At IDIN, we’re all about learning, especially when it’s hands-on. Here we’ve compiled some of our favorite resources, many of which are used at our trainings and summits around the world.
Resource Library
Performance Evaluation of Both Hand and Foot Operated Rice Threshers
- Student Papers
This dissertation by KNUST student Dickson Duah evaluated the performance of two rice threshers originally produced in a Creative Capacity Building training in Konongo, Ghana. The threshers were evaluated on the parameters of speed of threshing drum, rate of threshing, capacity, efficiency, losses and drudgery. The foot-operated thresher was found to outperform the hand-operated thresher on all parameters. The student also made recommendations to improve the design of the thresher for better performance.
Essential Oil Distillation for Boa Vista do Acará
- Student Papers
A team of students from UC Davis D-Lab partnered with the Association of Organic Farmers of Boa Vista do Acará (APOBV) to build an oil distillation device as a follow-up to IDDS Amazon in 2016. They designed an oil distiller that can be built with local tools and materials, operate in humid conditions with fire as the primary energy source and produce oil at high quality in a high quantity to sell to tourists in local markets. This report chronicles the development and testing of this device.
Tetra Pak Challenge Project Report
- Student Papers
This report explores the viability of recycling Tetra Pak, a common packaging material found through Zambia, for waste management and sustainability purposes.
Zasaka: Impact Evaluation Research Design Recommendations
- Student Papers
This report was prepared by students in the Fall 2015 D-Lab: Field Research class to provide Zasaka with research design recommendations for their impact evaluation research.
Assessment of Quantity of Coconut Waste Generated and Management in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana
- Student Papers
This KNUST student thesis determined the quantity of coconut waste generated and assessed coconut waste usage and management in the Kumasi Metropolis.
Performance Evaluation of a Mixed Mode Solar Dryer Incorporating a Backup Heater for Drying Cocoyam Slices
- Student Papers
This dissertation by KNUST student Benjamin Donkor evaluates the performance of a mixed mode solar dryer with a backup heater. The dryer was evaluated on the parameters of drying rate, efficiency, and drying time with and without the backup heater.
An Analysis of Zambian Cast-Aluminum Pots
- Student Papers
Aluminum pots cast by small Zambian business often fail under normal use scenarios. This report explores why these pots fail and how local practices can be improved to prevent common use failures.
Production of Biogas from Fruit and Vegetable Wastes
- Student Papers
This KNUST student thesis presents results on biogas production from mixtures of fruit and vegetable waste materials and a mixture of fruit and vegetable waste materials.
Potential Causes of Failure in an Aluminum Sand-Cast Pot from Zambia
- Student Papers
This report explores the failure of sand-cast aluminum pots, and how such pots could be improved to prevent future failure.
Evaluation of Hand and Foot Operated Rice Threshers
- Student Papers
This KNUST student thesis analyzes the threshing speed, threshing losses, drugery, threshing efficiency and threshing capacity of two rice threshers produced in Ghana: a hand-operated and a foot-operated thresher.