Professor Aonghus Mc Nabola

Summary

This project will advance the sustainability of the process of water supply in Ireland and Wales by exploiting the potential for energy recovery that exists at Break Pressure Tanks (BPTs). Water supply is a core service on which civilised society depends and it involves considerable energy consumption and CO2 emissions (water treatment, pumping and monitoring). Treated water is commonly supplied from a central storage reservoir by gravity throughout a catchment and this water must be supplied within satisfactory pressure bands. When the pressure in water flow becomes too high a BPT is commonly installed in the network, whereby the pressure, kinetic & potential energy within the flow is dissipated to the atmosphere. This common feature of water supply networks presents an opportunity to recover this energy wastage by using micro-hydropower technology to transform it into electricity without interfering in the water supply service. The key objectives of this project comprise: 1. Determining the technical/economic feasibility of applying Hydro-BPTs to water infrastructure: using experimental models the energy recoverable from BPTs will be assessed/demonstrated 2. Determining the environmental impact of this new technology: assessments will be made in terms of the CO2 emissions saving, environmental impacts, life cycle analysis 3. A feasibility study for the application of Hydro-BPTs in existing Irish/Welsh BPTs: information on the existing BPTs will be gathered in a GIS database which will be used to demonstrate the untapped energy potential in water supply networks in Ireland/Wales 4. An exploration of the forms of collaboration among the key stakeholders and development of a business model: this section of the project will develop guidelines for the widespread implementation of this technology by industry

Funding Agency

Interreg IV (€975,000)

Programme

Ireland Wales

Project Type

4 year Co-Operative Research

Person Months

150

Summary

Project to develop a GIS model of personal exposure to air pollution in Dublin and its environs, dependent on an individual's activities and locations. Funded by the EPA STRIVE Programme the project will comprise the monitoring of the personal exposure, activity and location of a number of different subjects living and working in Dublin and its satellite towns. This data will be used to develop a GIS model of personal exposure allowing individuals or sub-groups of the population to assess their health risks due to air pollution. The model will inform individuals of activities or locations in their daily lives with high personal exposure to air pollution, allowing them to take steps to reduce or avoid these health risks. Collaborators (Prof. B. Broderick & Mr. L. Gill, TCD; Dr. M Byrne NUIG)

Funding Agency

EPA (€350,000)

Programme

STRIVE

Summary

Development of a New ablative flash pyrolysis reactor for the conversion of biomass/waste to biofuel.

Funding Agency

TCD (€8,200)

Summary

Previous investigations at TCD revealed the effect of passive low boundary walls (LBWs) in urban street canyons in reducing the exposure of pedestrians on the footpath. Numerical investigations using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) have shown that a LBW may act as a baffle in an urban street canyon, disrupting normal flow patterns and increasing the levels of dispersion/dilution on tailpipe emissions before they reach pedestrians on the footpath. This project will take these new generic findings and develop them further into an implementation strategy for pedestrian exposure reduction. This strategy will the undergo experimental trials at a selected location in Dublin to prove the concept. In addition, active LBWs will also be investigated by incorporating a photcatalyst surface coating to reduce NOx concentrations.

Funding Agency

HEA

Programme

PhD

Person Months

48

Summary

Proof of concept of an innovative air pollution remediation device

Funding Agency

Enterprise Ireland (€76,000)

Programme

Commercialisation Fund

Project Type

Post Doctoral Research

Person Months

36