Technical Briefs

Practical Action's technical briefs – introductory factsheets and basic practical information – have been written in response to the demand for information on a broad range of appropriate technologies.

All of Practical Action's technical briefs are available to download, free, as Adobe Acrobat PDF files from this site. Alternatively, hard copies can be obtained by contacting Practical Action's Technical Information Service.

Please note that some files are large: a 300K file will take around one minute to download on a 56K modem. More information on PDF files and troubleshooting.

Recent additions: Community-based animal health care 161k Community cereal banks 140k Compost bin manufacture 910k Conservation of indigenous breeds 123k Dead level contours 241k Donkey plough 206k Home composting 292k

Integrated soil fertility 146k Sand dams 156k Seed fairs 202k Small-fish farming 337k The 'A' frame 118k Tsetse fly management 326k Underground rainwater harvesting 159k Water harvesting in Sudan 296k

Direct links to the technical briefs can be found below, or click on topic headings for full lists with abstracts.

Energy Batteries 224k Biogas and liquid biofuels 123k Biomass 325k Diesel 222k Energy from the wind 93k Grid connection 99k Kerosene and LPG 251k Micro-hydro power 378k Paddy husk and sawdust-fired industrial stove 184k Refrigeration for developing countries 246k Rural lighting 113k Solar cooking 188k Solar (PV) energy 611k Solar (PV) refrigeration of vaccines 132k Solar thermal energy 147k Solar water heating 92k Stoves for institutions 121k Wind for electricity generation 164k Transport Aerial ropeway in Nepal 288k Gravity ropeways 1.1Mb Bicycles 522k Bicycle trailers 647k Dry-stone causeways 202k Plywood boat building in South India 390k Miscellaneous Mineral processing 281k A mercury retort 599k Producing printed material 191k Artificial reefs and their placement 1.8Mb Manufacturing Candlemaking 324k Dyeing of textiles 270k Oil-soaked wood bearings 2.1Mb Papermaking 266k Recycling of organic waste 187k Recycling of plastics 361k Recycling of rubber 270k Soapmaking 158k

Water and Sanitation Compost toilet 284k Handpumps 292k Hydraulic ram pumps 190k Micro-irrigation 380k Rainwater harvesting 934k Run-off rainwater harvesting 459k Sand dams 156k Solar distillation 88k Solar (PV) water-pumping 195k Underground rainwater harvesting 159k Water harvesting in Sudan 296k Water hyacinths 319k Water supply and sanitation 166k Windpumps 175k Agriculture Beekeeping 471k Community-based animal health care 161k Community cereal banks 140k Compost bin manufacture 910k Conservation of indigenous breeds 123k Dead level contours 241k Donkey plough 206k Home composting 292k Integrated soil fertility 146k Micro-irrigation 221k Rainwater harvesting 934k Run-off rainwater harvesting 459k Sand dams 156k Seed fairs 202k Small-fish farming 337k The 'A' frame 118k Tsetse fly management 326k Underground rainwater harvesting 159k Water harvesting in Sudan 296k Construction Earthquake-resistant housing 281k Methods for testing lime in the field 596k Testing methods for pozzolanas 492k Micro concrete roofing tiles 501k Mud plasters and renders 2.5Mb School buildings in developing countries 317k

Food Processing

Anagi tray dryer 338k Banana beer 28k Banana chips 241k Biltong 44k Bottle and jar cooling system 82k Bottle washing and steam sterilisation 115k Brown sugar 80k Butter making 47k Canning of foods 45k Cardomom 150k Cashew nut processing 273k Chiuri (the Butter Tree of Nepal) 63k Cinnamon 51k Cloves 39k Cocoa and chocolate 65k Coffee 190k Cold storage of fruits and vegetables 82k Coriander 38k Cumin 39k Dairy processing 122k Drying of apricots 175k Drying of chillies 170k Drying of foods 200k Drying technology 190k Essential oils 278k Food poisoning and its prevention 59k Food processing building design 58k Food processing equipment design 57k Fruit juice processing 137k Fruit leathers 131k Fruit waste utilisation 55k Ginger 71k Grape wine 139k Groundnut processing 188k Gundruck (pickled leafy vegetables) 41k Honey processing 110k Jam, jellies and marmalades 155k

Kawal 40k Lime cordial 44k Lime juice manufacture 38k Lime marmalade 151k Lime oil and juice 118k Liquids filling and packaging 113k Marshmallows 66k Mixed fruit juice manufacture 44k Nas Naran lime juice manufacture 39k Nutmeg and mace 58k Oil extraction 312k Packaging food in glass 441k Packaging materials 214k Papain production 29k Passion fruit jam 45k Passion fruit juice 44k Pepper 178k Pickled cabbage (Kimchi) 41k Pickled cucumber 40k Pickled dry salted lime 44k Pickled fruits 54k Pickled papaya 51k Pickled vegetables 47k Pineapple jam 46k Pineapple peel vinegar 46k Quality control 78k Solar drying 120k Solids filling and packaging 43k Spice processing 146k Strawberry jam 44k Sugar production from cane sugar 63k Toddy and palm wine 54k Tofu and soymilk production 51k Tomato processing 54k Tomato semi-processing 141k Tray dryers 184k Turmeric 45k Watermelon jam 44k Yoghurt 45k Yoghurt incubator 196k

To read these files, you will need the current version of Adobe Acrobat reader, which can be downloaded from Adobe's website.
More information on PDF files, troubleshooting and alternatives.

If you have problems downloading the Technical Brief you require, please contact Neil Noble for a hard copy at:

Technical Information Service
Practical Action
The Schumacher Centre for Technology and Development
Bourton-on-Dunsmore
Rugby, CV23 9QZ
United Kingdom
Tel: (+44) 1926 634400
Fax: (+44) 1926 634401
e-mail: infoserv@practicalaction.org.uk

Technical information for reconstruction Following the South Asia tsunami disaster, Practical Action has been links to resources on construction, fishing, water and sanitation.

Other technical documents

The following information is also available to download:

Small wind energy systems for battery charging
A comprehensive guide for maximising local and renewable resources to meet basic energy services: including a manual describing how to build a permanent magnet generator (PMG); and a manual for wind rotor blade construction.

• Small Wind Energy Systems for Battery Charging (PMG Manual) NB: large file 930K
• Wind Rotor Blade Construction 332K

Micro-hydro power
The following documents on micro-hydro power are available:

• an in-depth paper on micro hydro power ~80kb
• a detailed paper on Decentralised Rural Electrification ~24kb
• an in-depth book: "Best practices for sustainable development of micro hydro power in developing countries" by Smail Khennas and Andrew Barnett (NB: large file ~1.5Mb)
  (also available from microhydropower.net)
• an illustrated guide to financing micro-hydro ~210kb

Solar power
Practical Action's consulting subsidiary has developed a low cost Solar Lantern designed to make solar energy more accessible.

• an illustrated guide to the solar lantern ~72kb
• an in-depth paper on solar power ~34kb

Reducing indoor air pollution in rural households
The Practical Action Smoke and Health project provides practical solutions to the problem of indoor air pollution in developing countries. Download illustrated or text-only versions of the report, and a paper on smoke health and household issues.

Building Small-Scale Water Harvesting Dams
The experience of ITDG North Darfur State, Western Sudan by Mohamed Majzoub Fidiel
The manual reflects Practical Action (then ITDG) experiences, specifically in the building of dams, and demonstrates the quick impact that dams can make on people livelihoods.

• download Building Small-Scale Water Harvesting Dams (PDF, 6.3Mb)

Making knowledge networks work for the poor
An initiative that seeks to improve the integration and co-ordination internationally of information and knowledge resources on appropriate technology.

• Read more about the Making Knowledge Networks Work for the Poor project, and a full report on the proceedings of the workshop, including case studies.
• Knowledge and information systems of the urban poor – research project examining how the urban poor obtain information, and how development agencies can help to strengthen their knowledge and information systems.

Information about Practical Action projects and research findings are also available by clicking on each technology area at the top of each page.

Re-Cycle Bicycle Trailers
Re-Cycle is a charity promoting bicycle trailers for the developing world. Their site includes a 366K PDF manual for the construction of a robust, low cost, simple trailer made from globally available materials and unwanted bicycle parts. Re-Cycle website

Practical Action is not responsible for the contents of external websites