MechSE doctoral candidate Dolaana Khovalyg was one of only eight people selected from a global pool of entries to compete in January 2016 in the finals of the Singapore Challenge, a prestigious international competition in partnership with Singapore’s Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.
Khovalyg’s proposal, “Net-Zero Energy Air-Conditioning and Dehumidification,” was selected fr
Written by Miranda Holloway, MechSE Communications
MechSE doctoral candidate Dolaana Khovalyg was one of only eight people selected from a global pool of entries to compete in January 2016 in the finals of the Singapore Challenge, a prestigious international competition in partnership with Singapore’s Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.
Khovalyg’s proposal, “Net-Zero Energy Air-Conditioning and Dehumidification,” was selected from a total of 48 proposals under the competition’s theme, “Sustainable and Liveable Cities.”
Her idea outlined a more efficient redesigned system of air conditioning. To do this, she proposes combining liquid desiccant dehumidification, absorption refrigeration and energy recovery ventilation. She chose this topic because of the high energy demands that come with traditional air conditioning systems. With a growing population and a climate where air conditioning is common, this change would cut out inefficiency and conserve energy.
The Singapore Challenge is part of the Global Young Scientists Summit. Every year the competition for bright young scientists centers on a topic related to one of the nation’s grand challenges. As Singapore continues to grow, the country is focused on maintaining its sustainability and cleanliness.
The summit also featured seminars from 21 experts discussing their fields of expertise, offering presentations such as “What Will the World Be Like in 50 Years?” and “Science, Education, and Society,” to name a few.
“GYSS had a mentoring flavor, since distinguished scientists shared their expertise and experience on how to become a successful researcher,” Khovalyg said.
Dolaana presents her research to Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam, the President of Singapore.
Although she did not win the competition, she did present her project to the President of Singapore, Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam, as well as to a panel of judges made up of Nobel Laureates and government elite.
“It was an excellent opportunity to receive valuable feedback that would help us define our future research strategy,” said Khovalyg, who is advised by MechSE Department Head and Professor Tony Jacobi. “It was a great experience and I strongly recommend that other young scientists try to participate in this event.”
Fittingly, another University of Illinois student came out on top. Carlos Duarte-Guevara, from the Department of ECE, won with his proposal, “Portable detection of foodborne pathogens in microfluidic biochips through isothermal DNA amplification.”