VENTURE: Dehydrator

Posted on 13. Apr, 2009 by Charles Tsai in Tech-Ventures, Technology

Andrew Barth, 17, USA - The object is to invent a dehydrator that has been combined with a dehumidifier, which can be used by farmers, food processing corporations, or bio-diesel corporations in rural developing countries.

The dehydrator would effectively and efficiently dehydrate a product within a few days, while also condensing the moisture out of the air for use by the cultivators as drinking water. It will have expandable capacity to grow with the increase of their businesses, yet low cost to the consumer. As of now, water is becoming increasingly scarce for many populations on this planet.

By creating this product, we could provide those struggling individuals with vital water supplies that they would otherwise go without.

Another benefit afforded by the creation of this device allows for the ability of farmers to stimulate the economy by preserving what would become wasted crop and then selling it. For example, a farmer who grows tomatoes to sell at market would benefit in that he could dry his produce and sell it at a premium in the form of sun-dried tomatoes.

Although the focus remains intent on benefiting the local farmer, it has shifted to provide greater focus on those farmers living in the more arid regions of the world, specifically those of sub-Saharan Africa. It is in these regions that we believe our product would be most useful since it would provide farmers with much needed water and much needed money through the creation of gourmet-type food items.

Goals:

Design, create and test prototypes
Create final product that yields potable water
Secure funding to buy raw materials and components
Successfully make the product into a consumer good that can be sold in sub-Saharan Africa and other arid environments