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TU Delft Impact Contest
Project: Aerosail
The shipping industry is a major contributor to global carbon emissions, producing approximately 706 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. As international trade grows, emissions from shipping are expected to rise, posing environmental and regulatory challenges. Current fuel-saving technologies often require expensive retrofitting, making adoption difficult for shipping companies. There is a need for a cost-effective, easily deployable solution that reduces fuel consumption and emissions without disrupting existing fleet operations. Meeting stricter environmental regulations while maintaining economic efficiency is a critical challenge for the maritime sector.
Read moreParalas: Autonomous Drone-Based Inspection of Offshore Wind Turbines
Offshore wind turbines play a vital role in generating renewable energy but are located in remote and harsh marine environments. To ensure they operate efficiently, regular inspection and maintenance are essential. Currently, the industry depends on helicopters and ships to transport personnel to these turbines. This approach is slow, expensive, emits significant carbon emissions, and poses considerable safety risks. When a turbine requires inspection—due to bird strikes, storm damage, or routine wear—a complex logistical operation is needed to bring crews to the site. Technicians often have to rappel down turbine blades or manually operate drones on-site, necessitating their physical presence on the turbine. This exposes them to hazardous conditions, including unpredictable weather and the dangers of working at great heights over open water. The financial costs are substantial. Deploying helicopters and ships involves high fuel consumption, crew wages, and maintenance expenses. Coordinating these missions demands meticulous planning, factoring in weather conditions and equipment availability. Delays are common, leading to turbines being offline longer than necessary, resulting in lost energy production and revenue. As offshore wind farms expand—some with over 100 turbines spread across hundreds of square kilometers—the inefficiencies and costs escalate dramatically. Environmental impact is another significant concern. Using fossil fuel-powered helicopters and ships generates considerable carbon emissions, undermining the environmental benefits of wind energy. This contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions and contradicts the core objective of renewable energy projects: providing clean and sustainable power. Safety risks are inherent in the current approach. Transporting personnel over open seas and having them work on towering structures exposes them to significant dangers. Accidents can result from falls, equipment failures, or incidents during transit. The industry has recorded numerous safety incidents, leading to increased scrutiny and a pressing need for better protective measures. In summary, existing methods for offshore wind turbine inspection are unsustainable due to high costs, environmental impact, and safety hazards. There is an urgent need for innovative solutions that reduce operational expenses, minimize emissions, and enhance personnel safety.
Read moreHoly Folie
After the war in Ukraine, energy prices in Europe and the Netherlands rose significantly, worsened by the extreme cold of winter 2022. This has made home sustainability more urgent, yet student housing is often overlooked. The Social Impact Hub aims to address this by improving sustainability in student homes and raising awareness of energy consumption. Many student houses are in historic buildings with strict renovation rules, making insulation difficult. Students, who stay temporarily, often see little reason to invest, while landlords lack incentives since students pay the bills. This creates a gap that requires targeted solutions.
Read moreHeatLift Dynamics
Industries like manufacturing, food processing, and chemical production rely on gas-fired heating systems that are cost-effective but environmentally unsustainable. The shift to electrification, particularly heat pumps, is critical for reducing carbon emissions. However, this transition faces significant challenges, including high energy costs, inefficiencies in current heat pump technology, and grid congestion. For heat pumps to be a viable alternative, they must achieve a coefficient of performance that ensures cost-effectiveness. Without improved efficiency, businesses may delay adoption, hindering sustainability goals and increasing exposure to carbon taxes. HeatLift Dynamics aims to solve this by optimizing heat pump technology.
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