Collaborative Projects & Programs
Since 2016, Resilient Communities has been using the expertise of the University of Cincinnati’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (UC CEAS) by establishing capstone projects for their senior engineering students .With our guidance, the student teams perform research and develop designs for our project ideas. These reports created by the students help us drafting pilot projects with Cadi Ayyad University’s National Center for Studies and Research on Water and Energy (CNEREE) in Marrakech for continued research and development.
In addition, our unique internship program allows interns to develop their own workshops and projects with Resilient Communities' guidance. that could be implemented in the future. We believe that everyone is capable of being "agents of change" in their communities with the right resources and support.
University of Cincinnati Projects
Waste Management and Separating Facility
UC CEAS Environmental Engineers
For the 2019-2020 academic year, the environmental engineering students are designing a landfill and waste management facility in Tameslouht. The report and designs produced will be used to support waste separation and reuse by utilizing the solid waste data gathered by Eastman during his Fulbright research.
Methane Gas Capping System for Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Facilities
The 2018-2019 Environmental Engineering Capstone Project focused on designing a methane gas capping system for the wastewater treatment anaerobic ponds. The potential use of the methane can be for the new pottery kiln prototypes or for household use. A prototype small-batch reactor is in the process of being designed to verify the cubic meters of methane produced and determine the best gas scrubbing process.
Trash and Methane Gas Powered Pottery Kiln
For the 2017-2018 academic year, Resilient Communities created a senior capstone project for the mechanical engineering students. The team also consisted of two environmental engineering students, one EnvE professor, and a ceramics instructor who worked together to create the best possible solution to address Tameslouht's traditional, and yet toxic, pottery kilns powered by burning tires.
Ninety-Five percent of the world’s olive trees are located in the Mediterranean region. As a result, many municipalities suffer from finding a solution to the wastewater (OWW) produced by olive oil production. The Marrakech-Safi region has additional environmental challenges within the artisanal sector, particularly in Tameslouht. Due to its arid climate, wood is scarce, which forces potters to burn tires to power their kilns. When considering alternative designs for Tameslouht’s pottery sector it is important to consciously merge traditional with modern practice and design. The EnergyXchange case study was the cornerstone of the thesis and the starting point for the development of Tameslouht’s own waste-powered kiln project utilizing methane gas that uses OWW as a substrate for production and solid waste for combustion.