Proyectos de investigación competitivos financiados por entidades externas
NANOGUARD: NANOMATERIALES CONTROLADOS AVANZADOS PARA UN MONITOREO MEJORADO DEL HIDRÓGENO
Acrónimo
NANOGUARD
Título proyecto
NANOGUARD: NANOMATERIALES CONTROLADOS AVANZADOS PARA UN MONITOREO MEJORADO DEL HIDRÓGENO
Referencia externa
CPP2023-010559
Descripción/abstract
The world is moving right now whether it wants to or not. We are obliged to change our way of living, specifically that of producing energy, due to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions that are gradually rendering the planet uninhabitable for the 8 billion people that live on it. Thankfully, we are witnessing the (too) slow transformation into a carbon-free society by the shift to the use of zero-emissions energies. Technology is the long lever that is moving the world, slowly but surely: we pivot away from burning fossil fuels to the use of renewable energies, to nuclear (both fission and fusion) and others. NANOCHRONIA, S.L., in collaboration with the MNT Group from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) and the MINOS Group from Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), aims to develop a new gas detection system for hydrogen and methane to improve their safe use in industrial environments. This patented technology is based on chemically modified metal oxides or graphene, which react with a specific gas in the environment, triggering a reaction in the material. This reaction is processed by dedicated electronics to calculate the concentration of gas present. NANOCHRONIA's sensors benefit from a patented closed-loop feedback control, which improves both stability and detection speed. The consortium's goal is to facilitate the safe transition to a carbon-free society. On the one hand, they can help multiple industries improve their environmental health and safety by enabling them to monitor, control and report on their greenhouse gas emissions, and on the other hand, enable the hydrogen production, storage, transportation and use sector to safely monitor their systems to prevent hydrogen leaks and avoid accidents. Customers need sensors that are highly selective for specific gases, are robust and able to tolerate harsh operating conditions, provide continuous real-time sampling, come in a multi-sensor system, offer IoT connectivity, are ruled by a robust back-end and a friendly-user front-end have off-grid capability, have low maintenance and ownership costs. Our next generation sensor systems combine all of these functionalities in a much smaller package than before. The current project is driven by the convergence of three key factors. First, the introduction of European Union regulations requiring the measurement and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions has underscored the urgency of monitoring methane. Second, the development of MEMS-based sensors has facilitated the miniaturization of gas sensors, reducing costs and enabling their integration with IoT technology to unlock new applications. This technological advancement has paved the way for innovative use cases for gas sensors, especially in the context of environmental monitoring. Finally, the transition to a carbon-free society has created a demand for smaller hydrogen sensors to replace those previously used in internal combustion engines, reflecting the evolving landscape of energy technology and the need for enhanced monitoring capabilities. The correlation between hydrogen and methane monitoring lies in the shared imperative to address environmental concerns and meet regulatory requirements. Both gases are critical to the transition to cleaner energy and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The development of advanced gas sensors offers a unified approach to monitoring these gases, providing real-time data and information that are essential for environmental management and regulatory compliance. As such, the narrative of this project is intrinsically linked to the evolving regulatory landscape, technological innovation and the need to move towards an emission-free transition. The above factors, along with the collaboration of URV and UPC as collaborating entities in a project aligned with current trends, will be instrumental in positioning the 3 entities as leaders in the field of early detection and monitoring of gas emissions. This collaboration will significantly expand the market for the consortium's hydrogen and methane gas sensors, energize the industry with new possibilities not previously possible, and precipitate a shift in a previously stable market from older to newer sensor technology, allowing new players to enter the market. NANOCHRONIA and its patented gas sensor technology are in the right place at the right time to take advantage of the trends and establish themselves as a benchmark for a safe transition to a carbon-free society.
Entidad financiadora
MINISTERIO DE CIENCIA, INNOVACION Y UNIVERSIDADES
Entidad financiadora
253.586,00 €
Logos
Convocatoria
Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica, Técnica y de Innovación 2021-2023 - Programa Estatal para Impulsar la Investigación Científico-Técnica y su Transferencia - Ayudas públicas a proyectos de colaboración público-privada
Fecha inicio
01-10-2024
Fecha fin
30-09-2027
Departamento/IP
Eng. Electrònica, Elèctrica i Automàtica/LLOBET VALERO, EDUARD
