The invention of changing waste oil into biodiesel from Hong Kong PolyU won the international gold medal.

China news agency, Hong Kong, May 4 (Reporter Li Qiwei) The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) won 15 awards at the 43rd Geneva International Invention Exhibition this year. Dr. Rong Jiafu from the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology of PolyU said on the 4th that the catalyst he invented can catalyze waste oil into biodiesel, and the invention won the gold medal in the invention exhibition.

By mastering the precise technology of controlling the surface chemistry of materials, Rong Jiafu’s research team developed a new green biodiesel solid catalyst with high activity and long life for biodiesel raw materials. Rong Jiafu introduced his invention to reporters on the 4th. The catalyst is a kind of solid metal oxide, which is synthesized in a simple way, non-toxic and insoluble in water or oil. It can solve the sewage generated in traditional liquid catalysts and greatly reduce energy consumption, cost and pollution.

Rong Jiafu said that the raw materials of biodiesel can be vegetable oil, animal oil or waste oil. The fuel catalyzed by this catalyst can be directly used in the current diesel supply system, which can completely burn, reduce carbon monoxide emissions by about 80%, reduce fuel cost by half, and reduce engine loss. The invention can be applied to traditional transportation tools such as trains, buses, ships and the like.

Rong Jiafu said that the current production cost of biodiesel is relatively high, but the future production cost will be lower and lower. The next step for the industry is to consider improving the production process and large-scale production, and turning scientific inventions into truly useful market-oriented products.

At the press conference that day, Dr. Ye Weixiong from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering of PolyU also introduced the "Advanced Vehicle Parking Navigation Platform Based on the Internet of Things" invented by him, which includes four parts: "Xinhe Parking Application", advanced vehicle parking navigation system, middleware of wireless sensing braking network and intelligent parking system of wireless sensing braking network, and won a special gold award for judging.

Ye Weixiong said that there are problems of insufficient land and too many vehicles in Hong Kong. The platform integrates the latest technologies such as cloud services based on the Internet of Things, near-field communication technology and big data analysis, and can provide an efficient property management system for parking lot management companies in Hong Kong, alleviating traffic conditions in commercial areas and reducing air pollution.

Ye Weixiong said that his team started to develop the platform three years ago and received special funds from the Innovation and Technology Agency of the SAR Government. After successive experiments, more than 30 parking lots have used the system, and citizens can download mobile phone applications for use.

Founded in 1973, Geneva International Invention Exhibition is one of the oldest and largest invention exhibitions in the world. A total of 13 gold medals and 5 silver medals were won by 18 participating projects including companies and universities in Hong Kong Science Park. (End)