Meeting Time
Thursday 7PM – 7:50 PM
Project description
This semester, our goal is to design or procure a biomass-powered steam generator to support coffee bean processing in rural Indonesian communities. Farmers in Kendal near Mount Ungaran currently rely on sun-drying, which is vulnerable to weather, contamination, and inconsistency. With the vacuum dryer already procured, our task is to develop an off-grid system powered by local agricultural waste such as coffee husks and rice stalks to reduce costs, minimize fossil fuel use, and improve product quality.
Since none of us have prior experience with generators, we are building and testing a model while researching steam generators, biomass conversion methods, and fuel efficiency. Our current phase is exploratory, focused on evaluating commercial biomass generators for fuel flexibility, ease of use, and output capacity, while aligning with stakeholder needs.
Communication challenges with partners and farmers have limited detailed requirements, so some assumptions guide our research. While a full build is not feasible yet, we are moving toward identifying third-party solutions for customization. Next steps include sourcing, funding, field-testing, and refining a plan that meets both technical and social needs.