The phrase, “Hard Sledding, Against the Collar”, stands true these days. IIT Ropar has come up with an innovative eco-friendly cremation cart for hard times, calling for drastic measures and actions. With the ongoing pandemic and increased death rates, managing the corpus is becoming a challenge.
IIT Ropar in collaboration with Cheema Brothers Ltd. Came up with a portable stainless steel insulation cremation cart that works on the principle of the combustion air system.
What do we understand by combustion air system?
Combustion or burning is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction. It usually involves atmospheric oxygen that produces oxidised gaseous products. Uncatalyzed combustion in the air requires a relatively high temperature where there is no remaining fuel, ideally any residual oxidant. IIT Ropar came up with the wick stove technology in which when the lighting glows yellow then it gets converted into smokeless blue flame after installing the combustion air system over these wicks.
By following this golden mean now the complete cremation process involving pyre burning or cremation at cremation centres can be reduced and it can lighten their burden. On average, it takes 48 hours for complete cremation but with these stainless steel portable cremation systems, it only takes 12 hours. Because of the supply of high heat, which ranges up to 1044 degree Celsius, the incinerators get completely sterilised. The ashes of the deceased get collected on both sides of the cart and can be collected.
In a sea of change, this technology serves as an eco-friendly, sustainable and affordable system. Because of the pandemic, many people are facing financial difficulties to an extent that some cannot afford the cremation process. If one sail up a river one could see half burnt or even whole corpses floating. So fighting this problem and providing complete disposal of bodies to these cremating combustion chambers will be a great success in the need of an hour.
Not only this but the ideal process of cremation leads to the emission of carbon dioxide which causes a lot of carbon footprints resulting in an increase of greenhouse gases which according to a survey led by Nat Geo leads to the release of approximately 60000 fewer metric tons of greenhouse gas.
Out with the old, in with the new, it stands true that this innovation involves the process of cremation, which might serve as the last hope for a respectable and honorary adieu of their loved ones.
Written By: Jeet Sandhu