The Biomass Project:

A Model for Bottom-of-the-Pyramid Projects

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute & KNUSTThe Design Lab & College of Engineering

Charles “Casey” Goodwin & Lawrence Darkwah

RPI/KNUST Collaboration

Plan: Biomass Project as a template for future collaborative projects

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

The Design Lab

Introduction to Engineering Design(Sophomore level)

Capstone Design

Project

Project

Project

Project…

Biomass

Project

KNUST

College of Engineering

Chemical Engineering Principles

Process Engineering Projects

Project

Project

Project

Project…

Biomass

Project

CollaborativePartnership

E*ntrepreurshipat Rensselaer

(Rob Chernow)

Humanities and Social Science (Ron Eglash) Ghanaian

Farmers

KNUST School of Business

Kumasi Institute for Technology Energy

and the Environment

Vision/Goal1. Long Term:

1. More numerous and better Global Design projects.2. Continued and improved relationship with partners3. Spin out enterprises from successful projects

2. Near Term:1. To design a portable device which produces energy from biomass and

waste streams2. To provide educational value to students (KNUST & RPI) – Practical Problem Solving

and Skills training

Near Term Objectives1. To produce a device which is cost effective to build, operate, and maintain.2. To device portable real-time and reliable measuring tools for parameters

measurements3. To validate data collected from prototypes of devices.4. To assess cultural, environmental, and socio economic benefits / impacts ‐5. To establish student and faculty exchange programmes for designing, laboratory

assessments, field trials and evaluations.

Internet

Textbooks Raw MaterialsLaboratory

FacilitiesCatalogues

Library

RESOURCES

ACTIVITIESField Trips & International

Travel

Group Brainstorming

Prepare Statement of

Work

Build Teams

Create Poster & present Laboratory

testingPrototype Building

Designing with CADWrite Mid-term

Report

PEOPLEVisionary /

Networker - Ron Eglash

End Users (Farmers)

Mentors - Casey, Aren, Lawrence &

others

SeniorsLauren Spinelli

& othersCollaborators - Rob Chernow

Teaching Models & Materials

Team Building (MBTI)

Field Trips

Decision Matrices for

Decision-making

Leverage Previous Courses

Methods of Data Collection (EDA)

Customer Requirements

Engineering Specifications

(Numerical Methods)

Translate to Market

SpecificationsLaboratory

Process

Technical Reporting

Poster Creation &

Poster Presentation

Learning Outcome

Design Skills

Acquisition

Physical Output

(Deliverables)

Prototypes

Practical Problem Solving

Techniques

Communication Skills Improvement

– Customers & Stakeholders

Project Topic Formulation

Effective Working in Multidisciplinary

Team

Global Perspective Analysis

Data Collection

Team & Leadership Skills Acquisition

Stimulated Students Design Reports Business Plans

Prototype/Artifact

Production

Experience with Sourcing

Materials

Design Softwares

& Facilities

Future Plans (Biomass project)• Next Steps: 1. Refining the current Biosolar prototype

for sun tracking• 2. Field testing of Biosolar in Ghana with variety of

feedstocks• 3. Characterization of properties and quantities of the

streams of products – Syngas, Bio-oil and Biochar• 4. Operational Parameter Devices design & production• Time frame/Schedule: 3 – 5 years to complete project

(Not sure yet).• Needs/Partnerships: RPI, KNUST, GMD, DSES,

Farmers/Farmer Co-ops, KITE (TBD)

Future Plans (Strategic Plan)

• Continue Biomass project to completion• Begin new projects with KNUST and others• Begin course at RPI to augment Design Lab

Capstone Course projects focusing on Global Design

• Begin course at KNUST in entrepreneurship and business startup

Strengths Weaknesses

Opportunities Threats

SWOTAnalysis

• Steady Supply of Students• Multidisciplinary Expertise

• Lack of Business Experience (we are engineers)

• Low skills (of end users)• High materials Cost in Ghana

• Cultural Barriers• Communication• Time difference• Languages (Twi,fante, etc.)

• [biomass project] – availability of raw material

• Emerging markets• [ghana] – low labor rate• Exchange Programs• Social Impact

The Ah-Ha Stage: Initial Prototypes

Conventional Pyrolysis (KNUST) BioSolar Pyrolysis (RPI)