15 настай Ханна Хербст далайн урсгалыг ашиглан цахилгаан үүсгэх хямд өртөгтэй, байгальд ээлтэй “Beacon” нэртэй төхөөрөмж бүтээж, “3M Young Scientist Challenge” уралдааны тэргүүн байрыг эзэллээ. Энэхүү бүтээл нь эрчим хүчний дэд бүтэц хөгжөөгүй алслагдсан бүс нутаг болон хөгжиж буй орнуудад цэвэр ус, цахилгааны асуудлыг шийдвэрлэхэд туслах асар их боломжтой юм.
Ханнагийн бүтээсэн “Beacon” төхөөрөмж нь ердөө 12 орчим ам.долларын өртөгтэй бөгөөд PVC хоолой, 3D хэвлэмэл сэнс болон гидро цахилгаан генератороос бүрддэг. Тэрбээр уг төхөөрөмжөө Флорида мужийн Бока Ратон хотын далайн сувагт туршиж, LED гэрлийг амжилттай асааж чадсан байна. Далайн урсгал нь нар болон салхины эрчим хүчийг бодвол илүү тогтвортой, урьдчилан таамаглах боломжтой эх үүсвэр гэдгээрээ давуу талтай юм.
Энэхүү төхөөрөмжийг цаашид өргөжүүлэн хөгжүүлснээр далайн давстай усыг ундны цэвэр ус болгон шүүх насос ажиллуулах, эсвэл эмнэлгийн тоног төхөөрөмжийг тасралтгүй эрчим хүчээр хангах боломжтой гэж үзэж байна. Ханна өөрийн бүтээлийн зураг төслийг олон нийтэд нээлттэй (open-source) байлгахыг зорьж байгаа бөгөөд ингэснээр дэлхийн хаана ч амьдардаг хүн энэхүү хямд төхөөрөмжийг өөрөө угсарч, ашиглах боломж бүрдэх юм.
Тэрбээр уралдааны шагналын мөнгөнийхөө тодорхой хэсгийг Эфиоп дахь найздаа туслах болон боловсролын үйл хэрэгт зориулахаа мэдэгджээ. Ханнагийн энэхүү амжилт нь шинжлэх ухаан, технологийн салбарт залуучуудын оролцоо дэлхий дахинд тулгарч буй томоохон асуудлуудыг хэрхэн шийдэж болохын тод жишээ болж байна.
Эх сурвалж: 3M Young Scientist Challenge and Science News for Students 2026.
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At just 15 years old, Hannah Herbst made a remarkable impact on the world of science in 2015. Now, eleven years later, the young inventor from Boca Raton, Florida, is still making waves. Her innovative, eco-friendly device that generates energy from ocean currents earned her the top prize in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
The 3M Young Scientist Challenge celebrates young inventors, and in 2015, Hannah took home $25,000 for her project: a probe made from recycled materials. Inspired by her Ethiopian pen pal, who lived in an area where electricity was scarce, Hannah designed a device to bring power and clean water to regions in need.
Turning Ocean Currents Into Power
Hannah Herbst’s invention, called “Beacon,” uses ocean currents to generate electricity, and it’s surprisingly simple, and the design costs just $12 to make.
“I was boating with my family through the Boca Raton Inlet, and our boat was really jerked around by the current. I thought, why not use this power?” she recalled.
According to Business Insider, the probe featuresa 3D-printed propeller connected to a hydroelectric generator inside a PVC pipe. When ocean currents move the propeller, it turns the mechanical energy into electricity. Hannah tested the probe in the Boca Raton Intracoastal Waterway, and it successfully powered LED lights.
What makes this design special is that it doesn’t depend on solar or wind power. Ocean currents are always moving, which makes this a more reliable way to generate energy. For coastal communities, this could be an ideal way to harness natural resources and power everything from homes to essential services.
Helping Developing Countries
In many parts of the world, especially along coastlines, people don’t have reliable access to electricity or fresh water. As stated by Herbst, her device could be the solution. If scaled up, the probe could power desalination pumps, which turn saltwater into drinkable water. It could also be used to power medical equipment like blood centrifuges or help with navigation along coasts.
The low cost and simple design make it a perfect option for remote communities that lack large-scale infrastructure. For places where building huge power plants just isn’t feasible, this small but powerful device could make a huge difference.
A Step Toward Future Innovations
The 3M Young Scientist Challenge is a chance for young inventors to develop their ideas and get expert help to make them a reality. As the winner, Hannah worked with 3M scientist Jeffrey Emslander to refine her prototype.
She planned to donate part of her prize money to help her Ethiopian pen pal and her school. She also wasn’t stopping there. She planned to keep working on her device with 3M’s help, hoping to bring it to the communities that needed it most.
“When I’m done developing it, I’m going to open source it,” she told Fast Company back in 2015.“Everybody in the world can have access to the materials list and the data I got–everything you need to make this device. I really want to help my pen pal. I can’t imagine a day without energy in my life.”
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