Open Technology Programme funds three Delft research projects

The board of NWO Domain Applied and Engineering Sciences awards funding to six research projects through the Open Technology Programme. Three of the these six proposals have been awarded to Delft researchers. In total, NWO is funding the projects with 4.5 million euros, companies involved and other organisations are investing 760 thousand euros.

The three Delft honoured projects are:

Protective coatings for optical hydrogen sensors to enable enhanced electrolyser and fuel cell efficiency

Dr. Ir. L.J. Bannenberg MSc, Applied Sciences (AS)

Hydrogen sensors are important to make electrolysers and hydrogen fuel cells more efficient and cost-effective. Unfortunately, due to the challenging conditions in these devices, current hydrogen sensors are unsuitable to measure hydrogen in real time. Optical hydrogen sensors have the potential to achieve this. The only missing piece of the puzzle is a protective coating. In this project, we develop such a protective coating in a systematic way. Here, we investigate the relationship between the parameters used to make the coating and its functional and structural properties.

SmartWeave: A smart textile sensor system for unobtrusive monitoring of sweat metabolites

Ir. K.M.B Jansen, Industrial Design Engineering (IDE)
Fellow applicants: TU Delft - P.J. French, Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum - dr. M. de Leeuw

Patients with chronic conditions regularly need to visit the hospital for check-up and the taking of a blood sample. This is not only burdensome for the patient but the lab analyses are time consuming and expensive. In this This can be achieved by weaving the sensors into the material and using a small clip-on electronics unit. With that we can help patients with affective disorders taking lithium as medication but it can also be used to monitor other metabolites like glucose or to detect dehydration.

Mechanics and Data-Driven Approach for Developing Resilient Asphalt Materials (MEDAS)

Dr. X. Liu, Civil Engineering and Geosciences (CEG)
Fellow applicants: TU Delft - dr. M.A. Schleiss, Liverpool John Moores University - dr. Y. Gao

Our infrastructure such as roads and (sea) dikes in the Netherlands is becoming vulnerable as a consequence of extreme weather events caused by climate change. It is essential to improve the climate resilience of asphalt materials (AMs) and help asphalt pavements and revetments resist distresses induced by irregular weather events. This This innovative research will enhance Dutch scientific excellence and industry leadership in the world in terms of the transformation of our infrastructure to be resilient to climate change.

The Open Technology Program

The Open Technology Programme provides funding for application-oriented technical-scientific research that is free and unrestricted and is not hindered by disciplinary boundaries. The programme offers companies and other organisations an accessible way to participate in scientific research that is intended to lead to societal and/or scientific impact.

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