This summer, Hobart College junior Jonas Toupal entered the National Geographic Chasing Genius Challenge, which asked participants to create a one-minute video describing their idea and the solution it provides to issues related to global sustainability, health or hunger. Competing for one of four winning spots and $25,000 to implement his proposal, Toupal has developed an idea for the “Sustainable Planet” category that would reimagine geothermal energy.
Toupal is a defenseman on the Statesmen hockey team. In two seasons, he has played in 55 career games, posting 14 goals and 16 assists for 30 points. Toupal was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large Team last year and earned a spot on the ECAC West All-Academic team. He also received Hobart’s Arnold Scholar-Athlete award.
In his video, one of the proposals most liked on Facebook, Toupal describes a vacuum filled, enclosed pipe set in the ground. With convective metal caps on either end, the pipe would radiate energy from its bottom, where temperatures reach between 500 and 1000°C, to its top, where the heat could be converted to electricity. The mechanical simplicity of the proposal, Toupal says, would make it suitable for developing countries. The efficiency of his proposal’s heat transfer, and the resulting power per given area, would be greater than that of solar technology, with the added benefit of functioning both day and night.
The contest organizers evaluated each idea on its innovation, creativity, viability and inspiration. Finalists were selected on Sept. 1. While Toupal’s idea was not named a finalist, he plans to continue to research the science and mechanisms behind his idea to determine how feasible it would be. Toupal is considering turning the idea into an honors project for his senior year.
On Friday, Sept. 15, National Geographic will announce four winning ideas; a People’s Choice winner will be decided from website votes alone.
A geoscience and plenary science double-major, Toupal is the co-president of the HWS Engineering Club.
