Design Problem

The biogas food digestor at ISK is not being used. Biogas can be used in many ways, although the area that the digestor is in doesn’t allow for easy use of the methane it produces. It would be challenging to use the methane at ISK. The amount ISK spends buying gas from the station every week or month isn’t too costly, so switching to a biogas system wouldn’t be beneficial. Not only would ISK need many more digestors, which are expensive, but we would also need them to be much closer to the kitchens; ISK would need to make space for them, meaning additional costs.  The idea was to transport the gas to areas in need or use it around the ISK, where you can’t have a gas cylinder. This would be done by filling up a secondary smaller balloon/bladder with biogas and transporting the smaller bag using a hand cart. One issue is that the bladder is difficult to transport because it can pop easily and is too bulky.

Design Process

We started off testing how long the bladder would last while in use. We found out that it needed significant pressure so that the gas would be released in a steady flow. We designed and created something that would protect the bladder from popping while still applying enough pressure. Later, we added a second layer to the design for two bags/bladders. This will allow for roughly 7 to ten hours of cooking.

Link to Process Journal and Final Reflection Video

https://sites.google.com/isk.ac.ke/transportable-biogas-system/research-design