Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ENHANCE (Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters for Self-Powered Automotive Sensors: from Advanced Lead-Free Materials to Smart Systems)
Période du rapport: 2019-05-01 au 2021-10-31
The main purpose of the ENHANCE project is to create a multidisciplinary joint research activity, implying chemistry, materials science, physics, mechanics, engineering and electronics (Fig. 1), and which will be considerably more efficient than the uncoordinated efforts of individual partners in bypassing the present limitations to enable harvesters with high-power density and their systems offering stabilized output voltage in 1-3 V range and adapted to specific needs of sensors with high autonomy and working in temperature ranges from room temperature to 600 °C in vehicles. We propose to develop hybrid scavenging of energies available in the cars (heat (Th)– light (Lt) - vibrations (Vi)) and/or to use multiple conversion effects (piezoelectric (Pi) - pyroelectric (Py) – electromagnetic (EM) – photovoltaic (PV)) by the same transducer - heterostructure based on piezoelectric/ferroelectric/multiferroic crystals, films or nanostructures in line with the final goals of the project – creation of the efficient energy scavengers and with reasonable price and viable technologies of fabrication and integration for real industrial applications to stimulate the integration of newly developed products and technologies by the industry.
The ENHANCE network is committed to prepare the ESRs to their future career. The main training categories on which the network focuses span from practical research skills to broad- based multidisciplinary training; commercial and other transferable skills will give the researchers a solid knowledge base to be leveraged in both the academic and non-academic environment. The Consortium provides, either locally or at a network level, the trainings by means of lectures, seminars, summer schools, workshops and online e-learning, and web-based tools. Six training schools open to external participants were organized by the ENHANCE network: "Introductory School", "Career Opportunities", and "Molecular engineering and advanced materials", "Piezoelectric, MEMS & Energy Harvesting", "Knowledge transfer and Patenting", "Mechatronics & Electronics". The lectures held during the Network’s training events have been live-streamed, and when made available online (on YouTube channel “ITN-ENHANCE Project” & www.itn-enhance.com).
A key strength of ENHANCE is that ESRs are trained through the entire research process, from theory to commercial exploitation, regardless of the focus of their individual research topic. ENHANCE promotes the acquisition of key skills needed by ESRs for their future careers in either the public or the private sectors and to improve the career prospects and employability of ESRs and stimulates a creative approach to scientific problem- solving by applying techniques from different fields. ENHANCE also includes opportunities for all academic and industrial participants to use their enhanced understanding of novel multifunctional materials to propose new or improved device concepts and designs for energy harvesting, to benefit from the exchange of students and of technical knowledge, and to establish also long-term collaborations (larger projects) and transfer of knowledge.
ENHANCE initiates a synergy and consolidates an EU scientific communities in the fields of advanced piezoelectric materials and energy harvesting in automotive/aerospace sensors to increase the worldwide competence of the EU in both academia and the private sector. ENHANCE will pave the way to an European commercial activity for versatile harvesting solutions, adapted for car/aerospace industry will have also an indirect impact on the competitiveness of European SMEs outside of the partnership, as numerous fields of activity addressed by ENHANCE are representative of SMEs’ sectors. Consequently, this ITN will increase the competitiveness of a wide range of European SMEs.