KANPUR: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, has announced an upgraded version of Shuddham, a water purifier-cum-cooler designed to provide affordable and innovative solutions to rural households and urban middle-class society.
The product has been developed by the Imagineering Laboratory, IIT Kanpur.
Led by Prof J. Ramkumar, who is also the coordinator for Imagineering Laboratory and Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG), and Dr Amandeep Singh, the Research Establishment Officer (REO), the team was approached by Jitendra Singh Chaudhary from New Unnat India Techno Solution & Innovations Pvt. Ltd. to address the challenge of providing water purification and cooling at affordable rates to the public.
Chaudhary had earlier developed the initial model of Shuddham as a water filter. The IIT Kanpur team addressed its limitations and has improvised it into a low-cost water purifier-cum-cooler. The invention went through several stages of development to ensure higher efficiency and better purifying capacity.
According to an IIT-K release, Shuddham is user-friendly, easy to maintain, and economical, and would cost around Rs 4000, once launched.
The purifier undergoes multi-stage purification, and cooling of the water takes place simultaneously. The upper part of the system is a storage tank for the impure water, while the lower tank is a reserve tank for the purified water.
There are three stages of purification: the water passes through a cotton filter in the first stage for the removal of solid impurities, followed by the removal of bad odours and chlorine through a cartridge with activated carbon.
The activated carbon was prepared in MedTech Lab, under the Imagineering Laboratory, IIT Kanpur, using coconut shells and a heating furnace called "MITRA."
In the next stage, a polymer membrane is used for ion exchange. The purified water is then stored in a lower reserve tank with copper fins that diffuse copper and add medicinal properties to the water. Both tanks are encased in a clay pot that offers natural cooling, further reducing the temperature with the help of a convection fan.
Additionally, the system is designed to run on a mini solar plate of 10 watts for areas with limited access to electricity.
Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director IIT Kanpur said, "The Imagineering Lab at IIT Kanpur is committed to working on bringing affordable and efficient technologies to the fore. The development of an upgraded water purifier and cooler, Shuddham is a great addition to the growing repository of low-cost innovations by the institute."
Prof Ramkumar's team is now working on developing a multilayer single filter bulb to reduce the number of stages in the process, further lowering the cost and making the product available to all.