Energy efficient solutions are the focus of two works which got the DBU special award Environmental Technology as part of the final federal competition of Jugend forscht 2010.
Sebastian Klick (Mechernich), Michael Garzem (Euskirchen) and Jens Nettersheim (Bad Münstereifel / Arloff), all 18 years old, from the St. Michael-Gymnasium in Bad Münster Eifel (NRW), received the prize money of 1,000 € for their development of an innovative energy storage. The three young researchers developed a redox flow cell based on a vanadium / vanadium battery. Redox flow cells is attributed to a large potential in the hitherto unresolved question of the extensive storage of wind or solar power.
Their work concentrates in particular on the issue of leakage protection of the cell, since neither the vanadium nor the battery acid must go into the environment. Furthermore, the three replaced the expensive protective gas flushing by an equally simple and inexpensive protection against oxidation, thus the cell performance could be improved.
Tim and Tobias Heins from Mülheim / Ruhr (17 and 14 years) from the Elsa Brandström-Gymnasium in Oberhausen (NRW) were able to design a low-loss pipe mount for industrial used steam and heating networks. They both received the DBU special award Environmental Technology, worth 500, - €. The two young researchers tested holders from stainless steel and ceramic fiber in different measurement series. They found that stainless steel brackets led to a 80 percent less energy loss. Holders from ceramic fiber insulate even close to perfect. However, the mechanical strength of this material must be further examined.
