Description du projet
De nouveaux systèmes de refroidissement hors réseau pour les hôpitaux d’Afrique
Les établissements de santé ruraux et isolés d’Afrique ont besoin d’un approvisionnement durable en énergie hors réseau et d’une eau exempte de bactéries et de virus. Le projet SophiA, financé par l’UE, développera des solutions conteneurisées pour les hôpitaux en utilisant des réfrigérants naturels, l’énergie solaire thermique et l’énergie photovoltaïque. Les unités de soins de santé pourront ainsi accéder à une énergie neutre en carbone pour l’électricité, le chauffage et le refroidissement des médicaments, ainsi qu’à une eau potable salubre et propre, ce qui améliorera la qualité de vie de manière durable. Les systèmes seront fabriqués en Afrique, et ils seront testés dans quatre hôpitaux ruraux situés dans des régions reculées du continent. Les résultats du projet accéléreront le développement durable, la croissance et la transformation économique en Afrique.
Objectif
SophiA system enables African people access to off-grid carbon-neutral electricity, heating and cooling of food and medicine as well as safe and clean drinking water, increasing quality of life in a sustainable way. Broad implementation of SophiA systems will bring vast environmental, economic, social and especially health benefits. It will be demonstrated at 4 rural health facilities, i.e. where aid is most needed, in 4 different climate regions, by providing sustainable solutions appropriate to the African context. The innovative, affordable and efficient SophiA renewable energy solutions will support Africa in achieving sustainable development growth and economic transformation. SophiA systems will be developed by a multi-national interdisciplinary team of 13 partners well balanced between academia and industry, and Africa and Europe. The African manufactured SophiA systems will for the first time provide an innovative solution based on low GWP natural refrigerants that covers cooling in 4 temperature ranges: air conditioning for surgery / intensive care unit, for medicine/food at +5 ?C, blood plasma (-30?C), sensitive medication (e. g. Covid-19 vaccine) at -70 ?C, in a cascade refrigeration system with highly efficient thermal energy storage. Based on the results from 4 field tests, a modular containerized version will remain operational as demonstrators for the purpose of showrooms after the project. A training guidebook will enable local companies to build SophiA on site, as to set up local value-chains in different African countries creating numerous jobs. Capacity building and appropriate financing solutions will be ensured by the involvement of private and public European and African organisations. The SME-partners from Europe will have the opportunity to generate growth by entering new market segments. Everflo as main partner driving SophiA commercialization ensures to transfer that enormous market of over 100 B ? (SOM) to economic value for EU and Africa.
Champ scientifique
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processesdrinking water treatment processes
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energy
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringthermodynamic engineering
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinecritical care medicine
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesinfectious diseasesRNA virusescoronaviruses
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IA - Innovation actionCoordinateur
76133 Karlsruhe
Allemagne