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Progress in the PIEZOdevICE cooperation project – Energy-efficient heat pumps by combining active and passive anti-icing strategies
One year after the start of the BMWK-funded PIEZOdevICE project, the consortium from industry and science has drawn a first positive interim balance. All partners involved in the project were represented at the meeting on January 21, 2025 at Fusion Bionic GmbH in Dresden:
- Dresden University of Technology (coordination)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS
- WiE GmbH – Factory for Industrial Electronics
- Fusion Bionic GmbH
- Glen Dimplex Germany GmbH
- Güntner GmbH & Co. KG
Project meeting at Fusion Bionic on January 21, 2025 in Dresden (Photo: Fusion Bionic )
The aim of the research project is to reduce icing on the evaporator of air/water heat pumps and thereby increase their overall efficiency. To this end, the approach being pursued is to combine an innovative surface design using laser structuring and coating to slow down the icing process and accelerate defrosting behavior with an active piezoelectric defrosting system. A comprehensive digitization package (digital twin) will also be used to develop models for calculating ice growth. In the second project year 2025, the first anti-ice strategies are to be integrated into an air/water heat pump that is close to series production.
2024/09 – Successful participation of the PIEZOdevICE project at the MSE Conference 2024 in Darmstadt
In September 2024, Dr. Sabine Apelt and Mr. Chenglin Li, as representatives of the “PIEZOdevICE” project consortium, each gave a presentation at the renowned Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) conference in Darmstadt. The international conference offered an ideal platform to present the latest research results from the project to a broad specialist audience and to exchange ideas with leading scientists from the field of materials science.
In their presentation, the researchers presented the passive anti-icing strategies for evaporators in air source heat pumps pursued in the project as well as initial results. In particular, the superhydrophobic surfaces with minimized ice adhesion achieved by means of structuring and coating based on the scallop shells met with great interest and a positive response.
The project team is delighted with the successful presentation and the many suggestions that emerged from this event. We would like to thank the organizers of the MSE conference for an inspiring and well-organized conference!
2024/09 – Production tour and intensive exchange: Successful project meeting of the PIEZOdevICE research project at Glen Dimplex Germany in Kulmbach
On September 17, 2024, a project meeting for the PIEZOdevICE research project took place at the project partner Glen Dimplex Deutschland GmbH, a manufacturer of heat pump and cooling systems, in Kulmbach. Representatives of all project partners, the Technical University of Dresden, Fraunhofer IKTS and the participating companies Güntner GmbH & Co. KG, Fusion Bionic GmbH and WiE GmbH. The aim of the meeting was to comprehensively coordinate the modeling of icing and defrosting on the evaporators of air source heat pumps and to visit the production facilities of Glen Dimplex Germany.
During the production tour, the participants were once again given an insight into the practical application of the planned project results. “The opportunity to take a look at Glen Dimplex air-to-water heat pumps and get to know the production first-hand is crucial to the success of this project. This helps us to better understand the requirements of the,” explained Sabine Apelt, project leader of PIEZOdevICE at TU Dresden.
The meeting was also used for intensive coordination and planning of upcoming presentations at conferences and specialist events at which the first results of the project are to be presented. Another topic of the meeting was important technical coordination on modeling the icing and defrosting of the evaporators. “It was particularly important to bring all project partners together once again to coordinate our next steps in the modeling process. The close coordination and joint exchange ensure that we all have the same goal in mind,” said Prof. Thomas Hackensellner, project manager from Glen Dimplex Deutschland GmbH.
The project partners agree that, in addition to the regular online meetings, the previous meetings at the project partners’ premises in particular have strengthened cohesion and further improved the conditions for the project’s success. A further project meeting at Fusion Bionic GmbH is already being planned and will take place in January 2025.
2024/04 – Successful project meeting of the PIEZOdevICE research project: All project partners meet at Güntner GmbH & Co. KG to exchange and visit the production facility
On 26.04.2024, a project meeting of the PIEZOdevICE research project took place at the project partner Güntner GmbH & Co. KG in Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany. Representatives of all project partners, the Technical University of Dresden, Fraunhofer IKTS and the participating companies Glen Dimplex Deutschland GmbH, Fusion Bionic GmbH and WiE GmbH were present. The aim of the project is to develop innovative anti-icing strategies for more efficient air source heat pumps. The company Güntner GmbH & Co. KG is contributing its decades of experience as a manufacturer of cooling systems and heat exchangers, while Glen Dimplex Deutschland GmbH is contributing its extensive knowledge of evaporators in heat pumps. In addition to making an important contribution to climate protection, the knowledge gained is intended to strengthen the competitiveness of the German economy.
During the meeting, the participants took the opportunity to visit not only the production facilities but also the extensive test laboratories of the research and development department. In addition to the valuable insights into where in the production process the innovative active and passive anti-ice strategies can be integrated, the exchange of experiences on the frosting and defrosting behavior of the evaporators also provided important impetus for the project work.
The meeting also served to coordinate the patent strategy, exchange sample material and plan the next tests and adaptations of the laser structures and coatings already developed for passive de-icing. The project, which will run for a period of three years, is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.
“The project meeting was a complete success and the insights gained on site are irreplaceable so that our research results can later be put into practice,” said Sabine Apelt, Project Leader of PIEZOdevICE.
2024/01 – Energy-efficient heat pumps through the combination of active and passive anti-ice strategies
The BMWK-funded cooperation project PIEZOdevICE started on 1 January 2024 and the kick-off meeting took place on 9 January 2024 at the Technische Universität Dresden.
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Im öffentlichen Bereich werden hierbei hauptsächlich Dokumente bereitgestellt die der Aussendarstellung des Projektes dienlich sind. Neben Projektinformationen betrifft dies auch eine Veröffentlichungsliste.
In the public area mainly documents are provided which are useful for the external representation of the project. In addition to project information, this also concerns a publication list. The internal area is therefore intended only for the communication of the project partners within the project. Access to this area can be requested from Lars Haupt, subject to authorization.