World’s almost 1 billion population lives on less than $1 a day. So, in this article, we have gathered some homebuilt products that can be put together using easy-to-find resources and a limited understanding of science and engineering.
- Zeer Pot Fridge
A refrigerator consisting of one earthenware pot settled inside a second larger pot, with a layer of sand in between. Villagers, first, use clay and water to make molds and they dry them in the sun. After this, they press fresh clay around the molds. After adding a base and rim to each mold, they dry the pots in. Now the pots get ready for assembly after cooling them.
A layer of sand is placed at the bottom of the larger pot. The smaller pots are also on this layer of sand. At last, sand fills the space between the two. To make the pot functional, the sand is made wet, the smaller pots with vegetables are filled and then a wet rag over the whole thing is placed.
- Solar Cooker
Sturdier materials such as wood instead of cardboard and foam instead of newspaper is used in its design. Four foil-coated panels are also added in order to concentrate the sun’s energy. Want to know the result of this design? The cooking temperature of 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to roast a whole chicken!
- Composting Toilet
In most rural communities, sanitary waste disposal is no laughing matter. According to the WHO, nearly 2 billion people live without good sanitation facilities and services. This results in bacteria and viruses from human waste ending up in the water supply, leading to a number of diseases. Start using this bioreactor system that converts sanitary waste to biogas, which is then burned and superheated by a heat exchanger to sterilize the treated effluent.
- Flexi Hand Water Pump
The Flexi hand pump uses common materials PVC pipes, thread adapters, galvanized iron pipe and two glass marbles. The Flexi hand water pump can be assembled quickly and easily. Want to know how does it work? Read here! A PVC pipe fits into a second pipe and at the bottom of each pipe, a glass marble is attached. The inner pipe joins a T-shaped handle that forms an outlet. The pumping action raises and lowers the inner pipe which moves within the stationary outer pipe. An upward movement creates suction action, drawing water into the cylinder. A downward movement displaces water from the cylinder, pumping it out at the top of the hand pump. The person operating the hand pump can pump about 4 to 8 gallons of water per minute.
- Rain Barrel
Rain Barrel is a simple matter of reconstructing the container so it can collect water. The design involves drilling two holes and then cutting a hole in the top of the barrel to receive a downspout. After this, a window screen is attached over this opening to catch debris and mosquitoes. After this, you have a perfectly serviceable rain barrel and a ready supply of water for various purposes.
- Compost Bin
Like the rainwater harvesting system, composting has also been popular at small farms for decades. The process to build a compost bin involves converting organic debris vegetation, food scraps, and manure into rich, all-natural fertilizer. Farmers prefer to use high quality compost as it enables the soil to hold more water and provides more nutrients to crops. This furthermore increases the productivity of their land and results in higher revenues.
- Solar Air Conditioner
It is easy to build a homemade air conditioner using a cooling fan from an old PC, wooden craft sticks, an absorbent cloth, and a small, 2-watt solar panel to generate power. Firstly, start by creating a frame out of the craft sticks, with the fan supported at the top so it blows down and two decks below the fan to support strips cut from the fabric. Everything should be stuck so the structure stands upright and sturdy. Then you connect the wires from the fan to the solar panel, wet the fabric and let the cooling begin.
- Bicycle-powered Phone Battery Charger
A very little amount of know-how is needed to build your own bicycle-powered phone charger. To build this, you’ll need some basic electronics such as circuit board, rectifier, capacitor, headlight generator, and voltage regulator. First of all, you need to attach the generator to either the front or back wheel of your bicycle. Now cut the cord on your phone charger to expose the positive and negative cables. Now attach the electronic components on the circuit board and establish everything together. At last, cover all the electrical components with a tape and mount the circuit board just under the seat of your bicycle.
- Solar-powered Laptop Battery Charger
To build a solar-powered laptop battery charger, you will need to collect the core components of the charger: the solar panel, 12-volt battery packs, a 12-volt car power outlet and an old suitcase larger than the laptop. Now attach the solar panel, the solar charge controller, and the power adapter to the outside of the case. You will need to drill into the case frame to accommodate attachment screws and to create holes for wiring purpose. Now disassemble each battery pack and again configure 10 cells so that they form long flat packs that fit easily in the case. Attach leads to the flat packs and link all of them together. Then attach the leads to the positive and negative terminals on the solar controller. You can find detailed instructions.
- Cantenna
Building a cantenna at home is easy. Start by cutting a piece of copper wire about 1.25 inches long and solder the wire to the N-type connector. Let it cool; meanwhile, drill a hole in the tin large enough to hold the connector. After this, pass the chassis connector through the hole. Bolt the chassis connector to the can and then remove the factory antenna from the USB Wi-Fi adapter. After this, screw the smaller end of the pigtail cable into the adapter. At last, insert the USB adapter into your PC or laptop, mount the can outside, point it to a likely signal and boom!! You have got the wireless Internet.
