Bay Sea Scouts seek national recognition with innovative project

Observing the 3D printer, from left, Mr. Adrien Krajnik, Joey Karim, Henry Moody, Benjamin Brogan and Benny Kaschube.

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How often have you been out and about and found your cell phone battery dying? Or, in our case, as Bay Sea Scouts, out on a sailboat in the middle of Lake Erie. We have found a solution for you.

Our research has led us to develop an innovative, wind-driven phone charger. In our experiments, we found that a regular propeller in combination with our micro-generator did not provide, with a 10 mph wind, the voltage and amps needed to charge a phone.

Seeking answers online, we found that an Archimedes screw propeller is more efficient by anywhere from 10-20%. To obtain an Archimedes screw, we used the software CAD program Tinkercad, and 3D printed the screws at the Bay Village Library with Jean Cottrill.

At Westlake Porter Public Library, Mr. Adrien Krajnick, MakerPlace associate, explained and assisted us through the steps from 3D CAD drawing to finished product.

The Archimedes screw was effective in producing more power, but we thought we could go a step further. We learned about whale fin tubercles. The tubercles are little bumps on the whale fin's edge, increasing the water flow over the fins and making them more efficient.

Using this same principle, we applied dabs of hot glue to the leading edge of our 3D-printed screws. The results are most encouraging, and with a little more adjusting, such as reducing the wobble on the spinning screw due to its longer axis, we will reach our goal of producing a charger to help people in the community maintain communication while away from conventional electrical power.

Our project is being entered into the national eCyberMission competition. If you have comments or additional ideas, please get in touch with Mr. Gash at skipper@seascoutship41.org.