Dyson Award for TU Delft student

Dyson Award for TU Delft student

German exchange student Konstantin Wolf (Industrial Design Engineering) has won the Dutch James Dyson Award with Breathe, a compact ventilation system to improve air quality in small living spaces. Wolf developed Breathe especially for tiny houses.
A special feature of the system is that it takes up little space and – apart from the control system – uses no electricity. The internal air flow occurs naturally thanks to the chimney effect. This is when a vertical airflow is created as a result of natural temperature differences.

Breathe consists of a panel with an inlet and an outlet with slats in between. The stretching slats are laterally enclosed in a thin glass chamber that is heated by solar rays. Warm air rises and creates an air current that regulates the air exchange between outside and inside. If the slats are under tension, the pulling effect increases. This ensures better ventilation in summer. In winter, the slats are loosened, giving them the freedom to move in the wind. In this way, the air flow slows down and incoming air can be pre-heated by the stored solar energy.

This year 29 countries worldwide are organising the James Dyson Award. Each national winner will win 5,800 euros. Wolf has a chance of winning the top prize of 33,500 euros in the international final. (MvdV)