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Cape Town - Boffins at the University of Cape Town have harnessed advanced technology to Eskom-proof their soccer World Cup viewing.
The university said on Wednesday that members of the department of chemical engineering had dug deep into their creative resources to guarantee that their viewing would not be interrupted by power failures.
"Staff and students at the department are enjoying the games live on a high-definition TV screen that is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, which splits hydrogen atoms into electrons and protons," the university said in a statement.
"The protons pass through a polymer electrolyte membrane, while the electrons form an external electricity circuit that powers the TV before recombining with the protons and oxygen, forming clean water as its only 'waste' product."
The setup had saved the department from power failure on June 15 during a three-hour power blackout.
UCT media officer Pat Lucas said though the university was on holiday, researchers were still at work, and many academics were still in their offices.
