EnerBall - The ball of the FUTURE !!!

Blueprints for ENERBALL

Inspiration

The inspiration for this project has originated from my interests in the field of engineering and my passion for research in the upending problem, of the Earth - The search for a sustainable and clean energy source. This project was highly, motivated by my current research on generators and the fascinating world of gravity-based machines ( Perpetual Motion Devices ). Moreover, the form of this device was inspired by, my love for the game of soccer, from a young age and my vision of one day being able to power the stadium of a field, for the beautiful game that is being played inside.

What it does

This is a device that harnesses the momentum of a soccer ball, and converts it into electrical energy, through the use of a perpetual generator, which is suspended freely within the body of the ball. As the perpetual device inside the ball moves - it drives a DC generator which in turn stores the electricity generated from the momentum through the use of a lithium-ion battery

How I built it

I used a program called SketchUp to design and animate the Enerball device. First, I drew the basic shape of a soccer ball. Then, I figured out a method on how to fit a special generator inside it which is driven by the momentum of the rolling ball. This generator can turn the ball's movement into electricity. All of the design process was CAD

Challenges I ran into

Making the generator small enough to fit inside the ball was tough. Also, I had to make sure the ball could handle being kicked around on a soccer field without breaking. It was tricky to find the right materials and design to make it strong whilst still maintaining the capacity to generate electricity.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I'm proud I made the Enerball device work. It combines my love for soccer with my interest driven by my passion for the field of research in clean energy. I also learned a lot about how generators and renewable energy work.

What I learned

I expanded my knowledge of material science while selecting materials for the Enerball device. Understanding momentum-energy relations and soccer ball aerodynamics was crucial for designing an effective product.

What's next for Enerball

Next, I want to make the Enerball device even better, through feedback from professionals and like-minded peers in the field. I'll try different materials and designs to see if it can make more electricity. Eventually, I hope it can be used in real soccer games to power the entire stadium that the beautiful game is being played in.