River Ice / Río de Hielo

Key Features

River Ice / Río de Hielo is a solution to generate cold air and ice in warm tropical zones, using the energy from the flow of slow rivers.

It is a floating mechanical cooling system powered by a three-bladed Garman Turbine, developed and tested to avoid sticks and debris transported by water, especially during river floods. As it is a mechanical system, its maintenance is understood and attended to by its users. Except for the turbine, all its parts are easy to find in hardware stores in towns at a low price. Additionally, the Garman Turbine is able to generate electricity simply by changing a belt location, when it has been equipped with a permanent magnet generator.

Social Impact

Cold air and/or ice is as precious, or more, as gold in tropical areas for its properties to preserve medicines and food. In addition to helping combat a fever, the solution can lower the temperature of spaces and allows for satisfying pleasures such as ice cream, cold drinks or beer. Many areas with isolated electricity systems coincide with sections of large rivers such as the Orinoco, Amazon, Nile, Ganges and more. Generally, fishermen depend on ice to preserve the product of their work.

River Ice / Río de Hielo is capable of producing up to 100 kilos of ice in 24 hours, bagging water from the same river (even if it is cloudy) to turn it into ice bars. The minimum speed required is 0.7 m/s, and the minimum depth is 1.8 m.

Future Plans

The current marketing strategy for river ice is the direct sale of potable ice, adding a photovoltaic system for water purification. It is about supporting enterprises that sell ice (or rent refrigerated spaces) among CAMPUS UNIVERSITAS students who live on the banks of rivers.

Main Target Group

Fishermen associations.

Main User

Fishermen associations on the Meta River in Colombia.