An innovative revamp of an existing solar cooking device has earned CPUT one of the top spots at this year International Xplore New Automation Competition.
A group of Electrical Engineering students scooped first place in the competition’s toughest category – Environment and Renewable Energy.
The team was one of 29 out of 100 selected to compete in the finals that took place in Germany earlier this month.
The team designed and built an automated solar oven power generator, a device that operates off-grid and which can be used to boil water, cook food and power a battery.
Maahir Rahmna, one of the five students in the team, says they are proud of their achievement.
“We won because we had an innovative idea,” he says.
The device is fully automated and features several new fittings, such as an engine that runs entirely on heat, a safety buzzer and several solar panels.
SUSTAINABLE: The automated solar oven power generator that was designed by the students
Student Greyson Du Toit says they faced tough competition, but adds that it was a great experience to compete on an international level.
Lecturer Dr Wilfred Fritz says they will now look at further developing the device and explore how to make it more cost effective.
Operating off-grid, the device’s implications will be far reaching, given the current energy crisis facing South Africa.
Frtiz, along with lecturer Deon Kallis supervised the student team that comprises of Masters student Ben Dixon, BTech students Maahir Rahmna and Greyson Du Toit as well as second-year’s Werner Lotter and Brendon van Breda.
Written by Candes Keating
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