A prototype to generate clean energy with the buoys in the waves, Spanish youth finalist of the Stockholm Water Prize

The project of Ariadna González, a student of the First Baccalaureate of the Argentona Institute (Barcelona), will compete in the Junior International final of the Stockholm Water Prize , with the project ‘ Sea Energy Project ‘, which seeks to improve the buoys that generate clean energy in the sea.

23/05/2019

Periodicodelaenergia.com

The so-called Nobel Prize winners receive more than 10,000 projects each year from 30 countries, each of which sends its finalists to the international competition in Stockholm (Sweden). The junior version rewards youth research on water and sustainability issues.

The device devised by Ariadna González is a prototype that modifies the current systems based on buoys with a single support, which monitor the vertical movement of the waves. “This single support reduces their efficiency; for that reason, I have designed a system with three anchorage points equidistant at an angle of 120º that, independently, can generate electricity, thanks to the vertical movement of each one of them “, explained the young woman.

Now, the next step is to test it in a wave simulator and observe its viability, for which the young woman has contacted the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.

Two other students of Second Baccalaureate, Carla Claramunt , competed for their project ‘Economic H2O’ , a free water vending machine; and Catherine Iglesias , thanks to her work ‘Bacteria as decontamination agents for hydrocarbon spills in an aquatic environment’.

The president of the jury and emeritus professor of environmental engineering, Rafael Mujeriego , highlighted the innovative nature of the projects, their social function, the importance of focusing the objective of the research and analyzing the applicability of the conclusions, as well as of communicating to society the progress made.

The young woman from Barcelona will travel to Stockholm for the International Final to be held in Stockholm from August 24 to 30 as part of the World Water Week. The winning project will receive $ 15,000 a diploma and a blue crystal sculpture from the hands of Princess Victoria of Sweden, patron of this award.

The Stockholm Junior Water Prize was created in 1997 to promote research around water challenges and sustainability among young people. Currently, it is the most prestigious youth prize with water projects in the world.