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Turbulence-On-a-Chip: Supercritically Overcoming the Energy Frontier in Microfluidics

Objective

The technological opportunities enabled by understanding and controlling the microscale world have not yet been capitalized to disruptively improve energy processes, especially heat transfer and power generation. This is mainly due to the laminar flows typically encountered in microdevices resulting in low mixing and transfer rates. This is a central unsolved problem in the thermal-fluid sciences, in what some researchers refer to as lab-on-a-chip and energy - the microfluidic frontier. Therefore, the overarching goal of the SCRAMBLE project is to overcome this long-standing frontier by (i) discovering the fundamentals of inducing turbulent flow in microchips by means of utilizing high-pressure supercritical fluids, (ii) finding the critical conditions to drastically enhance and control mixing and transfer processes, and (iii) designing, fabricating and testing a disruptive first-ever series of turbulence-on-a-chip prototypes for transferring energy with a hundredfold performance improvement with respect to standard microsystems.

Achieving microconfined turbulence has deep scientific and engineering implications for disruptively advancing microfluidic-intensive applications, like for example in chemistry and biomedicine, and to open a new research avenue to develop and apply groundbreaking turbulent flow solutions to microfluidic energy conversion and power generation technologies (these consume an aggregated 70% of the European Union?s energy). In the medium- to long-term future, the technology proposed could enable (i) the efficient miniaturization of thermodynamic cycles for power generation, (ii) reconceptualization of the next-generation of computer processors based on remarkably powerful microfluidic-based cooling, and (iii) the adoption of novel microfluidic solutions in fuel cells for transportation and propulsion. These advances, together with many other potential breakthroughs, could help drive the transition toward a greener energy economy.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2021-STG

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Host institution

UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYA
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 487 500,00
Address
CALLE JORDI GIRONA 31
08034 Barcelona
Spain

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Region
Este Cataluña Barcelona
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 487 500,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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