Periodic Reporting for period 2 - REWATERGY (Sustainable Reactor Engineering for Applications on the Water-Energy Nexus)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2021-04-01 do 2023-09-30
The EU is currently facing the challenge of recycling materials and water of high quality to become carbon neutral by decreasing its energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The current Water Framework Directive has strict regulations on a wide range of contaminants, and most treatments continuously increase the energy demand of the water cycle. Yet, the EU is committed to ambitious targets to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions, including the legally binding 2015 Paris agreement. These conflicting interests have motivated REWATERGY, a partnership within the water-energy nexus. This integrated network, led by industry in partnership with world leading academic institutions, envisions the scientific and technological opportunities of such challenges with direct economic and social impacts to the EU. Three research objectives set the foundation of this ambitious programme:
1.- Enhance the energy recovery from wastewater streams inspired by the circular economy concept.
2.- Improve the energy efficiency of water disinfection and removal of contaminants of emerging concern.
3.- Increase the resilience of distributed household safe drinking water systems addressing potential health and safety challenges.
The programme has been particularly designed to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit by the collaborative design, development and manufacturing of new prototypes aligned with the three research objectives. This training concept will have a long term impact by providing a stream of highly trained innovative scientists and engineers able to communicate ideas and to develop creative solutions for the adoption of novel technologies in the market.
1.- Enhance the energy recovery from wastewater streams inspired by the circular economy concept.
2.- Improve the energy efficiency of water disinfection and removal of contaminants of emerging concern.
3.- Increase the resilience of distributed household safe drinking water systems addressing potential health and safety challenges.
The programme has been particularly designed to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit by the collaborative design, development and manufacturing of new prototypes aligned with the three research objectives. This training concept will have a long term impact by providing a stream of highly trained innovative scientists and engineers able to communicate ideas and to develop creative solutions for the adoption of novel technologies in the market.
REWATERGY consortium started its activities with the successful hiring of 8 highly motivated Early-Stage Researchers (ESR) and the consolidation of their enrolment in doctoral programmes, as it was planned and foreseen in the project.
Upon recruitment, all the ESRs started the scientific research work in October/November 2019, and the 8 EST have submitted their PhD Theses by October 2023.
The main outcomes of the project can be summarised as:
- REWATERGY has enhanced the career perspectives and employability of researchers and contribution to their skills development.
- The ESRs have achieved the knowledge, experience and network of contacts to develop innovative solutions in the water-energy sector and they will have the skills to manage their careers in both large and small organizations, leading teams and setting up their own companies.
- The project has provided the ESRs with soft skill training and industrial/academic training which will improve their general skills for study and career management and encourage a positive attitude towards learning throughout life.
- The network of professionals engaged in REWATERGY, in collaboration with the highly qualified project personnel, have actively promoted awareness of the impact of water treatment processes on energy consumption and, consequently, global change within European society.
- The project's efforts and outcomes have played a significant role in eliminating the existing barriers between academia and industry.
- REWATERGY designed a robust interdisciplinary training program in the water-energy nexus field and exposed the trainees to a wide range of research issues and environments. Each project was a collaboration between academic partners and industrial partners, leading to unparalleled industrial influence on the training needs.
- The industrial sector has incorporated concepts of industrial quality assurance, industry standards, international directives, national and harmonized European legislation, and soft skill training.
- Outreach activities and public engagement has covered a wide range of audiences of different ages, background education and interests.
- All fellows had the opportunity to be significantly with public engagement and outreach activities.
- The REWATERGY website, the semestral newsletter and the student blog had played a prominent role in the outreach of the project.
- Communication through Social Media had contributed to enhance the visibility of the results.
- ESRs have participated in the Europe-wide Researchers’ Night, in the annual Northern Ireland Science Festival and in the Science Week of Comunidad de Madrid.
- The three prototypes proposed in the project have been successfully built and validated at least in a laboratory environment.
- From the research work of the ESRs, 11 scientific papers have been already published open-access so far in different indexed journals, all available at the Zenodo repository site together with the corresponding datasets, and at least 7 more publications are in preparation.
- REWATERGY has participated in 39 conferences with 27 oral presentations and 12 poster presentations, and some students have been awarded in different congresses.
- Out of the total 8 doctoral students, 6 have already successfully defended their doctoral theses, while the remaining 2 have been submitted in October 2023.
Upon recruitment, all the ESRs started the scientific research work in October/November 2019, and the 8 EST have submitted their PhD Theses by October 2023.
The main outcomes of the project can be summarised as:
- REWATERGY has enhanced the career perspectives and employability of researchers and contribution to their skills development.
- The ESRs have achieved the knowledge, experience and network of contacts to develop innovative solutions in the water-energy sector and they will have the skills to manage their careers in both large and small organizations, leading teams and setting up their own companies.
- The project has provided the ESRs with soft skill training and industrial/academic training which will improve their general skills for study and career management and encourage a positive attitude towards learning throughout life.
- The network of professionals engaged in REWATERGY, in collaboration with the highly qualified project personnel, have actively promoted awareness of the impact of water treatment processes on energy consumption and, consequently, global change within European society.
- The project's efforts and outcomes have played a significant role in eliminating the existing barriers between academia and industry.
- REWATERGY designed a robust interdisciplinary training program in the water-energy nexus field and exposed the trainees to a wide range of research issues and environments. Each project was a collaboration between academic partners and industrial partners, leading to unparalleled industrial influence on the training needs.
- The industrial sector has incorporated concepts of industrial quality assurance, industry standards, international directives, national and harmonized European legislation, and soft skill training.
- Outreach activities and public engagement has covered a wide range of audiences of different ages, background education and interests.
- All fellows had the opportunity to be significantly with public engagement and outreach activities.
- The REWATERGY website, the semestral newsletter and the student blog had played a prominent role in the outreach of the project.
- Communication through Social Media had contributed to enhance the visibility of the results.
- ESRs have participated in the Europe-wide Researchers’ Night, in the annual Northern Ireland Science Festival and in the Science Week of Comunidad de Madrid.
- The three prototypes proposed in the project have been successfully built and validated at least in a laboratory environment.
- From the research work of the ESRs, 11 scientific papers have been already published open-access so far in different indexed journals, all available at the Zenodo repository site together with the corresponding datasets, and at least 7 more publications are in preparation.
- REWATERGY has participated in 39 conferences with 27 oral presentations and 12 poster presentations, and some students have been awarded in different congresses.
- Out of the total 8 doctoral students, 6 have already successfully defended their doctoral theses, while the remaining 2 have been submitted in October 2023.
WP4. Prototype I - Energy Recovery from Wastewater: Hydrogen Production
WP4 focuses on a novel photoelectrocatalytic system for ammonia decomposition with high efficiency and low energy cost. The overall aim of this WP4 is to achieve efficient removal of urea from wastewater by a process that enables its valorisation as a source of energy, inspired by the concept of circular economy. ESR1, ESR2, and ESR3 are involved in the development of this prototype I. Two routes will be developed for catalytic production of hydrogen from ammonia; a novel electrochemical route (ESR1) and an improved thermal route (ESR2) as well as the implementation of membrane reactors for the continuous processing of WW by linking kinetic studies and diffusion calculations (ESR3).
WP5. Prototype II - Energy Efficient Water Treatment: Photoelectrodisinfection
In WP5 a final prototype UV LED photochemical, photocatalytic or photoelectrochemical reactor has been designed, fabricated and tested, based on previous investigation of the most effective photogenerated green and energy-efficient WW treatment. The development of Prototype has been achieved in two independent but inter-related research projects associated with ESR4 & 5.
WP6. Prototype III - Resilient Safe Drinking Water: Household UV-C Device
ESR6, 7 and 8 were involved in WP6. ESR7 & 8 were focused on the development of novel UV-C LED emitters at short wavelengths for direct water disinfection and ARB and ARGs inactivation (ESR6). Prototype III was designed focusing on the emission of UV-C light at the optimal wavelengths to be absorbed by DNA and selected emerging contaminants, also considering potential synergies among multiple wavelenghts.
WP4 focuses on a novel photoelectrocatalytic system for ammonia decomposition with high efficiency and low energy cost. The overall aim of this WP4 is to achieve efficient removal of urea from wastewater by a process that enables its valorisation as a source of energy, inspired by the concept of circular economy. ESR1, ESR2, and ESR3 are involved in the development of this prototype I. Two routes will be developed for catalytic production of hydrogen from ammonia; a novel electrochemical route (ESR1) and an improved thermal route (ESR2) as well as the implementation of membrane reactors for the continuous processing of WW by linking kinetic studies and diffusion calculations (ESR3).
WP5. Prototype II - Energy Efficient Water Treatment: Photoelectrodisinfection
In WP5 a final prototype UV LED photochemical, photocatalytic or photoelectrochemical reactor has been designed, fabricated and tested, based on previous investigation of the most effective photogenerated green and energy-efficient WW treatment. The development of Prototype has been achieved in two independent but inter-related research projects associated with ESR4 & 5.
WP6. Prototype III - Resilient Safe Drinking Water: Household UV-C Device
ESR6, 7 and 8 were involved in WP6. ESR7 & 8 were focused on the development of novel UV-C LED emitters at short wavelengths for direct water disinfection and ARB and ARGs inactivation (ESR6). Prototype III was designed focusing on the emission of UV-C light at the optimal wavelengths to be absorbed by DNA and selected emerging contaminants, also considering potential synergies among multiple wavelenghts.