Blending of New and Traditional Technologies - Case Studies (ILO - WEP, 1984, 312 p.) ANNEX: SELECTED EXAMPLES OF EXPERIMENTS AND PROJECTS* (introduction...) I. Microelectronics/Electronics A. Microprocessor/Computer Applications B. Other microelectronics/electronics applications II. Robotics and Numerically Controlled Machines III. Optoelectronics A. Laser techniques IV. Satellite Technology A. Remote sensing applications B. Satellite broadcasting V. New materials A. Ceramics and amorphous silicon B. Fibre reinforced composites VI. Biotechnology VII. Miscellaneous A. Irradiation techniques B. New chemical processes

Blending of New and Traditional Technologies - Case Studies (ILO - WEP, 1984, 312 p.)

ANNEX: SELECTED EXAMPLES OF EXPERIMENTS AND PROJECTS*

* The Annex mainly contains examples of concrete applications of new technologies in traditional activities. A number of items (especially in the field of biotechnology) which are still in the development or pilot stages but show great potential have, however, been included. These are shown in asterisks.

I. Microelectronics/Electronics

A. Microprocessor/Computer Applications

1. Computer applications in textiles (China). In May 1980, the Beijing Institute of Textile Science and the Beijing No. 1 textile plant installed a computer system designed to monitor 288 looms. The system collects operational data every ten seconds, processes it and prints out the output. It briefs the weaver on his/her own accumulated output and at the end of the shift provides him/her with various data concerning the weaver, production group, workshop and a breakdown diagnosis for each loom.

Prior to computer applications, manual methods resulted in an unnecessary high stock piling, and a high wastage rate of one per cent or a loss of one million metres of cloth in the Shanghai No. 1 Printing and Dyeing Mill. In June 1981, this plant established two microcomputer systems with the collaboration of the Huadong Institute of Textile Engineering, in order to improve quality control and forecast export markets. It is recorded that the new technology applications have reduced the wastage rate from one per cent to 0.1 per cent, or savings of 900,000 metres of cloth per annum.

2. Microprocessors in rice mills (Thailand). A rice miller in Thailand has bought a new rice-sorting machine with 11 microprocessors. This machine sorts out the grains that are diseased or stained, and thus upgrades the quality of the rice.

3. Computerisation in small/medium industries (India). A small firm in India is engaged in mass production of high precision engineering items. The company did not consider a fully-integrated computer system as economical in Indian conditions. Instead, a computer was introduced for handling bulk data of the pivotal materials control system, with manual follow-up based on computer summaries in the field of direct and indirect material consumption control, work-in-process, inter-plant accounting, purchase planning, etc.

4. Use of computers in traditional medicine prescriptions (China). Microcomputers are being used in China for writing out prescriptions of Chinese medicines. In addition, the computers can calculate the prices and weight of medicines, keep accounts and also record the stock.¹

5. Use of microcomputers in villages (Egypt). The project, financed by the UN Financing System for Science and Technology for Development (UNFSSTD), involves the use of microcomputers at the village level to generate a data base for a modern health information system. Egypt has been concerned about slow, fragmented and often contradictory reporting on the performance of health services. Under this project, the methodology of data collection has been prepared and training methods for managers and operators have been worked out. Seven microcomputer systems have been installed. With the help of Cairo University, the hardware/software system has been converted to Arabic language. The first phase of the project is operational in a district of Cairo with a population of one million and in the Governorate of Fayoum which covers six districts and another two million people.

6. On-line microprocessor control in traditional industries (United Kingdom)². The British Sugar Corporation employs microprocessor controllers with their sugar evaporators and crystallisers. These controllers optimise several functions simultaneously and raise productivity and profitability by 75 per cent and 300 per cent respectively.

In the Midlands, a ferrous foundry uses microprocessors to control 12 moulding machines. The microprocessors are also used on its sand mill. This has resulted in lower labour use, and improved quality/productivity.

A textile firm developed a microprocessor “black box” control system for sewing and finishing garments.

7. The Videotext computer-aided education system (Kuwait)³. Videotext is a two-way interactive communication system using specialised terminals, plus home television sets linked to host computers. The system in Kuwait would enable education at home through the use of television terminal hardware and specialised computer programming software to provide screen “pages” in Arabic and Latin characters. The system consists of a central computer linked via the telephone system to special television sets, and connected via a “gateway” system to data banks outside Kuwait.

8. Microprocessors in dairy farming (India). Microprocessors have been developed for measuring and recording the fat content of milk. This device was produced as a result of research and development in a major cooperative society in Western India. This decentralised cooperative collects milk from members twice daily and so copes with small quantities of milk. The price paid is based on the fat content of milk and traditionally a few drops of the milk have to be sampled to determine its fat content. The microprocessor method is non-destructuve and so milk is not wasted (in the traditional method the milk is destroyed in the process of testing). In addition records are kept of the fat content of each sample, thus allowing the cooperative to monitor the aggregate fat content, total amounts paid and the variation of the quality of milk over time. This replaced the cumbersome conventional method used to record the large quantity of data.⁴

9. Computers in dairy farming (United States). In Wisconsin, a manager of a 250 cowherd uses a computer to record the milk production of each cow twice daily. It compares results with previous ones to determine cows who yields are dropping. The computer is also used in the preparation of reproduction records. It lists the number of days since cows calved, the number of days since cows were bred and the pregnancy status of each cow. Thus, it can list the cows expected to be in heat, distinguish dry cows and predict calving dates.

In Indiana, a consultant uses a computer in a mobile van to design balanced and rationed feeding schedules for different herds of dairymen in the area. The computer calculates forage/concentrate ratios, fibre level in rations as well as daily vitamin and mineral dosage. By estimating the cost of feed required to produce unit quantity of milk the computer can help the dairymen to calculate their profits. The computer rations also enable the cows to produce longer, (5 lactation periods instead of 2.7) and to give more milk of better quality.⁵

10. Computers in prediction of outbreak of pests in agriculture (United States). Researchers at Michigan State University have used microcomputers to predict the outbreak of pests in an apple orchard scab. The computer was 100 per cent accurate and by using the predictions, fungicides were applied at the appropriate time, thus maximising the effectiveness of the fungicides and eliminating additional sprayings.⁶

11. Computer networks (United States and Canada). There are computer networks that microcomputers can link up with by modem. These networks give information on weather conditions and forecasts, commodity prices and current market prices for livestock.⁷

B. Other microelectronics/electronics applications

12. “Microelectronic abacus” (China). It is reported that in March 1979, the Chinese Abacus Association produced a new instrument called “microelectronic abacus”. An electronic calculator is quicker than an abacus for multiplication and division; but an abacus is faster for addition and subtraction. The strong points of both have therefore been incorporated into the new device which “consists of an integrated micro-circuit in the upper part with an abacus below. Either part can be used independently. This combination has dramatically increased the efficiency of this ancient calculating tool.”⁸ The electronic abacus is being mass-produced in Beijing and Hangzhou.

13. Microelectronics and rural telecommunications (Guyana). In Guyana, a programme is being developed to apply microelectronics for the improvement of rural telecommunications systems, in particular, to improve the efficiency of equipment.

14. Microelectronics applications in irrigation systems (Thailand). Thailand is at present considering the introduction of commercial application of advanced modular technology for low-cost field-level irrigation system to its Northeast region. The conventional grade-level irrigation systems are difficult to instal because of slightly rolling terrain. When field-level distribution canals must be elevated by a metre or so, a considerable area of land is lost to cultivation because of the field requirements. In order to overcome this problem engineers at the Mekong Commission surveyed a variety of prefabricated modular channel technologies, and identified one which has potential for relatively small-scale local production and low installed cost, while greatly reducing the land area diverted from agricultural use.⁹

15. Rural electronic telephone exchanges (India). The Indian Telephone Industry has stepped up the production of small-scale rural electronic telephone exchanges as a result of the successful performance of the first-batch production. It is reported that about 100 ten-line telephone batches are already in operation in rural areas in Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Two hundred additional exchanges are expected to be operational soon.¹⁰

16. Use of electronics in traditional medicine (China). The acupoint pressing method is used to diagnose diseases in China. A recent development has been the replacement of the fingers by an electronic device used for pressing at the acupoints. With the device, time is saved in diagnosis especially in disease surveys. In Machen District in Hubei Province general surveys of carcinoma and esophagus have been carried out. In the traditional finger-method of diagnosis two surveys involving 8,600 and 4,500 people required 15 and eight medical workers respectively, and a period of one year to complete. A similar survey in which the electronic device was used covered 16,536 people and only four medical workers over a period of less than a year.¹¹

II. Robotics and Numerically Controlled Machines

17. Food robots (Japan). Robots are being used in small Japanese restaurants. Some examples are: an egg-breaker, a sushi-squeezer, a gyoza-packer, a Yakitori-piercer, warped food-maker, and egg-frier, etc. They are known to perform as well as professional cooks, at a speed nearly 10 times that of a human cook.¹² A small Tokyo company (Suzumo Machinery Works) holds the patents on sushi robot. It has sold 1,500 units in Japan and 30 in the United States. In 1982, Suzumo began selling a robot that, with a robotic arm and claws, makes rice patties. It is reported that “quality is excellent and the speed is impressive, 1,200 an hour, or three times faster than an experienced sushi chef.”¹³ The fish however still must be sliced by hand and stacked on the rice patty. Here then is an appropiate example of combining the new technology with labour-intensive operations rather than replacing the latter altogether.

18. Industrial robots (Japan). Shima Seiki Company employing 310 workers has an “army of mechatronics” which produces three times the output with the same number of employees. Its product is a knitting machine, of many varieties. With the introduction of the NC machine tools, the company can adjust and adapt to the changing requirements of customers.¹⁴

19. Automation of traditional wood products industry (Japan). Manufacture of Japanese wooden products is concentrated mainly in small firms, which are rapidly introducing NC-machine tools and robots in order to be able to withstand competition from other firms. For example, Hikari Furniture Co. introduced ten NC-machine tools in 1981, and subsequently installed painting robots and transfer robots; Furuyama Sangyo bought an NC-machine tool the cost of which was shared with the machine-tool maker and the NC-maker.¹⁵

20. Automation in sheep shearing (Australia). The cost of shearing sheep by hand is becoming prohibitive in Australia. Therefore, the Australian Wool Corporation has sponsored a research project to develop a fully automatic and numerically-controlled mechanism for sheep-shearing. Future research will concentrate on producing a “robot” shearer which would be owned by contractors and leased to farmers for short periods.¹⁶

III. Optoelectronics

A. Laser techniques

21. Use of laser for irradiation of silkworms (China). In the Anhui province of China, laser has been introduced by the Institute of Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to irradiate silkworms. The new breeds are of higher quality: they also economise feed. The cocoon shell increases by 1.58 per cent, increasing the output value per sheet of silkworm egg paper by 3.5 per cent while the output value of mulberry leaves goes up by 13.16 per cent and the length of natural silk increases by 150 metres.¹⁷

22. Laser processing machines (Japan). The major advantages of laser processing machines are: (i) they can operate with high precision; and (ii) each machine can perform several tasks such as cutting, welding, drilling and heat treatment through adjustment of the duration of laser application. In addition they do not require a high level of skill to operate and they are economical.

In Japan laser applications include the laser-light scalpel used in medicine and laser machines used in industry for cutting, welding, drilling and measuring. A Japanese Government subsidised project undertaken by the Electro Technical Laboratory in Tsulcuba Science City aims at developing laser machines of up to 20 kW output.¹⁸

23. Use of optical fibres in telecommunications (France). The French Post Telephone Telegraph (PTT) has launched a large programme for utilising fibre optics for all medium and long haul transmission links. To date optical fibres have been used to link post offices in Paris. A 100 km transmission link with repeaters every 20-30 km is planned between LeMans and La Fleche and Anger in the west of France. The TAT 8 transatlantic cable is to be inaugurated in 1988. Optical fibre transmissions have several advantages over conventional copper cables. Their technical advantages include low signal attenuation, total immunity to electromagnetic and radiofrequency interference and unwanted tampering with or tapping of transmitted information, very high band width for simultaneous transmission of speech data, text, still and moving pictures, compactness, ease of installation and maintenance, safety of use (no risk of sparking, electrocution or overheating) and high speed of data transmission. Economically, they have been shown to be cheaper for links of above 200 mg and prices are expected to drop rapidly in the future.

24. Optical fibres in telecommunications (United States). Washington and New York are now connected by optical glass fibres. The lasers that transmit the signals flash at 90 million times a second. At that rate the whole contents of the Encyclopaedia Britannica can be transmitted over a single pair of fibres in one minute.¹⁹

25. Fibre optic systems (Japan). Over 400 optical fibre systems were installed in Japan between 1978 and 1980. In 1982, the major users included the iron and steel industry, the automobile industry and in monitoring railroad and highway traffic.

In the Fukuyama iron and steel works, fibre-optic transmission is required for in-house data transmission. This has eliminated interference from power cables supplying power to the plant. By 1981, the fibre optic transmission system had a cable length of 16 kilometres.²⁰

26. Photovoltaic power supply in Hammam Biadha Sud (Tunisia). In February 1983 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Centre installed four stand-alone photovoltaic systems in Tunisia. One such system was at a village (Hammam Biadha Sud) 150 km from Tunis.

In this village a central photovoltaic power system provides power to three sectors (domestic, commercial and public) of the village.

In the commercial sector two stores and a mill, a hairdresser, a coffee shop require up to 5 kWh of electricity per day. The domestic sector consists of 22 homes provided with 37 kWh daily to power refrigerators, lights and television sets. In the public sector 20 kWh is used daily to supply a clinic, a mosque, a cultural centre, a school and street lights. The array sub-system also consists of storage batteries and an inverter for d.c./a.c. conversion. With an inverter efficiency of 80 per cent, 119 kWh of electricity is produced per day in July and 65 kWh per day in December.

The second system is a farmhouse system serving the need of a residence remote to Hammam Biadha. The large three-family dwelling has a demand of 1.5 kWh. This system consists of a solar array, a conditioning and control sub-system, a battery sub-system and a 120 DC/230 V AC, 50 HZ inverter. Daily load is 6 kWh in July and 3 kWh in December (again assuming 80 per cent inverter efficiency).

The third and fourth photovoltaic systems in Hammam Biadha supplies pumps of two drip irrigation systems. One feeds water to a one hectare greenhouse where vegetables are grown while the other irrigates a one-hectare fruit orchard. Each system requires up to 750 cubic metres of water a day.²¹

27. Las Barrancas solar village (Mexico). This project is a part of the bigger project entitled “Sonntlan” which is one of the several projects developed by the Government of Mexico and the Federal Republic of Germany. It consists in an integrated use of solar energy for providing desalinated water, electricity, ice and cold space to the Pacific community of fishermen of Los Barrancas village in the Northwest of Mexico. The objectives of the project are: (a) to demonstrate the benefits from the use of solar energy; (b) to evaluate the performance and reliablility of the installed equipment in real working conditions; (c) to analyse the technical, social and economic feasibility of the solar system for replication in other parts of Mexico, and (d) to improve the living standards of the rural inhabitants.

The integral solar system installed in the village consists of a “service area in which solar and wind energy are transformed into useable forms...” The radiant solar energy is transformed into thermal energy by means of flat-plate collectors and photovoltaic cells. The flat-plate collectors heat water which is used to produce ice which is then used to preserve sea products during transport. Hot water is also used for heating brine in a multi-stage flash seawater desalination plant and in a fish-processing plant. The electric energy generated by the photovoltaic cells is normally used for driving motors in the absorption type refrigeration unit. A photovoltaic generator also provides energy for a radiotelephone system which links the village with the national telephone network.²²

28. Photovoltaic power supply to Schuchuli village (United States). A 3.5 kWp, 120 voH photovoltaic array was installed in a Papago Indian reservation in southern Arizona. The 100 inhabitants are provided with electric power for water pumping, lighting, refrigeration, services and village housekeeping. Direct current (DC) systems are used to reduce losses, costs and the additional complexities of DC/AC converters. A battery of 2,380 amp-hr capacity is incorporated to provide power at night. The control system includes automatic switches to disconnect part of the solar array to prevent overcharging of the batteries and automatic load shedding to prevent excessive discharging of the batteries.²³

29. Solar-power TV sets (Niger). In 1968, an experimental solar panel was installed near Niamey to power the education TX sets at a nearby school. It is reported that by 1973, about 800 students in 22 classes were receiving instructions through solar-powered television sets. It is forecast that by 1985, over 80 per cent of the population would be covered by solar-powered educational programmes.

30. Photovoltaic cells (Colombia). In Colombia, the use of solar cells for power generation was first considered in 1978 when TELECOM, the National Telecommunications Company, with the technical assistance of the Solar Energy Group of the National University, started a programme to provide 5,000 villages with radiotelephones. The system consists of solar cells panels, a battery, a control unit, and a power conditioner. TELECOM has bought 2,950 systems for a total of 114 kW peak. It is considered to be one of the largest programmes in the world which uses solar generators for rural telecommunications.²⁴

31. Photovoltaic power supply to mosques (Egypt). In an agreement with the German Federal Ministry for Research and Technology, the Egyptian Electricity Authority has embarked on the installation of photovoltaic systems. The first such system provides power to operate the public address system in the Mit Abu El-Koum village mosque. The total power supplied is 368 W and the unit is equipped with a 48 volt storage battery. The other photovoltaic units are to be used for: water pumping and storage, water desalination, water purification, irrigation, a spray plant, a sea bury, hazard beacon, colour television, food cooling and storage and water electrolysis. The total installed power will be approximately 11 kW.²⁵

32. Reverse osmosis water desalination plant (Mexico). Solar Reverse Osmosis (SORO) is an experimental project undertaken by the Federal Republic of Germany and the Government of Mexico. The project comprises design, construction and testing of a photovoltaic-powered brackish water desalination unit which was installed in 1980. The objectives of the project are:

- to evaluate the transformation of solar energy into electricity which is capable of making a reverse osmosis desalination unit work continuously during the daytime;

- to evaluate the ability of these combined systems to provide potable water on the basis of an independent source of energy. Evaluation of the project will concentrate on the plant performance, number and causes of failures, equipment lifetime, water quality and economic feasibility.²⁶

33. Photovoltaic-powered irrigation (United States). In Mead, Nebraska an irrigation system operated by photovoltaic array was set up in a project sponsored by the Department of Energy. For its first two years of operation failure rate of the system was two per cent and important statistical information on such aspects as sorting and cleaning have been obtained.²⁷

34. Photovoltaic systems (Mali). At least five photovoltaic systems have been installed in Mali with French assistance. These are used primarily for pumping water to rural areas. A 16 kWp system installed in a hospital provides power for water pumping, refrigeration of pharmaceuticals, lighting and cooling of operating rooms.

IV. Satellite Technology

A. Remote sensing applications

35. Application of remote-sensing technology (China). In agriculture, LANDSAT MSS images have been utilised in agriculture to compile geological maps, and to investigate changes in the acreage of the Yellow River Delta, and migration of river channels, etc.

36. Use of remote-sensing technology in forestry (Thailand). The Royal Forest Department of Thailand has utilised LANDSAT imagery for surveying existing forest land for the whole country, surveying and assessing areas of shifting cultivation in Northern Thailand and for conducting a change detection study of forest conversion in the seven eastern provinces of the country. Other studies done by means of remote-sensing techniques in Thailand include the measurement of rubber plantations in the eastern and southern parts of the country.

The use of remote sensing techniques reduced the time and personnel required for forest surveys and made it possible to draw up policies and plans for forest conservation and protection.

In the future, remote sensing would be used to monitor the country’s forest resources on a routine basis, in view of the government policy to maintain 50 per cent of the country under forests.²⁸

37. Crop inventory applications of remote sensing (Bangladesh). In Bangladesh remote-sensing techniques were used to measure the extent of winter rice in some regions. When the results of remote sensing were compared with field estimates a high correlation was found to exist.²⁹

38. Soilmapping by remote sensing (Egypt). Remote sensing techniques were used for mapping soils of an area over 100,000 square kilometres in El Shazly in Egypt. The maps obtained were at a scale of 1:500,000 and analysis differentiated arable from non-arable land. The soils were classified further into seven grades. This basic soil classification enables priority areas for agricultural development to be identified.³⁰

39. Detection of areas of copper deposits (Pakistan). A rock classification map, derived from LANDSAT images over Pakistan, has been used to predict copper deposits in the country. Of the 19 sites chosen from the map, five were found to have evidence of surface mineralization indicating the possibility of an enriched copper zone below the surface.³¹

40. Identification of salt-affected soils (India). A study in India has succeeded in delineating salt-affected soils around the Ganges Plain area. Salt-affected soils were easily detected in the MSS bands four and five. This information is important in an attempt to reclaim soils for agriculture in areas where population pressures make this necessary.³²

41. IDRC remote sensing project (Sudan, Bolivia, Bangladesh, Mali and United Republic of Tanzania).³³ In the Sudan project, personnel was trained, a remote-sensing unit was set up and thematic maps of the surface water hydrology, soils and erosion, vegetation and soil use in parts of the Kordofan and White Nile provinces were obtained.

In Bolivia, a series of thematic maps on geology, soils and soil use was produced. This was compiled in the form of an atlas entitled “Area Desaguadero Procesamiento Digital de Datos Multispectrales”. In addition a training programme on remote-sensing techniques was undertaken.

The Bangladesh project also had a training component and involved production of thematic maps by computers. Coloured LANDSAT images were analysed to produce hydrological maps of the hydrology of the Ganges Basin.

In Mali, a large number of maps on geology, hydrography, soil use, forest cover and agricultural potential in the south western part of the country were produced.

The main purpose of the project in Tanzania was to assess the natural resources in the Rukwa region. Maps outlining the biophysical zones of the Sumbawanga and Mpanda districts, and the agricultural potential of the entire region (for crops such as rice, corn, tobacco and cotton) were produced. Details on the geology, accessibility and irrigation possibilities were also obtained.

B. Satellite broadcasting

42. The bare-foot microchip (Ecuador). In Ecuador, rural radio service broadcasts advertisements on the prevention of goitre, with satellite technology. The result, after a period of one year, is an increase in the proportion of households using iodised salt from 5 per cent to 98 per cent.

V. New materials

A. Ceramics and amorphous silicon

43. Microwave drying of ceramics (China). Ceramics production is a traditional industry in China. Products from the conventional methods of drying (hot-air drying) are susceptible to deformation and cracking. Microwave drying, which has been recently employed, ensures uniform drying resulting in a higher quality ceramic product.³⁴

44. Amorphous silicon in solar cells manufacture (Japan). Amorphous silicon is superior to single-crystal silicon in physical, chemical, mechanical, electrical, magnetic and optical properties. Cells made of single-crystal silicon cost US$ 4,000 to 5,000 per kW of output while those from amorphous silicon are one hundredth or less of the above cost. Developments in amorphous silicon production are thus the key to cost reduction in photovoltaic power conversion.

In Japan, several companies now manufacture watches, radios and calculators which utilise amorphous silicon solar cells. Conversion efficiency as high as 6.9 per cent has been achieved.³⁵

B. Fibre reinforced composites

45. Fibre reinforced cement roof sheets (Zimbabwe). In Zimbabwe a production unit for the production of sisal-reinforced concrete roof sheets was set up. Chopped sisal is added to a 3.2 ratio of cement and sand at 1.25 per cent of the total weight.

The production unit which is set up at the Seke International Red Cross Camp is supplied with chop fibres by women. With one moulding table, 24 sheet moulds and four curing racks, production by four men is estimated at ten sheets per day.

The sisal-cement roofing sheets are marketed at 60 per cent of the price of asbestos roof sheets. The sale price per 2 metre sheet is 2.5 Zimbabwean dollars³⁶ of which 45 per cent represents the cost of raw materials and 55 per cent a return for labour, capital outlay and profit. Costs could be lowered in the rural areas where sand and sisal can be obtained at less expense.

The total cost of the project was 371.81 Zimbabwean dollars. Technical assistance was obtained from the United Kingdom Intermediate Technology Building Materials Workshop.

The sisal-reinforced concrete sheets have been widely used in the area and their demand considerably exceeds supply.³⁷

VI. Biotechnology

46. *Production of Malaria vaccine (Australia and Papua New Guinea). The

Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne in conjunction with the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research has utilised the recombinant DNA technique to produce a vaccine against malaria.

The new technique involves the production of protein antigens which have been tested against blood sera of people in malaria-prone areas of Papua New Guinea. Extensive testing is to be carried out by the World Health Organisation.³⁸

47. *Cloning of tea (Malawi). The Tea Research Foundation of Malawi is undertaking research with a view to raise the yields of small tea holders and thereby raise rural living standards. In a major innovation the Foundation has developed clones and methods of propagating their high quality including characteristics such as pest resistance which would be particularly important to small farmers. UNFSSTD is supporting the Foundation with a research grant for this endeavour.

48. *Nitrogen fixation on rice paddy soils (International Rice Testing and Improvement Programme). The above UNDP-financed programme aims to assist paddy rice growers to reduce their dependence on artificial nitrogen fertilisers which have become too expensive for poor farmers in developing countries. The role of microorganisms in fixing nitrogen as part of the process of natural plant nutrition has been studied.³⁹

49. *Production of ethanol from cellulosic material (Philippines). The

Philippine Government requested UNIDO to assist in a project intended to investigate the potential of ethanol production from cellulosic materials. This project consists of three stages:

(i) a technical and economic study of the feasibility of ethanol production from cellulosic materials on a commercial scale and the establishment of a pilot plant;

(ii) preparation of detailed designs for the pilot plant; and

(iii) construction of the pilot plant.

The techno-economic study has been completed. The potential feedstocks studied were bagasse, rice hull, coconut husks, bananas, wood wastes from logging operations and forest industries and wood from fast-growing tree plantations.

Hydrolysis tests have been performed and it is proposed that a pilot plant be set up to process these materials. The preliminary design on the pilot plant provides for versatility to serve important research and development needs.

Besides the basic enzymatic cellulose to ethanol production it can be used to investigate acid hydrolysis, animal feed production tests, research for production of other enzymes (e.g., amylolytic enzymes for hydrolysis of starch) and hydrolysis and fermentation equipment. The total cost of the pilot plant is estimated at US$ 2.1 million. This includes training costs of four to six persons for six to twelve months abroad.⁴⁰

50. *Ethanol from molasses (Brazil). An ethanol plant at Sao Luis distillery has been started in Brazil in collaboration with Alfa-Laval of Sweden. Ethanol is produced from a feedstock of molasses and cane juice syrup.

51. *Rum waste for fuel (Canada). A distillery in Nova Scotia (Canada) has tested a system producing methane from waste mollasses from rum production. It is expected to turn a 27 million litre disposal problem into an energy resource.

52. *Banana ethanol (Jamaica). A contract has been awarded to D. G. Malcolm and Associates, (a Company based in Saskatoon) to investigate the prospect of ethanol production from agricultural by-products, e.g. banana, citrus fruit and coffee pulp, in Jamaica where at present 20 to 40 per cent of the banana crop is rejected because the fruit is marked, undersize or otherwise unsuitable for export.

VII. Miscellaneous

A. Irradiation techniques

53. Use of irradiation in wine-making industries (China). The Fifth Radio Factory of Qiqihae in North East China has produced a wine aging system utilising ultrashort, ultrasonic and ultraviolet rays. Treatment of wine by these rays for 8 to 12 minutes gives an aging effect equivalent to six months storage and improves the wine quality. The Luzhou Brewery in Sichuan Province produces a popular product “Luzhou Dawue” liqueur which is treated with X-rays in doses of between 80,000 and 120,000 roentgens.⁴¹

54. *Heat/irradiation technique for inactivating virus in meat products (Uruguay). Scientists at the Meat Institute of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences have developed methods to eliminate foot and mouth disease from meat and meat products without alteration of the quality. Traditionally a long holding time was required to achieve the acidity required to destroy the virus. This new method involves a balanced combination of heat, heat/irradiation and heat/cold dehydration techniques. Since foot and mouth disease is the main obstacle to expanding exports of meat from Uruguay, it is expected that this breakthrough would be of great economic benefit. The project is being undertaken by the government of Uruguay with the assistance of the UNFSSTD.

B. New chemical processes

55. New pyrolysis techniques for fuel production (Ghana, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea). New pyrolysis techniques using incineration processes have been developed by the Georgia Institute of Technology of the United States. In these processes, biomass residues are convertible into more environmentally acceptable fuels. Biofuels in three forms are produced: char (fuel value 28-31.5 kJ kg ^-1), oil (fuel value 21-23 kJ kg^-1) and gas (fuel value 5.6-7.5 MJ/m^-3). Control can be incorporated to vary the relative yields of these products.

In collaboration with the Ghanaian Building and Road Research Institute in Ghana, an experimental plant has been set up in Kumasi. In Ghana, pyrolitic converters are constructed with local materials. One unit can process six dry tons of sawdust a day and four other units can process 1.5 tons daily. Similar units using rice husks, wood and other wastes have been constructed in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.⁴²

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1. Siyi Lu: The invigoration of traditional technologies through the introduction of new technologies, paper presented at the International Conference on Science and Technology Policy and Research Management, Beijing, October 4-8, 1983.

2. J. Bessant, Staffan Jacobson and Jon Sigurdson (eds.):”The Diffusion of Microelectronics”, in Technology trends and challenges in electronics, Research Policy Institute, Lund, 1953.

3. World of Information: Middle East Review, Essex, England, 1983.

4. A. Wad and M. Radnor: Frontier technologies in African development, paper presented at the Joint Meeting on International Co-operation for African Technological Development, Dakar, Senegal, December, 1983.

5. A. Thorne: “Computers in Agriculture”, in World farming agrimanagement, Vol. 25, No. 5, Intertec Publishing Corporation, Overland Park (near Kansas City), Sept./Oct., 1983.

6. ibid.

7. ibid.

8. Yin Changsheong: “The Abacus in the Calculator Age”, in China Reconstructs, China Welfare Institute, Beijing, June, 1980.

9. UNIDO Microelectronics Monitor, UNIDO, Vienna, April-June 1983.

10. Electronics Weekly, New York, October 13. 1982.

11. Siyi Lu, The invigoration of traditional technologies through the introduction of new technologies, op.cit.

12. Miyaji Ryuji: “Food Robots Are Just Like Professionals”, Shukan Gendai, quoted in Sigeiti Moriguti, “Automation and Robotics in Traditional Trades - Importance of Soft Infrastructures”, in E. von Weizsäcker et al (eds.) “New frontiers in technology application”, Integration of emerging and traditional technologies, Tycooly International, Dublin, 1983.

13. “From Sushi to Shipbuilding: Innovation in Japan’s Robots”, in International Herald Tribune, Paris, July 14, 1983.

14. Case Study on Industrial Robots, in Nikkei Sangyo Shinbun, Tokyo, 1981.

15. Shimoda, Hiroji: “Automation of Wooden Products Industry Proceeds”, Technova Monthly Newsletter, (to be published), quoted in Singerti Moriguti, “Automation and Robotics in Traditional Trades”, in E. von Weizsacker, et al. (eds.), New frontiers in technology application, op.cit.

16. New Scientist, London, September, 2. 1982.

17. Siyi Lu: The invigoration of traditional technologies through the introduction of new technologies, op.cit.

18. Long Term Credit Bank of Japan: Japan’s high technology industries, Tokyo, 1983.

19. “What’s News”, Popular Science, Vol. 223 No. 5, Times Mirror Magazines, New York, August. 1983.

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21. Photovoltaic International, Solar Powers Corporation, Woburn, Massachussetts, April/May, 1983

22. J. Ibarra, E.J. Pérez, et al: “Las Barrancas Solar Village (Sonntlan Project)”, in Using renewable energy resources in developing countries, report of an international conference sponsored by the German Foundation for International Development Centre for Economic and Social Development, Berlin, June 20 to July 4, 1980.

23. National Academy of Sciences: Supplement: energy for rural development, National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1981.

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25. El Tablani: “Activities of the Ministry of Electricity and Energy: Solar Energy Applications”, in Using renewable energy resources in developing countries, op.cit.

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27. National Academy of Sciences, Supplement: energy for rural development, op.cit.

28. S.A. Morain, B. Klankamsom: “Forest Mapping and Inventory Technologies through Visual Analysis of LANDSAT Imagery, Examples from Thailand, in Proceedings of the 12th international symposium on remote sensing of the environment”, Environmental Research Institute of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1978.

29. M.V. Chaudhury, et al.: “A LANDSAT Inventory of Agricultural Resources in Bangladesh”, Proceedings of the 12th international symposium on remote sensing of the environment, op.cit.

30. E.M. El Shuzly. et al.: “Application of LANDSAT Imagery in Geological and Soil Investigation in the Central Western Desert”, in Proceedings of the 12th international symposium on remote sensing of the environment, op.cit.

31. National Academy of Sciences, Remote sensing from space: prospects for developing countries, Washington, DC, 1977.

32. A.N. Singh, S. J. Kristof, and M.F. Baumgardner: Delineating salt affected soils in the Ganges Plain, India, by digital analysis of LANDSAT data, Purdue University Laboratory for the Application of Remote Sensing, West Lafayette, Indiana, 1977.

33. Robert Leblond: Remote sensing and development, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, 1982.

34. Siyi Lu: The invigoration of traditional technologies through the introduction of new technologies, op.cit.

35. Long Term Credit Bank of Japan, Japan’s high technology industries, op.cit.

36. Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG), Appropriate technology, Vol. 7, No. 2, London, September, 1980.

37. One Zimbabwean dollar equals US$1.45 (1980).

38. National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies: Current literature on science of science, Vol. 12, No. 8, New Delhi, 1983.

39. United Nations Development Programme: “Project Briefs”, in Development in action, UNDP Newsletter, No. 2, UNDP, New York, 1983.

40. UNIDO: Production of ethanol from cellulosic materials, UNIDO, Vienna, 1983 (mimeographed).

41. Siyi Lu, The invigoration of traditional technologies through the introduction of new technologies, op.cit.

42. National Academy of Sciences, Supplement: energy for rural development, op.cit.