Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MIGRATE (Research and training network on MIniaturized Gas flow for Applications with enhanced Thermal Effects)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2017-11-01 al 2019-10-31
"MIGRATE (Miniaturized Gas flow foR Applications with Enhanced Thermal Effects) was a MSCA (ITN) under H2020. A network was created spanning numerical, experimental, theoretical and applied research experts across academia, large scale industry and high-tech SMEs dealing with heat and mass transfer in gas-based microflows. MIGRATE brought together an intersectoral and multidisciplinary collaboration between 11 academic and 5 industrial participants from 10 European countries.
15 Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) have been trained through projects that covered different aspects of enhanced heat transfer and thermal effects in gas microflows.
The main objectives of MIGRATE were:
O1: to further improve the structuring of research in Europe in the field of thermal aspects of gas microflows and their applications, and strengthen EU innovation in this field;
-> This objective has been met by generation of 15 combined, internationally supervised PhD projects, which led to a bunch of common publications. Around 1/3 of the projects have been set as co-tutelle PhD theses.
O2: to resolve scientific problems not sufficiently addressed yet and transfer fundamental knowledge to technological applications at an industrial level, through a multi-disciplinary and innovation-oriented approach;
->This objective has been met for almost all the projects but one, which stayed far behind the expectations. However, the expected level of scientific or technical improvement could not always be fully reached due to, in the majority of the projects, simply time problems.
O3: to obtain scientific and technological solutions for actual topics related to process intensification and resource efficiency;
->This objective has been met. Technical solutions for specific measurement problems and extremely efficient gas-to-gas heat transfer have been developed and realized. In many cases the solution stayed at the level of “proof of principle”, but with a very good chance to be continued into a market. This is reflected by 3 patent applications prepared, of which one is already filed within the project.
O4: to train PhD students at a pan-EU level and in combination with industrial partners, with the aim of providing both a global overview on problems linked to heat transfer in or with gas microflows, advanced skills in specific domains of this research field and complementary skills related to management of industrial issues;
->This objective has been met. 15 ESR students have been recruited, with planned secondments in academia and industry. 13 out of 15 students have already managed to obtain their PhD or will obtain it within the next few months. 1 ESR already finished his doctoral time before entering (replacement for a drop-out candidate), another ESR has not come far enough to obtain a PhD title.) It was planned to grant 5 co-tutelle PhD titles, of which 4 have been finalised.
O5: to address, through training, the "" triple i"" dimension of the fellows’ mobility: interdisciplinary, intersectorial and international.
->This objective has been met. All ESRs have been trained in very different disciplines and sectors of science and industry. Internationality was never questionable."
15 Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) have been trained through projects that covered different aspects of enhanced heat transfer and thermal effects in gas microflows.
The main objectives of MIGRATE were:
O1: to further improve the structuring of research in Europe in the field of thermal aspects of gas microflows and their applications, and strengthen EU innovation in this field;
-> This objective has been met by generation of 15 combined, internationally supervised PhD projects, which led to a bunch of common publications. Around 1/3 of the projects have been set as co-tutelle PhD theses.
O2: to resolve scientific problems not sufficiently addressed yet and transfer fundamental knowledge to technological applications at an industrial level, through a multi-disciplinary and innovation-oriented approach;
->This objective has been met for almost all the projects but one, which stayed far behind the expectations. However, the expected level of scientific or technical improvement could not always be fully reached due to, in the majority of the projects, simply time problems.
O3: to obtain scientific and technological solutions for actual topics related to process intensification and resource efficiency;
->This objective has been met. Technical solutions for specific measurement problems and extremely efficient gas-to-gas heat transfer have been developed and realized. In many cases the solution stayed at the level of “proof of principle”, but with a very good chance to be continued into a market. This is reflected by 3 patent applications prepared, of which one is already filed within the project.
O4: to train PhD students at a pan-EU level and in combination with industrial partners, with the aim of providing both a global overview on problems linked to heat transfer in or with gas microflows, advanced skills in specific domains of this research field and complementary skills related to management of industrial issues;
->This objective has been met. 15 ESR students have been recruited, with planned secondments in academia and industry. 13 out of 15 students have already managed to obtain their PhD or will obtain it within the next few months. 1 ESR already finished his doctoral time before entering (replacement for a drop-out candidate), another ESR has not come far enough to obtain a PhD title.) It was planned to grant 5 co-tutelle PhD titles, of which 4 have been finalised.
O5: to address, through training, the "" triple i"" dimension of the fellows’ mobility: interdisciplinary, intersectorial and international.
->This objective has been met. All ESRs have been trained in very different disciplines and sectors of science and industry. Internationality was never questionable."
Within the 15 ESR projects of MIGRATE, it was expected to develop new types of miniaturized sensor systems, miniaturized actuators, and modelling and simulation methods. Additionally, new methods for manufacturing and novel, extremely efficient heat transfer devices have been developed and realized.
Sensors: Pressure sensors and different systems for volatile organic compounds VOC detection have been developed and characterized. They are available at least as prototypes, and ready for further optimization. The sensor system for temperature and heat flux measurement is still in a preliminary state.
Actuator device:The manufacturing processes available have not been suitable. New methods for manufacturing have been developed and preliminarily tested; the results look promising.
Modelling and simulation: The developments achieved go far beyond the known methods. Reduced order models for CFD have been developed leading to a tremendous reduction of computational power. CFD and DSMC methods have been applied, adapted and optimized for gas-surface interaction, gas-liquid interaction as well as for phase transition. The results are awesome.
Heat transfer devices: with extremely high efficiency for high temperature gas flows have been designed and generated by 3D printing technology.
Exploitation and dissemination: The project homepage was created and continuouslyupdated. It contains current events, special occasions the structure of MIGRATE, PIs and ESRs as well as their mobility. All ESR reports are stored in a secured area of the homepage.
3 Summer Schools and WorkShops and a final conference ISTEGIM have been performed. Each ESR was obliged to take part and present results.
The major part of the publications was done as gold open access. The final conference provides a special issue of the open access journal “Micromachines” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/micromachines) with about 20 invited contributions.
A publications list is available from the MIGRATE homepage and can be retrieved from the French HAL system(https://hal.insa-toulouse.fr/MIGRATE).
Sensors: Pressure sensors and different systems for volatile organic compounds VOC detection have been developed and characterized. They are available at least as prototypes, and ready for further optimization. The sensor system for temperature and heat flux measurement is still in a preliminary state.
Actuator device:The manufacturing processes available have not been suitable. New methods for manufacturing have been developed and preliminarily tested; the results look promising.
Modelling and simulation: The developments achieved go far beyond the known methods. Reduced order models for CFD have been developed leading to a tremendous reduction of computational power. CFD and DSMC methods have been applied, adapted and optimized for gas-surface interaction, gas-liquid interaction as well as for phase transition. The results are awesome.
Heat transfer devices: with extremely high efficiency for high temperature gas flows have been designed and generated by 3D printing technology.
Exploitation and dissemination: The project homepage was created and continuouslyupdated. It contains current events, special occasions the structure of MIGRATE, PIs and ESRs as well as their mobility. All ESR reports are stored in a secured area of the homepage.
3 Summer Schools and WorkShops and a final conference ISTEGIM have been performed. Each ESR was obliged to take part and present results.
The major part of the publications was done as gold open access. The final conference provides a special issue of the open access journal “Micromachines” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/micromachines) with about 20 invited contributions.
A publications list is available from the MIGRATE homepage and can be retrieved from the French HAL system(https://hal.insa-toulouse.fr/MIGRATE).
Gas microflows are of great interest for various applications that touch almost every industrial field. Examples are: fluidic micro-actuators for active control of gas flows; vacuum generators and pumps to handle biological samples; mass flow, pressure and temperature micro-sensors, pressure gauges, chemical and biological sensors; micro heat exchangers for efficiency improvement in different processes; microsystems for mixing or separation for local gas analysis and existing analytical devices.
So far, the characterization and model description of heat transfer in gas microflows has not been sufficiently addressed in the existing literature. Several publications show disagreement in terms of experimental and numerical results. From the literature analysis, the main limits before MIGRATE started and the main scientific barriers for the project can be found. Migrate has overcome the majority of those barriers.
In terms of scientific aspects, MIGRATE provided high level research results in different topics. Thus, the scientific impact throughout all the 15 ESR projects is considerably high. This is reflected in the uncommonly high number of review papers provided by PhD students as first authors.
Training was performed on scientific, technical and complementary skills.
In terms of industrial aspects, about half of the ESR projects deal with topics of industrial interest. The output reached here is high. For all of those projects, there is interest of industry in continuation and application.
With regard to societal aspects it was planned to increase the number of female researchers. The majority here was gained by teaching and training. Due to new regulations on VOCs in Europe, the societal impact on this may be significantly increase in future.
To summarize, it can be stated that MIGRATE performed well for scientific impact as well as for knowledge transfer and industrial aspects. In general the expectations of the project have been fulfilled very well.
So far, the characterization and model description of heat transfer in gas microflows has not been sufficiently addressed in the existing literature. Several publications show disagreement in terms of experimental and numerical results. From the literature analysis, the main limits before MIGRATE started and the main scientific barriers for the project can be found. Migrate has overcome the majority of those barriers.
In terms of scientific aspects, MIGRATE provided high level research results in different topics. Thus, the scientific impact throughout all the 15 ESR projects is considerably high. This is reflected in the uncommonly high number of review papers provided by PhD students as first authors.
Training was performed on scientific, technical and complementary skills.
In terms of industrial aspects, about half of the ESR projects deal with topics of industrial interest. The output reached here is high. For all of those projects, there is interest of industry in continuation and application.
With regard to societal aspects it was planned to increase the number of female researchers. The majority here was gained by teaching and training. Due to new regulations on VOCs in Europe, the societal impact on this may be significantly increase in future.
To summarize, it can be stated that MIGRATE performed well for scientific impact as well as for knowledge transfer and industrial aspects. In general the expectations of the project have been fulfilled very well.