Durban — A young KwaZulu-Natal scientist was awarded the equivalent of a bronze medal during the 2023 Taiwan International Science Fair (TISF) held at the National Taiwan Science Education Centre in Taipei, Taiwan, recently.
Dia Singh is a Grade 12 pupil at St Dominic’s School in Newcastle. She placed third for her project titled “Using P.I.P. to strengthen roads: Plastic incinerated by plastic”.
Dia’s project demonstrated that the fuel produced when plastic is burnt can be used to burn more plastic waste. Through this, one can get rid of plastic using an alternative fuel source.
Through her project, she also developed the Plasticator mobile application, which allows for the monitoring of quantities and types of waste that have been incinerated. This data is then saved onto a database and can be used for analysis.
Dia said being selected by the Eskom Expo to take part in the TISF was beyond any goals she had set for herself when she began her project.
She said: “The great amount of positive attention from Eskom Expo’s regional event and the International Science Fair has given me confidence in the value of my project.
“The best part of the trip to Taiwan was the people, from different backgrounds, countries and beliefs. They showed me how different we are and how beautiful that can be. The networks and connections formed will be cherished.”
South Africa’s other winner was Jaco Jacobs, a Grade 12 pupil at Outeniqua High School in George, in the Western Cape. He placed second for his project titled “Automated Inflation and Pressure Regulation for Recreational and Professional Cyclists”.
His project focused on the tyre pressure of bicycles and how it affects cyclists. Jacobs’s fourth prototype 3D-printed design automatically adjusts the tyre pressure while moving. Using this prototype, cyclists can adjust the tyre pressure as the terrain of the track they are using changes.
A total of 288 learners from 21 countries competed in this year’s Taiwan International Science Fair.
Eskom Development Foundation CEO Sumaya Nassiep said: “The impressive standard of the research of our young scientists highlights the value science and innovation can bring to solve some of our country’s most pressing developmental challenges.
“It is therefore important to encourage learners to participate in the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists as it can be a life-changing experience that shapes their future careers and significantly impacts the local and international scientific community.”
Nassiep said the Expo was open to pupils from all backgrounds and levels of education, and was an excellent way to support and nurture the next generation of scientific and engineering leaders in South Africa.
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