Projects / Programmes
January 1, 2017
- December 31, 2021
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.03.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Energy engineering |
|
| 2.13.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Process engineering |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T140 |
Technological sciences |
Energy research |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 2.03 |
Engineering and Technology |
Mechanical engineering |
energy, thermal energy, internal combustion engines, electromobility, turbomachinery, noise, cavitation, fuel cells, combustion, measurements, modeling, exhaust gas, pollution
Researchers (41)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Objectives of the Research Programme (RP) Power Engineering are focused on holistic research activities in the field of Sustainable energy management. Vision of the RP is the development of innovative basic and applied scientific contributions and their implementation into industrial and/or socially beneficial projects. Consistent fulfillment of our vision is also confirmed through previous references of the RP, which clearly highlight very active original scientific activity and its effective implementation in the industrial projects with the aim to increase added value of the products (A1: 25,03 [number of points: 8181; A': 3558; A'': 1219] and A3: 51,85).
In addition, the RP is very strong in interdisciplinary and interinstitutional activates, which is intrinsic to the scope of the Sustainable energy management. In this respect, we cooperate with all leading national and multiple international institutes as well as with large number of national and multiple important international companies.
To competently tackle the challenges in the field of Sustainable energy management and to strengthen the integrator role of the mechanical engineering, which ensure very high transfer rate from the basic and applied knowledge to the product level, the Research Programme addresses a very wide variety of interrelated and complementary R&D activities from the very basic phenomena of energy and process engineering over design and optimization of the components to optimisation of the energy systems. However, due to space limitations of the project proposal form, this proposal focuses on four interrelated research areas where we have internationally recognized competences and where we foster innovations in basic and applied research: 1) electrochemical devices, 2) advanced combustions systems, 3) cavitation and 4) acoustics.
In the area of electrochemical devices (fuel cells and batteries) the RP aims to develop: a) next-generation electrochemical models which consider recent nanoscale knowledge and are applicable on the engineering level and b) develop innovative design and integrations techniques on the system level. A very efficient interplay of topics under item 1) and 2) is needed to answer the challenges of forthcoming mobile and stationary applications. In the area of advanced combustions systems, RP will foster basic and applied knowledge for promoting highly efficient, durable and economically viable use of alternative and in particular waste derived fuels. Cavitation including its application is one of the topics where the RP is among top team in the world and RP will further foster the basic research and open new perspectives in its applicability. Cavitation is tightly coupled to advanced combustions systems via processing of the feedstock and components of hydraulic system. Prevention and abatement of acoustic emission is a cross-cutting discipline inherent to every machine and also very important societal challenge on the large scale.
Significance for science
Sustainable energy management is crucial to allow for reducing depletion of energy sources on one side and to reduce environmental impact of the energy use on the other side. A holistic approach is required to efficiently support R&D tasks in this area as it requires both, optimisation on the system and on the component level. The Research Programme thus addresses the entire chain from the detailed phenomena on the sub-component level to the energetic systems.
The Research Programme addresses, among others, research fields of electrochemical devices (fuel cells and batteries), advanced combustions systems, cavitation and acoustics where we will foster innovations in basic and applied research.
In the area fuel cells and batteries the Research Programme aims to develop next-generation electrochemical models applicable on the engineering level and also to develop innovative design and integrations techniques on the system level. Here we intend to transfer recent nanoscale knowledge into the next-generation models of electrochemical devices on the engineering level with the aim to increase their level of predictiveness. We also plan apply innovative integration techniques to increase effective efficiency on the system level, what will be demonstrated on the newly developed high temperature fuel cell and innovative methanol reformer.
In terms of electrochemical devices Research Programme inherently contributes to new research directions of innovative modelling and integration concepts as well as pushes the boundaries of understanding the phenomena in electrochemical devices.
Originality of the proposed research in the area of advanced combustions systems arises from innovative materials, i.e. fuels, innovative methodologies of assessing feasibility of the fuels and innovative combustion concepts. In this respect we will focus on highly efficient utilization of current waste derived fuels by applying tailored optimisation of the design of this particular machine and by application of appropriate control strategies and to development of waste derived fuels with more suitable physicochemical properties.
In the area of cavitation the Research Programme is aimed to the execution of new advanced experiments, which will make a breakthrough in the cavitation bubble and bubble cluster physics, and exploring the possibility of applying the new basic knowledge to future methodologies for enhanced biogas production, water and soil treatment, surface cleaning, material enhancement and erosion prediction. Specifically we intend to investigate the interaction of bubbles and organic matter, resulting in higher biogas production, investigate the formation of hydroxyl radicals during cavitation, research the cavitation damage, and finally we intend to determine the physics of the interaction between cavitation bubbles and liquid-solid fluidised bed.
Scientific objective of research in the field of acoustics is to gain knowledge, which would allow the identification of dominant noise sources and noise events by artificial machine hearing, as recognized by human experts. In order to develop algorithms for automatic noise event classification and for machinery noise monitoring, which would exceed the abilities of human experts, we need to gain new knowledge by combining research of noise generation mechanisms, noise propagation, beamforming and psychoacoustics. Research will be focused on multichannel acoustic signal with the purpose to extract noise event features like emission pattern from the complex machinery, spatial information about the dominant noise source on the complex machine, movement of the noise sources, etc. New knowledge about such new features, which are closely correlated to complex noise sources, will significantly improve learning and classification algorithms of noise events and it will enable monitoring of different machinery and different processes only by using audible sound.
We expect that the continuation of the resea
Significance for the country
The Research Programme is focused to one of the most pending topics of the society – the sustainable energy management. Research Programme has a very significant direct impact on the businesses. This is quantitatively reflected through a very high number of direct industrial projects with domestic (nearly all top exporting Slovene companies) and international partners (Gorenje, Kolektor, BSH, Hidria, Domel, HSE, Knauf, Akrapovič, Danfoss Trata, Litostroj Power, Alstom, AVL List GmbH, Elcore GmbH, Nedstack fuel cell technology BV, Auma, Philips, Andino), which all aim to become leading suppliers of innovative sustainable products with high added value. Members of the Research Programme contributed to this by applying or gaining patent rights for over 30 applications. As multiple scientific achievements of the Research Programme can be applied in several industries, it also plays a significant role in networking activities between companies.
Fostering of a new generation of engineers and scientist is equally important. In this respect it is worth exposing constant updates of curricula to reflect current research and technology status as well as introduction of new contemporary subjects. The members of the Research Programme acted as advisors to more than 30 PhDs and more than 400 MSc and BSc students while preparing thesis in the areas of particular industrial interest. This cooperation is crucial to close the Triple Helix of university-industry-government relationships in a most comprehensive manner and the Research Programme systematically promotes these relationships. The Laboratories of the Research Programme are in general also among top Laboratories, which are selected by foreign student to conduct their theses.
Networking with other institutions is successful through the scheme of FP7 projects: FLUMABACK, ASTERICS, CROPS and other platforms such as the European Space Agency: THERMOCAV, CRYOCAV.
Finally researchers of the Research Programme are very active in various national and international organisations among which it is worth to expose: EARPA (European Automotive Research Partners Association), EGVIA (European Green Vehicle Initiative Association), EAA (European Acoustic Association.
Moreover, researchers of the Research Programme are also very active in promoting the Sustainable energy management on the scientific level including lectures and talks at scientific symposia and foreign universities or research institutes and also on the level of media for wider public. They thus frequently participate in TV and radio broadcasts and give interviews and write articles for printed and on-line mass media.
RP thus significantly contributes to the economy, social activities and also has an indirect importance for society.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2017,
2018,
2019
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2017,
2018,
2019
