Polymer-based composite systems for high-efficient energy scavenging and storage

InComEss seeks at developing efficient smart materials with energy harvesting and storage capabilities combining advanced polymer based-composite materials into a novel single/multi-source concept to harvest electrical energy from mechanical energy and/or waste heat ambient sources.

Three Energy Harvesting Systems (EHSs) configurations will be realized through the combination of high performance piezoelectric (PE), thermoelectric (TE) and Thermo-Piezoelectric (TPE) generators and monolithic supercapacitors (SCs) to power selected wireless sensors nodes to be implemented in different IoT scenarios for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) in buildings and aircrafts (using a new miniature wireless Fiber Optics Sensing (FOS) interrogator) and accurate location and monitoring of vehicles through GPS and MEMS sensing. Advanced concepts for efficient energy transfer will be implemented for increased energy conversion efficiency of the overall EHSs.

InComEss EHSs will involve the following smart materials developments:

• advanced lead-free PE composite-based mono-/bi-component fibres with enhanced PE characteristics up to 100ºC/250ºC for their application into single/ hybrid PE/TPE generators;
• innovative high-performance thermoplastic-based p-and n-type TE composites with enhanced Seebeck coefficients in the range from –25ºC up to 250ºC for their application in single/hybrid PE/TPE generators; and
• printable high energy density PANI/carbon-based composite electrode materials with enhanced specific capacitance and stability for their incorporation into the monolithic supercapacitor (SC) to store the energy harvested.

InComEss technologies, applications and services will impact the partners turnover by €100M after market up-take, generating more than 70 jobs and leveraging the EU economy to more than €4 billion and 12,000 employments and providing direct support to the realization of EU Digital Single Market and the wider implementation of IoT landscape.

Some of the relavent publication for this project:

[1]. Poškas, R., Šimonis, V., Jouhara, H. and Poškas, P. (2019) 'Modelling of decay heat removal from CONSTOR RBMK-1500 casks during long-term storage of spent nuclearfuel'. Energy, 170. pp. 978 - 985. ISSN: 0360-5442

[2]. Jouhara, H., Khordehgah, N., Serey, N., Almahmoud, S., Lester, S., Machen, D. and Wrobel, L. et al. (2019) 'Applications and Thermal Management of Rechargeable Batteries for Industrial Applications'. Energy, 170. pp. 849 - 861. ISSN: 0360-5442

[3]. Chauhan, A., Trembley, J., Wrobel, L. and Jouhara, H. (2018) 'Experimental and CFD Validation of the Thermal Performance of a Cryogenic Batch Freezer with the Effect of Loading'. Energy. ISSN: 0360-5442

[4]. Jouhara, H. and Olabi, A. (2018) 'Industrial waste heat recovery'. Energy, 160. pp. 1 - 2. ISSN: 0360-5442 [5]. Delpech, B., Milani, M., Montorsi, L., Boscardin, D., Chauhan, A., Almahmoud, S., Jouhara, H. (2018). Energy efficiency enhancement and waste heat recovery in industrial processes by means of the Heat Pipe technology: case of the ceramic industry. Energy. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2018.06.041

Meet the Principal Investigator(s) for the project

Professor Hussam Jouhara - Having worked in academia and the industry, Hussam has unique expertise in working on applied heat exchangers and energy-related research activities with direct support from research councils and various UK and international industrial partners. He has extensive expertise in designing and manufacturing various types of heat exchangers, including heat pipes and heat pipe-based heat exchangers for low, medium and high temperature applications. His work in the field of heat pipe based heat exchangers resulted in novel designs for recouperators, steam generators & condensers and flat heat pipes. These have been implemented across various industries including, but not limited to: food, electronics thermal management and low to high industrial waste heat recovery and Energy from Waste. Over the last few years, he has successfully managed to achieve new designs for industrial waste heat recovery and many thermal systems that have enhanced the performance of various industrials processes in the UK, Europe and world-wide. He is also an elected member of the Senate of Brunel University London.  Throughout his academic and industrial career, he received over £12.2M research funding from various UK/EU based research councils (RCUK & EU H2020) and from British and European industrial partners. He is a published author of academic books with many filed patents in areas related to heat pipes engineering and manufacturing and Energy from Waste systems. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of both Engineers Ireland (Ireland) and IMechE (UK). Hussam is the founder and the Head of the Heat Pipe and Thermal Management Research Group in Brunel University London.  Major projects as a Principal Investigator in Brunel: Technical Director of: Innovative WAter recoverY Solutions (iWAYS) - H2020 Technical Coordinator of: Heat Pipe Technologies for Industrial Applications (ETEKINA) - H2020 Technical Coordinator of: Prefabrication, Recyclability and Modularity for cost reductions in Smart BIPV systems (PVADAPT) - H2020 Climate and cultural based design and market valuable technology solutions for Plus Energy Houses.  (CULTRAL-E) - H2020 Innovative Polymer-Based Composite Systems for High-Efficient Energy Scavenging And Storage (InComEss) - H2020 Design for Resource and Energy efficiency in cerAMic kilns (DREAM) - H2020 STEP – Heat Pipe Design Challenge for Hot Plasma Cooling - UKAEA High-Power and High-Energy Battery Systems with Integrated Structural Thermal Management for Heavy-Duty Applications - Innovate UK Roadmap for Industry - Academia collaboration between Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Argos Cement Company, Brunel University London and Econotherm in heat recovery in large industrial systems - Royal Academy of Engineering Conceptual Feasibility of a Heat Pipe as a Structural and Thermal Member in an Automotive Battery Pack Design - Innovate UK IMproving Power bAttery Cooling Technologies (IMPACT) - Innovate UK Room Temperature Passive Heat Recovery with Heat Pipe - Innovate UK Controllable bidirectional heat recovery device - Knowledge Transfer Network Erva Mate Drying - Innovate UK Active refrigeration shelf with thermal storage - Innovate UK EDUCATION Ph. D. (Mechanical Engineering), 2004, University of Manchester, UK PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS Institution of Mechanical Engineers (UK): Chartered Member and Fellow (CEng, FIMechE)  CIBSE (UK): Fellow (CEng FCIBSE) Engineers Ireland: Chartered Engineer and Fellow (CEng, IntPE, FIEI)  Institute of Refrigeration (UK): Member (M.Inst.R)  TEACHING CREDENTIALS P. G. Cert. in Higher Education, 2010, Brunel University, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK. Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), 2017, UK  

Related Research Group(s)

Heat Pipe and Thermal Management - Thermal management; Energy efficiency development; Emission reduction; Energy recovery; Heat-pipe technology; Heat exchangers; Fluid dynamics.

Project last modified 13/10/2023