A young Filipino scientist, Yzabell Angel V. Palma, 19, has invented what she hoped would be her contribution to a cooler world, the AirDisc, an airconditioner that does not use ozone-depleting coolants.
Palma is from Bicol, Philippines. She is the youngest of 6 daughters of Naga-based food entrepreneur Bernardo Palma. She is an aspiring engineer as she will take up mechanical engineering at the De La Salle University in Taft next school year.
Her discovery of the AirDisc technology started when she was in Grade 10 at the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Bicol campus. While working on an eco-friendly oven for a research subject when she was in Grade 10, she accidentally discovered about the AirDisc which inspired her to start working on it as a school project when she was in Grade 11.
In that same year, Palma completed the prototype and when she was in Grade 12, she was able to produce the end product. Her AirDisc uses low compression and high-volume air molecules to generate cool air in place hydroflourocarbons (HFCs) that contribute to climate change.
She said, “Widely used refrigerants are considered as super greenhouse gases since one kilogram of it is roughly as much as 20,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide when global warming potential is taken into account.”
The young scientist disclosed that the airconditioners that are being sold in the market these days are based on closed system air conditioning technology that requires a lot of electricity to run them. Her AirDisc uses low electricity and is estimated to consume 150 watts.
Palma and her father filed for patent applications in the Philippines and United States Patent and Trademarks Office (USPTO) to protect her invention.
Science Secretary Fortunato dela Peña, has expressed that his department will assist Palma’s application for patent.
Recently, Palma’s invention has sparked interest in the market and 4-5 local firms have already expressed interest for its commercial production. The unit will be sold from P25,000 to P40,000, but she stressed that the selling price would go down once the market demand goes high.
“The prototype is now ready for commercial and manufacturing but we’re still open for a joint venture,” Palma said.
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