A home-made apparatus that can convert plastic into a usable fuel has won two Junior Cert students a place at the International Science and Engineering Fair in the United States, at which they will represent Ireland, writes Cian Nihill.
Eoghan Flynn and Ruairí O’Neill, third-year students at Blackwater Community College in Lismore, Co Waterford, took the top prize at SciFest@Intel2011, a national exhibition of the winning projects from 14 regional SciFest fairs which took place earlier this year at institutes of technology around the country.
Their inexpensive apparatus, which can convert end-of-life plastics into crude oil, was deemed the best entry for its potential to solve problems associated with both fuel shortages and the disposal of plastics.
Using the apparatus they developed, Eoghan and Ruairí found that this type of fuel production can be done simply at home.
Their vision is that this technology could be used in both the developed and developing worlds to help combat fuel shortages and reduce the amount of plastic sent to landfill.
Next May the pair will bring their invention to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where they will represent Ireland at the fair.