Browsing Theses by Title
Now showing items 1-20 of 34
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Analysis and design for thermally autonomous housing in resource-constrained communities : a case study in Bhuj, India
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)In the 2010 International Workshop on Housing, Health and Climate Change Meeting Report, the World Health Organization identifies housing as a primary cause of poor health in developing countries. The report cites inadequate ... -
Analysis of slipback of rural water supply systems in India using FIETS framework and IMIS database : Gujarat Case Study
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)The objective of this project is to address the failure rate or "slipback" of rural water supply systems in India by analyzing performance of previous water projects using the national government database called IMIS. Data ... -
Application of bi-directional ICT channels to increase livelihoods for artisans in rural India
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014)The handicraft industry is the second largest employer in rural India after agriculture, and has been the fastest-growing export growth sector since India's liberalization in 1991. Today, however, millions of artisans face ... -
Building stability through decentralization : the environmental, economic, and ethical argument for informal sector collection and decentralized waste processing in urban India
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014)Rapid population growth, urbanization and increasing affluence have led to increases in consumption and waste generation in all Indian cities. The current system, a mix of informal recyclables collection and centralized ... -
Catalyzing entrepreneurship from the ground up : an experiment in small-town India
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014)Entrepreneurs are essential for creating companies, jobs and growing wealth in communities. Currently, existing entrepreneurial programs start with self-identified entrepreneurs and provide facilities for their growth. ... -
Characterization of residuals from novel anaerobic digestion of organic municipal solid waste for application as liquid fertilizer
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)Management of organic municipal solid waste presents numerous challenges in India. Anaerobic digestion is one technology that can be used to address this problem, by transforming organic waste into methane via microbial ... -
Comparative analysis of composting as a municipal solid waste treatment process in India
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)A study of composting municipal solid waste (MSW) in India compared a specific facility in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India to existing standards and practices documented in literature globally and in other facilities ... -
Compost marketing guidelines for solid municipal waste management in India
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)India has a waste problem. With the world's second largest population at 1.252 billion individuals, a population density of 382 persons per square kilometer and consumer behavior demanding a higher standard of life and ... -
Confined masonry for seismically resilient low-cost housing in India : a design and analysis method
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)Confined masonry (CM) is a viable housing typology that is resilient and economical for developing countries in seismic regions. Given its suitability for low-tech environments, multiple authors have published instructions ... -
Design and evaluation of a cantilever beam-type prosthetic foot for Indian persons with amputations
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014)The goal of this work is to design a low cost, high performance prosthetic foot in collaboration with Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), in Jaipur, India. In order to be adopted, the foot must cost less than ... -
Development of an efficient off-grid pumping system and evaporation reduction strategies to increase access to irrigation for smallholder farmers in India
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013)Due to the unavailability of electricity, about 85% of groundwater irrigation in eastern India employs fuel-powered surface pumps, which can have system efficiencies as low as 5%. As fuel prices continue to rise, impoverished ... -
Droplet deposition on hydrophobic surfaces for agricultural sprays
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)This thesis presents a study of the in-situ precipitation of polyelectrolytes during droplet impacts and its applications in enhancing the retention efficiency of sprays. Large amounts of agricultural sprays are wasted ... -
Environmental and economic tradeoffs in building materials production in India
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014)The current and projected growth of India's economy and population will continue to lead to increased demand for buildings and infrastructure, and there is a real need to consider what this increase means in terms of natural ... -
Exploring volatile fatty acids (VFAs) as a novel substrate for microbial oil production
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)Cost effective production of biofuels depends critically on feedstock cost and availability. As such, volatile fatty acids (VFAs) can play an important role in advancing sustainable biofuel production since they can be ... -
Extending the reach of anterior segment ophthalmic imaging
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016)Eye exams via a slit lamp are critical in screening for conditions such as cataracts, corneal opacities and pterygia early on to avert vision loss. The slit lamp, however, is a purely qualitative optical device that is ... -
Identification of design requirements for a high-performance, low-cost, passive prosthetic knee through user analysis and dynamic simulation
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013)In January 2012, a partnership was initiated between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS, a.k.a., Jaipur Foot) to design a high-performance, low-cost, passive ... -
Improving Indian beehives and beekeeping
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016)This thesis explores five beekeeping topics from a mechanical engineering perspective with findings that are relevant for both Indian and American beekeepers. First, hive weight scale mechanisms are quantitatively analyzed, ... -
An integrated modeling and decision tool for improved drinking water reliability in rural villages of India
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)Rural community, which constitutes more than 70% of the total population in India, faces an everyday struggle to meet basic water requirements. The challenges in this struggle are numerous: lack of infrastructure, limited ... -
Justification of village scale photovoltaic powered electrodialysis desalination systems for rural India
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014)This thesis justifies photovoltaic (PV)-powered electrodialysis (ED) as an energy and cost-effective means of desalinating groundwater in rural India and presents the design requirements for a village-level system. Saline ... -
A methodology for turbocharging single cylinder four stroke internal combustion engines
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015)This thesis presents a method for turbocharging single cylinder four stroke internal combustion engines, a model used to evaluate it, an experimental setup used to test it, and the findings of this experiment. A turbocharged ...
