attitude towards menstruating females.

Design:

The design solution comprises three separate parts:

Education scheme -‐ Talks initiated with the community to get to know their situation and what sort of solution the want/would be best for them. Education started by talking to the village women Education about menstruation and sanitation extended via implementation in the local school.

Hand warmers: These are used to dry the cloths used by women during menstruation in the time until they are able to make alternative sanitary towels using the proposed machine outlined below. A hand warmer placed underneath the cloth provides a source of heat that gradually dries it. A sponge place immediately on top of the cloth absorbs water as it evaporates, drawing it away from the cloth.

Machine for making sanitary towels -‐ The sanitary towel press has three layers of wood: the base slab, a wooden frame to keep the cotton in place and show the outline for the wood pulp being added, and the top slab with an aluminium plate. Once the wood pulp has been added, a simple hinge mechanism is used to push the piece of metal onto the towel in order to flatten the wood pulp. The aim is that this machine will allow women to start up a business producing and selling sanitary towels.

Cost:

Item Cost (NPRs) Hand warmers (for all women) 4,726.50 Sanitary towel machine 3,207.35 Sanitary towels (per month for all women) 2,140.00


• Sanitary towel machine is a simple design and can be easily operated by women in the community.

• Potential to make all aspects of the scheme using locally-‐sourced materials. • Potential to reduce social exclusion of women and girls during menstruation, although this

may take a long period of time. • Improved hygiene for women and girls during menstruation. • Possibility of replication across neighbouring villages, the region and eventually, the nation.


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Multiple Use System (MUS)

Glasgow University, Team 3: Ferro-‐cement tank multiple use water system

Proposal:

Develop a Multiple Use System (MUS), comprising two connected ferro-‐cement tanks, to improve water, sanitation and health conditions in the village.

Design:

A secondary ferro-‐cement water tank will be constructed, connected with the already existent one. The first tank, which receives the water inlet, would be for productive usage, while the second –domestic–tank would receive water from the first one via a pipe. The productive tank starts to receive water once the volume of water in the domestic water tank (the new tank) reaches a certain level. This level can be determined through discussion with the community prior to discussion. A sand and gravel filter can be installed in the pipe that connects the two tanks so that the domestic use water is filtered.

Cost: Item Cost

Material 245,000 NPR. Labour 896,000 NPR. Transportation 652,000 NPR

Total cost: 1,793,000 NPR (£11,860)


• Design builds on existing infrastructure in community to reduce costs and improve ease of construction.

• Materials low-‐cost and locally available • Local employment opportunities during construction and maintenance. • Improvement in several livelihood aspects due to increase in water for both domestic and

productive uses. • Potential for deforestation as more land is cleared for agricultural use.


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DESIGN AREA 3: ENERGY

Alternative energy supply

Heriot Watt University, Team 1: Micro hydroelectric system

Proposal:

A suitable micro hydroelectric system to provide a reliable and renewable source of energy for the village that can be active 24 hours a day throughout the entire year.

Design:

The micro hydro system uses a Pelton wheel in order to generate power from water source. The intake at the water source will direct a portion of the river into a canal (dug by local villagers). The canal will channel the water into a forebay tank. The forebay will hold the water and allow

sedimentation, preventing debris from entering the penstock. A sluice (made using Sal wood) will also be in place at the entrance to the penstock to prevent any larger debris gaining access to the pipe. The penstock pipe made from unplasticized polyvinylchloride (uPVC) pipe, which is cheap and lightweight, runs from the forebay tank and delivers the water to the Pelton turbine, held within the power house. The water flows through a nozzle which forms a water jet which will infringe on the Pelton buckets. The Pelton wheel then rotates and turns a shaft which powers a generator. Once the water has infringed on the turbine, it will settle and then be directed back to the river further down the hillside.

Cost: Item Cost

uPVC pipe £1,712 Pelton wheel £27,000. Sluice gate in Sal wood £0.55. Labours and tools £10.06. Transportation Unknown cost of transportation for Pelton

wheel and uPVC pipe from UK to Nepal Total estimated cost £28,722.53 (not incl. transport)


• Renewable energy source, no pollutants emitted and reduced deforestation due to potential replacement of firewood for cooking.

• Will encourage community to find alternative cooking methods that will improve (respiratory) health.

• Potential negative impact of the forebay and powerhouse on the natural environment. • Improved access to electricity will improve education (via lighting) and provide greater

business opportunities to the community (eg. use of surplus energy for grinding mills).


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• Community involvement in design and construction.


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Cardiff University, Team 2: Community solar energy system

Proposal:

A single, homogenous solar energy system as an alternative power supply to provide electricity to the village.

Design:

There is a bank of 60 solar panels that will generate electricity. The electricity will be put through a charge controller and stored in an adjacent battery bank of 29 12v batteries. Each battery is able to store 2.64 kWh of power and has a depth of discharge of 50% so that the system can function for two days, while maintenance or weather conditions stop the charging process for example. When electricity is needed, the batteries send electricity to the charge controller which in turn feeds it to an inverter which puts the power in a form to be distributed by the grid. The power distributed needs to satisfy the demand. There are 66 houses and it is assumed they need to have power for lighting, mobile phone charging and watching TV. Based on calculations, this means the average power usage for the village is per day is 36.28 kWh. It is hoped that many of the villagers in the community will volunteer to be trained and later assist with transportation and construction of the system.

Cost:


• Renewable energy source that does not create any environmental pollution once functioning. • Community can construct and maintain system with minimal assistance after training. • Low level damage to environment during installation, but potential long-‐term visual pollution

from overhead distribution cables. • Replacement batteries and solar panels will be needed during the design’s lifetime. • Potential for damage to system during natural disasters (particularly flooding). • Reduces need for kerosene or other electricity-‐related costs.


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Edinburgh University, Team 1: Micro-‐hydro system

Proposal:

To harness a sustainable energy supply to produce electricity for hilltop communities using a micro-‐hydro system, involving use of a waterwheel.

Design:

Land clearing is required to ensure the 5.5m stretch where the channel is to be installed is free from shrubbery and other obstacles that may impede the installation of the struts and canal. The ground should also be flattened in the area where wheel supports and generator system are to be installed. A steady supply of water enters the bamboo channel system and is directed towards a rotating waterwheel. The channel system consists of a canal and supporting struts. The canal is constructed from three 5.5m bamboo columns that are joined in parallel and fixed horizontally by supporting bamboo struts. The canal is fixed at a 5° angle of declination to maintain constant fluid flow. Due to both gravitational potential and kinetic energies of the running water, a torque is created and causes the wheel to rotate. The wheel has a diameter of 2m and is 0.6m wide and water is captured by eight curved fins constructed from 32cm PVC pipes. The rotational motion of the wheel is then translated to a generator via a gearing system, where electricity is generated. Cabling connects the electricity supply to the mains in Sandikhola, with excess power being stored in a battery.

Cost:

The total cost consists of materials, transportation and labour. A summary of the cost of each part is presented in the report, but the total estimated cost for the installed system is about 159,850 NPRs (3,026 GBPs).


• Uses low-‐cost, locally sourced and sustainable materials. • Simple design be constructed, operated and maintained by community. • Increased productivity and education due to installation of electric lights. • Potential for installation of electric-‐powered stoves, which would reduce smoke in house and

improve health. • No detrimental impact to local environment.


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Imperial College London, Team 4: Central biogas reactor

Proposal:

A community biogas reactor that generates gases, such as methane, that can be burned for cooking or for generating electricity.

Design:

The bioreactor is a sealed container that promotes the anaerobic decomposition of waste to produce methane. Animal or plant waste is brought in by local farmers or road clearing teams, and emptied into the input chute. Waste will flow from here into a central digester. The waste is kept in the digester and microorganisms help to break down these compounds. The bacteria that decompose the organic manner will do this via an anaerobic process (without oxygen). The product of this process will include gases such as methane, which can be used for many different things. Once the bioreactor has produced the gas, it is removed by operating the ‘bicycle’ attachment, which operates the manual compressor. This will pump gas into the attached bottle, ready for removal and use by the local community. Local farmers will collect waste product (slurry) from the output chute for use as manure on farms and crops.

Cost:

Total cost for a biogas plant, including all essential installations but not including land, is between 50-‐75 US Dollars per m3 capacity, therefore for a 10m3 capacity reactor proposed the estimated cost is 595 USD, plus 30 USD for land excavation.


• Makes productive use of waste materials • Provides a renewable energy source that will not contribute to climate change. • Majority of materials (except compressor) can be sourced locally (within Nepal). • Potential for local employment in construction, maintenance and operation. • Improved health due to reduction of smoke level in households. • Increase in disposable income due to reduction in money spent on fuel by households. • Gives potential for electric lighting in households


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Nottingham Trent University, Team 4: Bamboo and banana leaf wind turbine

Proposal:

A sustainable and locally constructed wind turbine to produce energy for household use.

Design:

The proposed wind turbine is to be built from locally sourced materials assembled by locals. Bamboo and banana leaves will be used for the framework and blades. The turbine will be 10 metres tall and have two blades. A bamboo frame with banana leaves will be used in order to make the blades of the turbine, each of which will be 2 metres in length. The banana leaves will be used to weave the blade surface and are relatively strong so they will be able to help generate propellers spinning. Bamboo leaves can also be dried and used In order to bind the bamboo together. An alternator will be bought in, potentially provided by charity, dependant on available funding. Energy will be distributed by the locals charging a car battery and powering their home from this, as this is how the community power their appliances already. The number of turbines needed to provide electricity for the entire village at maximum consumption of 60kWh/month would be 15.

Cost:

An estimation of the parts for the wind turbine is around 5,981 NPRs (40 GBP), allowing for cost of bamboo, alternator and wire for electricity distribution. The estimated cost per household nis 1,329 NPRs (8.99 GBP).


• Use low-‐cost sustainable and locally available materials, except for the alternator. • Simple construction and maintenance that can be done by locals. • Can be integrated into existing system used for energy storage in households. • Clean source of energy and adoption will reduce pollution caused by kerosene lamps. • Potential for local employment in provision and distribution of charged batteries


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Cooking technologies

Brighton University, Team 1: Biogas cooking system

Proposal: To catalyse the permeation of biogas deeper into the heart of the community by the incorporation of a biogas system to provide fuel to be used for cooking.

Design: The first step of this system would be a digester where residents could deposit their waste for the digester. The amount of biomass a household provides determines how much biogas they receive. Withdrawn gas would be transported to a residence via an airtight sack (such as are currently available for this purpose), and deposited to a low-‐pressure storage system manufactured from plastic barrels.

The final part of the system is a two-‐burner biogas stove (attached to the low pressure storage system) made from locally found materials in keeping with traditional cooking equipment, hand moulded clay and earth form the base of the stove and the manifold is constructed from an aluminium can.

Cost:

Size of the plant kept small and materials gained from local sources to keep costs low.


• Instruction manual to allow for easy building of the stove by individual households • Constructed using easily available, locally sourced recycled materials • Reduces unsustainable emissions via cooking • Reduces amount of waste by using it productively • Creation of a social enterprise that may benefit the whole community • Improves health and livelihoods through reduced emissions and waste, and time-‐saving,

particularly for women.


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Coventry University, Team 1: Improved biodigester

Proposal:

The report looks into improving the design of a biodigester used for cooking in Sandikhola.

Design:

The final design would consist of a water heating system inside the tpPVC manure tank. The water heating system would heat the bio digester to increase temperature at around 35 to 40 degrees. This would allow the anaerobic digestion process to occur much quickly and produce more gas. The manure tank would be surrounded by a concrete wall for protection and insulation to ensure minimum heat loss. There would be an inlet pipe and two outlet pipes. The outlet pipes would allow water and manure to leave the tank. Water used in the heating system would be reused, reheated and poured back into the pipeline.

Cost:

Item Cost Total cost of concrete wall and slurry mixer 19,395(NRPs) Total cost of copper pipe coil and skilled labour 25,224.60(NRPs) Costs of PVC tank 135,366(NRPs) Cost of HDPE pipe 642.40(NRPs) GI/GI Flange set-‐1(1 inch) 1,050.90(NRPs) Cost of transport 42,000(NRPs) Cost of tool 4,021.67(NRPs) Cost of labour 14,000(NRPs)

Total cost: 241,700.57(NRPs)


• Uses locally available resources and builds on existing knowledge/use of biogas. • Makes productive use of locally abundant waste product (animal waste turned into fertiliser). • Community will be able to use and maintain the system themselves, after initial training • Reduced deforestation as reduced demand for firewood. • High initial cost but could be reduced via subsidies and donations


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London Southbank University, Team 3: Rocket stove, improved cooking stove

Proposal: A “Rocket Cooker” cooking appliance to improve the ease of use, efficiency, reliability, sustainability, costs and the health impacts related to traditional firewood stoves. Design: The “Rocket Cooker” is a more efficient version of a wood fire stove. It is constructed using waste products such as oil drums, where a chimney is created to heat the cooking appliance. The way it has been designed reduces the smoke admissions and does not waste as much heat as the fire stoves which are currently in place. The chimney (where the wood is burned) is insulated with gravel/sand to prevent heat loss, although it will also weigh the cooker down to prevent tipping. The insulation makes the cooker safe to touch as heat is absorbed through the gravel/sand rather than coming into contact with the outer metal casing. As a result, the cooker can also act as a storage heater once the fire has been extinguished and will gradually dissipate heat within the room. The accumulated ash at the base of the stove shall be cleared from time to time. The ashes must be manually removed, there is no special skill required to carry this out and could be done by the villager themselves.

Directions of use: Cost:

Material/Labour Cost (£) 2x60 litres used oil drum (rate @ £0.05 per kilo) £0.05 15pairs of nut & bolt (rate @ £0.02 a pair) £0.30 Screwdrivers set, use cost for “screwdriver 10” – NPR 141.25” using data supplied by NEWAH

£1.00 (one off cost)

Sheet metal cutter (new), use cost for “gebrit knife – NPR 219.22” using data supplied by NEWAH

£2.00 (one off cost)

20kg Sand available locally for free 4hours of Labour, use cost for “skilled labour – NPR 600” using data supplied by NEWAH

£4.00

Estimated total cost £7.35


• Reduced air pollution and deforestation due to reduced wood consumption. • Improved household living conditions, as stove takes up less room in the home and produces

less smoke than traditional stoves. • Comprises mainly recycled materials, which are low cost and reduce local waste. • Low-‐cost and uses available fuel, so accessible to all members of community (unlike Biogas).. • Potential employment via manufacturing of stoves by local tradesman.


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London South Bank University, Team 1: Rocket stove and smoke hood

Proposal:

A highly efficient stove that burns at much higher temperatures than an open fire, combined with a natural smoke ventilation system, which reduces the quantity of smoke expelled into the house during cooking.

Design:

The rocket stove will be constructed in two sections; the first is the Baldosa firebox. The firebox is a chamber where the combustion of raw materials takes place. The firebox will be manufactured locally using ceramic tiles. The second part of the construction is the outer wall and insulation. The firebox will sit in insulation (dry wood ash) held in place with an outer mud brick skin wall. Using an insulator in the process increases the temperature in the combustion chamber, which helps to burn off unburnt particles from the combustion process, reducing the amount of smoke the fire produces. A shelf or grill will be placed on top of the mud brick wall, with 25mm gap between the grill and the top of the bricks.

The natural smoke extract solution relies on the natural buoyancy of hot gases to drive the smoke through the system. A steel smoke hood allows for ventilation as well as heating when occupants are cooking. The smoke hood will be attached to a flue that will enable us to extract the fumes at the ceiling of the kitchen via a grille.

Cost:

High initial cost. The cost to transport steel to Sandikhola, will cost approximately 15,000 Rupees per trip and the skilled labour to cut the steel will cost roughly 600 Rupees per day. Unable to find accurate costings for the metal.


• By-‐products of construction could be used for productive purposes (such as fertiliser and water filtration).

• All materials, except for steel, are low-‐costs, sustainable and available locally. • Improved health due to reduced smoke pollution in households. • Simple design that can be constructed and maintained locally. • High initial cost may be beyond capacity of many households with external support.


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Imperial College London, Team 3: ‘Yak Pot’ low smoke cooker

Proposal:

Introduce a slow cooker slow cooker designed to keep fluid at a temperature that is high enough to cook food (around 80 C) for extended periods of time with no fuel.

Design:

The slow cooker consists of an insulated jacket which minimises heat loss from the pot placed inside. The cooker comprises reflective material, lining, insulating layer and tie string. The reflective material is placed against the metal pot and minimises radiative heat loss. Foil faced bubble wrap can be used as both reflection for radiation and insulation. The inner lining, made from local materials such as old clothing, is sewn to the reflective material and is used to give the general shape of the slow cooker. The space between the inner and outer lining is filled with yak hair which will provide insulation, keeping the pot warm. A tie-‐string is used to close the slow cooker once the pot is inside. A template for the inner and outer lining, lid and reflective material will be provided so that the slow cooker can be made to the right size.

Cost:

It should cost less than 10$, be made mainly from local materials and last for a minimum of 2 years.


• Uses low cost and largely locally available materials. • Simple design can be made from a ‘do it yourself’ pack by communities themselves. • Potential for local employment in production of slow cookers for sale. • Reduction in deforestation and soil erosion due to reduction in wood burnt for cooking. • Improved health related to reduction of wood burning and smoke pollution in households.


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Energy supply for water pumping

Durham University, Team 1: Floating water wheel for water pumping

Proposal:

A waterwheel will be installed on the Trishuli River 5km away, to ensure a reliable water flow to the village in the dry season.

Design:

The fibreglass water wheel with curved blades will float on intelligently designed steel pontoons, which use hydrofoils to accelerate the flow and thus increase power output. The final 12 bladed waterwheel design is 3m wide, 2m in diameter, and is submerged 0.85m in the river. The wheel will drive an on-‐board permanent magnet generator through a high torque density gear box, before being put into a generator with low revolutions per minute. Wires will then be suspended by steel cables to take energy on land. The system for mooring the pontoon to the riverbed comprises a large mass connected to a heavy chain that runs along the riverbed. The pontoon system can easily be moved from the river to the bank and disassembled or maintained.

Final design Wire support system

Cost:

The budget is £25k, this is used to: purchase the raw materials, manufacture the parts, transport to location, assemble the waterwheel and train the local maintenance team. The villagers will have to pay monthly instalments of approximately 735Rs per household to cover the cost for parts and replacements (including inflation), the wages of the maintenance team and unexpected yearly fault cost


• Can be maintained by community. • River environment unaffected by installation. • Local employment opportunities for system operation and maintenance, particularly for the

poorest inhabitants. • Electricity generation does not produce any pollution. • Uses sustainable materials with majority of components sourced within Nepal.


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Water mill

University of Manchester, Team 2: Integrated water mill and grinding wheel

Proposal:

An integrated water mill and the grinding wheel that tackles two of the major problems faced by villagers: lack of electricity and means of a tool to grind grain.

Design: The turbine that is connected to the water wheel has magnets on it. The turbine rotates perpendicular to the coils, which induces a current in the coil that produces electricity. The power is distributed from the turbine to the local power storage unit, where the power is converted from DC to AC. The power is distributed to houses for individual consumption using overhead cables

supported by wooden poles. Electricity use is monitored and households are charged according to the number of units consumed. Households will be supplied with LED lightbulbs that will be powered by the electricity. The same turbine rotates the grinding wheel on the opposite side of the turbine. A hydraulic jack is fitted underneath the grinding wheel, which allows it only to be connected when required.

Cost: Item Cost (USD)

Generator 800 Materials and labour for generator 500 AC converter 200 LED light bulbs 600 Distributions system 300

Total cost: 2,400 USD


• Low-‐cost design where majority of materials are available locally (within Nepal). • Increased productivity due to increased light and therefore working hours, as well as reduced

manual labour for grinding. • Environmentally friendly and sustainable form of energy generation.


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Edinburgh University, Team 4: Water Mill Design

Proposal:

A water mill to grind grain, including rice and corn, which are the most widely grown produce in the community. Proposed location is immediately downstream of V-‐notch weir constructed by NEWAH in 2013.

Design:

The water flows out of the V-‐notch weir and straight into a cylindrical chute, which has a grate at the inlet to stop debris entering the system. The chute directs the water downstream, slightly to the right of the centre of the turbine causing it to rotate. The water then falls off the turbine blades directly into the stream, then continues along its original path. The turbine is made from stainless steel with a protective coating of orange paint to prevent rust. The turbine is connected to a shaft made from Shorea Robusta by a metal bolt. The shaft runs up through the floor of the Ghatta, where a large stone disc sits on top, called the runner stone. A metal bar, upon which the weight of the runner stone rests, is butted into a grove in the top of the shaft. The runner sits just above a similar stone that rests on the floor, called the bedstone, both are patterned with radial grooves. The grain itself sits in a woven hopper suspended from a ceiling beam via ropes, allowing grain to be introduced to the stones through the eye of the runner stone. Once ground, the grain falls onto the floor with a walled tray, for collection by the miller.

Cost: Contribution Cost (NPR)

Parts 52,810 Tools 3,227 Transport 51,000 Labour 72,000

Estimated total cost 179,037 (£1,145)

Environmental/Social impacts:

• Water is redirected from its original path for the shortest possible time, minimising the environmental impact.

• Requires sufficient flow rates to function. • Saving in time and effort due to local grinding/processing of grains and associated increase in

time and effort for other activities, particularly for women. • Employment for construction, operation and maintenance of the mill. • Potential social conflict due to installation. • Generates income for the community.


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DESIGN AREA 4: WASTE MANAGEMENT

Sludge management

London South Bank University, Team 4: Multi-‐purpose S-‐Bricks

Proposal:

The proposal is to collect the sludge from the bio digester and mould it into an S-‐Brick for various uses.

Design:

The process for creating the S-‐Brick is to initially collect digestate from the bio digester and eliminate the wasting of the digestate. This is done using a large bamboo shoot, cut in half to allow the digestate to flow to various empty oil drums. The shoot will swing to allow many drums to be filled without manually moving a full heavy one. The digestate is mixed with a number of different media such as dry straw, saw dust, clay rich mud, or low grade fly ash. All of the stated mixing agents are used to help increase the viscosity of the mixture and to help it set during moulding. The mixture is then poured into sized moulds. These moulds consist of various interchangeable cross members, which allow the moulds to be sized according to the eventual use of the bricks. Once the mixture is poured into the moulds, they must be left to dry and cure for a period of time. Incorporation of a number of bamboo rods through the brick allows it to be used as a non-‐structural ventilation house brick. Alternatively, the dry bricks can be later mixed with water to form a solution and used as fertiliser on crops.

Cost:

Expenditure on new products or tools is nearly zero cost. One sheet of ply wood costing around 450 NRP, can be used to construct 2 boxes for brick-‐making, therefore the cost of one box to produce a minimum of 9 bricks is around 225 NRP, not including tools or labour.


• Uses sustainable locally sourced waste material (digestate). • Simple production process can be conducted by community. • Reduction in vehicular air pollution due to removal of need to transport digestate off-‐site. • Reduction in land pollution due to re-‐use of digestate (compared to current dumping). • Improvement in household air quality if bricks used to increase ventilation. • Increased crop production if bricks used as fertiliser. • Potential for local employment via reproduction of bricks.


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Waste as energy

University of Strathclyde, Team 1: Plastic bottle greenhouse

Proposal:

A low-‐level greenhouse made from plastic waste bottles, which would reduce the amount of plastic waste within the village, improve crop production and therefore increase food and income to households.

Design:

The greenhouse will be made of panels of bottles held within a bamboo frame. The panels are created using plastic bottles that are joined together into threads. Approximately 4000 bottles are required to make a greenhouse for a 10m x 5m plot of land. This solution could extend the summer crop growing season as little variety is grown in winter.

The low height (one bottle) of the greenhouse greatly reduces wind impact as well as buckling of the bamboo due to short column length. The size also allows for portability, so the soil can be worked and planted before being covered by the greenhouse. As it is permeable from the gaps between the bottles, the rain would water the crops without need for the field to be uncovered.

Cost:

The 200 m of bamboo required for a greenhouse to cover a 10m x 5m plot would only cost 1400Rs. Jute twine is not included in this costing. However, jute was found to cost roughly 65Rs/kg. Bottles are waste materials and are therefore cost free.


• Uses materials that are sustainable and locally sourced. • Reduction in waste within the community due to recycling of bottles. • Simple design can be constructed by households or groups in the community. • Movable structure that can be adapted to fit different locations. • Increased food and income due to increase in yield and variety of crops grown. • Growth of plants also depends on water availability.


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DESIGN AREA 5: TRANSPORT

Vertical goods transportation systems

University of East Anglia, Team 2: Mule-‐powered wooden rail system

Proposal:

A mule-‐powered wooden rail system that allows for the transportation of goods up and down the hills in the village.

Design:

The proposed transport system comprises a wooden sledge upon wooden rails. Goods are fastened to the sledge and pulled up hill by rope. In order to stop the sledge from falling or slipping off the rails the sledge will more closely resemble figure 2, with a lip on either edge for the rails to lay within. Figure 3 illustrates the initial design for the spool, around which the steel cable will be wound. The proposed transport design proposes wood for both the railings and sledge; however moving forward metal and pipe will be considered as alternative or additional design.

As a source of energy for transportation the system of mule powered spools is recommended. Mules, or buffalo if the load was large enough, will wind up the spool, pulling the trolley up the hillside.

Cost:

As many locally sourced, highly available materials as possible are used to keep costs low. The only expensive material in the design is the metal cabling used to tow the trolley up the track. This cabling is also inexpensive, with prices under £0.45 per metre.


• Potential large area required for spools to wind the rope to power the sledges in the system. • Simple construction and maintenance that can be conducted by the community. • System potentially funded through toll scheme. • No environmental damage or pollution produced by system. • Uses low-‐cost, locally sourced and sustainable materials. • Improved transportation of goods in the village throughout the year.


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Cardiff University, Team 1: Motorised ropeway pulley system

Proposal:

A motorised rope pulley transport system for movement of goods up and down a mountain powered by a biogas generator and electric motors.

Design:

The design comprises a ropeway lift system with three stations and effectively two separate but similar ropeways. Each system would have a big turning wheel, which could be connected to a motor at certain times to enable the transport of a higher ratio of uphill moving load to downhill moving load. The carts would move along static steel ropes, being pulled by a separate moving rope that connects the uphill load to the downhill load (see figure 2). The purpose of having each cart connected to two lines is firstly to share the load between the lines. This reduces the tension in the lines. It also enables the use of a lighter moving rope, avoiding the system pulling the heavy steel cable up hill, as well as reducing the friction between the moving rope and the pylons. Analysing the load in the system requires complex technical analysis and local research.

Cost:

Environment/social impacts:

• Feasible design but needs technical input to ensure safe design and construction. • Improvement of local waste management through collection and use of faeces. • Provision of fertiliser as a by-‐product of the biogas generation. • Local employment for construction, operation and maintenance of the ropeway. • Minimum visual impact on natural environment and carbon neutral power source. • Risk posed by heavy overhead load and methane generator, but reduced by adequate training

of operators.

Item Cost (£) 4400m of Ø50 mm steel cable £16,700 Large pulley with brakes and with a 1000kg capacity £143.17 2 two-‐roller assembly zip line pulleys £100 2 large cages for transport unspecified Concrete, reinforcements and steel for the 6 support pylons £8000 Transport trucks for steel cables £1000 Workforce of 10 skilled workers and 20 unskilled workers £100 per day Human and animal waste for generator £0 (donations)

Estimated total cost: £25,888 + labour


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Birmingham University, Team 3: Oxen powered vertical transport system

Proposal:

An oxen-‐powered vertical transportation system that allows numerous benefits in the village of Sandikhola based on the increase in disposable time it creates.

Design:

A low tech, suspended ropeway that can be used with up to ten 10kg bags to hold firewood, or a single100kg container was identified as the best solution. The system consists of a steel wire suspended 3m above ground level on bamboo saddles attached to bamboo columns at 30m spacing. The wires themselves will be supported 3m in the air by saddles atop the columns. These saddles support tin sheets which have peaks and troughs that are perfect for ensuring the cable runs straight while allowing attachments of vertical rope that require tapered longitudinal binding to the cable itself to prevent slippage of the bag while travelling up the slope. Two guy wires act perpendicular to the ropeway with a further placed inline to provide resistance to tension of the cable. The system would be powered by manual energy generation in the form of locally available and inefficiently used oxen or gaur.

Cost:


• Education and training will prevent potential increase in social inequality the design may create.

• Can be constructed by community without external assistance once training is given. • Creation of more free-‐time, which may increase income, education and quality of life in

general for the community. • Potential increase in deforestation due to ease of wood transport.


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Edinburgh University, Team 2: Bicycle powered vertical transport system

Proposal:

Vertical goods transportation via an aerial ropeway powered by bicycles to transport firewood, crops, animal feed and any other goods required.

Design:

The design consists of four fixed towers, two at the top of an incline and two at the bottom. Two tensioned parallel steel wires shall run up the slope connecting the top and bottom towers together. The towers should be made from concrete and have foundations suitable to support the forces exerted on them. A basket hangs from the two wires. This is pulled up and down the system using two bicycles mechanically connected to a cable drum. The basket is designed to be interchangeable, which allows different baskets for different loads to be used. An aluminium basket design is included, with a maximum load of 52.5 kg, however this may be left detached to allow the user to attach smaller loads without it if they want to. A braking system was considered necessary for the ropeway to avoid any damage to the basket if it reached the bottom station too quickly.

Cost: Item Cost

Materials £2764.86 Transport £957 Labour £1075

Total cost: £4796.86

Charging households 25 NRP per day to use the system would prevent heavy usage from impacting finances of users too heavily, while allowing the system to make a profit. A lower rate could be introduced, charging 15 NRP for a single load, for people who only need a specific item transported.


• Involvement of community in construction. • Local employment opportunities for operation and maintenance. • Pedal powered system that does not pollute environment. • Minimal environmental impacts during construction. • Increase in free-‐time and improved health due to reduction in time and effort to transport goods up

and downhill, particularly for women.


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Edinburgh University, Team 3: Block and tackle goods transportation system

Proposal:

A hand-‐powered vertical goods transportation system to reduce the problem of the transportation of large volumes of heavy goods over a steep gradient.

Design:

The design consists of a basket hung on a cableway that can be filled with goods to be transported, and then moved up the hill by the operation of a crank attached to a winding drum at the bottom of the hill. As the operator turns the crank the drum turns and winds in a rope. As this rope is wound in, the basket is pulled up the hill along the cableway by way of a three-‐sheave block and tackle. The drum uses a ratchet in order for the basket to remain stationary when the operator lets go of the crank; this also allows people to unload the basket wherever they choose along the cableway. Once the basket is at the top of the hill, it can either be brought back down empty or villagers can use it to transport goods down the hill. Either way, the ratchet on the drum is disengaged and the basket is carried down the hill by gravity. A brake that acts on the drum is used to control the speed of the basket and prevent it colliding with the bottom support. One of the basket’s sides is hinged so as to act as a door to ease loading of goods. Also, the basket is detachable to facilitate repairs and enable villagers to hang items that might not fit inside the basket but could still be hauled up the hill. The system is designed to carry a load of 100 kg.

Cost: Item Cost (NPR)

Materials and equipment 180,372 Labour 14,000 Transportation Negligible

Total cost: 194,372 NPR


• Uses low-‐cost and locally sourced materials, including cedar wood. • Simple design that can be easily repaired and maintained locally. • Improvement in health and income due to reduction in time and effort spent transporting

goods up and downhill. • Potential for local employment in operation and maintenance.


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Sheffield Hallam University, Team 2: ‘Paddy Pulley’ transportation system

Proposal:

The paddy pulley, a vertical goods transportation system, is designed to improve the transportation of rice uphill, which increases work efficiency of harvesting and also prevents workers from being injured.

Design:

Two bamboo 'A' frames, one at the top of the hill and one at the bottom of the hill, slide in parallel along the hill so that rice can be collected across the full side of the hill. There will be plastic buckets attached to the pulley and rope system with hooks. These buckets will be filled up with rice and once filled a person at the top of the hill will lift up the rice by turning the handle on a wooden pulley system. The ropes will be made of natural fibres, such as dogbane. The height of the rope will be two metres, so the buckets can be easily lifted off by hand when standing but also moves above the height of the rice in the fields.


Tools 9,961.14 Materials 2,221.20 Transport 22,000.00 Labour 4,400.00



• Design uses low-‐cost locally available materials. • Minimal impact on surrounding environment if bamboo and trees harvested sustainably. • Simple design can be constructed and maintained by community. • Improvement in health and productivity due to reduction in time spent carrying rice.


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University of East Anglia, Team 1: Power-‐assisted gravity ropeway

Proposal:

A vertical ropeway system that functions by gravity and/or assisted power, which can be used to transport goods between highland and lowland areas.

Design:

The pulley system consists of two stations situated at the top and bottom of a hillside. Between those stations, two trollies – connected to individual tracking wire – are simultaneously ferried up and down a hillside by a hauling wire which itself passes around a sheave at both stations. The kinetic energy generated from the trolley descending the hillside in-‐turn generates enough energy so that a trolley can ascend the hillside at the same time. In situations where the trolley descending is heavier than the ascending trolley, no additional power is needed. However, where this is not the case a bicycle frame connected to the system at one end provides the power to move the loads.

Cost

The cost has been established from a case study using a similar idea, which had an approximate cost of 786,750 NPR. The system proposed here would be cheaper as some parts would be able to be recycled from scrap of other commodities such as car parts and bicycles. Also the baskets would be able to be made by the community. With consideration of this, the estimated cost is between 720,000 and 740,000 NPR.


• Simple design that does not require skilled labour for construction and maintenance. • Increase in productivity due to reduction in time spent carrying loads. • Reduction in waste on roads due to reduced reliance on cattle for transport. • System requires input of clean energy only. • Local employment opportunities through construction, maintenance and operation. • Reduction in social exclusion due to greater connection of areas.


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Road maintenance and management

Birmingham University, Team 4: Combined road drainage system

Proposal:

Develop a viable design solution that could help manage and cope with the high volume of rain that Nepal gets during the monsoon seasons, which can be particularly damaging to roads.

Design:

A four-‐part drainage system that includes a camber, side drains, scour checks and culverts. The design comprises only four different materials; timber, bamboo, stone and soil.

The side drain is constructed by excavating soil from the sides of roads. Excavated soil is placed onto the road to form a camber, which will encourage rainwater to flow off either side of the road to the side drains. Along the length of the side drains are regular bamboo scour checks, which slow down the flow of rainwater. Water eventually flows into a timber culvert and is discharged in a safe location.

Cost:


• Uses locally sourced low-‐cost materials. • Potential for employment of community during construction. • Reduces potential of hazardous landslides, which improves transportation by road and hence

health, business, education and food security. • Increased availability of water for use by community and animals.


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DESIGN AREA 6: INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

Automated data recording system

Imperial College London, Team 5: Automated data recording system

Proposal:

A modular recording system that will reduce NEWAH's workload, particularly time spent manually collecting and analysing data.

Design:

The modular recording system includes a small programmable computer (such as Arduino or Raspberry Pi) and attachable sensors. The system will routinely collect data and generate automated reports which can be sent securely via a radio transmitter or collected manually. The modules include riverside flow and water depth monitors. A barometer will detect the water depth through the

pressure in the enclosed tube, and a kinetic water wheel will measure flow rate. Next to static water sources, sensors such as pH gauges and TDS (total dissolved solids) meters could be used to gauge spring health. For detecting smoke levels and underwater turbidity, a flash from a light bulb will be used, as the number of particles is represented by the opacity of the image taken during the flash. This design can be modified to

be waterproof and used underwater to provide an estimate of turgidity in the water. The software to receive and analyse the data will be designed for desktop. The information will be copied from the receiver (which will have local storage) upon start up and the program will carry out analysis, presenting the data in the forms of graphs against time or other graphical formats to the end user.

Cost:

Exact implementation cost would be dependent on the system configuration chosen and practicality of each option, but it is estimated the system could be achieved for approximately 45 USD.


• Low-‐cost, simple design can be used and maintained by NEWAH staff. • Durable system will not be adversely affected by extreme weather conditions. • Top-‐down design and implementation, although community involved in maintenance of

sensors. • Increased productivity of NEWAH staff due to reduction in time spent collecting data. • Potential to improve health through increased monitoring of smoke levels/water quality.


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DESIGN AREA 7: CLIMATE CHANGE

Food security

University College Dublin, Team 1: ‘EnvelHope’ food dehydration system

Proposal:

A food dehydration system, based on sun-‐drying, designed to prolong the shelf life of food to ensure the community receives adequate nutrition throughout the year.

Design:

EnvelHope is composed of two breathable plastics – Tyvek and High Density Polyethylene Plastics to allow the food to release moisture naturally. The “zip-‐lock” seal, a closing device to force the evaporated water out of the system, protects the food from bugs and insects, and allows for pressure to assist in drying. An autonomous drainage system composed of hard rubber or plastic blades, pipes and sponges allows water to escape. The hard blades act as an instant drying mechanism, when applied with force, and also as a barrier between the sponge and food. When the heat is harvested in the bag, the temperature increases pressure giving it an arched roof. This arched roof allows water condensation to trickle down either side of the device and onto the sponges’ walls. When the sponge expands at maximum capacity, the pressure of the hard blade will push against the sponge, relieving itself of excess water and siphoning the liquid out of the pipes. The standard product size intended to be produced is congruent to a large chopping board, 25cm x 30cm, but these dimensions can be easily scaled up or down in accordance with the community’s needs.

Cost:

By identifying the average income, there is a plan to make the EvelHope affordable to every community in Nepal at the cost of only 5 Euro.


• Based on traditional food preservation methods already used • Increases food shelf-‐life and hence food security. • Envelopes are fully reusable but plastic is not repairable if damaged. • Regular maintenance and part replacement needed. • Product could be manufactured within Nepal. • Potential for future local manufacture with adequate support. • Instruction manual to assist with use.


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Fly and mosquito management

University of Sheffield, Team 2: Mosquito surveillance system

Proposal:

A disease prediction system for communities at risk of malaria and other vector-‐borne diseases that utilises a combination of crowd sourced climate data as well as pre-‐existing weather data, to determine the likelihood of an increase in mosquito population.

Design:

The kits will include a basic thermometer and a rainfall gauge to measure the daily climate conditions, the data obtained from this equipment will be submitted to a central database via an SMS by designated community members. This data can then be processed by a central computer system to make the predictive calculations for the local mosquito populations in the local environments of the communities. The resulting predictions can be sent back to a community representative via SMS and to a publicly available website, in the form of bulletins, warning messages and interactive maps. These outputs will provide them with warning if high numbers of mosquitoes are likely. The community can then use a public warning system based on coloured flags, which are also supplied with the kit, to alert others of the threat.

Cost:

The total cost of the kit would be approximately -‐ £1.53/unit or 226.85 NPR /unit, with the additional flagpole -‐ £3.28/unit or 486.31 NPR /unit. This gives a total cost for 50,000 units, which would be distributed among the communities of 13 districts, of £76,500.


• Kits are low-‐cost and include recyclable materials. • Potential for local employment in operation of the system. • Increase in knowledge on general healthcare issues among health workers and community. • Increased productivity due to reduction in mosquito-‐related illnesses.

ewb challenge 2015 report summaries

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