Category Environment

Who built a prototype renewable energy-gathering HARVEST device?

A step towards clean energy

You know the future is in good hands when children are raising their voices against issues and inventing things that are beneficial to society.

One of them many things invented by children that can prove to be helpful to society is HARVEST, a bio-inspired energy device that captures energy from sun, rain and wind, and converts it to power.

Maanasa, and the inspiration

Maanasa Mendu is a 16-year old high school student from Ohio, the U.S. She has been interested in science since the beginning of her schooling.

Participating actively in the science fair project in her school, her first project was testing Vitamin C content of different fruits. She was surprised when she discovered that strawberries had more vitamin C content than oranges.

During one of her vacations to her grandparents place in rural India. Maanasa encountered frequent power cuts. She realised that the power would be cut off every day at the same time in an attempt to distribute power to other places. This would leave people in the darkness.

Maanasa was affected by this and decided to use her knowledge in science to help out with such situations.

It’s HARVEST time!

Once she returned, Maanasa built a prototype renewable energy-gathering device called HARVEST. HARVEST mimics the shape of a tree (though much smaller) and uses piezoelectric materials to capture power from wind and rain. Piezoelectric materials capture mechanical energy and convert them into electrical energy.

Maanasa worked with piezoelectric materials for a long while. She even entered her Class VII and VIII science fairs with piezoelectric projects.

Maanasa’s HARVEST was inspired by the movement of leaves. So, she built a small structure with piezoelectric stems and Styrofoam leaves – which looks like a tree, and made an entry video for the 2016 Young Scientist Challenge when she was in Class VIII.

Mannasa’s entry was selected and she spent the next few months working on her prototype and learning about renewables, electrical engineering, prototyping and more.

After discussion with her mentor about the practical requirements of a renewable energy source, Mannasa integrated flexible solar cells into the device. This meant the device could now harvest energy from the sun as well.

HARVEST now had a plastic bottle as the main structure, with three wings that mimic the leaves on a tree, These wings were fitted with solar cells. And her entire device cost just US $ 5! She has even managed to charge a mobile phone and power a 15-watt LED bulb using the device.

Mannasa’s invention went on to win the 2016 Young Scientist Challenge and the title of American’s Top Young Scientist.

She is currently working to commercialize the device.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Why do some people believe that global warming is not a threat?

                        Is global warming an elaborate hoax? Is it true that the western developed countries are playing a nasty game to prevent the development of the poor countries? Though the majority of scientists have warned the world of the dangers of global warming, some still deny that it is the result of human activity.

                      They point out that there is no long-term data to support the theory that global warming is happening. They argue that any increase in global temperatures could be caused by a natural climate shift, and are confident that plants and animals will adapt to warmer climate patterns. These people also believe that the planet is resilient, and able to withstand climate shift.

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Is it true that by saving water and electricity we are helping our environment?

            Water is one of the substances on Earth that is most essential for the survival of living things. Apart from drinking, we use water for many other purposes. But we do not know how to use water wisely; and therefore, it is frequently wasted.

            Let us use water wisely when washing and bathing. Let us also try to prevent water leakage.

            Like water, we must save electricity too. Turn off electrical devices when we do not use them. For example, if we are not watching TV, let us turn it off. Turn off the light when we leave a room, even if we intend to return.

            Let us also use energy-efficient light bulbs instead of regular bulbs. They last longer. Let us save nature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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How do we conserve energy?

                Energy is essential for the survival of human societies. However, how do we find more nature friendly energy sources?

                Fossil fuels are great sources of energy, but they have great impact on the environment and contribute to pollution and global warming. The fact is that all transportation accounts for more than a third of our green-house gas emissions globally. We will be helping the environment greatly by driving less and using more eco-friendly modes of transportation instead.

                Can we ride a bike or walk instead? They are excellent choices and provide the extra bonus of helping you stay fit and in shape. We can also choose public transportation.  Choosing not to drive during the rush hour and opting to go on vacation somewhere closer to home also helps. When buying a new car, opt for electrical, hybrid or low fuel consumption options on the market.

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Why is avoiding plastic essential?

                  Plastic has become an indispensable commodity in Man’s life. Plastic is everywhere. We encounter it wherever we go. Are our lunch boxes made of plastic? We eat our take-away food in plastic plates with plastic forks. The list of plastic materials is  endless.

                  Do you know that according to EDN, an electronics industry website, over 100,000 marine animals and one million birds die from ingesting and choking on plastic each year? Let us all take the pledge today to eliminate unnecessary plastic from our life. Let us start using reusable water bottles, travel mugs, and grocery bags.

                 Let us avoid disposable water bottles. The best options are stainless steel water bottles, which contain no dangerous toxic material, which you find in plastic bottles. Say no to plastic straws. Store your food in glass or stainless steel containers. Though it may be easy to store leftovers in plastic containers, if we try to heat these plastic containers, they become toxic.

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Why should we plant trees?

              Do you know that looking intently at the lush green of trees when your eyes are sore will soothe them? Green is the colour of life, renewal, growth, harmony and freshness. Trees and plants are essential for life on earth. We should make a combined effort to grow more and more trees on earth.

              Trees are the best supporters of life. They form the primary component of all food chains. All living organisms depend on plants in one way or the other. Their destruction affects food chains and ecological balance. Trees are the natural habitat of many living things. Hence, it is our duty to protect trees and plants.

              Cutting trees is often done for timber, paper and clearing land for construction. However, cutting of trees robs wildlife off their natural habitats. Hence, we should stop cutting trees and plants as far as possible.

Picture Credit : Google