Cork students' device reduces Co2 emissions in cars

Cork students invent device that reduces Co2 emissions in cars

The four Cork students hope their 'Moving Clean' project, which was awarded at the Teen-Turn Scifest, "would help reduce the impact of cars on climate change."

IrishCentral Staff

Feb 07, 2023

A group of Cork students has invented a device that aims to reduce carbon emissions from car exhausts.

Daniella Nwaedozie, Leona Oppong, Rayaa Onog, and Sinead Ahern, who attend Christ the King Secondary School in Cork City, developed a device that absorbs some of the Co2 in car emissions using activated charcoal.

Their "Moving Clean" project saw them take second place in the Tech Hardware category of the recent Scifest awards run by the non-profit Teen-Turn, which aims to provide young girls with experience in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

The Cork group picked up the EirGrid Energy Award Rosette as well.

The event, hosted at The Digital Hub in Dublin in December, saw 47 projects entered across different categories.

Thanks @TeenTurn and @Scifest for a wonderful event our students really enjoyed the experience. @JctScience @PDSTSciences @SciGalleryDub pic.twitter.com/UmsXHaWjVV
— Christ King Secondary School (@christkingss) December 14, 2022

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The four students worked on the project from September to December last year and developed the device using a technology called "Direct Air Capture," which extracts Co2 from the atmosphere.

The device is fitted over a car's exhaust and absorbs some of the Co2 being omitted, Ahern told CorkBeo.

"Our project was looking for a way to reduce the impacts cars have on climate change. We discovered a technology called 'Direct Air Capture' which strips Co2 from the air using activated charcoal," Ahern said.

"We created a design that is fitted over your car exhaust and strips the Co2 as it is outputted from your exhaust.

"We hoped that providing people with a way to reduce their Co2 output from their car without having to switch to an electric car, which is impractical for long journeys, would help reduce the impact of cars on climate change."

How wonderful to meet Daniella, Leona and Rayaa @christkingss face to face. They won the @EirGrid Climate & Cleaner Energy Future Award at SciFest@School online @TeenTurn in 2021 and for a second year running at this year's STEM fair on Saturday. @EmpowerWomenMTU @WITSIreland pic.twitter.com/xqfOAKLXKC

— SciFest4stem (@SciFest4STEM) December 12, 2022