Transformative Technologies for the Developing World, of Clean Water, Clean Indoor Air and Industrialization
Large-scale, packed particle bed, PPB water filters will leave no one behind for clean drinking water¹
Prospective PPB water filter media consists of either granulated ceramics or glass microbeads. These are treated with a small amount of silver. The silver destroys bacteria on contact. The granulated water filter media can be produced in-country or in the region.
Our first household water filters of granulated ceramics are shown, developed in Nepal in 2003. At upper right, a 3.5 quart jar is being adapted to a drinking water filter of granulated media. It’s a filter for institutions of developing countries.
In low-income communities that have large-scale PPB water filters, people will walk a short distance from home to get purified drinking water. In middle- and high-income communities, water will be piped into homes. For example, PPB water filters will be adjacent to a water tower, or a water tank on the top of a building.
In municipal utility water treatment, PPB water filter media will substitute for slow sand in treatment, the first step in water treatment. Slow sand filtration reduces 99.0% of the bacteria. To reduce the remaining 1.0%, conventional water utilities undergo a subsequent, expensive step of reverse osmosis or ultraviolet.
In using PPB water filters there will be little or no need for the disinfectant steps of reverse osmosis or ultraviolet. The many advantages of large-scale PPB water filters suggest that no one would be left behind for clean drinking water.
Insulating Rocket Stoves - Indoor Air Quality
Shown is our highly energy-efficient insulating rocket stove boiling water, here in Alfred. There’s no smoke! Produced by rural potters of low-income countries, the stove prevents respiratory illnesses. Uniquely for a biomass stove, it prevents trees being cut down for wood fuel and prevents the production of charcoal.
The sanitary stoneware toilet shown is in eight pieces, a urine diverting toilet
Uniquely for a toilet, this one can be fired in a small electric kiln. Toilets fired in small kilns can be showcased for investors, pointing up the viability of larger kilns. Fired in a large kiln, this toilet can be put together in one piece rather than eight, by joining the pieces together, soon after the forning process.
There should be no need to import toilets to low-income countries! The new capacity of production of this toilet, firing to 1300C, can be a pivotal event toward the industrialization of a low- to middle-income country.
Training Potters Enables Industrialization in Forming Processes and Improved Kilns
References
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A large-scale water filter of PPBs for low-income communities.
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Insulating rocket stove boiling water with no smoke, Rwanda potters, 2022.
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The Gender Nature of Domestic Pottery in Africa, Leila Mukhtar Ahmed, European Academic Research, Vol. IV, Issue 8/ November 2016.
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Industrialization from the Grassroots, a presentation of October 4, 2022, to the EU Tech Chamber Manufacturing Alliance. Note the last slide for additional technology references.
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Resource Intensive Industrialization, is described in contrast to capital intensive development. Visions for Europe, December 2022.
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Reference. The pitcher of the logo at page top is from Wikipedia Commons, free images, Neolithic Liangzhu Culture Pottery 04.j
For background, have a look at this, 'The African Think Tank,' TATT Episode 16. It's all about the pursuit of resource intensive industrialization, in contrast to capital intensive development. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0gE91L0jSc