A CORK student who developed a groundbreaking method to recharge batteries in a tumble dryer has earned international recognition for her efforts.
Hannah Hayes (16), from Glounthaune, who is going into fifth year at Midleton College in Cork, devised the unique method to recharge domestic batteries using a rotating ball placed inside a tumble dryer.
The system works by harnessing the kinetic energy of a household appliance. Hannah conducted both electrical and mechanical experiments in the process of building her prototype.
The result is a green hamster ball containing batteries, placed in the tumble dryer. A pendulum provides the means to harness the tumbling motion to turn a generator that contains the batteries, which are recharged through a charger circuit.
Hayes’s home environment provided the inspiration for the project, which she plans to patent with a view to developing it into a marketable product.
“I started thinking about how we are using more and more household batteries in our homes. Many people are unaware that batteries should be recycled and they are often just thrown out with regular household waste, which pollutes and damages our environment,” she said. “Rechargeable batteries are a better solution but they still require electricity for charging. I realised that there are many household appliances that use kinetic energy and the idea grew from there.”
Hayes travelled to the recent 2010 Shanghai International New Science and Technology Expo with fellow student Beth Wardle, also aged 16, having secured scholarships for their work.
Hayes and Wardle worked jointly on a second prize-winning project, “Kiwi 3”, which investigated the ability of different filter media to extract DNA from fruit.
Having taken second place in its category at the BT Young Scientist Exhibition last January, the “tumble charger” project was further researched as part of the Business Mentoring Programme in Trinity College Dublin.
In Shanghai, Hayes was awarded one of 13 major prizes presented for “best thesis”. And the students won a “best display” prize for their stand. Midleton College principal Simon Thompson said: “We are extremely proud of the achievements of our students.”