Cheltenham schoolboys win Davidson Inventors Challenge with water treatment tool

A TEAM of five students from Cheltenham won the final of the Davidson Inventors Challenge after developing a low-cost water treatment device aimed at improving access to clean drinking water.

Fergus Mort, Conrad van Wyk, Bryan Lin, Mahin Premkumar and Ben Lacey from Pate’s Grammar School secured first place with their concept of using hydrodynamic cavitation in a Venturi device to sterilise water.

The competition, hosted by the University of Cambridge, brings together Year 11 to 12 students from across the UK to tackle major chemical engineering challenges, with a focus on innovation and technical feasibility.

Competing against three other finalist teams, the Pate’s group – named Semper Sanare, Nil Nocere – set out to create an affordable alternative to conventional treatments such as reverse osmosis and boiling, aiming to reduce both energy use and labour requirements.

Business-minded

Financial feasibility and scalability were central to this year’s challenge, with teams tasked with providing costings for their innovation alongside a plan on how they would attract investment.

The emphasis reflects a growing expectation that engineers combine technical expertise with commercial awareness and soft skills. Engineering company Siemens has highlighted the importance of skills such as teamwork and communication alongside core engineering knowledge.

Presenting their projects to a lecture theatre of academics and industry professionals, the teams were rigorously questioned on the business potential of their inventions.

The Cheltenham team’s device, AcquaVentura, builds on existing research into hydrodynamic cavitation in Venturi systems and its use in water purification.

When asked by an attendee from the University of Strathclyde about scaling the technology to supply a village, the team said the design is “inherently scalable”. They pointed to a case study in South Africa, where access to clean water is limited, suggesting the system could be powered continuously using solar energy.

All winners

The team received a cash prize of £600, provided by engineering firm and event sponsors Bridges, along with a tour of the university and its Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.

The remaining teams were each awarded £100. Judge and IChemE president Rafaella Ocone praised the high standard of entries, saying the teams were “just too good” and should be proud of their projects.

“I encourage you all to continue the work you are doing and stay connected,” she said. “Please act as ambassadors to help amplify the voice of science and engineering.”