A smart device that can monitor and even cut down on vehicle exhaust pollution has been created by a student from Delhi Private School Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
Rishi Bhatnagar, a 16-year-old Grade 11 student, says that the device, which fits on the end of exhausts and is shaped like a pipe, is also able to generate electricity.
This power can then be supplied to the battery of the vehicle to give power to a communication system that will monitor exhaust readings and send them to a smart app.
Bhatnagar was inspired to create the device after witnessing the smog in the Indian city of New Delhi, which is his home town.
The student intends to test out the prototype, named ‘Engine Fumes Absorber and Electricity Generator’, on Delhi Private School Sharjah buses within the next three months.
The student has already tested the device on a car belonging to his father, and this resulted in a carbon monoxide reduction of as much as 95% because of the device’s filters.
Carbon monoxide is one of the primary pollutants produced by vehicle exhausts.
Bhatnagar has already applied for a World Intellectual Property Organisation patent as well as one with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in India.
The applications are both currently being processed.
Bhatnagar says that air pollution is a huge problem in Delhi and results in many illnesses among the population, which inspired him to come up with a product that could absorb car smoke while also producing electricity.
Bhatnagar adds that great change can be wrought by the youth of a country, and he wanted to contribute to the solution of dealing with pollution and is happy with the result.
The teenager has also come up with a GSM module that beams readings to a smart app straight from the exhaust.
The smart device means that the level of smoke that a vehicle is emitting can be learned just by looking at a mobile phone, making it particularly useful for fleet managers or authorities.
Every type of motor vehicle comes with its own acceptable exhaust pressure reading, and if the difference between the expected exhaust pressure and the actual one is too great, the device will point out the problem.
When the device, which is made out of galvanised iron, is manufactured in bulk, each one should only cost around Dh45 to install, according to Bhatnagar.
The student acknowledges that one of his main concerns was that it would be too expensive but that this turned out not to be the case.
The prototype was manufactured at an Ajman workshop under Bhatnagar’s supervision.
The teenager is hoping to be able to go to university and study mechanical engineering in order to eventually become a scientist in the field of research and development.
The device is fitted on the end of an exhaust pipe and includes 15 filter layers to absorb pollutants while also generating electricity from two plates that make use of the difference in temperature inside and outside of the exhaust.
Anyone driving a motor vehicle, no matter how environmentally friendly, in the UAE needs to be covered with a car insurance policy.
Car insurance provides financial cover against the likes of accident damage and theft.