Project description
Oil-free diaphragm pumps for sustainable agriculture
For the uniform application of agrochemicals, farmers use boom sprayers that are driven by diaphragm pumps. But these pumps have a short lifespan (up to 1 000 hours). Since the pumps use oil for lubrication, this could cause an environmental hazard if the diaphragm ruptures. There is a need for a reliable pumping solution. Idromeccanica Bertolini Spa has created the B90 oil-free polypropylene diaphragm pump that eliminates the environmental impact of oil contamination, is compatible with the host of over 3 000 agrochemicals currently on the market and has a longer lifespan than the current pumps (3 000 hours). The EU-funded B90 project will replace current oil-using pumps with the B90 series, allowing farmers to complete the use of agrochemicals in line with sustainable agriculture legislation.
Objective
Diaphragm pumps are used in the agricultural industry to drive boom sprayers used to disseminate agrochemicals. Diaphragm pumps use oil for lubrication and hydraulic moment. These pumps however have a short life span (≤1000 hours) making them unreliable. Furthermore, because the pumps use oil, once the diaphragm has ruptured the oil contaminates the boom sprayer causing an environmental hazard as oil is sprayed onto the soil, affecting moisture absorption and soil fertility. There is a need for a reliable pumping solution which eliminates this environmental hazard, allowing farmers to conform with sustainable agriculture legislation. Idromeccanica Bertolini Spa is a company founded in 1918 which delivers pump solutions. With over 100 years of experience the company is well poised to deliver the next stage in agricultural innovation. Bertolini has created the B90 oil free polypropylene diaphragm pump to address the challenges faced in the industry. The pump eliminates the environmental hazard of oil contamination as it doesn’t use oil. Furthermore, the pump is the first of its kind made of the highly resilient polypropylene, which makes it 100% compatible with the host of over 3000 agrochemicals currently on the market. In addition, the design of the diaphragm unit incorporates a membrane support system which extends the life of the diaphragm to 3000 hours making it more durable than the current pumps while employing additional anti-leakage double manifold system. The target users of the pump are commercial farmers and our product will be sold directly to spray manufacturers. Through the completion of the project we aim to replace our current oil using pumps with the B90 series providing farmers with a 300% increase in life span and 0% chance of contamination. This allows them to complete the application of agrochemicals in the narrow window of opportunity that they have to apply chemicals. As a company this innovation will allow us to reach a €4.5 million profit.
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 mechanical engineering tribology lubrication
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture sustainable agriculture
- social sciences sociology demography fertility
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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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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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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.
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1
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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) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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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.
42124 REGGIO EMILIA (RE)
Italy
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
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.