The MFRFP engine coolant system is based on the thermal siphon principle and is commonly used throughout the developing world. It is a passive system with no moving parts and hence is extremely reliable. A thermal siphon works by using the heat from the engine to heat up the water in the engines water jacket and subsequently dropping the water's density. The lower density, hot water rises up and out of the engine through the upper coolant hose. Cooler water from the tank is then pulled into the engine through the lower coolant hose. This change in the water's density starts and keeps the water in circulation without the need for a water pump.
Hot Water Systems
Existing MFP technology regards the hot water as waste product and fit their diesel engines with water tanks designed to disperse this heat into the atmosphere as in the tanks show in a Benin MFP installation below: Benin Hot Water Cooling Tanks
Hot Water is an asset.
We think of the hot water created by our Multi Functional Rural Fuel Platform (MFRFP) as a tremendous resource, especially in colder climates like Afghanistan.
Village Based Hot Water System
The hot water generated by the MFRFP can be used for many different uses such as personal hygiene, or cleaning pots and pans, etc.
Warm Water Showers for School Kids
We envision that some communities might place the Multi Functional Rural Fuel Platform next to their village school house and as the MFRFP's diesel engine needs to be cooled, this heat can be used to warm water for washing. One way to take advantage of this source of hot water is to let the kids attending school come into a communal shower at the school house to use the hot water before attending class. The kids will then associate school with being warm and clean, so much more likely to attend and have a positive attitude towards learning.
Space Heating
There are a number of space heaters that operate on diesel fuel, but none that we know of that work on vegetable oil. We envision that there is some potential for a vegetable oil powered space heater and are investigating the possibilities for deploying such a unit onto cold climate areas.
