Rev. VanderKruik, 

                                                                        What a wonderful surprise. Thank you for what you are doing 
                                                                    to help developing countries, and Mozambique especially.
 
                                                                         Yes, I would be very happy to answer the questions. 

                                                                         I look forward to doing so.

                                                                     With best regards,
 
                                                                     Jeremias Franca,
                                                                     Director of Health Services

For those who don't subscribe to cablevision/optimum, try this website to see you 120seconds of fame:

http://www.msgvarsity.com/s/46f4

This evening, MSG Varsity (Optimum Cable Company) broadcast a two minute segment about the S. S. Seward InvenTeam!

If you missed it, you can view it at their website:

http://www.msgvarsity.com/hudson-valley/s-s-seward/hs-experience-ss-seward-1.978922

Autographs by the stars may be arranged if you are nice to us.

If you want to see the awards ceremony, it can be accessed at :

http://mediasite.itops.rpi.edu/Mediasite5/Viewer/?peid=69e11cb99e104bfda59d502e66818eb61d

Team's introduction happens about 4:20 into the simulcast.

Enjoy and thanks to all of the people, especially the Florida Union Free School District, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and of course the Lemelson-MIT program for making this event and our participation in it possible.

Yesterday the S. S. Seward InvenTeam went to represent the Lemelson-MIT program at the Lemelson-MIT Student award at RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute).  While there we received a tour of RPI and some of their facilities in relationship to the various branches of engineering.  We met mechanical, biomedical, civil, industrial, and aeromechanical engineers.  We met with InvenTeams of years past and learned about some of the inventions they were able to conceive.  We also met several robotics teams (FIRST Robotics) while there.  After dinner we went to meet the student finalists, Zepu Wang, Fazel Yavari, and Christopher Rivet.  We learned about each of their inventions before going into the simulcast award ceremony, where we connected to MIT and the University of Illinois.  Fazel Yavari, a native of Iran, was awarded a $30,000 prize for his project, High Sensitivity Detection of Hazardous Gases Using a Graphene Foam Network.  The Graphene Foam network, foam made from the thinnest material known to man, will be used to detect NH3 and NO2 so that we can more accurately filter them.  The device is extremely sensitive and should be about five times cheaper than traditional sensors.  We also would like to congratulate the finalists and winners of the prizes in the University of Illinois and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  We had a great time and learned a plethora of things about engineering.

 

     On Friday, February 17th, the S. S. Seward InvenTeam managed to successfully prove that their plan for a portable solar powered autoclave will work.  We created a proof of concept, which is an experiment that would tell us whether or not it is possible for a certain requirement to be met.  We were able to convert a copper pipe into a miniature prototype by taking water, putting it into the pipe, sealing the pipe at one end, and putting a pressure gauge on the opposite end.  We then insulated our device, save for one location where we used a Fresnel lens to aim light at, and then watched the pressure gauge.  After a relatively short period of time, roughly five to six minutes under constant sunlight, the pressure gauge began to increase.  That means that at that point all water had become steam and began to increase in pressure.  We managed to get it up to 10 P.S.I. before it would not increase anymore.  It not increasing any further is most likely due to a lack of heat in the environment around it.  In an area like Africa, we easily would have gotten at least the required 15 P.S.I.  Furthermore, we also had a small portion of a lens, and the pipe was not totally insulated.  We believe that this is our first solid piece of evidence, and it is the first time we have been successful outside of just theory.  This confirms our efforts and is a great boost in morale for the entire team.