This year was unique where the exec team was able to organize multiple teams to compete for the Global Design Challenge. As such, the projects created are shown below. They were made according to the design briefs as expected.
TEAM 1
EcoLight: Urban Sustainability, Reinvented
EcoLight solves the problem of air polluted cities in the world by redesigning the light pole through biomimetic mechanisms. We have created a helical vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) which relies on the omnidirectional wind and drafts produced by passing cars to power the air filtration mechanism. The VAWT is enhanced by mimicking the aerodynamic lift angle of Japanese Maple seeds, and the the drag-decreasing ridges of whale tubercles. This combination in conjunction with a piston allows the replication of a mammalian pulmonary system inside the light pole where activated carbon filters the toxic air and diffuses clean air, thereby mitigating the effects of air pollution.
ENJOY THIS SHORT VIDEO ON ECOLIGHT
TEAM 2
Fence In, Methane
Fence in, Methane seeks to mitigate the massive emission of methane from landfills. Methane is 30 times more potent at Global Warming than Carbon Dioxide. As such, landfills are often anaerobic environments fostering Methane production but this can be changed by mimicking burrow networks of small mammals such as gophers, or prairie dogs. This technique would utilize the Venturi effect and the Bernoulli principle guiding air through the system of pipes in the landfill without active energy input. This would drastically reduce Methane production and create a cleaner and cooler future for all to enjoy.