By Tanya Faulkner
Some of Dandenong’s brightest students are preparing to show what they are made of on the national stage in the name of science.
A Dandenong High School team of six – Andy, Ruba, Shukriya, Krish, Ronin and Keely – is set to compete in the first Australian Horizon Hydrogen Grand Prix (H2GP) competition in Gladstone, Queensland.
It is one of only 20 teams invited across Australia to compete from 20-22 April.
The Horizon Hydrogen Grand Prix is a racing competition in which students design a small radio-controlled (RC) car that runs on hydrogen gas as its fuel source.
Racing will be carried out over a period of four hours, a true test of the durability, endurance as well as energy efficiency of the final car.
The students had to work together as a team to design, test and produce a car model consisting of three main components, team member Andy Nguyen said.
These are the chassis, which supports the car’s weight, the shell that covers the chassis and protects the internal components as well as the hydrogen fuel cell which converts hydrogen gas into electricity.
Andy said the project is also an important gateway for students.
“It’s a great opportunity to learn more about our future pathways and career opportunities, especially for the girls in our team who may pursue a path in engineering,” he said.
Dandenong’s wider community has been getting behind the local students, particularly their sponsor Hyzon Motors – a local company that specialises in hydrogen-powered trucks & buses.
Hyzon provided hands-on experience to learn about the potential of hydrogen fuel as a replacement for diesel or gas in vehicles.
Throughout this project, the students explored the different forms of renewable energy, and the roles that each will have in Australia’s transition to net-zero emissions as well as the impact of climate change on the environment.
This project serves as the flag bearer for Dandenong High School’s education on renewable energy as well as its practical applications across the subjects of science and STEM.
The additional tools and experiment instruments that have been supplied alongside this competition will provide the students with many more opportunities to interact with hydrogen energy and learn more about them.
