How many 10-year-olds conceive an idea for an invention that warrants submitting an application for a provisional patent?

Whitehall resident William B. Schopf, now 14, did. Now, after more than three years of development, his invention, a battery charger for solar vehicles, has been awarded a U.S. patent and two corporations have expressed and interest in purchasing it.

William had an advanced engineering mind even as a small child.

"I just remember his nursery school teacher telling me about these extravagant tracks he would build. He would build these elaborate layouts with blocks and train tracks," said his mother, Karen.

She and his dad, William K., have always been supportive of William's unique interest in science and engineering.

"That's why we took him to Da Vinci Science Center. He'd ask questions and we wouldn't know the answers so we'd go off to the science center."

William participated in the Da Vinci Center's Inventor Lab program during the fall of 2007 where he conceived the idea of a windmill battery charger for use on solar-powered vehicles. The chargers would be efficient and allow a solar car to operate at night.

He was inspired by stories of polar bears in jeopardy due to the threat of global warming. The program's leader, Frank Schweighardt, Ph.D., who has several patents of his own, saw its promise. Schweighardt helped William develop his idea into a working concept strong enough to be considered for a United States Patent.

It has since earned him United States Letters Patent Number 8,274,169, issued Sept. 25.

The invention is a device that features wind turbine-style blades affixed to the front of a vehicle. William used a thixotropic fluid consisting of a clay powder mixture and olive oil. The blades twist uniquely to generate maximum wind power efficiency for any electric car's generator the same way that a wind turbine powers an electrical grid.

"It spins around and, as its spinning, there is a fluid in the blades which is able to change the angle of the blades. It allows it to go a little bit faster with increased wind speeds," said William.

His invention idea took the top prize at the Da Vinci Science Center's first Inventor Lab Saturday Morning Showcase in June 2008.

Schweighardt then arranged for him to file provisional patent paperwork with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with the help of John Lushis, a local attorney with Norris McLaughlin & Marcus, P.A., of Allentown.

Nearly a year later, when William has proved his idea, Schweighardt arranged for independent patent agent Harold Mastellar, now retired and living in Ohio, to donate services worth more than $10,000 to file the full patent application.

The patent covers 11 possible applications for William's invention and he is actively brainstorming to come up with additional uses.

Despite such early success, his family wants him to have a normal life. They believe balance is the key. William participates in clubs at school and plays ice hockey in addition to volunteering at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church and at the Da Vinci Center.

He used to play soccer but the practice/game schedule became too much with his other interests and responsibilities.

"One of the things he said to me was, 'play soccer or save the world?'" said his dad. So now they prioritize school, then science and then sports.

William hopes to attend MIT to study aerospace engineering after he graduates from Whitehall High School.