MIT-ATS Collaboration (Past Projects)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology - APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
-international collaboration to apply innovative solutions in Lesotho-

live from Lesotho

through the

what has ATS developed in the past?

can these products be used in a different application today?

past projects

[Only past projects shown below. Current projects, along with documentation, can be found on a separate page.]

['Mabotle Stove] [Mali Stove] [Nkokonono Household Stove] [Nkokonono Institutional Stove] [Retained Heat Cooker] [Grow Hole] [Solar Cooker] [Plow Beam / Ox Yoke] [Coal Hopper] [Braai] [Animal Feeding Rack] [Solar Water Heater]

'MABOTLE STOVE (tools)

Project Dates: 1982 - Early 2000's

The 'Mabotle stove was the first product ATS developed after emerging from the Renewable Energy Technology project in the early 1980's. This stove addressed the problem of limited biomass for cooking by efficiently funneling heat towards the two burners on the stove top. After a year of development, manufacturing and distribution started in 1983. The stove's advantages were its higher efficiency, ability to support commonly used three-legged pots, and its ability to function on several different fuel types; its disadvantages were its position of the stove top low to the ground, its inability to evenly heat both burners, and its lack of heat-retaining insulation. The 'Mabotle stove has been replaced by the Thaba-Tseka stove. *NOTE: There is still a small number of 'Mabotle stoves being produced to fill orders that were placed before the stove's replacement.*

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Original Drawings [*.zip (9.1 MB)]

Photo Album [*.html (Link)]

MALI STOVE (tools)

Project Dates: Unknown

The Mali stove appears to be the basis for the Nkokonono household stove. It is believed that this stove was developed in Mali and that the design was later adopted by ATS. Very little background information could be found about this project.

[top]

Photo Album [*.html (Link)]

NKOKONONO HOUSEHOLD STOVE (tools)

Project Dates: 2003 - 2004

This stove is believed to be an improvement of the Mali stove. Using a very simple funnel design, the efficiency of cooking on this stove was greatly increased above that of cooking on an open fire (By about 20%). Insulation in the base keeps the heat channelled upward, and the stove can also support a three-legged pot. Unfortunately, this stove does not meet a key need of Basotho - heat. The high efficiency is good for cooking, but Basotho also wanted to have a stove that could heat the kitchen. The stand shown in the pictures was optional.

[top]

AutoCAD Drawing [*.dwg (0.14 MB)]

Photo Album [*.html (Link)]

NKOKONONO INSTITUTIONAL STOVE (tools)

Project Dates: 2003 - 2004

A larger version of the Nkokonono household stove that was used by small businesses and individuals who had greater cooker demands than could be met with the household stove. Essentially the same design, with the same problems and successes. Note stove does NOT have optional stand to raise it to appropriate cooking level, and stove is much heavier than household version.

[top]

AutoCAD Drawing [*.dwg (0.19 MB)]

Photo Album [*.html (Link)]

RETAINED HEAT COOKER (tools)

Project Dates: 1980's - 2000's
The retained heat cooker was an early ATS project to reduce the amount of biomass used while cooking. The cooker was basically an insulated box into which a pot of boiling water could be placed. When closed, the insulation kept the pot hot enough to keep cooking the contents with no additional heat needed. It is unknown why this product stopped being produced.
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(not applicable)

GROW HOLE (agriculture)

Project Dates: 1980's - 1990's

Another early ATS project consisting of a kit which contained information on how to construct a small greenhouse by placing a sheet of fiberglass or plastic over a hole in the ground. The grow hole could be used to start seedlings during winter months, allowing farmers to grow their own seedlings rather than purchase from local retailers. It is believed plans are still distributed on an occassional basis for this product.

[top]
Photo Album [*.html (Link)]

SOLAR COOKER (tools)

Project Dates: 1980's - 1990's

ATS experimented with solar cookers in the 1980's but never developed this product further than the prototype stage. A solar cooker works by reflecting the sun's energy into some sort of glass-covered structure that allows the heat to cook whatever is in the structure.. Such instruments are frequently used at the Bethel Business and Community Development Center in Lesotho, which may have been the inspiration for the ATS prototype.

[top]
Photo Album [*.html (Link)]

PLOW BEAM / OX YOKE (agriculture)

Project Dates: 1982-Present

Among its other functions, ATS also helps the local communities by repairing plow beams and ox yokes (Implements used to harness draft animals to the tools used to plow fields). This intimate relationship with such devices has allowed ATS to introduce simple improvements into both products. While these products are still "on the market," repairing rather than engineering best describes the current involvement of ATS.

[top]
Photo Album [*.html (Link)]

COAL HOPPER (tools)

Project Dates: Early 2000's

A coal hopper, or device that can be used to load coal into bags for selling, was engineered, mostly for demonstration purposes. It was soon discovered that very few individuals would be willing to pay for such a device when they could just load the coal into the sacks in which it is then sold. The single prototype is housed in ATS storage space.

[top]
Photo Album [*.html (Link)]

BRAAI (tools)

Project Dates: Early 2000's

Instead of grilling or cooking out, people in southern Africa hold "braais." ATS developed a grill for the braai, but it was soon found that people would not pay for such an item when they could easily make one themselves. There are a few braais on the ATS premises still which occassionally get used by the staff.

[top]
Photo Album [*.html (Link)]

ANIMAL FEEDING RACK (agriculture)

Project Dates: 2005

Following the request of a local agriculture minister, ATS developed a simple feeding rack for grazing animals (Namely sheep). The rack can be loaded at the top with hay which then protrudes from the openings on either of the angled sides. The base prevents the grain from falling to the ground and rotting. It is known whether or not ATS will produce additional feeding racks.

[top]
Photo Album [*.html (Link)]

SOLAR WATER HEATER (water)

Project Dates: Unknown

ATS was considering developing a solar water heater for a period of time, but work on this project was dropped when market analysis showed that there were already a large quantity of such water heaters available in South Africa. Tumelo Makheta has been considering developing a water heater based on the bread oven concept, but he has not yet considered the possibility of using solar heat.

[top]
AutoCAD drawing [*.dwg (0.17 MB)]

*.dwg - Drawing File (AutoCAD / SolidWorks) / *.html - Hyper Text Mark-Up Language Page (Browser) / *.zip - WinZip Compressed File (WinZip)

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'MABOTLE STOVE (tools)
Project Dates: 1982 - Early 2000's The 'Mabotle stove was the first product ATS developed after emerging from the Renewable Energy Technology project in the early 1980's. This stove addressed the problem of limited biomass for cooking by efficiently funneling heat towards the two burners on the stove top. After a year of development, manufacturing and distribution started in 1983. The stove's advantages were its higher efficiency, ability to support commonly used three-legged pots, and its ability to function on several different fuel types; its disadvantages were its position of the stove top low to the ground, its inability to evenly heat both burners, and its lack of heat-retaining insulation. The 'Mabotle stove has been replaced by the Thaba-Tseka stove. NOTE: There is still a small number of 'Mabotle stoves being produced to fill orders that were placed before the stove's replacement. [top]	Original Drawings [.zip (9.1 MB)] Photo Album [.html (Link)]
MALI STOVE (tools)
Project Dates: Unknown The Mali stove appears to be the basis for the Nkokonono household stove. It is believed that this stove was developed in Mali and that the design was later adopted by ATS. Very little background information could be found about this project. [top]	Photo Album [*.html (Link)]
NKOKONONO HOUSEHOLD STOVE (tools)
Project Dates: 2003 - 2004 This stove is believed to be an improvement of the Mali stove. Using a very simple funnel design, the efficiency of cooking on this stove was greatly increased above that of cooking on an open fire (By about 20%). Insulation in the base keeps the heat channelled upward, and the stove can also support a three-legged pot. Unfortunately, this stove does not meet a key need of Basotho - heat. The high efficiency is good for cooking, but Basotho also wanted to have a stove that could heat the kitchen. The stand shown in the pictures was optional. [top]	AutoCAD Drawing [.dwg (0.14 MB)] Photo Album [.html (Link)]
NKOKONONO INSTITUTIONAL STOVE (tools)
Project Dates: 2003 - 2004 A larger version of the Nkokonono household stove that was used by small businesses and individuals who had greater cooker demands than could be met with the household stove. Essentially the same design, with the same problems and successes. Note stove does NOT have optional stand to raise it to appropriate cooking level, and stove is much heavier than household version. [top]	AutoCAD Drawing [.dwg (0.19 MB)] Photo Album [.html (Link)]
RETAINED HEAT COOKER (tools)
Project Dates: 1980's - 2000's The retained heat cooker was an early ATS project to reduce the amount of biomass used while cooking. The cooker was basically an insulated box into which a pot of boiling water could be placed. When closed, the insulation kept the pot hot enough to keep cooking the contents with no additional heat needed. It is unknown why this product stopped being produced. [top]	(not applicable)
GROW HOLE (agriculture)
Project Dates: 1980's - 1990's Another early ATS project consisting of a kit which contained information on how to construct a small greenhouse by placing a sheet of fiberglass or plastic over a hole in the ground. The grow hole could be used to start seedlings during winter months, allowing farmers to grow their own seedlings rather than purchase from local retailers. It is believed plans are still distributed on an occassional basis for this product. [top]	Photo Album [*.html (Link)]
SOLAR COOKER (tools)
Project Dates: 1980's - 1990's ATS experimented with solar cookers in the 1980's but never developed this product further than the prototype stage. A solar cooker works by reflecting the sun's energy into some sort of glass-covered structure that allows the heat to cook whatever is in the structure.. Such instruments are frequently used at the Bethel Business and Community Development Center in Lesotho, which may have been the inspiration for the ATS prototype. [top]	Photo Album [*.html (Link)]
PLOW BEAM / OX YOKE (agriculture)
Project Dates: 1982-Present Among its other functions, ATS also helps the local communities by repairing plow beams and ox yokes (Implements used to harness draft animals to the tools used to plow fields). This intimate relationship with such devices has allowed ATS to introduce simple improvements into both products. While these products are still "on the market," repairing rather than engineering best describes the current involvement of ATS. [top]	Photo Album [*.html (Link)]
COAL HOPPER (tools)
Project Dates: Early 2000's A coal hopper, or device that can be used to load coal into bags for selling, was engineered, mostly for demonstration purposes. It was soon discovered that very few individuals would be willing to pay for such a device when they could just load the coal into the sacks in which it is then sold. The single prototype is housed in ATS storage space. [top]	Photo Album [*.html (Link)]
BRAAI (tools)
Project Dates: Early 2000's Instead of grilling or cooking out, people in southern Africa hold "braais." ATS developed a grill for the braai, but it was soon found that people would not pay for such an item when they could easily make one themselves. There are a few braais on the ATS premises still which occassionally get used by the staff. [top]	Photo Album [*.html (Link)]
ANIMAL FEEDING RACK (agriculture)
Project Dates: 2005 Following the request of a local agriculture minister, ATS developed a simple feeding rack for grazing animals (Namely sheep). The rack can be loaded at the top with hay which then protrudes from the openings on either of the angled sides. The base prevents the grain from falling to the ground and rotting. It is known whether or not ATS will produce additional feeding racks. [top]	Photo Album [*.html (Link)]
SOLAR WATER HEATER (water)
Project Dates: Unknown ATS was considering developing a solar water heater for a period of time, but work on this project was dropped when market analysis showed that there were already a large quantity of such water heaters available in South Africa. Tumelo Makheta has been considering developing a water heater based on the bread oven concept, but he has not yet considered the possibility of using solar heat. [top]	AutoCAD drawing [*.dwg (0.17 MB)]