Aeronautics & Space Forum

To start this new issue, we are very pleased to invite you to attend to the Aeronautics Forum we are preparing and in which we would be delighted to count on you.

The Forum will take place next March 19 at the CIDAUT Foundation facilities located in the Boecillo Technology Park. Our intention is this Forum will become a place to share experiences, ideas and knowledge, creating new synergies, relationships and collaborations between the participants.

With this in mind, we have managed to bring together representatives of the main entities and companies in the sector who, without a doubt, will provide attendees with very interesting first-hand information on R&D, innovation, sustainability and current and future technological trends in the short, medium and long term, etc.

Please note that the number of places is very limited. Many people have already reserved their places and very few are still available. Therefore, if you are interested, we encourage you to register as soon as possible through the following link:

http://www.cidaut.es/AeronauticayEspacio

We hope we have the opportunity to meet you in the event.

CIDAUT Foundation

See you in the Forum!

The AIHRE Project kicks off to boost the green hydrogen industry in Spain and Portugal

  • This initiative brings together nine partners including the CIDAUT Foundation, the Technological Corporation of Andalusia (CTA), the Universities of Seville, Oporto and Évora, the Galicia Institute of Technology (ITG), the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre (IPP), the Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering (INEGI) and the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA).
  • The project has been financed with 1.5 million euros under the third call of the Interreg VI-A Spain-Portugal Cross-Border Cooperation Programme (POCTEP) 2021-2027.

The AIHRE European project, ‘Analysis and Boosting of Renewable H2 in the POCTEP area’, has initiated its activities to accelerate the green hydrogen industry in different areas of Spain and Portugal. The initiative, which has been financed with 1.5 million euros under the third call of the Interreg VI-A Spain-Portugal Cross-Border Cooperation Programme (POCTEP) 2021-2027, counts on the participation of nine partners from the two countries, including universities, research centers and business clusters.  

AIHRE aims to create a technological and business network to harness the potential of green hydrogen generation at industrial level. The project will focus its actions in certain areas of Spain and Portugal, the so-called cooperation area or POCTEP area, which includes regions close to A Coruña, Valladolid, Huelva and Seville; and the Portuguese regions of Évora, Oporto and Portalegre. These areas stand out for their natural resources and conditions for electricity generation, as well as for a corporate structure made up of small and medium-sized businesses that could take advantage of the hydrogen technologies to be proposed in AIHRE.

In a firm commitment to industrial decarbonisation, the project will promote the emergence of value chains based on green hydrogen that drive economic development at local and regional levels. To this end, it will involve players from the quadruple helix in its activities, namely the scientific and academic community, political decision-makers, companies from sectors such as energy or mobility, and end users.

The AIHRE project counts on nine partners, five Spanish and four Portuguese, including CIDAUT Foundation, acting as coordinator, Technological Corporation of Andalusia (CTA), the Universities of Seville, Oporto and Évora, the Galicia Institute of Technology (ITG), the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre (IPP), the Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering (INEGI) and the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA). Starting in July 2023, the initiative has a duration of 36 months.  

Technological development

The analysis and development of technologies to incorporate value chains based on green hydrogen is a key element of the AIHRE project. This process will be undertaken in separate phases, ranging from the analysis of the current energy scenario to the generation of prototypes and business models.

Particularly, during a first stage, the needs of the green hydrogen value chain in the POCTEP area will be analysed, as well as the technologies available or relevant. To this end, two co-creation workshops will be organised, one in Spain and the second one in Portugal, where key players in the hydrogen value chain will be invited to participate. Later, models and algorithms will be designed for the management of green hydrogen systems, together with prototypes for their generation, transport, storage and use. In a final phase, the viability of the business models devised around the technologies developed will be assessed.

The tools and project outcomes shall be accessible to the public through the AIHRE website: www.aihre.eu

CIDAUT, a reference in hydrogen technologies

CIDAUT, a reference in hydrogen technologies.

Thanks to the knowledge, capabilities and experience that CIDAUT has in hydrogen technologies, we have participated in several conferences where we have contributed with our vision regarding the role of renewable hydrogen.

On January 23rd of this year, Banco Santander organized a conference on hydrogen in Castilla y León, in which CIDAUT was present with José Ignacio Domínguez. The event highlighted the opportunities that exist in the region to tackle projects related to renewable hydrogen, as it has the renewable resource, technological capacity and business initiatives to carry them out.

The renewable hydrogen economy involves a series of challenges and opportunities that the actors involved in the hydrogen value chain have to face.

FaCyL, the Automotive and Mobility Cluster of Castilla y León, analyzed the impact of European emissions regulations on heavy vehicles on Friday, January 26 in Valladolid. This took place within the framework of the first session of the 2024 Think Tank ‘Challenges for the Future of the Automotive Industry in Castilla y León’, an initiative promoted by Polo de la Automoción, the sectoral brand developed by the cluster.

This first session of Polo de la Automoción’s 2024 Think Tank also served for the sharing, through a collaborative dynamic in which the attendees participated, of the challenges faced by automotive and mobility companies in Castilla y León at this time. The new form of mobility and the underpinning of the sector as one of the references of the economy of Castilla y León were three of the issues highlighted in this strategic reflection of the automotive and mobility of the autonomous community.

The participation of CIDAUT, as a reference center in intelligent, connected and sustainable mobility, served to emphasize the decarbonizing role of renewable hydrogen, especially in heavy transport.

Fundacion CIDAUT celebrates the 3rd General Assembly and First Review Meeting of the European Project ESTELLA

Researchers from the CIDAUT Foundation Centre, as coordinators of the ESTELLA project, have travelled to Belgium on 30 and 31th January to celebrate their third General Assembly. The meeting was held at the facilities of Celabor, partner which is contributing to research activities related to nanocellulose fibres.  Hence, the 13 members of the consortium presented the progress made in their competences, the results achieved so far and, consequently, defined the new tasks to be carried out in the coming months.

ESTELLA aims to solve the major environmental problem of composites based on conventional fibre-reinforced epoxy resins, which are technical materials with a very low recyclability rate. So far, the researchers have worked on the development of recyclable thermosetting biocomposites, with a methodology based on the development of innovative recyclable thermosetting matrices, the functionalisation of fibres (continuous and discontinuous) highly compatible with the resins developed, the design and manufacture of composites, and the recycling of matrices and composites.

The current challenge focuses on the selection of epoxy fibres and matrices within the battery developed in the project for use in the manufacture of the composite prototype in wich Fundacion Cidaut is working, as well as the study of the different types of recycling (chemical, mechanical and biological) applied to the composites obtained.

All these results were successfully presented on 6th February 2024, when the ESTELLA consortium attended the First Review Meeting of the European ESTELLA project with the European Commission.

For further information on ESTELLA, please visit www.estellaproject.eu

The research leading to these results has received funding from Horizon Europe Programme under grant agreement nº 101058371.

CIDAUT participates in GENERA 2024 through the Complementary Energy and Hydrogen Plan Instrument

Madrid has hosted the GENERA 2024 Fair from 6 to 8 February in IFEMA as in previous editions. This International Energy and Environment Fair is aimed at all professionals related to the world of energy efficiency and renewable energies in the commitment to climate neutrality.

In this edition, CIDAUT had the opportunity to participate in one of the round tables organised within the programme of activities on the 6th of February. The round table, organised by CIEMAT, was entitled: Building territorial synergies for the energy transition: Complementary Energy and Green Hydrogen Plan. This programme is part of the Complementary Plans for Research and Development with the Autonomous Communities in R&D&I actions, of Component 17. Investment 1. It is financed by the Funds of the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism -NextGeneration EU Funds- and the Funds of the Autonomous Communities that make it up. In this case, Castilla y León and CIDAUT are part of it through the H2METAMO project.  The round table was organised in different blocks according to the Hydrogen value chain: Generation, storage and applications and uses. Specifically, Henar Olmedo, responsible for the H2METAMO project as part of the Complementary Energy and Green Hydrogen Plan, participated in the round table on Storage. The round table was moderated by Miguel Ángel Fernández from the National Hydrogen Centre, and the storage block was attended by entities such as CIEMAT, CIIAE and the University of Cantabria.

After a brief introduction of the speakers, the round table focused around two questions. Firstly, there was a discussion on how complementary plans were seen as an instrument to be implemented in more areas and programmes, as an element of inter-territorial cooperation. Finally, the moderator opened the debate on how inter-regional cooperation in the development of storage infrastructures can facilitate a more resilient and efficient network for handling renewable hydrogen, taking advantage of the unique capabilities of each region. In this case, the importance of deploying storage infrastructures to boost the hydrogen value chain and thus link production and use as a key element was highlighted.

Valencia hosts a new edition of the eMobility congress and CIDAUT attends as a speaker in two sessions

Last February, a new edition of the eMobility Expo World Congress took place in Valencia.  The eMobility World Congress 2024 is an international conference that provides the most relevant and influential platform for the future of mobility, through sustainability and technology. From 13 to 15 February the eMobility Expo World Congress ended with more than 5,794 mobility professionals from 16 countries, consolidating the success of an event that has become a benchmark for the mobility sector worldwide. Along with industry professionals, 344 world experts participated in the congress and 179 international companies, such as Ford, Toyota, Iberdrola, Cepsa, Balearia, Air Nostrum, Power Electronics, BP, and Ficosa, among others, presented their latest innovations in sustainable mobility during the event.

Alongside discussions on ground-based transportation, the event also addressed challenges and opportunities in air mobility, highlighting the pivotal role of aviation in the evolving mobility landscape.

As part of this dynamic event, Mattia Mazzeschi on behalf of CIDAUT, participated as moderator of the session titled “Megatrends in Air Mobility”. The session delved into the promising future of air mobility, exploring significant milestones, emerging business opportunities, and technological advancements. In between the climate crisis and evolving societal sensitivities, discussions centered on the transformative impact of mobility-as-a-service, intermodal transportation, and the emergence of new technologies driving innovation in the aerospace sector. At the core of the dialogue were the megatrends shaping the future of air mobility and the identification of emerging markets poised for growth. Participants exchanged insights on the critical drivers of change in the aeronautic sector, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities in the evolving landscape.

In parallel and within the framework of eMobility, the H2 Hydrogen World Congress took place. This congress presented a comprehensive overview of the hydrogen industry, offering both plenary and parallel sessions. Attendees had the opportunity to delve into specific areas of interest or explore the entire value chain of the industry, spanning from major corporations to cutting-edge scientific research.

On behalf of CIDAUT, Henar Olmedo participated in the session that took place on the 15th entitled: “The hydrogen colours (white, green, gray…): the generation is the key”. This roundtable explored the diverse spectrum of hydrogen production, characterized by colours such as white, green, emphasizing that the method of generation is pivotal. It delved into how each colour represents a different production technique and its environmental implications. The session was shared with other speakers from ITE, the University of Barcelona and Solar Outdoor Media & Klear Energy.

Fundación CIDAUT will attend JEC World 2024

Fundación CIDAUT will attend JEC World 2024 from 5th to 7th March as a member of the Osiris Network (Gaiker, Aimplas, Aitex and Fundación CIDAUT). Osiris Network will participate as an exhibitor in #PabellónEspañaV – Hall 6 H108, organised by AEMAC – Spanish Association of Composite Materials.

At the stand of Osiris Network, representatives of the four technology centres (Gaiker, Aimplas, Aitex and Fundación Cidaut) will exhibit and will introduce the developments in the field of recycling of composite plastic materials and solutions for the revaluation of composite materials that have been carried out in the three years of the project, with the aim of showing the progress and research and transferring these solutions to interested industrial companies.

In addition, Fundación CIDAUTA will attend as coordinator of the ESTELLA European project. The aim of ESTELLA is to obtain recyclable thermostable biocomposites from new materials, such as recyclable thermostable resins and natural fibres. The recyclability of these biocomposites will be investigated through chemical, mechanical and biological recycling processes that can be used to produce new materials from composite waste. ESTELLA has reached the halfway point of its duration and the JEC is therefore a great opportunity to learn about the project’s objectives and its main advances.

Fleet monitoring to make last-mile logistics more sustainable

Everyone knows that last-mile logistics negatively affects cities’ air quality. Its relevance in the total greenhouse gas emissions is driving logistics operators to electrify their fleets. Whereas in the past, the customers valued the speed of the service more highly, there is now a greater concern for sustainability and the environment when making an online purchase. In parallel, making urban logistics more sustainable requires the promotion of the public administration at this point, for economic reasons.

In the framework of EU Urbane project, CIDAUT is studying how much the air quality in Valladolid would improve if urban delivery services were electrified. As part of the study, a number of specialised prototype vehicles, designed and developed by IFEVS, will be put into circulation. As a special feature, these vehicles are partially powered by photovoltaic energy. Although the brand has several models, only the van and cargo bike will be put into circulation in Valladolid.

The study is focused on Boecillo Technological Park and the central area of Valladolid, which has unique characteristics. Specifically, these are an important historical centre, with a lot of distribution demand by hotels, restaurants and cafes, and a lot of pedestrians. CIDAUT has reached an agreement with the Spanish postal service so that they make deliveries of letters and parcels on the IFEVS vehicles.  Their routes are being monitored; both with the vehicles they normally use and soon with the prototype vehicles, in order to establish a comparative of how much the city’s air quality would improve if electric vehicles were used.

As mentioned above, this study is supported by EU Urbane project, funding from Horizon Europe under Grant Agreement nº 101069782.

Smart charging as key technology for the development of Green Buildings and Neighborhoods (GBNs)

In the latest years, a growing number of cities are leveraging on mobility-related interventions at urban and peri-urban scale to enhance many aspects of citizens’ life such as sustainability, inclusiveness, social cohesion, or public health. In PROBONO, mobility at Living Lab scale is envisioned as a key enabler of GBNs, thanks to the implementation of smart charging-related functionalities in the local energy network.

It is widely known that the electrification of transport is considered a major driver of the green transition. But at the same time it is also clear that the deployment of vast amounts of EVs in our neighborhoods will have a massive impact on the current electricity systems, mainly in terms of installed capacity and power handling. This is due to the fact that users’ EV charging patterns may lead to intense peaks in power demand, which will require extra investments in infrastructure to update electric networks, provided that EV charging infrastructure continue to be based on regular, unidirectional charging points.

Smart charging, enabled by bi-directional chargers can be the key to avoid this kind of problems. By using bi-directional chargers, power can be transferred either from the grid to the EVs, or the other way around. The main objective of smart charging is to manage EV charging demands intelligently, so that it doesn’t destabilize the overall electric network. For this purpose, two main strategies are put in place: load balancing (shifting EV charging demand to off-peak hours), and peak shaving (use energy stored in EV to reduce the intensity of peak demand).

Through smart charging, EVs with bidirectional charging capability can be used as multi-purpose energy banks able to take out or feed energy into the electricity grid, for various applications:

  • Vehicle-to-Load (V2L): the EV battery is employed to feed any regular appliances or other EVs by transferring power through a generic power plug, no matter the location of the EV and the load. It does not need the installation of a bi-directional charger to operate, and it can be used to power critical loads during an outage, or to power appliances when on the road.
  • Vehicle-to-Home (V2H): vehicle-to-home consists on extracting energy from an EV battery, to power a home during a certain time period, instead of being fed by the electricity grid. One of most interesting applications of this technology is power outage prevention.
  • Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G): vehicle-to-grid takes place when a portion of the EV battery energy is introduced into the electricity grid, usually in exchange for an incentive for the EV owner. V2G charging can help to minimize the impact on the power generation systems during peak demands, hence increasing the grid flexibility, resilience and stability.

In practice, the management of EVs charging can be integrated in the general GBN energy management system to maximize energy savings. To this end, the system can prioritise the charge of the vehicles attending to users’ needs, as well as energy availability considering a high portion of the energy being produced by renewable sources. It also allows optimizing the operating cost of the network, and avoiding grid congestions at GBN scale. At the same time, smart charging can generate incomes to GBN inhabitants, mainly through V2G energy transfer, therefore lowering the ownership costs of EVs.

The research leading to these results has received funding from Horizon 2020 Green Deal  under Grant Agreement 101037075

Boosting the hydrogen economy as one of CIDAUT’s challenges.

CIDAUT continues with the dissemination of the interesting opportunities offered by the use of hydrogen technologies in different fields such as aerospace, military land vehicles or in biogas generation facilities.

The 16th International Bioenergy Congress was held in Valladolid on October 3 and 4 together with the Renewable Gas Exhibition, organized by AVEBIOM. Within this congress CIDAUT had the opportunity to present the Colhibri project. This project, approved in the first call for projects PERTE ERHA incentive program 4 of the IDAE, is a research for the development of new systems for the production of electrical and thermal energy based on H2 technologies that constitute a more efficient and cleaner alternative to the current cogenerations based on biogas combustion in combustion engines (RICE), as well as achieving an advantageous solution both in investment costs and operating costs.

On November 7, MFM Academy organized an event at the Getafe Market space entitled “Hydrogen in the aerospace sector”. José Ignacio Domínguez, project manager of the Energy area of CIDAUT, on behalf of AeH2, participated in the table dedicated to the use of hydrogen in mobility, discussing with the rest of the speakers on the current situation and prospects for the use of H2 in mobility in Spain, as well as focusing on the key points to work on to promote the introduction of the use of this decarbonizing energy vector in the transport sector.

Regarding the use of technologies in the Defense sector, CIDAUT had the opportunity to participate in the X National Congress of R&D in Defense and Security (DESEi+d 2023), which took place in the Marine Infantry School “General Albacete y Fuster” (EIMGAF), located in Cartagena, during the 14th, 15th and 16th of November 2023. During the presentation, the working approach of the PCVEMI project was presented, which focuses on the development of a propulsion system based on a national fuel cell for use in military land vehicle platforms.