Among the industrial research projects targeting the priority areas of the 2023-2024 Intelligent Specialization Strategy presented on Friday, March 8th, at MECSPE in Bologna, is Hydromec, which focuses on technologies, components, and materials for the hydrogen supply chain.
Riccardo Franci, Director of Laboratories and Technologies at Il Sentiero International Campus, outlined the project’s objectives and its development.
Il Sentiero International Campus is the lead partner in the partnership, and within Hydromec, it will primarily focus on material studies, as well as the design and construction of demonstrators.
Other partners in the project include the industrial research laboratory Mister Smart Innovation (CNR), which will oversee thermo-fluid dynamics simulations, and Democenter, responsible for dissemination. Both Il Sentiero and Mister are accredited laboratories of ART-ER (Emilia Romagna High Technology Network). Two companies have expressed interest in supporting the proposal: Immergas, a boiler manufacturer, and Smart Engineering, an engineering company.
As part of the energy transition, the Hydromec project aims to facilitate the technological repositioning of the regional manufacturing industry, particularly in the mechanical engineering sector. Due to the unique properties of hydrogen, these applications require thorough verification and study to assess the potential implementation of technological adaptations for systems and components involved in managing, regulating fluid flow, and storage.
The objective of the Hydromec project is to develop technologies for producing reliable components and systems for hydrogen utilization in domestic and residential settings (boiler systems). This entails analyzing the primary operational conditions and differences associated with hydrogen or hydrogen-gas blends in combustion chambers, leading to the establishment of new design and manufacturing criteria. Within the boiler system, the primary focus will be on analyzing and developing solutions for the burner component. Additionally, any other components susceptible to operational conditions during the combustion process will be evaluated concurrently.
The presentation of the Hydromec project at Mecspe, organized by Clust-ER MECH, provided further evidence of the industry’s keen interest in applied research concerning hydrogen-related matters,” concluded Riccardo Franci, Director of Laboratories and Technologies at Il Sentiero International Campus.
@EcorIntern