Project description
Innovation for sustainable water technologies
Many natural and technological processes, from how plants collect moisture to how we design water-harvesting systems, rely on the movement of tiny water droplets along thin threads or fibres. Today, controlling this flow often requires expensive and environmentally harmful techniques. The ERC-funded TWIST project proposes a low-cost, eco-friendly alternative. Researchers plan to create textured structures that guide droplets in specific directions, even in windy or vibrating conditions, by twisting different natural or synthetic fibres together. This method could improve technologies like fog-harvesting nets and help communities build sustainable water systems using local, accessible materials.
Objective
The transport of drops on slender structures, such as threads and fibers, plays an essential role in engineering applications and is pivotal for the survival of many living creatures. The key to these processes lies in efficiently transporting drops and controlling their motion along the fiber. Drop flow control is enabled by manipulating the fiber’s surface properties, where today’s surface manufacturing methods hinge on advanced and costly techniques, including environmentally harmful chemicals. In the TWIST project, I will develop a new methodology for designing optimal drop transport on twisted fibers and nets. By mechanically twisting multiple fibers with different sizes, geometries, poro-elasticity, and physicochemical properties, I will create, through simple means and without the need for advanced microsystem technology, a hierarchical and grooved structure that can be tuned to control the flow of drops. The TWIST project aims to elucidate the fundamental fluid mechanics of drop capillary flows on these fibrous structures, even when exposed to wind and vibrations, and to provide new theoretical tools for describing the underlying fluid physics. Furthermore, the project will facilitate the development of pathways for utilizing sustainable materials, such as animal and plant-based materials, to generate twisted fiber structures with desired properties and utilize their hygroscopic responses. To showcase its potential use in applications, these fiber structures will be implemented in the fog net technology, which is used to capture atmospheric fog in arid regions. It is envisioned that TWIST will enable new research and engineering a pathways for a Do-It-Yourself solution to produce sustainable threads and nets, going beyond plastic based solutions. If successful, it offers a low-cost sustainable solution relying only on abundant materials found worldwide and can be developed without the need for advanced machining, and as such made by anyone, anywhere.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology materials engineering fibers
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering manufacturing engineering subtractive manufacturing
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics geometry
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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)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
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.
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.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-COG
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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.
0313 Oslo
Norway
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.