Climate change is one of the most critical global challenges nowadays. Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration brought by anthropogenic emissions has been recognized as the primary driver of global warming. Therefore, currently, there is a strong demand within the chemical and chemical technology industry for systems that can covert, capture and reuse/recover CO2. Few examples can be seen in the literature: Hamelers et al (2013) presented systems that can use CO2 aqueous solutions to produce energy using electrochemical cells with porous electrodes; Legrand et al (2018) has proven that CDI can be used to capture CO2 without solvents; Shu et al (2020) have used electrochemical systems to desorb (recover) CO2 from an alkaline absorbent with low energy demand. Even though many efforts have been done, there is still demand for efficient and market-ready systems, especially related to solvent-free CO2 capturing systems. This project intends to assess a relatively efficient technology, with low-energy costs which can change the CO2 capturing market. This technology is called whorlpipe. The whorlpipe, developed by Viktor Schauberger, has shown already promising results in reducing the energy and CO2 emissions for water pumping. Recently, studies conducted by Wetsus and NHL Stenden (under submission), in combination with different companies (also members in this proposal) have shown that vortices like systems, like the Schauberger funnel, and thus “whorlpipe”, can be fluid dynamically represented using Taylor-Couette flows. This means that such systems have a strong tendency to form vortices like fluid-patterns close to their air-water interface. Such flow system drastically increase advection. Combined with their higher area to volume ratio, which increases diffusion, these systems can greatly enhance gas capturing (in liquids), and are, thus, a unique opportunity for CO2 uptake from the air, i.e. competing with systems like conventional scrubbers or bubble-based aeration.

NanoManu is an initiative from a Dutch-USA academic consortium (NHL Stenden, UvA and South Carolina University) with two private partners (Wyatt Technologies and ReCover LTD, from the Netherlands and Cyprus respectively), targeting the use of a state of the art particle production technique (Electrohydrodynamic Atomization or EHDA) to produce test samples which will be used to improve current analytical knowledge about detection and characterization of environmental nanoplastics.

Het succes van een tekst staat of valt bij hoe de boodschap ervan wordt verwoord. Opmerkelijk is dat hier in het onderwijs geen aandacht aan wordt besteed, terwijl docenten wel aangeven dat een van de schrijfvaardigheidsproblemen van middelbare scholieren en studenten is dat zij zich hier niet bewust van zijn (Bonset, 2010). Met een crosssectionele studie wordt in dit promotieonderzoek voor het eerst de ontwikkeling in het schriftelijk verwoorden van ideeën onder Nederlandse middelbare scholieren in kaart gebracht. Vervolgens wordt in een ontwerponderzoek en quasi-experimentele studie bepaald hoe die ontwikkeling in het voortgezet onderwijs kan worden bevorderd.

Using the 3DXL printing process, it is possible to print large format products from fiber-reinforced thermoplastics.In this project, the reliability and predictability of the 3DXL printing technique is improved by validating a method to simulate static mechanical performance of printed products with a user-friendly FEM solver. Simulations determine whether structures are suitable for specific load situations under the influence of time and temperature, without structures actually being produced. The Centre of Expertise Smart Sustainable Manufacturing at NHL Stenden University, NedCam Solutions and Paques Global are among the leaders in the Northern Netherlands region in the field of 3DXL production.

The application of sensors in water technology is a crucial step to provide broader, more efficient and circular systems. Among the different technologies used in this field, ultrasound-based systems are widely used, basically to generate energy peaks for cell lysis and particle separation. In this work, we propose the adaptation of an ultrasound system to monitor the concentration of solid particles in wastewater treatment plants settlers as well as to indicate sludge level (real time). A similar sensor was developed and tested in another project which operated successfully at solids concentration up to 1% in UASB reactors. Such measurements are nowadays obtained via time-consuming physical (solids) analysis, which can compromise the efficiency of the settlers and the quality of the effluent. The present project proposes an improved version of the sensor, which will combine solids concentration monitoring and sludge level detection. The defined targets have the intention to make a sensor with a much broader range of applications, been suitable not only for UASB reactors but also to settler and aerobic tanks. The project is a cooperation between the Water Technology lectoraat of NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, two SME’s - YNOVIO B.V. and Lamp-ion B.V. - and the INCT group (Brazil). If proven feasible, the concept can generate a big business market to the involved Dutch partners as well as favor the automation of WWTP in the Netherlands, Brazil and around the world.