Hiruni Wansapura
8th Grade, Robinson Middle School
Plano, TX
Hiruni has struggled with asthma, which is exacerbated by air pollution. When she began to study air filtration, she realized that “less than 30 percent of the world’s population has access to HVAC systems, and cost-efficient air filtration can significantly benefit those without access to clean air.” For her previous science fair project, she developed an air filter using activated carbon, snake plant fibers and coconut fibers. This year, she wanted to improve on her project by creating a fan blade inspired by a sycamore seed.
Sycamore Seed-Inspired Fan Blade Design for a Portable Air Purifier
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Project Background
“I have a strong interest in biomimicry, which involves drawing inspiration from and mimicking designs that exist in the natural world,” Hiruni says. Sycamore seeds, she found, can increase their lift as they fall from the tree, spinning around as they fall — like a fan blade. Hiruni analyzed the fall rate of 27 sycamore seeds and used their shapes to design and 3D print fan blades modeled on the seeds. Hiruni tested her sycamore seed blades against standard fan blades in an airflow test and showed that sycamore seed blades had higher air speed and flow than regular fan blades. She then compared the two fans inside an air filtration system, where Hiruni measured how well the fan blades could disperse incense smoke.
She showed that her sycamore fan and filter system dispersed smoke at 48% efficiency over 30 minutes. “By improving air filtration methods, we can positively impact the lives of many individuals and communities by providing them with a healthier living environment,” she says.
Beyond the Project
Hiruni plays the violin for her school orchestra, and she also has a talent for writing short stories and poetry. She donates the money she earns from her writing to causes she cares about, including cancer research and animal rights. She’d like to be a biomedical engineer, she says, so she can “contribute to the development of cutting-edge technologies that can improve healthcare and ultimately make a difference in people’s lives.”
