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Student engineering team works to bring vaccine refrigerators to Honduras

A team of Oklahoma Christian University mechanical engineering students are working to bring solar-powered, vaccine storing refrigerators to rural Central America.

As part of their senior systems project, Austin Blount, Shannon Fultz and Lynsi Stanley partnered with Predisan Health Ministriesa Christian nonprofit that runs 35 medical clinics across rural Hondurasto design and install their solar-powered refrigerator concept in Predisan’s operating region.

With electricity unavailable in most villages, many rural Hondurans have an opportunity to get vaccinated just once or twice per year, Blount said. Those who miss these chances face an increased risk of contracting avoidable diseases and illnesses.

“Right now, they’re storing [vaccinations] in a big central location and hosting these big vaccination events at schools in bigger villages,” Blount said. “They’re bringing nurses with vaccines in coolers to these locations and villages that don’t have systems. Hopefully, this would get rid of the need for these big events, and they could have access to vaccines all of the time.”

While some of Predisan’s clinics do have alternative energy powered refrigerators, most are decades old and becoming increasingly expensive to operate, repair and replace, according to Fultz.

“When they have a component they have to replace, it’s very expensive, because it’s proprietary and they have to get a specific part from a specific person,” Fultz said. “With our project, we’re trying to make it commercial off the shelf so they can make their systems themselves, and whenever they have a part break down, they can pick it up at their hardware store and it’s not overpriced.”

According to Stanley, the group is currently creating a prototype and design manual for both a solar and wind powered refrigerator system. Upon arriving in Honduras next spring, they will replicate their solar-powered refrigerator design with locally sourced materials.

“We are actually purchasing the parts in Honduras,” Stanley said. “The hope is that they’ll be ready by the time we get there.”

Stanley said the group hopes to train local technicians on how to construct their refrigerator system, ultimately bringing their concept to every Predisan clinic in Honduras.

While technical progress has been made on the project, the group, known as Team Predisan, is still searching for funding to travel to Honduras to install the system.

According to Fultz, Team Predisan has raised some money through the engineering department and College of Natural and Health Sciences, but it will not be enough to pay for an estimated $8,000 worth of equipment, parts and travel expenses necessary to complete the project.

“Our project is a little different from the other systems projects,” Fultz said. “For example, the Niagara group is doing a project for Niagara Bottling Company, and Niagara is paying for it all. Since Predisan is a nonprofit, they can’t pay us a lot.”

According to Fultz, it would be difficult to implement the system and complete the project without physically being in Honduras.

“Being down there, we’ll be able to communicate with our technical team—they’ll be able to ask us questions,” Fultz said. “Even with a translator, it’s going to be pretty valuable to have that face-to-face interaction. They can bring up things maybe we didn’t anticipate, and we can work with them to make sure the system is viable.”

Those interested in supporting Team Predisan may donate online or by phone at (405) 425-5094.

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