Project description
Utilising unused hydro energy sources
Climate change has showcased the need for renewable energy sources as well as reduced emissions and consumption. However, new technology is required to satisfy this need. Hydro energy systems are a promising solution as they use the motion of liquid bodies to generate electricity. In this context, the EU-funded H-HOPE project will develop a hydro energy solution that uses a novel technology to collect hydro energy from otherwise ignored open streams, piping systems and open channels. This solution will use innovations that make use of submerged oscillating bodies combined with piezoelectric materials and electromagnetic regulators to take advantage of these water flows. The result will be a reduction in CO2 emissions and harmful energy sources.
Objective
The H-HOPE project addresses the development and demonstration of innovative and sustainable energy harvesting systems capable of recovering hidden hydro energy from existing piping systems, open streams and open channels. This new technology is based on both the use of piezoelectric materials attached to submerged bodies with deforming walls and of electromagnetic regulators absorbing the transverse motion of oscillating bodies inside flows. The power density of the proposed energy harvesters will be significantly improved thanks to the multi-physics design approach and to the innovative adaptive power take-off (PTO) allowing to tune the resonance frequency of the coupled fluid-structure-electrical system and thus increase the flow induced vibrations under lock-in conditions. Eight (8) different case studies representative of actual industrial water facilities and free-flowing streams located across Europe will be used to experimentally test and validate the effectiveness of the technology in adequate and real operating conditions reproduced in laboratories. In parallel, numerical models will be developed and included in a multi-physics design strategy so as to optimize their design whereas an adaptive PTO will be developed and customize on the energy harvesting system so as to maximize the performance even in variable operating conditions. The assessment of the environmental and socio-economic impacts will be used to demonstrate the value of the selected case studies and the sustainability of the proposed technology aimed also at increasing the resilience of the water facilities. In order to extend this knowledge and promote the applications of the H-HOPE technologies to potential prosumers, an open-access and open-source do-it-yourself platform will be set up. As a result, the H-HOPE platform will certainly contribute to reduce the negative effects of the climate change and to reduce the CO2 emissions while increasing the energy independence of the EU.
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HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
35122 Padova
Italy