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dc.contributor.advisorAmy Smith.en_US
dc.contributor.authorThomas, Ashley Elizabethen_US
dc.contributor.otherMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2009-04-29T17:23:08Z
dc.date.available2009-04-29T17:23:08Z
dc.date.copyright2008en_US
dc.date.issued2008en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/45304
dc.descriptionThesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2008.en_US
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (leaf 35).en_US
dc.description.abstractIndoor air pollution is a serious health risk in developing countries, and is the leading cause of death for children under five. By replacing traditional cooking fuels with charcoal, one can significantly reduce a user's exposure to the particulate matter responsible for the detrimental health effects. The MIT D-Lab has have developed a method of creating charcoal using agriculture wastes such as bagasse and corncobs. However, it has been found that corncob charcoal produces dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide and as a result is unable to be burned directly and must be briquetted. In conjunction with this, an organization in Lima, Peru called Enlace Solidario makes coal briquettes in a configuration that optimizes the burning performance. They have entered in a partnership with the nearby orphanage of Segrada Familia to produce cooking fuel at no cost. However, Segrada Familia must supply their own ground charcoal to be briquetted. Thus, there is a clear need for a charcoal grinding machine. This thesis developed a successful grinding mechanism based on a peanut sheller design developed by the Full Belly Project. Though it needs to be scaled up to achieve the required throughput, this mechanism successfully limits the user's exposure to charcoal dust created during the grinding process and provides a means to produce corn cob powder necessary to briquette charcoal.en_US
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityby Ashely Elizabeth Thomas.en_US
dc.format.extent39 leavesen_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherMassachusetts Institute of Technologyen_US
dc.rightsM.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.en_US
dc.rights.urihttp://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582en_US
dc.subjectMechanical Engineering.en_US
dc.titleCreating a low-cost, low-particulate emissions corn cob charcoal grinder for use in Peruen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.description.degreeS.B.en_US
dc.contributor.departmentMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
dc.identifier.oclc312729329en_US


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