ENERGY FROM RICE HUSKS, 1981-1984

The SPU designed in this project will power a small rice huller (e.g., the No. 4 which mills 0.2 tons/hour), but because the SPU is a simple external combustion engine powered by high temperature energy which can be generated from a variety of heat sources, it will be useful in many tasks and in many LDC"s. This specific SPU will cost $3-600 to produce and will annually save a small or medium rice miller $2-800. In Phase I, a subgrantee, Sunpower, Inc. (SI) of Athens, Ohio, will research and design a prototype SPU using computer-assisted design technology. SI will test the prototype for 1 year while Bangladeshi workshops are prepared for production. During this time, TAF will study alternate uses for 60% of the energy produced by a SPU which is rejected. TAF will also study current rice husk usage, SPU compatability with other milling systems, and the SPU"s impact on displaced female millers. During Phase II, four intermediate model SPU"s will be fabricated in Bangladesh at the Kumudini Welfare Trust Workshop (KWTW) using local labor and materials. At selected village rice mills, the SPU"s will be used to run conventional electric milling equipment and will be evaluated in terms of capacity, quality of milled rice, and husk usage. Phase III will consist of manufacturing four pre-production SPU"s. Manufacturing patterns will be designed, local producers will be sub-contracted, and the units will be tested. A TAF-produced final report will describe equipment needs for SPU manufacture, assess Bangladeshi production facilities in light of these needs, estimate demand for SPU"s, and determine if further assistance in production, financing, or marketing is warranted. TAF, KWTW, and USAID will disseminate this information both in Bangladesh and internationally. KWTW will then begin mass production. Given its production capacity of 200 units per year, KWTW will initially be the sole manufacturer until increased market demand requires production by other local manufacturers.