Research

The objective of the project is to evaluate the fatigue strength in the very high cycles regime for carburised and pseudo-carburised gear steel using fracture mechanics principles. Fatigue tests will be carried out using the ultrasonic fatigue testing technique at different load ratios. The fatigue strength (S-N curves) as well as the threshold stress intensity factor ranges for long cracks will be determined with tests up to ten billion load cycles.

The main objective of ENGINE is to develop a first-time-right (FTR) and zero-defect metal product design and manufacturing system, then demonstrate it on marine engine supply-chain. Our ambition is to increase competitiveness of industry and SMEs, reduce manufacturing defects and waste, create new business cases, and improve employee well-being. To achieve it ENGINE will: 1. Create and demonstrate a novel metal product design and manufacturing system. 2. Develop computational modelling toolbox for product and process design, non-destructive diagnostic tools for production monitoring, and data solution for seamless integration of the whole supply-chain. 3. Research methodologies for first-time-right and zero-defect manufacturing (ZDM). 4. Investigate LCA and life-cycle cost (LCC) methods for design and business decisions. 5. Present a strategy for employee skills development. 6. Transform innovations into promising business cases. ENGINE's main objective is split into 10 specific objectives to ensure that all relevant areas are covered, the projects roadmap is well thought-out, and the separate steps create an achievable pathway to success. Assuming the current market shares, we expect an increase in turnover 2 000M EUR/year. When we succeed in the deployment plans of ENGINE, and we can decrease the cost per kilowatt, we can assume to double the current market share, thus leading another increase of 2 000M EUR/year. ENGINE is paramount to ensure the manufacturing quality and technical feasibility of new environmentally friendly fuel engines. It will create a huge impact on global CO2 emissions. We estimate that annually CO2 emissions will be reduced by 170 million tons through green fuel engines with the expected market share.

Increasing concern about pollution in the environment demands tools to determine metal accumulation in plants. Many studies only focus on one metal at a time although toxicity levels depend on multiple factors (metal combinations, speciation, complex formation, etc.). Mosses are ideal model objects to test metal adsorption as they are commonly used biomonitors for air quality and show the same structural components of the cell wall as roots of seed plants. Their small size makes them ideal for imaging without invasive preparation or sectioning. Mosses are already widely used for metal biomonitoring on a phenomenological level, but there is no fundamental understanding of the metal dynamics and factors governing adsorption and toxicity. Most studies focus on single metals, despite clear indications that metal combination and complexation play a crucial role. We will gain important insights into the co- and cross-playing effects of different metals and metal compounds, thus shedding light on the underlying coping mechanisms of plants when confronted with environmental contamination.