Won 4th place in all of Canada and $5000
Overview
As team lead, I guided the design, prototyping, and fabrication of a sand thermal battery that uses Kanthal heating elements to store heat in a bed of insulated sand. We named our battery Prometheus, after the Greek titan who gave humans fire. Our goal was to reduce household HVAC operating costs by storing energy during off-peak hours and releasing that stored heat when demand and prices are higher.
This project challenged me both technically and as a leader. I coordinated the team’s work across design, build, and testing, made decisions on materials and geometry, and helped troubleshoot issues like heat loss and uneven temperature distribution. I also represented the team by presenting our solution to a panel of judges and a large audience, explaining how the system works and why it matters in a clear and engaging way.
Our team had plans to build a full-scale prototype (shown in the CAD), but due to budget constraints we were not able to fully realize that version.
Slides
Featured In
Our work on Prometheus was featured in a local newspaper highlighting how student projects can help reduce heating costs and support more energy-efficient homes.
insauga.com — May 23, 2025
Student-made product could cut heating costs by $50 a month in MississaugaThe article profiles a team of Mississauga students in the finals of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, whose sand-based thermal battery concept could help homeowners save up to $50 a month on heating costs by shifting energy use to off-peak hours.