Final Report

 SCERP Project Number: AQ94-5.3

Principal Investigator: Nancy Lowery and Ryan Wicker, University of Texas at El Paso
Octavio E. Chavez, Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Campus, Cd. Juarez

Goal: To reduce environmental pollution by designing strategies to incorporate the use of less polluting energy sources and energy efficiency techniques into the brickmaking process.

Rationale: The project is concerned with lessening the environmental impact that the brickmaking industry has on air quality, not only in the border region but throughout Mexico. In order to help combat the air pollution problem, the Center for Environmental Resource Management at the University of Texas at El Paso, is developing techniques to reduce environmental pollution by designing methods to incorporate the use of less polluting energy sources into the brickmaking process, and to increase the energy and process efficiency of the brick industry.

The EPA - SEDESOL Integrated Environmental Plan for the United States Mexico Border (First Stage 1992 - 1994) IBEP clearly states that one of the primary objectives in the El Paso/Cd. Juarez region is to reduce ambient concentrations of air pollutants to mutually acceptable levels throughout the airshed. This priority is due to the fact that air pollution in El Paso/Cd. Juarez is a primary cause of regional environmental degradation. Since the 1970s El Paso has failed to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone, carbon monoxide and particulate matter (PM 10).

Due to rapid population and industrial growth, and lack of sufficient pollution control and monitoring devices, the twin cities of El Paso/Cd. Juarez have some of the worst air pollution in North America. Although there is no definitive study on the subject, what data that have been collected point to the following major causes of air pollution: vehicle emissions; open burning; unpaved roads; and desert climatic conditions. A major source of open burning in Ciudad Juarez is the approximately 300 brick kilns. This is symptomatic of all of Mexico where, although thousands of these small industries provide an essential source of building materials for the growing population, they also emit high levels of contaminates into the air.

The brick kiln industry in Cd. Juarez is a small, labor intensive industry that supports approximately 2,500 dependent family members. Throughout Mexico, regardless of the size of the city, bricks are still produced as they have been for centuries. They are made by hand, dried in the sun, and generally fired in small, one chamber kilns that use various types of fuels. Firing can last for up to twenty-four hours, all the time being fed by the fuel that is cheapest and most accessible. Often, due to economic factors, that means waste fuels such as scrap wood or wood by-products, or trash. This use of waste fuels pours high amounts of contaminates into the air; a situation that occurs not only in Cd. Juarez but in cities of all sizes throughout Mexico.

Approach: In order to lessen the environmental impact that the brickmaking industry has on air quality, not only in the border region but throughout Mexico, we are conducting a study of brick kiln designs and brickmaking processes. This study is directed toward the development of solar dryers that will eliminate increased amounts of moisture in bricks, thus shorten the actual firing time, reduce fuel consumption and the pollution emitted by the firing process.

In order to reach this goal the project is focusing on:

• system analysis of the manufacturing processes;
• incorporation of energy efficiency techniques into the process; and
• use of concentrated solar energy as an alternative energy supply for the drying of bricks.

Selected designs will be tested at ECOTECH. Results of the process analysis and energy efficiency portions of the study and the preliminary investigation of the use of solar applications for pre-drying will be transferred to the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Campus, Cd. Juarez and to ECOTECH. This information will be used to expand the content of courses currently being taught at the Center and to develop new courses.

This is a joint project with ITESM, Cd. Juarez. ITESM coordinates efforts in Mexico; provides support to the Brickmakers Training Center; continues to field test courses developed during a previous grant, and make adjustments to content, scope and presentation as necessary; and incorporates information provided regarding energy efficiency, process analysis and solar drying into course design.

Status: Project funding notification was received on November 23, 1994. The project team was formed and, due to the holidays, commenced working in January 1995. To determine the most effective methods to incorporate solar drying into the process and to increase the efficiency of the brickmaking process, the project has been split into the following components:

Process Analysis

1. Collect and review existing data on brick kiln design and the brickmaking process.
2. Collect additional material/data on the brickmaking process, through observation and interviews.
3. Perform systems analysis to determine process efficiency (Process Chart and Flow Diagram).
4. Design methods to increase efficiency and productivity.
5. Present results at brick colonias and the Brickmakers Center in Cd. Juarez and revise based on results.
6. Provide information to ITESM for course development.

 Energy Efficiency

1. Collect and review existing data on brick kiln design and the brickmaking process.
2. Collect additional material/data on the brickmaking process, through observation and interviews.
3. Perform baseline energy audit at the Brickmakers Center in Cd. Juarez to determine efficiency.
4. Perform 7 -10 additional energy audits in brickmakers' colonias in Cd. Juarez.
5. Analyze data from energy audits.
6. Present results at brick colonias and the Brickmakers Center in Cd. Juarez.
7. Revise methods and provide information to ITESM for course development.

 Solar Designs

1. Collect and review existing data on brick kiln design and the brickmaking process.
2. Collect additional material/data on the brickmaking process, through observation and interviews.
3. Develop a mathematical model to determine critical parameters in the drying process.
4. Collect data from tests performed on bricks dried in the open, in solar dryers and in electric ovens.
5. Collect and analyze existing materials on solar drying processes.
6. Design methods to incorporate solar energy as a pre-drying component.
7. Incorporate results from Process Analysis and Energy Efficiency components.
8. Test models of selected design(s) at UTEP.
9. Revise designs.
10. Test revised designs at the Brickmakers Center in Cd. Juarez.
11. Analyze test results for final design modification.

 Results indicated that the solar dryer removes 1% to 2% more moisture than natural drying, but removed less moisture than oven drying. The solar dryer reduced the amount of time required for bricks to be dried to a specific moisture content and increased the amount of moisture removed for a given amount of time. It is not known whether this amount of moisture will be significant in the actual firing process. Will it shorten the firing time and the amount of fuel used?

Also, it is not known whether these results can be duplicated in "real world" conditions given the nature of the brickmaking process.

Funding has been received through SCERP to continue and expand the project. The followup project scope is:

• conduct laboratory tests to determine the amount of moisture that can be eliminated from bricks using controlled low temperatures;
• construct a large scale solar collector at the Brickmakers Training Center for on-site monitoring and data collection under controlled conditions;
• field test large solar dryers in brickmakers' colonias; and
• determine most appropriate type of solar dryer for use in brickmakers colonias. Practical Use: The project was designed and is being used to transfer energy efficient techniques and technologies to brickmakers throughout Mexico, particularly in the border area. Results of projects have been transferred to ITESM who have worked in conjunction with FEMAP to develop base courses and provide training to brickmakers from throughout Mexico. New material is integrated into these courses as needed and new courses developed when required. Currently there are four courses: Brick's Production Process; Fuel, Combustion and Pollution (Combustibles, Combustion y Contaminacio; Heat Transfer; and Industrial Safety. Brickmakers from Cd. Juarez, Saltillo, Chihuahua, and Zacatecas have received training.

Numerous faculty staff and students from the University of Texas at El Paso have contributed to the success of this project. They are: Dr. Andrew Swift, Project Coordinators Steve Cook and Mike Cormier; graduate students Jose Bernal and Mary Carmen Melendez; undergraduate students Adriana Ybarra, Ulises Estrada, Servando Rojas, Ruben Estrada and Omar Gallegos.
The FY93 SCERP-supported phase of this project:: MIEP
The FY94 SCERP-supported phase of this project: AQ94- 5.3
The FY95 SCERP-supported phase of this project: AQ95- 2
The FY96 SCERP-supported phase of this project: AQ96- 2

Find out more about SCERP's other projects involving the Cd. Juárez brickmakers.

Last updated 7/1/99