Project on Sustainable Wireless Electric Mobile Phone Charger Selected for Third Place among 13 Finalists
Abu Dhabi-UAE: 3 June, 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced one of its Research Assistants has won an award at the ‘Made in the UAE’ competition.
Alaeddine Mokri received the award for his project titled ‘Application of Spectral Matching of Artificial Light to Solar Cells’. He was the third place winner from among 13 finalists. The ‘Made in the UAE’ competition was part of the seventh annual IEEE Student Day that was held at the Higher Colleges of Technology’s Khalifa City Women’s College in Abu Dhabi. More than 250 university students from engineering programs across the UAE gathered for the event that also had other competition categories including ‘Common Design Project’, ‘Senior Design Project Poster/Demo’, ‘Software Engineering Design’, ‘Engineering Design’, and ‘Community Service’.
The sustainable wireless electric mobile phone charger made by Mokri is more efficient and faster in loading the mobile phone’s battery with energy. The prototype comprises a box that contains different types of light bulbs. The radiation of the light bulbs functions as an artificial sunlight, concentrated on the solar cells attached to the mobile phone.
Mokri predicts the final product of his innovation would be a box that can be used in a car, restaurant, office, or hotel room. The mobile phone has to be placed in the box with an integrated solar cell cover, and can be fully charged within a few minutes.
Dr Mahieddine Emziane, Associate Professor, Masdar Institute, said: “Our research-cum-learning environment remains one of the intensely motivating factors for students and faculty to continue exploring for innovative solutions. We commend Alaeddine Mokri for his persistent efforts to successfully create a totally new sustainable product that runs on solar energy. The award at Made in UAE competition is a strong indication of his capabilities and we thank the country’s leadership for providing the right infrastructure that continues to encourage creativity.”
Other products that vied for a final slot in the Made in the UAE competition included software solutions for healthcare and DNA analysis, robots, small airplanes, handheld devices, and prototypes for solar powered desalination systems.
Alaeddine Mokri said: “Winning the third place for a solar energy product shows the direction to sustainable energy that the UAE is emphasizing on. I expect the product to be the next generation electric charger. The prototype was assessed by two independent judging committees. Hearing that my project was ranked third in such a tough competition made me believe again that the way we use our electric chargers may soon change – and forever. The next objective is to develop a very fast charging station for electric vehicles … this will probably solve their long time-charging issues and increase their adoption”.
With his expertise in solar energy, along with his Professor Dr Mahieddine Emziane, and Mona Al Ali, a colleague at Masdar Institute, Alaeddine Mokri authored the first study that reviews the status of solar energy in the UAE that resulted in the first solar installations map for the UAE. Individually, Mokri has designed three systems for solar power generation and storage, suitable for the UAE climatic conditions. One of the systems has been awarded the Best Graduate Research at the Second International Conference on Renewable Energy in UAE University recently.
Alaeddine Mokri was also awarded the Honorary Membership to the Emirates Solar Industry Association (ESIA) for his contributions to the local solar industry. Earlier in the Summer of 2010, he won full-scholarship to attend the NASA-based Singularity University Graduate Program. He also served as a research associate at the NASA Ames Research Center straight after earning his Master’s degree from Masdar Institute in 2011. Currently, he is at Masdar Institute with an intention to file a US patent.
In 2010, as an undergraduate student at Tlemcen University in Algeria, Mokri published a paper titled ‘Design and Implementation of a Virtual Calculation Centre (VCC) for Engineering Students’ in the International Journal of Online Engineering. The paper comprises facts on how he converted over 80 different software tools used by his professors and classmates into online tools that could be used over the Internet. Mokri was the first and only one in his school to publish a journal paper as an undergraduate student.
Established as an on-going collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow. With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change through education and research.
