In 2019 the Committee of the Republic of Slovenia for bestowing prizes and awards for outstanding achievements in scientific research and development activities awarded Prof. Dr. Matevž Dular, who received the Zois Acknowledgment for important contribution to understanding the phenomenon of cavitation. Prof. Dr. Matevž Dular is a full professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana, where he researches in the field of engineering fluid dynamics, and especially in the field of cavitation – evaporation of water due to a sudden pressure drop. The award was particularly referenced to his contribution to understanding cavitation aggressiveness. He proposed a physical explanation of the process of cavitation erosion, which was previously based solely on empirical relations. He later experimentally confirmed his theoretical model of cavitation erosion and incorporated it into the methodology of computational fluid dynamics, which can be used to predict the occurrence of damage in advance. As part of his work for the European Space Agency (ESA), he developed several new models for the survey of evaporation and condensation in rapidly changing pressure fields, and as a first he pointed to the possibility of direct measurements of temperature fields in cavitating flow, which makes it possible to optimize the performance of rocket engine turbo pumps. Not least, his contribution to understanding cavitation aggressiveness in a new field – in the field of use of cavitation, where it is used to kill viruses, bacteria and pharmaceuticals – should be emphasized. In this field, Prof. Dular also obtained the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) project, which explores the basic mechanisms of the effect of cavitation on contaminants. The CABUM project – Investigation of the mechanisms of interaction of cavitation bubbles with contaminants will lead to a better understanding of the physical background of the occurrence of cavitation that could be used in the future for environmentally friendly potable and waste water treatment.
E.01 National awards
COBISS.SI-ID: 1538558659It is an international patent for a cavitation device that serves for low-energy and environmentally friendly water purification. We currently own a U.S. international patent, and we plan to extend it to other countries on other continents. An international patent makes a tremendous contribution to the commercialization of a product, thus targeting the international market. The device is based on a turbine machine, which with its shape and geometry generates flow conditions where cavitation is created. The device consists of a rotor and a stator, which have axial grooves or teeth on the front side, which cause periodic fluctuations in the pressure in the fluid flowing through the machine. When the pressure locally falls below the evaporating pressure, cavitation bubbles form, causing extreme conditions in the liquid upon collapse. These extreme conditions can damage different microorganisms or cause the water molecule to dissociate into hydroxyl radicals, which can react with different pollutants. The device is designed with caution for the energy efficiency, so that it combines two functions, preferentially the function of generating cavitation and the function of pumping liquid. This saves the need for an additional circulating pump that would be needed to pump the liquid through the cavitation generator. The cavitation device thus combines many energy aspects of design and development, with the central issue being the flow conditions or fluid dynamics within the cavitation device. The applicability of the cavitation generator has been proven in many technological areas, from wastewater treatment at municipal wastewater treatment plants, increasing biogas production at municipal wastewater treatment plants, drinking water treatment in water pipelines (with respect to Legionella bacteria), to pool water treatment in public baths. With the cavitation device, we showed the effective killing of various bacteria, viruses, removal of active ingredients as well as trihalomethanes from pool waters without chemical additives.
F.32 International patent
COBISS.SI-ID: 14615835For a consortium of Fellner Gmbh, Norsonic-Brechbuhl AG and Norsonic-Tippkemper Gmbh, we have developed a revolutionary new methodology for environmental noise measurements that combines the applicability of the acoustic camera with the long-term noise monitoring system. The methodology is based on spatial noise filtering, which is integrated into the classification algorithm that controls the integration of equivalent noise values from individual directions. After many years of basic and applied research published in scientific articles [COBISS.SI- ID 16155163 and 14265627], the patent [COBISS.SI- ID 13844507] and the completed PhD thesis [COBISS.SI- ID 14943259], Norsonic launched a new product called "Noise Compass" this year (September 2019). It is the first product of its kind in the world and represents a breakthrough in the measurement of environmental noise. Our methodology enables the automatic and autonomous assessment of impact of noise (from industrial plants, energy plants, infrastructure facilities), on the environment and on people. This is made possible by the complete autonomy of the proccess, which is based on acquaring large noise databases with included noise directivity data from which the necessary features can be extracted to identify dominant noise sources, allowing the design of noise abatement measures, the assessment of noise pollution and evaluation of noise annoyance of residents. The new system, which is based on our methodology, enables further development of both: science and technology. A young researcher Jure Murovec is currently completing his doctoral thesis in this field and expanding it with elements of artificial intelligence. The introduction of artificial intelligence will make it possible to classify the operation of the same sources from the same direction under different operating regimes. The new commercial system will also allow further research in the field of environmental noise mapping with measurements, a completely new and unexplored area.
F.06 Development of a new product
The intense cooperation of programme group members and a number of research institutions within the CelCycle programme resulted in successfully finalized research and development process of a self-sufficient platform for energy recovery from sewage sludge. The platform incorporates the knowledge of several Slovenian stakeholders, including the best companies in the area of environmental technologies, key public research institutions and end-users that form a strong national value-chain. It demonstrates the capability of energy recovery from sewage sludge in small scale installations and by this opens a way for local treatment of sewage sludge on the level of a single waste water treatment plant. In recent setting this presents an important socially and environmentally relevant solution with required robustness and efficiency that introduces a high level of energy and material independence to the waste water treatment sector. Additionally, Finalization of the development process opened up the first opportunity on a national level for further recovery of nutrients from sewage sludge and by this fully addresses the National waste management programme goals and notably contributes to key strategic orientations in the area of secondary resources. The developed platform is fully in line with smart specialization strategy as well, since it presents a niche product with large export potential on key markets with substantial growth predictions.
F.08 Development and manufacture of a prototype
COBISS.SI-ID: 16940571Researchers of the Research Programme are very active as interviewee in multiple TV and web broadcasts as well as in public articles aimed at interpreting advanced Sustainable energy management technologies to a broader audience. Research Programme members were actively involved and co-organized multiple different events with high relevance and are at the same time recognized as leading experts in the field of Research Programme. A remarkable event is the visit of the President of the ERC, Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, in a laboratory of the Research Programme hosting the ERC project lead by prof. Matevž Dular. In addition, participation in the event on the occasion of National Day and Independence Day, TEDx speech and participation in the ARRS Day on the reception of new young researchers should be highlighted. Members of the program group also participated in more than 30 media-exposed events, which include: - Broadcast Poslovni mikrofon »Consultation on reuse of waste« - Round table »Kaj pomeni biti znanstvenik/ca?« - Articles and interviews in most relevant Slovene media, - Mathematics and physics in picture (exhibition in Tivoli) - Awarded prize in the competition "Mechanical engineering in picture" - Images of knowledge in ARS - Academic 100 (UL 100 anniversary, RTV) - Science (Val 202) - Thinking of the scientist prof. dr. Matevža Dularja, (MMC - 3 broadcasts) - Science under the spotlight of the media - 50 let Radia Študent
F.35 Other
COBISS.SI-ID: 16955163