California teenager is heading to Harvard after winning a science prize.. Recharge your cellphone in

[SoCalDem]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/20/tech/whiz-kid/?hpt=hp_t3


California teenager is heading to Harvard after winning a science prize
Eesha Khare developed a tiny supercapacitor to speed battery charging
Her device could be used for automobile batteries in the future, she said
"I will be setting the world on fire," Khare says
Recharge your cellphone in 20 seconds

By CNN Staff
updated 11:05 AM EDT, Mon May 20, 2013


(CNN) -- A tiny device that can recharge cell phone batteries in as little as 30 seconds won 18-year-old Eesha Khare a major science award that will help fund her college education at Harvard University. Khare traveled from her California home to Phoenix last week for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, where her invention was honored as one of two winners of Young Scientist Awards. "I'm in a daze. I can't believe this happened," Khare, a senior at Lynbrook High School in Saratoga, told CNN affiliate KPIX 5. Khare's device, a black, rectangular type of supercapacitor just over an inch long, can charge a cell phone battery in 20 to 30 seconds, she said. "I developed a new supercapacitor, which is basically an energy storage device which can hold a lot of energy in a small amount of volume," she told KPIX 5. The technology may also be able to speed up charging of automobile batteries, she said.

snip

The award includes a $50,000 prize that will come in handy when Khare heads to Harvard in the fall, she told KPIX 5. With a laugh, she predicted that "I will be setting the world on fire."

In announcing the winners of what it billed as the "world's largest high school research competition," Intel cited Khare for recognizing "the crucial need for energy-efficient storage devices" as the world rapidly adopts portable electronics.

snip

[Xipe Totec]

1. $50K? The patent is worth millions! nt

[SoCalDem]

2. Do the kids get to own the patent?

when they win contests like this

I hope so

[Xipe Totec]

6. Patents can only be granted to the original creators

Who can then sell them.

High tech companies require employees to assign patents to them for any work done while working for the company. But even then, only the inventor can apply for and obtain the patent.

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. 10,000 charge/recharge cycle

Wow....

Khare's supercapacitor is meant to serve as a replacement for a small battery, specifically those used in cell phones. She says the inspiration for her design came out of frustration from constantly finding her cell phone battery dead.


The supercapacitor she developed is small enough to fit inside a standard cell phone battery housing, and can be fully charged in just 20 to 30 seconds. As if that weren't enough, it also has a much longer useful life offering 10,000 charge/recharge cycles instead of the 1,000 available now for batteries.


The supercapacitor is based on nanochemistry, which Khare told the crowd during her acceptance speech is her main area of scientific interest.


As cell phones have grown smarter and more powerful, concern has grown over the ability of battery development to keep up. Khare's supercapacitor suggests that perhaps there is a better way. Capacitors are devices used to store an electronic charge—though typically little more than conductors separated by an insulator, they are an essential component of most electronic devices. They help regulate the flow of electricity. They can also be used as a battery, however, as Khare's device demonstrates.

Thus far, hers is only capable of powering an LED, but that is likely to change with advances in nano-technology.


The award comes with a $50,000 cash prize, which Khare will likely use for college; although, this prize might also help her win a scholarship. She plans to continue her research on the supercapacitor with the ultimate goal of replacing her cell phone battery. She noted that such a supercapacitor would also be useful for powering a wide variety of other devices, adding that it's also flexible. It could be used to power devices embedded in clothes, she suggested, or as part of roll-top electronic devices.


Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-05-high-school-student-supercapacitor-young.html#jCp

[stlsaxman]

4. If charged from solar panels - this changes EVERYTHING.

Everything.

[BeyondGeography]

5. No more searching for seats next to outlets at airport gates?

[Dustlawyer]

7. If that is the only thing she does the rest of her life she will have done enough!

[Ilsa]

8. I'm curious about her choice of universities.

Is Harvard the best place to go for a Sciences degree, assuming she's majoring in Science? If she is studying a field of science, say, Engineering, would she be better off at MIT or Stanford or another university?
Nothing against Harvard, I'm just curious as to why it was her choice.

[SoCalDem]

9. I have a feeling that she will be at more than ONE in her educational career

She may do post grad at MIT or Stanford.. The world is her oyster

[TransitJohn]

10. Parents in California, Harvard in Boston, yeah probably best from her point of view, lol.

n/t

[SHRED]

11. Only 18 yrs old...WOW...impressive