Solar Tea Cart

In cities throughout India,
. . . street vending is a way of life,

. . . with many street-food carts (called Thattukada's) that burn fossil fuels.

Christopher Gregory of Bent Harbor, Michigan, has a vision
. . . to reduce Thattukada's carbon footprint, using solar energy to heat water.

This concept design, is the addition of a low-tech hot water system to the carts.
. . . Composed of
. . . . . . copper water coil,
. . . . . . rubber gasket,
. . . . . . coated aluminum liner,
. . . . . . fiberglass insulation,  
. . . . . . ABS plastic shell–protected by glass and
. . . . . . supported by a layer of corrugated sheet metal.

To produce hot water, the vendor simply
. . . . . . pumps in cold water and
. . . . . . adjusts the solar thermal system, via 4 attached cords,
. . . . .. .to pick up the best angle of the sun.
After the water has been heated,
. . . it is delivered to a stovetop set-up via black plastic tubing,
. . . where it can be used to keep hot foods hot, via a double broiler,
. . . or directly for hot beverages, such as tea.


The Sun Thattukada provides street vendors with a sustainable alternative
. . . to heating their beverages, such as tea,

This project was the result of a year-long class with MBA students and
. . . a trip to India to refine the design:
. . . . . . which saves money for fuel,
. . . . . . is simple and convient to operated and maintain,
. . . . . . Multifunctional for cooking and keeping,
. . . . . . . . . both food and beverages hot, and
. . . . . . reduce's Thattukada's carbon footprints.

Source: Cart1 . . . Cart2