JOHN  MITCHELL,  PHD    CANDIDATE  IN  ENVIRONMENTAL  DESIGN  AND  

PLANNING  BUILDING  CONSTRUCTION  VIRGINIA  POLYTECHNIC  AND  STATE  UNIVERSITY  

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A SCHEME FOR SUSTAINABLE

RURAL ELECTRIFICATION &

POINT SOURCE FOOD PROCESSING

By John Mitchell and A. L. (Tom) Hammett, Virginia Tech, David Milburn, Air Oasis and Ken Newman, Berken Energy

Presented at GFIA Abu Dhabi UAE

February 2-5, 2014

Innovation for Agricultural Training and Education

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Why System is Needed •  Rural Areas 2/3 of population •  80% are low income countries •  75% of poor income is rural •  40% - 70% farming income only •  10% - 20% with income diversity •  30% are conflict affected •  Electricity access is 12% in rural •  15% live within 10 K of

substation •  41% are in isolated areas no grid •  Limited rural education access •  Limited R&D technology access

Development Process •  Product Identification •  Delivery Method Selection •  Participant Identification •  Risk Identification & Mitigation •  Location Assessment

Implementation Steps •  Process Analysis •  System Design

•  Meat Processing & Packaging

•  Power Supply System •  Technology Improvements •  Partner Development

Development Scheme

POST CONFLICT ZONE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP RISK MITIGATION STRATEGY

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Multi-Sector Variability

Integrated Community & Business Governance

Scaling Capacity •  Agriculture •  Energy •  Education

•  Partner Roles-Responsibilities-Returns

• Multi Stakeholder Platform •  Blended Investment Network

•  Business Model •  Transformative •  Effective - Efficient Expandable

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SOMALIA NEEDS ASSESSMENT AGRICULTURE

ENERGY EDUCATION

Products Proposis Juliflora Proposis Africana Leucaena leucophila Napier Grass Sorghum Sudanese

Uses Forage Food Biomass Fuel Construction

Issues Invasive Plants R & D Equipment

Products Camel - #1 Goat - #4 Sheep - #6 Cattle - #8

Markets Local Other African Arab Gulf

Issues Marketing Methods Animal Disease Production Capacity

Value Analysis Opportunities •  Improve livestock forage feed diversity options •  Utilize Biomass and or Solar as fuel source •  Increase business and employment opportunities

Value Analysis Opportunities •  Forward Integration of Processing &

Packaging •  Local Vet Med Ed with 3rd Party Certifications •  Improve Animal Husbandry Practices

Solar Good Solar Resources Easy to Maintain Land Available Modular Expansion

Biomass CHP Sustainable Feed Stock Economically Feasible Low Maintenance Modular Expansion

Tech Training Vet Tech Lab Tech Business Health & Sanitation Farm Management

Delivery Method Virtual Blended Face to Face

MEAT PROCESSING & PACKAGING

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Stationary Slaughter House & Packaging Facility

Mobile Slaughter House Unit

Some Risk Factors •  Clean H.T. Water for Processing •  Power for Chiller & Freezer •  Power for Packaging Equipment •  Power for Environmental Comfort •  Microbial Contamination Avoidance

Some Risk Factors •  Fuel Access •  Minimal Quality Roads •  Pest Protection •  Internal Air Quality •  Microbial Contamination

AIR-OASIS AHPCO

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Advanced Hydrated Photocatalytic Oxidation Technology

•  Technology initially developed and used by NASA •  Germicidal UVC lamp destroys germs as they pass through the rays of UV light •  Light rays from the UVC lamp react with the AHPCO Catalyst to produce catalytic molecules •  Catalytic molecules seek out and destroy carbon based molecules by converting them into carbon dioxide and water •  Effective against surface mold, bacteria, aeroallergens, viruses and odor causing VOC’s •  Scalable Modular units with low power requirements and low maintenance (no filter replacement required) •  Easy to install into existing or new mechanical systems

Air Oasis™ Air Sanifiers®

PRELIMINARY VIRGINIA TECH SURFACE CONTAMINATION TESTING

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Inedible Meat Chiller at Virginia Tech Food Science Building

•  Room size 9 ft. x 13 ft-6 in x 10 ft-6 in •  Room Temperature 46 degrees F •  Initial swab cultures taken and refrigerated 4 locations •  Air Oasis unit installed and operated for 4 days •  New samples taken and all incubated for 48 hours @ 37 degrees C •  Room contained inedible animal parts and was not sealed •  Room equipment was not cleaned

Air Oasis Mobile 250 Sanifier

Wall Sample Before and 1 Week After Air Oasis Petri Dishes

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3 4

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A.O. Unit

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High Temperature Hot Water MT- CC

POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM DUAL FUEL BIO MASS MICRO-TURBINE CHP

Adapted from Loeser, M and Redfern, M , 2010

Inverter Generator

BERKEN ENERGY RECLAIMED THERMAL VOLTAIC TEG

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6.8 cm x 5.5 cm x 0.15 cm 24 Cartridges in 1 sqft

3 Cartridges yield 2.5W @ DT = 65.5 C

Seebeck Device “Couple”

Unique Low Cost Relatively Low Temp Fabrication @ 400 C

Polycrystalline based Thermovoltaic pellets

Berken Pellet Berken Cartridge

Berken Thermal Voltaic RTV Heat Exchanger

Provides clean solid state electricity Utilizes gas or liquid waste heat Only 65.5 C – 100 C DT required No additional fuel is required

Modular Design Scalable 25kW – 500 kW Units Easy system integration Minimal maintenance

CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS

Ò Multiple applications in the region Ò  Increasing markets for local agriculture

products Ò Focus on Food Safety and Quality Ò Alternative off-grid rural power solution Ò Looking for partners

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Innovation for Agricultural Training and Education