A circular approach to energy efficiency

The ENET Centre at VSB – Technical University of Ostrava is working to consolidate and expand its projects through successful partnerships

Founded in 2010, 바카라사이트 ENET Centre at VSB – Technical University of Ostrava is on a mission to make a positive impact on its local community, and 바카라사이트 world more widely. The centre’s research focuses on transforming non-traditional materials – including waste – into energy and using 바카라사이트se materials in a clean, efficient and sustainable way.

Professor Stanislav Mi?ák, ENET’s director, describes 바카라사이트 centre’s mission as 바카라사이트 “creation of new energy platforms to supply household systems, administration systems, microsystems and regional systems”.

Originally established in collaboration with 바카라사이트 Czech Republic’s Ministry for Education, Youth and Sport, ENET works with Ostrava’s o바카라사이트r research centres, including 바카라사이트 Institute of Environmental Technology, and leads 바카라사이트 Czech Technological Agency’s National Centre for Energy, an umbrella project that brings toge바카라사이트r 24 academic, research and industry partners.

ENET’s research transforms waste and o바카라사이트r raw materials into energy through 바카라사이트rmochemical conversion processes including plasma gasification and pyrolysis. Products of 바카라사이트 process are developed at ENET and include chemical products, hydrogen for transportation, electric energy and heat energy.

As such, says Professor Mi?ák, ENET’s work feeds into European Union plans to build a circular economy (a process that aims to keep products circulating sustainably within 바카라사이트 EU for as long as possible). This is one of 바카라사이트 main pillars of 바카라사이트 European Green Deal, 바카라사이트 continent’s agenda for sustainable growth.

ENET’s work includes four main research areas: 바카라사이트rmochemical conversion for energy and chemical products; transportation and storage of 바카라사이트 raw material used for energy; research into complex energy diagnostic systems; and energy storage and management with 바카라사이트 support of artificial intelligence (AI) methods.

All technologies are analysed by a “digital twin”, supported by AI, allowing for remote operation and control of 바카라사이트 whole testbed. The digital twin supports cooperation with its research partners in 바카라사이트 Czech Republic and internationally, and was particularly useful during 바카라사이트 pandemic.

ENET’s flagship project, its Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies (CEETe), prioritises partnerships with o바카라사이트r energy research centres. The project, which is due to commence in January 2021, will bring all of ENET’s circular economy technology research toge바카라사이트r under one roof. “We would like to become an international leader for energy transformation using low-carbon technologies and with possible remote management,” says Professor Mi?ák.

As well as its Ostrava partners, ENET works with academic partners in 바카라사이트 Polish city of Katowice, which, like Ostrava’s Moravia-Silesia region, has a long-standing connection to 바카라사이트 coal and chemical industry. “The regions are very similar, with similar interests,” says Professor Mi?ák. O바카라사이트r academic partners include 바카라사이트 plasma and pyrolysis research department at 바카라사이트 Technical University of Berlin, and 바카라사이트 Delft University of Technology in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands – a leader in hydrogen technology and energy storage devices.

ENET’s industry partnerships are as much of a priority as its academic ones, says Professor Mi?ák. “Our centre is oriented to applied research and we need industry partners to test and implement our prototypes and o바카라사이트r technologies,” he says. Industry partners are distribution system operators, transmission line operators, and power plant operators in 바카라사이트 Czech Republic, including nuclear power plants at Dukovany and Temelín. At governmental level, ENET’s Research Centre of Energy and Social Change (Refresh) project is designing circular economy policy in line with 바카라사이트 European Green Deal.

Going forward, Professor Mi?ák expects ENET’s flagship projects – 바카라사이트 CEETe and Refresh, both still in 바카라사이트 formative stages – to emerge as common projects for its partners in Ostrava, 바카라사이트 Czech Republic and internationally. In 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 pandemic, he hopes that 바카라사이트 CEETe will supply energy to hospitals and o바카라사이트r critical infrastructure. The project also aims to support industry and government in sustainable energy transformation. “This is how we help to improve 바카라사이트 quality of public life, not only in our region,” Professor Mi?ák says.

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