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Sifelani Tsiko Innovations Editor

A 23-year-old University of Zimbabwe applied information technology hardware engineering student has developed a temperature-based fan speed controller to support cooling and ventilation systems that could be integrated into super computers and the country’s poultry farming sector.

Blessing Nyamadzi told the Herald at the just ended UZ Research Innovation and Industrialisation Week that his application could help save energy and money in critical economic sectors.

“Cooling and power systems are getting more sophisticated. I developed a temperature based fan speed controller that uses less power and works using a small battery,” he said.

“Electric fans are used for a variety of purposes for cooling and ventilation systems. Most gadgets are expensive to use in terms of energy and efficiency. Through this innovative gadget, I sought to come up with something that could cut cost, use less energy and achieve high efficiency in ventilation systems.”

The gadget has a programmed fan regulator that governs an electric fan speed using a micro-controller.

His application aims to use a fan speed control system utilising Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) by making an association between a micro-controller and a temperature sensor.

“A temperature sensor is used to read the surrounding temperature as the speed of the fan fluctuates proportionally to the changes in the temperature around the area, utilising PWM technique,” Blessing said.

“A liquid crystal display (LCD) is used to make the system user friendly. Estimations of recorded fan speeds and temperatures are displayed on the LCD. Once the prototype is fully finished it will be the size of the LCD that was used in the prototype.

“It will be integrated into places like the cooling systems used in server rooms, technological industry as well as homes, offices, cars, integrated into super computers, climate control systems, house cooling systems (fans or aircons), snow-melters, broilers, blenders hatcheries and mostly in poultry farming.”

Innovative technologies are critical to the development of an efficient agrarian sector, particularly poultry farming and the cold value chains.

One third of the food produced globally for human consumption never gets to the final consumer, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

In Africa, an average of 50 percent of what is produced in African countries is wasted – an amount that could feed 300 million people.

This is mainly caused by the huge energy gap and the inefficient supply chain infrastructure within the agricultural sector.

One of the major problems facing the agricultural sector in Zimbabwe and most other African countries is the lack of sustainable cold chain infrastructure.

A majority of farmers are located in rural communities that have little or no access to electricity to power cold chains.

The development of appropriate cooling and ventilation systems and technologies could help develop cold chain facilities that are efficient, reliable and less expensive, boosting agricultural production.