SimGas Biogas Milk Chiller

Target SDGs

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Household, Community

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

SimGas has partnered with BoPInc, Mueller and SNV on the Biogas Milk Chiller project. Organizations such as EEP, OFID, Powering agriculture, USAID, BMZ, Sida, OPIC, Duke Energy, Ideo.org and ASME are supporting the project.

Competitive Landscape

Direct competitors include Promethean Rapid Milk Chiller, EvaKuula, and Biogas Milk Chiller.

Manufacturing/Building Method

This product is currently in the prototyping phase and not yet manufactured at scale.

Intellectural Property Type

Patent

User Provision Model

The prototype can be acquired directly from the designer. SimGas Kenya plans to use crowdfunding, via the Lend-a-Hand crowdfunding platform, to give out loans to 170 farmers to buy biogas systems.

Distributions to Date Status

In 2015, SimGas completed testing of four working prototypes in two regions in Tanzania. They plan on distributing 50 more Biogas Milk Chillers to Tanzania, Zambia, and Kenya. SimGas claims to be equipped to provide 750 Biogas Milk Chillers to smallholder dairy farms in East Africa in 2018.

Design Specifications

The milk chiller is powered by biogas and has a cooling capacity between 2.5 and 10 L of milk. The chiller can cool milk from 35ºC to 7ºC within 4 hours. The chiller can receive biogas from any domestic anaerobic digester. The chiller uses absorption cooling technology, where heat from the biogas combustion is used to charge the system.

Product Schematics

Technical Support

SimGas representative. ^{Interview with representative.}

Replacement Components

Unknown

Lifecycle

Unknown. However, this product comes with a 2 year warranty.

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

Performance targets

• Cools 7x faster than a household refrigerator (meeting International standards) at farm level
• Clean energy - biogas - is produced and used to power the milk chiller.
• Works independently from the grid: it always works.
• Saves time: instead of delivering milk twice a day, small dairy farmers can deliver once a day.
• Helps small dairy farmers to meet quality standards required to access the formal sector, which increases their income, increases milk supply and thereby ensures food security.
• Supports the transformation of the smallholder dairy sector in emerging markets from quantity- to quality-based performance, as milk cooling at farm level significantly increases milk quality.
• Part of an integral, self-sustaining system: cows produce manure, which is fed into a biogas digester where it is converted into biogas and slurry. Biogas is used for cooking, cooling and other appliances. Slurry is used as high-quality organic fertiliser, increasing crop and cow fodder production, manure production, milk production, and ultimately income. Meanwhile, biogas reduces carbon emissions with 5-10 metric ton CO2-equivalent per user per year.
• Cooling at farm level will result in benefits to the dairy cooperatives and dairy processors.

Vetted Performance Status

SimGas’ R&D team tested 4 prototypes at 4 dairy farmers in Tanzania which demonstrated that the BMC complies with the international milk cooling standard: cooling raw milk down from 35 degrees Celsius to 4 degrees Celsius within 3 hours’ time.

Safety

Biogas is primarily composed of methane and carbon dioxide, which pose safety concerns if inhaled. Other safety concerns include explosion, asphyxiation, disease, and hydrogen sulfide poisoning.

Complementary Technical Systems

Simgas provides a variety of biogas systems that are fully integrated into farm solutions for rural households in developing countries.

Academic Research and References

Compliance with regulations

Unknown

Other Information

• YouTube videos on the BMC
• Biogas reduces carbon emissions by 5-10 metric tons (CO2-equivalent) per user per year.
• The price is not yet defined because the product is in its prototype phase.
• Biogas Milk Chiller
• Smallholder dairy farmers without access to electricity are the target users.
• SimGas Kenya plans to use crowdfunding, via the Lend-a-Hand crowdfunding platform
• Warranty details