Engineering Innovation Challenge 2024

Name of the competition : Engineering Innovation Challenge 2024

About the competition: Engineering Innovation Challenge (EIC) 2024 requires teams to use skills and imagination to build a prototype or model to demonstrate ideas that contribute to the building of a sustainable circular economy through engineering in various areas. EIC delves into the core of innovation while fostering presentation and collaboration abilities, giving teams an opportunity to shape a better, more sustainable world.

Date of competition: 13 July 2024

Achievement: 2nd Runner-up (University Category)

Prize: $3000

REP Students (in the order of the photo): Travis Tan Hai Shuo, Joanna Wu Haoyue, Megan Phua Wei Lin, Ang Nian Ci (Not in picture: Isaac Wong Vun Hau)

Product/Proposal:  Pioneering the creation of biochar through microwave pyrolysis for a circular economy. The project aims to create biochar using food waste and utilise it for the adsorption of nutrients in nutrient-polluted areas, before repurposing the biochar as fertiliser, creating a circular economy.

Description: Biochar is a porous, stable carbon-rich product formed by the thermal decomposition of biomass. Food waste is placed in an oxygen-limited ceramic container, before microwaving it at around 500W for 25 minutes. The oxygen-limited container was created by displacing oxygen with nitrogen, before sealing the container with O-rings and stoppers. Microwave pyrolysis is chosen as this opens the possibility for the process to be powered by renewable energy, making it carbon negative.

The team further tested the biochar on its adsorbability of nitrogen and phosphorous using test kits. They also hope to test for future applications of biochar as a fertiliser as well as its scalability, allowing it to be repurposed for greater uses.

(From second left): Travis Tan Hai Shuo, Joanna Wu Haoyue, Megan Phua Wei Lin, Ang Nian Ci