Del Fuego Project Coffee Curing Device

This project was conducted as part of the How To Make (Almost) Anything class at the Wond’ry, Vanderbilt’s Innovation Center through a partnership between the Coffee Equity Lab at the Wond’ry and the Del Fuego Project
Vanderbilt News: Wond’ry students collaborate with Del Fuego Project to design innovations in coffee drying process

Problem

The Del Fuego Project is a US-based non-profit established in 2018 that helps local smallholder coffee farmers in the San Pedro Yepocapa, Guatemala region access specialty coffee markets by researching the different factors that affect the taste of coffee and providing farmers with feedback about how to improve their coffee’s quality.
To accomplish this goal, the Del Fuego Project needs to wash and cure coffee samples, which are harvested by different farmers, in a climate-controlled environment to determine whether poor taste results from farming techniques or processing conditions.
Therefore, the highly variable temperature and humidity levels in the San Pedro Yepocapa region pose a severe problem, especially when drying or curing the coffee samples.
In response to these problems, our team sought to create a modular, scalable, climate-controlled environment that will allow coffee beans to cure for 7-10 days until they reach an internal water content of 10-12% humidity.

To understand the problems experienced by the Del Fuego Project, our team worked closely with Del Fuego Project co-founder and director Taya Brown and documentarian Devon Barker.
We developed a machine with an Archimedes screw powered by a motor and gear train that circulates a one-kilogram sample of coffee within a mesh, cylindrical cage and eliminates the need for manually raking.
The cylindrical cage is supported by a frame made with laser cut pieces of MDF.

Surrounding the cylindrical cage, a clear acrylic box is mounted with sensors that allow users to set the desired temperature and humidity levels.
If the sensors detect temperature or humidity deviations from the specified levels, then they trigger two fans that stabilize the conditions within the box by removing humid air and drawing in cooler air.
All components were modeled in SOLIDWORKS and either laser cut or 3D printed.

Andy Du, Vanderbilt School of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

Briana Finocchiaro, Vanderbilt Peabody College, Human & Organizational Development

Justin Law, Vanderbilt Peabody College, Cognitive Studies and Computer Science

Gabby Seberger, Vanderbilt School of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

The team with Taya Brown from the Del Fuego Project