Six students from Bloomfield Hall School Peshawar in Pakistan won the Best in Country and Engineering Award for their research into the use of compressed air to store renewable energy.
After researching Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) systems, Sulaiman Rehan, Ayan Imtiaz, Natiq Javed, Maryam Khan, Amina Yasir and Zeenia Ali designed a small-scale prototype using an air-powered grinder (a substitute for a vane motor) coupled to an electric DC motor acting as a generator. Their idea was to use compressed air as the input energy source to drive a motor, which would then produce electricity using a generator (electric motor working in reverse).
Their results showed that as the air pressure increased, both the rotations per minute (RPM) and the generated electrical power increased, proving that compressed air can later drive a generator to produce electricity and therefore CAES systems could be used to store and releases energy from renewable sources.
Speaking about the win, Zeenia said: 'Taking part in this project was both exciting and eye-opening. It really got me thinking about how innovation can shape a better future. Winning felt like a strong reminder that curiosity and ideas can go a long way. I’m glad I took the chance to be part of it.'
The judges said: 'This was an interesting technology investigation with a notable reflection. The testing was very in-depth and the judges appreciated this as an engineering project, with both a local and global relevance that addresses a pressing problem.'