ATOM H2, the solution that stores surplus renewable energy, Spanish winner of the James Dyson Awards 2024

The national design award James Dyson Award 2024 This year it has been awarded to a group of students from the Elisava School of Design and Engineering in Barcelona, ​​who have developed ATOM H2, a solution that converts excess renewable energy into hydrogen and safely stores it in solid state ensuring a reliable subsequent supply.

The James Dyson Awards, organised by the James Dyson Foundation, “aim to encourage, to empower and inspire the next generation of design engineers to develop solutions that solve real problems in society,” as they expressed in a press release. This Wednesday, the national winners were announced, who will move on to the international phase of the James Dyson Award 2024.

In the case of Spain, the right has been recognised ATOM H2 project which, conceived by Anna Martín, Mariona Figueras and Marcel Rovira, Industrial Design Engineering students at the Elisava University School of Barcelona, ​​will receive a prize of 5.800 euros to support their next steps in development and commercialization. Also two finalist projects: Aria and NeoShell.

ATOM H2 PROJECT

He ATOM H2 project addresses the problem of the loss of renewable energy that is not consumed, This results in enough energy being wasted each year to supply more than 50 million homes, according to the James Dyson Foundation.

Specifically, ATOM H2 is capable of converting excess renewable energy into hydrogen, so that it can be store safely in solid state by using metal hydrides and then using it again when needed in the form of electricity.

The ATOM H2 process begins with the use of renewable energy, such as solar or wind. When excess of this energy is produced, ATOM H2 converts it into hydrogen by electrolysiswhich is a process that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen.

After this, the hydrogen is stored in a central deposit using metal hydrides, which allow store it in solid state. Thus, it can be stored more “safely and effectively” than when stored in a gaseous or liquid state.

Likewise, when energy is needed, the Hydrogen is released from metal hydrides y is converted back into electricity using a fuel cell. In this way, it can be re-energized supply reliablysince it is a process that generates clean energy, with water as the only byproduct.

In addition, ATOM H2 is a sistema modularallowing additional storage units to be added as needed, in line with different energy demands. This flexibility allows for use both in small residential installations and in large applications industrial.

However, this technology stands out for its focus on sustainability, as it contributes to a cleaner environment by effectively storing excess renewable energy and by reduce energy wasteas pointed out by the James Dyson Foundation.

FINALIST PROJECTS IN SPAIN

On the other hand, the finalist projects of the James Dyson Awards 2024 in Spain are a comprehensive solution in the form of an incubator that improves neonatal care and a machine for treating sleep apnea with the use of a mask.

The first of these projects is NeoShellcreated by a group of Industrial Design Engineering students from the Elisava University School (Ainara Rico, Carmen Guerra, Emma Brugué, Marcel del Valle, Alex Bretaudeau, María Fernández, Miquel Clotet, Pau Padrós and David Riol), and aims to solve The challenges facing hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs)such as humidity control, cleaning, and medical procedures.

Thus, NeoShell is a Comprehensive solution that improves neonatal care and facilitates the work of medical staffprioritizing the well-being of babies and trying to ease the emotional burdens for families.

Specifically, this solution, similar to an incubator, It consists of a double round dome that tries to imitate the mother’s womb and which, in turn, allows full access to the patient from all angles, facilitating medical procedures in the premature patient.

In addition, it has a external tilt system which is electronically controlled and prevents the baby’s limbs from getting caught between the bed and the dome. This inclination also facilitates access to necessary medical equipment and its internal cleaning.

Its design has a shape of Oval dome to prevent water vapor build-up and the creation of droplets that could be harmful. There is even a polarized dome that protects the sensitive eyes of newborns.

With all this, this incubator has Integrated attachments for breathing and feeding tubeswhich ensures efficient management of all necessary cables. It also includes a table to support the necessary material and, regarding the baby bed, it has a pillow that improves comfort and addresses problems such as suffocation.

The second finalist project is Ariaa solution that aims treat sleep apnea, a disorder that affects about 22 percent of men and 17 percent of women, and which particularly affects older people.

Although there are already some solutions to prevent sleep apnea, Aria is a innovative project that integrates all the systems of a machine continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to treat this disorder exclusively from a mask, eliminating external tubes and machinery that can limit sleep quality by forcing the patient to sleep on their back or side.

The device thus brings together the entire CPAP system coupled to a mask and uses two Dyson V9 motors in a ‘Y’ shapeplaced away from the ears. These motors operate at 40 percent of their power for quiet performance, and in the event that the patient turns over in their sleep and one motor becomes obstructed, the other motor takes over the power.

It also includes a removable central battery that powers the motors. This battery connects by means of magnetic pinswhich also function as chargers on a stand. This design allows users to easily use Aria anywhere, without having to move large machines.

It is also a device that is Easily disassembles for cleaning and repair, and what is it Compatible with all existing masksThis project was developed by Pau Padrós, Liam Farrel, Alex Bretaudeau and Cristina Marcello, Industrial Design Engineering students at the Elisava University School, and by Berta Lloveras, a graduate student in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Barcelona.

With all this, ATOM H2, NeoShell and Aria move on to the next phase of the James Dyson Award, and the The list of the 20 international finalists will be announced on October 16, selected by Dyson engineers. Finally, the The world winners will be announced on November 13thchosen by James Dyson.