Rural Community Supply in India Using Sterling Pump |
by Gunnar Olesen, based on information from H.C. Srivastava
The sterling machine is one of the promising technologies for converting biofuels to mechanical energy. It is an external combustion machine, that can use any kind of fuel for the heating.
Such a machine is the basis for a water supply project in the Suketi Village, Fetehpur District, not so far from Allahabad in India. The system provides water for community wafer points, and toe health station. The machine is operated and maintained by local youth, and it is powered mainly with sawdust and rice-husk, which is delivered by the users from their surplus.
The use of a sterling machine has a number of advantages:
100% elimination of fossil fuel for water pumping..
The fuel, 10 kg of dried biomass per hour, is easily available, and is under full control of the users, the village inhabitants. In many situations the machine provides a cleaner disposal of the biomass than before.
The technology is simpler and easier to maintain than diesel pumps.
The running costs are much lower than diesel pumps
However, there are certain barriers for wider dissemination:
There is only one manufacturer of sterling engines in India, and the availability is a problem.
The project has identified a number of technical features of sterling engines that require immediate improvement to make the system run trouble free for longer periods. With-out these improvements, large scale dissemination will be a problem.
Further information by: H.C. Srivastava,
Agro Energy 8 Rural Development Society, 30 Clive Road, Allahabad 211001, India, ph- 91-532 602293.
Woodstoves in India
During the last years, there has been considerable success for the implementation of efficient woodstoves in India.
One of these woodstoves has been developed by "Development Alternatives". They have carried out detailed research and development work in designing the stove, made market research and field research. As a result of this, there is now developed a woodstove, that is produced by local manufacturers and that is selling well.
Further information by: Developing Alternatives, B-32, Institutional Area, TARA Crescent, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi 110 016, India ph-91 -11 665370, fax-91 -11 - 686 6031