International Future Energy Challenge winners, Jonathan Baker and Christopher Hamilton created a low-cost wind turbine that transfers a maximum amount of energy to a battery. How did they do it? They contribute their success to time spent doing undergraduate research.
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Photo Courtesy of Gustavo Gamboa from CentralFloridaFuture.com
Baker, Hamilton, and two fellow electrical engineering majors spent over a year preparing their “low-cost wind turbine energy maximizer” for the International Future Energy Challenge in Australia last July.
The two-some invented a three-phase AC/DC converter (also known as “The Pegador” to its creators) to make the energy produced by wind turbines more efficient. The Pegador took home first prize.
After enjoying the success of placing first, Baker and Hamilton garnered success among engineering peers from universities worldwide.
Their participation in undergraduate research is what they claim to be the ultimate stepping-stone for future success within the scientific community and public-at-large.
“Going from book knowledge to tangibility experience has really accelerated my future career,” Baker said. “I’ve graduated with not only an honors degree, but an actual invention and experience.”
“Today’s engineering students want to make difference in the world … they want to make the world a better place through technological innovations that save lives and help clear the environment.” – Issa Batarseh, professor and director of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Batarseh also oversaw the project.
There is no release date for the turbine at this time.