Food Cooling System

Thomas Bertelsen / The Rolex Awards For Enterprise

Inventor: Mohamed Bah Abba

In rural northern Nigeria, there are no refrigerators. Most people don't even have electricity. So
perishable food must be eaten immediately, or it will go to waste. Mohammed Bah Abba, a local
teacher, has developed an ingenious solution: the Pot-in-Pot Preservation Cooling System. A small
earthenware pot is placed inside a larger one, and the space between the two is filled with moist
sand. The inner pot is filled with fruit, vegetables or soft drinks; a wet cloth covers the whole thing.
As water in the sand evaporates through the surface of the outer pot, it carries heat, drawing it away
from the inner core. Eggplants stay fresh for 27 days, instead of the usual three. Tomatoes and
peppers last for up to three weeks. A recipient of the Rolex Award for Enterprise, Abba, 37, who hails
from a family of potmakers, is using his $75,000 award to make the invention available throughout
Nigeria. He has already sold 12,000.

Availability: Now (in Nigeria), for 40 cents a set

 Making A Pot In A Pot Refrigerator
 POSTED ON: MAY 8, 2016

 POSTED BY: MEGAN MAZON

 POSTED IN: HOW TO

  READ TIME: 3 MINUTES

In some situations, especially in communities where there is no electricity, storing cold foods for long periods of time can be difficult. One easy
solution would be to build a pot in pot refrigerator. Using simple pots, water and sand together, this type of refrigerator is currently being used by
tonnes of farmers in warmer climates who have the need to keep their food for a long time while keeping the insect away.

By keeping the sand moist at all times, the evaporation will keep the produce inside cool. This allows produce to last longer than when stored at
room temperature. This method is also good for a picnic or outdoor meal. The following will show you how you are able to make your own.

Some Things that You Will Need

• Two pots, either clay or

terracotta. Make sure one is smaller than the other and unglazed
• Water and Sand
• Cloth to cover pots
• Something to plug the hole in the bottom of the pots if needed
Grab two very large terracotta or clay pots, whichever you want. One of the pots needs to be smaller than the other one. Make sure the pots are
able to fit well inside of each other and that there is at least one centimetre or up to 3 centimetres of room between the two pots when placed
inside.
You must fill any holes on the bottom of the pots. You can use pebbles, paste, cork, clay, putty, or duct tape. If you do not fill the holes, the water
will flow out and the project will not be successful.
 Next you need to fill up the bottom of the
bigger pot with coarse sand about 2.5cm to 1 inch deep. With the sand inside the larger pot, the smaller pot should still fit inside and should be
even in height with the larger pot. Now,
place the smaller pot inside of the larger one. The sand should be level so that the smaller pot sits inside evenly without tipping to one side.
 Then, fill the space around the smaller
pot with sand. You should leave a small gap between the top of the sand and the lip of the pot.
 Next, you will need to pour cold water
into the sand. The sand should be completely saturated. Pour slowly to make sure that you are giving the water time to soak in.
Dampen a cloth or towel with water and place it on top of the inside pot. Be sure to completely cover the top of the inner pot.
 Let the inside pot cool down. Use your
hands or use a thermometer to determine the temperature of the inner pot.
Allow the pot to dry. Place the pot in a dry place with pleanty of space to allow the water to properly evaporate outward.
Put the vegetables or other items inside of the smaller pot. You must check the sand regularly to make sure that it is moist. If needed, pour more
water into the sand.
Tips to help you out:

• The refrigerator is also known as the “Zeer” pot in Arabic

• You can try many different vegetables and fruit to see how long you are able to keep them in the pot.
• Meat is able to be kept in the pot for up to two weeks compared to just a few hours without using this pot in pot refrigerator.
• Liquids and other fluids are able to be kept at 15c
• This pot in pot refrigerator is able to prevent humidity and fungi growth

Some warnings:

• Evaporation cooling will work more effectively if the pot in pot refrigerator is kept in dry heat. In high humidity conditions, this method will not
work.