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Pupils impress with hot solution to cold showers

INVENTORS: Thami Hoza and Bokamoso Molale from Simon's Town High School in the Western Cape, the pair has designed a shower nozzle solution Photo: Moeletsi Mabe
INVENTORS: Thami Hoza and Bokamoso Molale from Simon's Town High School in the Western Cape, the pair has designed a shower nozzle solution Photo: Moeletsi Mabe

FRUSTRATED from taking cold showers at their hostel, two Simon's Town High School pupils have created a portable, battery-operated shower attachment.

Known as the 'Hot Nozzle', the attachment heats dispersed cold water through an internal heating element in 350 seconds, while saving time and energy.

Boarders Thami Hoza, 15, and Bokamoso Molale, 16, both from Welkom in Free State, said their "junior status" at the Western Cape school hostel meant limited access to hot water in the shower.

"Winter was torture," they laughed. The idea is for everyone living with a lot of people to have their own portable shower head to use on an (already) installed (shower) attachment," Molale said.

It takes 350 seconds and 12 volts to heat up five litres of water by 20°C.

This is then added to the average 16°C temperature of water in the piping system - just seven degrees Celsius below the average 43°C used to take a shower, said Hoza.

There are two 150 litre geysers at the disposal of 34 boys, which each take two hours and 40 minutes to heat water to 60°C.

Hoza and Molale are one of three teams of South African pupils who have reached the finals of the HIP2B2 3M Innovation Challenge.

The competition challenged Grade 10 pupils to design a new idea or solution in one of four thematic categories: how to stay safe; how to stay healthy; how to get from place to place; and how to make everyday tasks easier.

Best friends Philidelphia Mogagabe and Florence Monaheng, both 16, from Moletsane High School in Soweto devised an adhesive binder solution to provide an even, seamless repair to potholes.

The Philorence Filler uses clay, silicon, coal pigment and bituminous binder and also halts further disintegration of potholes.

Sulakhe Nhassengo and Christiaan de Jager, both 16, of Durban High School hoped their Oxygen Manufacturing Apparatus will help to reduce the world's carbon footprint. Both boys suffer from sinusitis. Their apparatus converts any greenhouse gas, into harmless and usable gas, like oxygen, and fuels through electrolysis.

The winners will be announced tonight.

newsdesk@sowetan.co.za

 

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