One of the biggest health concerns in developing nations is indoor pollution caused by cooking fire. While food is usually cooked in a separate hut or outside, lack of proper ventilation system has caused the women, children and the elderly in Bo Klua, Thailand to succumb to lung damage from smoke intake. Because of excessive smoke intake, many have died from diseases such as pneumonia, stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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Figure 1 shows the deaths caused by indoor pollution from
solid fuels such as wood, petroleum, biomass etc around the world |
People in developed countries such as the United States do not have to worry about such matter since proper ventilation is a integral part of the buildings constructed each year. However, people in countries like Thailand lack the money and the technology to have the same protection that we have from smoke. That is why our Freshman Engineering Design team has decided to research and hopefully create an affordable and effective ventilation system for the people of Bo Klua, so that they too can live their lives without worrying about health concerns due to smoke intake.
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Figure 2 shows a common industrial fan ventilation system
that is solely powered by wind |
As of now, we are currently focused on utilizing a fan ventilation system for the project. We are using a fan based system because it is the most Eco-friendly and inexpensive way to remove indoor pollution by harnessing the abundant wind energy that exists within the mountainous region. The purpose of the fan is to create a pressure gradient within the house. Since smoke particles and heat wants to rise and expand, by using a pressure gradient, we are creating a pathway for the smoke to exit the house.
By the end of week 10, our goal is to create a PTC Creo model of the fan ventilation system. We would also like to make a small prototype of our project using available resources.
