Date of Award

6-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2022.

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Jessica Kuczenski

Second Advisor

Godfrey Mungal

Abstract

The goal of this project is to create specialized frugal appliances to assist women in rural Cameroon by reducing the amount of time it takes to prepare food. Specifically, the project focuses on two tasks: slicing eru leaves and washing bitter leaves. After researching the market and collecting information from women in South Cameroon, two appliances were designed: an eru leaf shredder and a bitter leaf washer. The shredder is a manual shredding device that uses a rotating blade and shaft subsystem to slice leaves, reducing labor time by 62% and increasing safety with features such as a hopper and an ergonomic crank handle. The washer is a manual washing device that features a rotating agitator that reduces the amount of time taken to wash bitter leaves by 50% and reduces the amount of water usage by 75%. Both devices are held in a portable housing unit that allows them to be easily moved and stored.

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