pages/1253967089250 none This application is related to a PhD project within the MIRACLE project (InterMedia, University of Oslo), which is financed by the VERDIKT program. The title of the PhD project is "Meaning making trajectories across contexts: learning science through digi tal representations in the school and the museum". The project aims to investigate how students' understanding of science concepts occurs in curriculum based activities that involve the school and the museum. The MIRACLE project team is designing a series of digital and analogical tools and pedagogical activities for supporting understanding and learning of science concepts both at the school and at musuem visits. The MIRACLE project will document video-recordings of interactions of the students and of l og-data registered by the different designed devices. Video-recordings will be analyzed by means of ethnomethodology, and log-data will be incorporated to such analysis. This will involve both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Thorough analysis of t his data requires theoretical and methodological expertise. Professor Wolff-Michael Roth at the University of Victoria is one of the most well known researchers within the field of science learning and has wide experience in ethnomethodological studies of processes of meaning making in relation to different scientific representations (visual, textual). Both Roth's department and InterMedia engage in such kinds of analysis. Therefore the expectattions for this overseas stay is to increase the theoretical a nd methodological quality of our analysis by arranging a collaboration between the two departments. The PhD candidate Alfredo Jornet Gil has been invited as guest researcher. He would participate in research activities, receive supervision and collaborati on in analyzing data obtained by the MIRACLE project, and in publishing of results in at least one co-authored research article in an international journal. pages/1253969447411 none Sogn og Fjordane (SFj) is a region with many small rural or peripheral communities. The rurality gives the region distance challenges with regard to innovation. Both in public sector and in the business sectors not enough attention has been given to the i nnovation challenges. In the struggle to take steps up the 'innovation ladder' the region is seeking more knowledge about conditions and barriers for the predominantly rural system of innovation in the region. Theories on regional innovation is perceived to not sufficiently describe the dynamics of the current innovation systems.The VRI-coalition want to know more about the existing innovation system, development of new innovation networks and how their actors and networks interact with each other. Our hypothesis based on the literature study and own research is that Sogn og Fjordane do not fall into the traditional innovation system classifications. We will:Investigate what kind of innovations system we have in Sogn og Fjordane and its characteristics regarding links within the system and to external knowledge organisations, its ability to mobilise and sustain the activity in the system and to understand the dynamics of the relations between the actors in the innovation activities and the knowledge fl ow. It is a grounded approach studying what is there are how it is functioning.The research project divided in five work packages, but they interact closely throughout the project.WP 1: Data collection and literature researchWP 2: AnalysisWP 3: Di scussion and conclusionWP 4: PublicationWP 5: Project management pages/1253969859707 none Massive data, adversarial activities, changing environments and lack of real labeled training datasets are challenging the successful protection of computer systems and networks by means of IDSs. Solving these problems guarantees the efficiency and effect iveness of IDSs and thus contributes to providing secure network systems. Expert systems, such as SNORT [1], are unable to deal with massive data and adversaries, since in these systems, manual coding of attack patterns costs a lot of effort and time. Mor eover, the systems are often easy targets of evasion and obfuscation activities. Existing computational-intelligence-based IDSs with offline-learning algorithms require frequent complete o²ine re-training to improve the attack analysis and to learn new at tacks. When the training dataset is very large, these IDSs become impractical to adapt to dynamic environments. Furthermore, the training process requires a real labeled dataset that is diffcult to obtain due to privacy and labeling methodology issues.T he research aims to produce the following outputs: (1) New generative methods for online-learning in intrusion detection systems that comprises embedded-online feature-selection, (2) two scientific papers in top-ranked conferences on machine learning (i.e .: NIPS: Neural Information Processing Systems) and on security (i.e.: RAID: Recent Advances in Intrusion Detection), and (3) one article in the prestigious Journal of Machine Learning Research. pages/1253969859788 none Enhancing fundamental studies in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology is a widely accepted international approach for providing new solutions toward further sustainable growth of our society minimizing unfortunate environmental damages often happen ing due to accelerating economic development. Within this project we suggest explore fundamental properties and use of nanowires, in particular of inexpensive Si- and ZnO-based semiconductors, for light to energy conversion and energy saving lighting. The core approach is in combining several pioneering results obtained recently at UiO by the applicant and the expertise of a leading scientist in the field, Prof Yicheng Lu at the Rutgers University. A 12-month research visit of the applicant to Rutgers Uni versity is considered as an appropriate tool to reach the goal. Specific research objectives include:(A) exploring p-type doping and ZnO-based nanowire white LEDs;(B) enhancing solar cells with nanowires;(C) mastering ZnO-based nanowire arrays as activ e light absorbing PV components. (D) establishing a collaboration between strong holds in the field of ZnO located in Norway and US;(E) initiating an exchange research training program for young scientists between UiO and Rudgers University in the field of nanoscience enabling future energy technologies.In the course of the project, using his stay at the Prof Lu?s group as a base, the applicant plans to develop several other important collaborations with colleagues at US and Canada. pages/1253970001938 none Recycling of aluminum is a relatively new research area, and recycled metal is being increasingly used in industry. Recycling is especially attractive if the melt treatment does not degrade the quality of the metal. The main objective is to address future challenges in the areas of quality and efficiency.Present research activities include recycling of aluminum in particular. .Additional plans include a second edition of my book aluminum recycling. SINTEF is in the forefront of aluminum research, devoted to engineering and applied science and innovations with deep understanding of metal refining and use.This means that offered to me is combination of practical, theoretical and experimental work in cooperation with their industrial network. I have writte n a monograph, Aluminum Recycling (CRC Press, 2006). With 22 years of experience as a Professor I can hopefully contribute to future developments concerning recycling of metals. pages/1253972098635 none In order to mitigate predicted climate change, the European Union has promoted goals and developed action plans for advancing CCS technologies. Capturing CO2 from large anthropogenic point sources and inject the carbon into underground aquifers is an impo rtant measure.The SUCCESS centre, hosted by the applicant CMR, addresses several important areas for CO2 storage in the subsurface: storage performance, sealing properties, injection, monitoring and consequences for the marine environment. This applicat ion targets strengthening the collaboration and cross-disciplinary work within the centre. Activities and projects facilitating tight cooperation within SUCCESS have been emphasized by the industry partners.The research in CO2 storage is highly interdis ciplinary. Therefore, bringing together scientists by fusing their data into one visualization inside our proposed virtual lab can be of large help. The central element in the proposed project is the recruitment of a postdoc with expertise within Geoscien ces. The postcoc will collect and condition data from the partners. In collaboration with CMR, the PostDoc will evaluate alternative strategies for covisualization and exploration of the multiscale and multimodal data. The PostDoc will also address how to best link the results of the various research groups in SUCCESS.The proposed virtual lab will be based on DIRECT (Distributed Research Collaboration Technology), which is a collaborative research environment to promote the integration of the SUCCESS pa rtners and their research. DIRECT has been funded by the Research Council of Norway in addition to own funding, and consists of a collaboration room at CMR providing state of the art display and interaction hardware, a facility for remote experiment contr ol at IFE, and satellite collaboration facilities with the other research partners.The methods and tools developed in this project will be made available to industry and academia on reasonable terms. pages/1253972098644 none This project aims to research and develop improved H2 selective membrane materials for integration in pre-combustion decarbonisation process schemes, thereby targeting the priority areas in CLIMIT. Hydrogen selective membranes have frequently been studie d in membrane reactors for water-gas shift (WGS-MR) and steam reforming (SR-MR) reactions to simultaneously achieve a high CO or methane conversion and production of pure H2. A key feature of this process intensification, achieving pre-combustion decarbon isation, is that such a membrane reactor would produce both a high pressure CO2 stream, and high-purity H2 for power generation. This can greatly facilitate the economics of power generation with carbon sequestration, as recently been demonstrated by the 6th FP EU-CACHET Project . The CACHET European project evaluated and benchmarked CO2 capture technology on an aligned and consistent basis, and concluded that the WGS-MR has the highest efficiency and highest cost reduction potential of all the evaluated technologies for natural gas pre-combustion, low CO2 carbon power generation. The project projected that an integrated membrane WGS reactor increases the energy efficiency by ~6%pt and reduces the cost of CO2 capture by ~30% compared to state-of-the-art t echnology. The concept has also been proven to be an efficient technology for hydrogen production combined with CO2 capture, and is pursued by companies in the US, Japan and Europe.The partners basic knowledge in this field has been built to a high leve l through funding by the Research Council of Norway and the EU. The present project proposes extensive efforts to pursue these fundamental topics further by bridging the gap between theory and application of these material systems, thereby strengthening t he competiveness of the technology. pages/1253972901507 none In the last years the initiatives promoting a large-scale offshore grid infrastructure in the North Sea received a growing political support by European institutions. Pre-feasibility studies already demonstrated technical and economic benefits of such an offshore grid for the connection of offshore wind farms, the electrification of oil rigs and the establishment of a pan-European electricity market.The realization of an offshore grid is already theoretically feasible since the major building blocks nec essary for its construction are commercially available. However, the operation of such a complex infrastructure represents a major knowledge need for the industry since no similar configurations are in operation today and standard practices valid for conv entional AC transmission grids cannot be directly transposed. In particular, it is still a challenge to ensure reliable operation and a selective protection. Indeed, the design of the protections is limited by the lack of commercial DC breakers with suita ble specifications. In addition, the large penetration in an electrical system of power converters can produce unexpected interactions with potential impact on the overall reliability.The project addresses these problems by establishing tools and guidel ines to support the design of an offshore grid to maximize the system availability. Focus will be on: - Develop models of offshore grid components for electromagnetic transient studies- Define guidelines to reduce the risks of unexpected interactions be tween components- Define strategies for protection and fault handling- Demonstrate the effectiveness of these tools with numerical simulations and experimental tests.The proposed project can be beneficial for the industries that are involved in the de sign, the construction and the operation of an offshore grid infrastructure. pages/1253972901534 none For the wind power industry, it is essential to have as precise as possible wind forecasts. Point forecasts of wind intensities is important, but even more so, the exact timing of wind events. The producers face a decision making problem under uncertainty where a large difference between contracted and produced energy leads to significant balancing cost for the producer. The necessary regulation power is typically more expensive than bulk power.More precise and better forecasts would reduce the differen ce between contracted and produced energy and reduce the uncertainty when making production plans. More rapid forecast updates would enable the producers to more efficiently handle the difference in the continuous Elbas market.In order to give precise w eather forecasts at the meso-scale, it is crucial to have an initial state of the weather model that is as close as possible to the corresponding true atmospheric state. This is done by data assimilation utilizing various observations at given intervals, typically every six hours in operational models.As the model resolution increases, and the model updates (cycling) are performed more frequently, observations of high temporal frequency and high spatial resolution is important.This project focusses on the use of novel observation types, and use of rapid update cycling of the model state, aiming at more precise timing of forecasted weather events, with main focus on wind.This includes the use of radial wind measurements from weather radars, which are available at high observation frequency and of very high resolution, the use of 10 m wind observations from synop stations, the use of scatterometer data from satellites and preparation of the next generation weather model for rapid update cycling.Also , focus will be put on distribution methods for the new model output, to let the industry utilize the results without unnecessary delay. pages/1253972901543 none A novel class of nanoceramics recently discovered exhibits true solid-state proton conduction at ambient and moderately elevated temperatures. The applicant at UiO has forwarded a model that explains and in fact predicts the presence and transport of prot ons in external and internal interfaces. This immediately lends itself to explore and improve this novel class of materials and thus develop a new class of fuel cells and other devices for hydrogen, operating at temperatures attractive for transportation and mobile applications. This comes timely when fuel cell cars are making their way to commercialisation and hydrogen needs to be produced in a distributed manner from renewable sources. The project aims to determine firmly the structures, species, and hy dration thermodynamics as well as proton transport mechanisms involved in the interfaces of the known nanoceramics. Then the understanding will be applied to improve the conductivity by designing novel materials, compositions, and morphologies. Finally, t he achievements will be demonstrated in laboratory-scale hydrogen fuel cells. If promising, follow-up applications and commercialisation with SMEs as well as alternative uses will be evaluated. The research will comprise electrochemical impedance spectros copy and thermal methods to determine transport parameters and thermodynamics. DFT simulations will be combined with spectroscopic techniques (solid-state NMR, Raman, XPS, a.o.) in the new UiO-SINTEF AnSpec Gemini centre for surface and interface proton c haracterisation. SINTEF will develop environment-friendly fabrication of the new nanoceramics. Thin film manufacturing techniques (e.g. PLD) will be applied for the demo fuel cells. The project educates a PhD candidate in materials science in a UiO-SINTEF collaborative effort, with exchange and interaction with leading groups in France, Germany, Japan, and USA. pages/1253972901579 none The project Energy saving technologies in households: The heat pump, aims at analysing how a specific energy saving technology affects energy consumption in households. The heat pump is one, potentially very important contributor to a future low carbon so ciety, in Norway as well as in Europe. The main research questions are "how do heat pumps influence energy use in households in Norway and Denmark?" and "why do instalments yield these results?" Danish research points to a discrepancy between theoretical and real savings, and Norwegian statistics indicate similar findings here. For both countries, the focus is on air-to-air heat pumps. Employing a practice theory approach, we want to explain the gap between technological and social reality by investigati ng the possible role of increased comfort. Material for the study will be produced through three separate empirical studies. First, we will perform a desktop study, where secondary analysis of previously collected material is the main feature. Second, we want to do rather thorough field studies, in the homes of some respondents, in order to analyse how their day-to-day interaction with their heat pumps actually is. This is the part where we want to use the theoretical resources of practice theory, in ord er to analyse the ordinary energy consumption of households with heat pumps (if possible with attention to energy bills prior to and after installation). Third, we will perform a series of stakeholder interviews, built on what we have learned so far from secondary analysis and from field studies. Semi-structured interviews with stakeholders (importer, installers, retailers etc.) will focus on marketing, marketing strategies, stakeholders? views on future potential, possible constraints and problems. In ad dition to the academic dissemination of results through articles and conference papers, we will arrange a closing seminar where we try to involve stakeholders as well as the more general public. pages/1253972901729 none The project is a cooperation between Teknova, DTU Space and Baker Hughes to provide the petroleum industry with a better tool for correcting magnetic surveying of wellbores against magnetic disturbances.Drilling deviated wells means trying to hit a targ et a few hundred meters in size at a range of up to 10 kilometers, using the best position methods available. The positioning methods in use all have uncertainties, and the industry is constantly trying to reduce the positioning errors in order to improve the reservoir drainage.The quality of the magnetic surveying depends on a good quality reference magnetic field model for the entire well trajectory, as well as monitoring of the variable components of the earth's geomagnetic field due to external infl uence from the sun. The survey accuracy also depends on compensating for the increasing influence of buried sources of magnetic disturbance in the earth's crust, the so-called crustal anomalies that mainly are located at greater depth than the petroleum r eservoirs. The current project primarily aims at developing a joint global and local geomagnetic model specially adapted for use during planning and drilling of deviated wells for the petroleum industry. This global model shall incorporate the most rece nt, up-to-date data input, and be of a higher accuracy than the currently used models. Time variations caused by the sun is important for operation in the Arctic. It shall be open for insight from the academic world.A secondary goal is to implement a se rvice where the paying customers can access a secure website to get access to the desired magnetic correction data in real time, and academic users can freely access the data and models. This service will be built during the project in cooperation with th e end users.This can be achieved through a recent contact between researchers at Teknova AS and DTU Space in Denmark plus Baker Hughes, with complementary competence and a good potential for cooperation. pages/1253972901852 none Developments in ship bridges and machine control rooms have to a large extent taken place according to an addition principle - control systems have been acquired after market introduction and added to older solutions. As a result different interfaces and equipment systems of different generations are placed side-by-side, leading to incoherent control- and steering solutions. A lack of information-ergonomic coherence in maritime control rooms is a challenge for human operators. The operators must adapt t o several different interfaces with incoherent control and input modes; the consequence of this is an increased risk of operator errors, slips and mistakes. The consortium has come up with the proposal of a novel design concept for human-computer interf aces in maritime control rooms that is flexible and inexpensive. The design concept seeks to combine Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs such as levers, throttles and rudders), with New BiDirectional (BiDi) Touch technology that has capabilities to communicate with the TUIs that can be placed (and moved) on top of the touch screen. The novel design concept allows for integration of TUIs that can be manipulated with natural human movements with the ability to represent information using the flexibility inheren t in GUIs. Information represented in the GUI can be designed to capitalize on the human ability for pattern recognition and the preference for visual perception and visualization in problem solving. This could improve user satisfaction and also the usabi lity of maritime control systems.Because of the lack of coherence in traditional interfaces the consortium will employ a user-centred design process that employs research-based knowledge from the domain of maritime human factors to ensure coherence of i nformation presentation and use. pages/1253976233259 none Waste heat is a huge and growing part of the global energy challenge. If only a small fraction of the domestic and industrial low-grade thermal waste could be utilized, it would give a tremendous contribution to the overall energy balance and fight carbon dioxide emissions. Thermoelectricity represents a very attractive and promising path towards efficient and safe exploitation of this resource. Obvious benefits of thermoelectric (TE) devices include their compact and highly scalable design, with no movin g parts and virtually no need for maintenance. The current project aims to bring a new generation of TE materials up to the stage of demonstrating their performance in a prototype device. This generation relies on nanostructured materials which exhibit pr onounced decrease in their thermal conductivity parallel to an optimized carrier concentration, thus reducing heat loss without sacrificing electronic performance. This will be achieved with a nanosized network of grains and atomic substitutions, pressed into pellets from very fine powder. We will use a newly purchased cryogenic mill to reduce the powder size into the nano range and at the same time incorporate substituting elements to align the carrier concentration for maximized performance; this gives the opportunity to synthesize compounds with optimized bulk pro¬perties without decomposition or sintering during milling. The resulting materials will be used to construct a TE prototype device based on non-toxic and abundant materials. pages/1253976391950 none Reliable reservoir simulation models are crucial for improved oil recovery at existing fields. The simulation models allow prediction of future reservoir behavior. This prediction forms the basis for decisions in reservoir management. For example, the mod els can be used to compute the optimal location of infill wells, or to compute the optimal management strategy for a reservoir. Due to the complexity of the reservoir, realistic geological models often include complex spatial dependencies of petrophysic al properties, discontinuities in petrophysical properties at facies boundaries, and inhomogeneous faulting and fracture system. Although a reservoir simulation model is often an up-scaled version of the geological model, a large number of model parameter s is still necessary to appropriately simulate the actual reservoir behavior. Because of the high dimensionality of the model and the non-Gaussian prior probability distributions of the model parameters due to complex geology, obtaining calibrated simulat ion models with plausible geological characteristics and reasonable match to dynamic data is exceptionally difficult. Most history-matching algorithms can only handle a limited number of parameters. This reduction in the number of degrees of freedom in hi story matching often results in models that are not geologically plausible, give poor matches to well data and consequently cannot provide reliable predictions. Some recent ensemble-based history matching methods have the ability to adjust large numbers o f parameters. The standard use of these methods, however, results in reservoir models that match data but are not geological plausible, so that the confidence in future predictions is reduced.The primary objective of this project is to develop methodolo gies for characterization of the complex geological features of the reservoir and to history match models in a geologically consistent manner for improved predictability and quantification of uncertainty. pages/1253976391973 none The project proposes to develop and mature computational tools for flow diagnostics that are specifically designed to quantify uncertainty in reservoir characterization. Flow diagnostic tools are based on controlled numerical flow experiments that yield q uantitative information regarding the flow behavior of a model in settings much simpler than would be encountered in the actual field. While full-featured simulators are capable of making these predictions, they generally cannot do so in a computationally efficient manner unless an unacceptably large degree of upscaling is applied. Industrial applications require fast tools that can be applied directly to high resolution reservoir models.The main R&D challenges are to develop appropriate numerical formu lations and implement a set of prototypes that can be used for comparing, ranking, and clustering high resolution reservoir models. The tools will also be applied to suggest appropriate model updates during data integration and optimization.Flow diagnos tics will be tested for use in evaluating upscaling errors, assessing discretization errors, ranking earth models, and clustering reservoir models based on flow information. The primary application that will initially be targeted is waterflood optimizatio n for mature fields, for which simpler modeling tools are often favored over full-featured simulation to generate multiple history matched models for optimization. Flow diagnostics on fine-scale models have the potential for improved estimation of sweep e fficiency, which is the basis for many optimization strategies. They are also of interest for unconventional resources, such as tight gas/oil and shale gas, for which unstructured grids are already being used. In general, the tools have the potential for widespread use within earth sciences and will help with overall integration of reservoir modeling workflows. pages/1253976392000 none Todays technology for optimization-based control and MPC are essentially limited to slow processes (update rates in minutes or seconds) that have a dedicated lower-level control system (such as a decentralized control system) and a dedicated safety-system . Today?s MPC technology is therefore based on server-type or PC-like computers and software solutions that does not meet the oil and gas industrys standard for safety and reliability in stand-along operations. In new applications such as subsea processin g and automated intelligent drilling the existing MPC technology is not suited, and must be enhanced for computational efficiency and software reliability. This projects answer to this challenge in to enable MPC on ultra-reliable industrial computer sys tem hardware such as microcontrollers and PLCs, and thereby providing the petroleum industry with automatic control implementation technology that will enable more advanced functionality to be more easily built into such control systems. There is a clear trend towards increased levels of automation, autonomy, built-in intelligence and integrated software-based functionality in control and monitoring systems that will be enabled by this project since embedded numeric optimization methods offer the most pot ent technology to make real-time choices and automated decisions with no or little human intervention. The research is centered around two PhD students that will be supervised and co-supervised in a highly interdisciplinary setup that combines the partn ers expertize in embedded optimization, automatic control, subsea technology, drilling technology and electric drives.The project is divided into work packages such that each PhD student will contribute both with research on new embedded optimization me thods, but mostly within application case studies in close collaboration with Statoil. pages/1253976392041 none In order to bring the Sorption-Enhanced Reforming (SER) technology forward to up-scaling and commercialisation, knowledge regarding stable operation of a reactor system suited to the SER process in steady state continuous operating conditions is needed. T his project will utilize the unique facilities and equipment as well as scientific results obtained from the SER R&D unit at the HyNor Lillestrøm node, where hydrogen will be produced from upgraded landfill gas (biogas). During operation of the Dual Bubbl ing Fluidized Bed (DBFB) reactor system, key operating data such as: solid inventory in both reactors, ratio of sorbent to catalyst as well as the solid circulation rate will be optimized to obtain a high optimum H2-yield. The performance of critical comp onents of the reactor system will be tested during continuous operation. Finally, the mechanical stability of the solids during circulation will be investigated and optimized to provide a steady operation and reduce the operating cost of the system.Based on experimental data collected during operation of the SER reactor system, a series of model tools of different level of complexity will be developed in order to improve and adapt the capabilities of fluidized bed reactors for the SER process. The work will focus on the description of the coupling between flow phenomena and chemical kinetics, and mass- and heat transfer processes in operating fluidized bed reactors. The outcomes of such simulations represent extremely important results enabling a reliab le evaluation of the process and further up-scaling.The collaborative project between IFE and NTNU will thus provide valuable experimental data at small pilot level and advanced fluidized bed reactor models that represent extremely important knowledge en abling reliable process evaluation of SER for hydrogen production and in power generation, and future design of medium to large scale SER demonstration plants. pages/1253976392050 none With large European investments in new renewable power (mostly wind) attaining policy support, the share of intermittent power will surge. As the overall flow of electricity must continuously be balanced, increased wind power production will put strains o n the supply of balancing power (and partly ancillary services). For Norway, this development poses both challenges and opportunities. Due to its large installed hydro power capacity, Norway may be in a unique position in Europe to provide balancing power . But Norway will in so case be transitioning from abundance of balancing capacity to a setting where balancing capacity needs to be carefully managed in market design.INTREPED will first analyse the variability and predictability of windpower, how it af fects system requirements and wind value. Secondly, stochastic influences from wind systems are brought into a realistic model of our grids. From these fundamentals, INTREPED addresses market design: how the current markets value balancing power, and how auctions may be revised and expanded. We analyse the need of redesigning markets and pricing arrangements. From there, INTREPED analyses how the spatial network allows diversification under alternative market designs. Finally, INTREPED analyses market des ign implications if balancing services are to be traded on interconnectors between Nordic and non-Nordic countries, comparing fully integrated markets for balancing services with other avenues. pages/1253976392079 none Prosjektsammendrag skrives på engelsk for evt utenlandske lesere:The scope of the project is to develop a tertiary treatment step with the aim to get oil-in-water below 1 ppm for produced water discharge. This will be achieved by putting the Ecowat oil removal technology behind an M-I SWACO EPCON CFU (Compact Flotation Unit).An Ecowat crystallizer will produce gas hydrate filter mass that is transferred to and packed into an Ecowat oil removal unit that will be developed during the project.In order to make this technology commercially attractive, the project must aim to find an energy effective way to reduce the produced water temperature to about 10 °C, which is a probable temperature for the gas hydrate filter mass production.The project will ai m to distribute and pack the filter mass in such a way that the produced water will be exposed to the filter mass effectively, and that there are no fractures in the packed bed making oil pass through the filter.The filter capacity will be a function of the specific surface of the filter mass, among other crystal characteristics. One important task for the project will be to optimize the gas hydrate property so that the filter mass do pack nicely and that the hydrates have a high oil capturing capacity. The project will aim to find an effective way to measure the optimal time for gas hydrate filter mass regeneration, and to find an effective way to recycle oil and gas back to the oil/water separators.The project will be carried out as a joint develop ment project between Ecowat and M-I SWACO. SINTEF will play a role in the project, but will not contribute with funding.The project will also aim to do all this with as low energy consumption as possible. pages/1253976392138 none The well construction process requires different skill sets; project management, risk analysis and technical and economic evaluation. The final well design parameters are usually the result of undertaking a three-step process: data sourcing, collation and analysis. In the analysis phase, well design parameters such as casing setting depths and mud weight are selected on the basis of assumptions on the subsurface environment that will be met during drilling. As of today, the selection of which subsurface e nvironments to use for dimensioning is done qualitatively, thus exploring a limited number of scenarios.What we propose here is a computerized tool for running a large number of "what-if" exercises, thus recording what may go wrong in the drilling proces s and which approaches that seem successful. With this approach, a well design can be evaluated under a variety of scenarios that are possible due to uncertainties related to geology, equipment and human performance, thus establishing a risk picture and o ptimizing selected parameters at the same time. The method that will be developed can be applied both to conventional drilling methods and to managed pressure drilling (MPD) methods. Focus will be on issues related to pressure control during drilling, as this is often the source to a variety of drilling problems. Relative to the planning process as of today, the drilling risk planning tool will provide a better systematization of uncertainties, a more formal framework for making technical decisions in li ght of the uncertainties, as well as provide an overview of risk factors and a basis for discussion on costs/benefits. The advantages of using the tool will be a more systematic planning and working process, reduced planning time and a larger degree of tr ansparency with respect to how technical decisions are made. Ultimately, the successful application of such a tool and methodology will improve drilling performance. pages/1253976392181 none Ocean wave energy can be converted by oscillatory water column devices (OWC). By combining OWC devices together with breakwaters, the building costs and technical difficulties can be reduced significantly. In addition, such a concept has great socio econo mic benefits. In the current project combined OWC/breakwater structures will be investigated by physical and numerical models in a joint effort by the NTNU Trondheim in Norway and the IIT Madras in India.Laboratory experiments will be performed by the P hD student in India. Here parameters like different wave conditions, water depths, sea bottom topographies, OWC chamber designs and breakwater designs will be tested and analyzed. At first, a simplified two-dimensional setup will be used, assuming an infi nite width of the structure. Later, with the gained knowledge from the 2D cases, a more realistic three-dimensional experimental setup will be employed. The physical modeling part will focus on bottom fixed structures.The numerical modeling will be perf ormed by the PhD student and the researcher in Norway. The fully three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model REEF3D will be used, which is published under the GPL open-source licence. The model employs the level set method for the calculati on for the complex free surface and can accordingly calculate the air flow in the OWC chamber in addition the water flow. The hydrodynamics, the wave kinematics and the wave forces on the OWC/breakwaters will be investigated as well as the turbulence of t he water and air flow inside the OWC chamber. Data from the laboratory experiments will be used for validation. In addition to bottom fixed structures, the numerical model will be used to simulate floating OWC/breakwater structures. A floating body algori thm for the calculation of the six degrees of freedom motion and for the interaction between the hydrodynamics with the complex free surface will be implemented into the numerical model. pages/1253976571894 none This project aims to contribute towards developing a new generation solar cell with reduced cost and improved energy conversion efficiency. The main focus is on implementation of micro-engineering and nanotechnology for formation of heterostructures based on oxide thin films and metal-oxide nanostructures with properties optimized for PV. Besides the bulk of the thin films, interfaces within such solar cells play a crucial role both during manufacturing and operation. Their complex structure demands syner gy between processing, characterisation and theory and should be probed at the atomic level in order to understand the mechanisms governing their formation and function. We intend to address the local atomic arrangement of the materials by high resolution electron microscopy and nanoscale electron diffraction. Their electronic structure will be probed by high spatial resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy and electron holography together with x-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. These t echniques have high spatial and/or energy resolution, and are able to probe both the bulk film and the interfaces. The materials will be also fully characterised optoelectronically. The main theoretical tool to be used is density functional theory (DFT), which can predict atomistic structures and electronic structures without any adjustable parameters. This will be complemented with more accurate methods like hybrid functional and GW if e.g. precise predictions of band gaps are required. We intend to star t our studies with the ZnO/Al and ZnO/Ag systems by exploiting consortiums experience in both processing and characterisation of similar systems. Studies of the novel ZnO/Ag2O and ZnO/Cu2O structures will follow. The results will be demonstrated by develo ping first a Si-based solar cell with ZnO(Al) antireflective coating followed by the development of a multijunction solar cell with oxide-based front cell and Si-based back cell. pages/1253976571903 none Effective biochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels depends on a combination of optimal thermochemical pretreatments followed by efficient enzymatic depolymerisation of biomass polysaccharides. Despite recent progress, the enzymatic co nversion of many lignocellulosic biomasses is still insufficiently efficient and there is an urgent need to find better processes, enzymes and enzyme blends. In this project, we will develop innovative new processes for saccharification of biomass by comb ining leading research on biomass enzymology with proprietary pretreatment technologies developed by Borregaard. Borregaard?s processing strategies, aimed at fully exploiting all fractions of the biomass, lead to production of cellulose-enriched lignin-fr ee pulps that are an excellent test case for developing novel enzyme blends that are simpler than current commercial blends. We will optimize the enzymatic conversion of Borregaard?s substrates and of a steam-exploded biomass for reference, using commerci al enzyme preparations as well as blends of monocomponent enzymes. We will have special focus on enzymes classified as CBM33 and GH61, whose function and huge potential have recently been discoverd by the applicant. We will identify speed- and/or yield-li miting factors (enzymes) in the commercial and home made blends and use this to optimize blends and identify targets for further research (optimizing specific enzyme activities, stability engineering). Eventually, this approach will lead to identification of "minimal enzyme blends" (i.e. containing only few enzyme activities) for cellulose-rich substrates, such as the Borregaard substrates. In addition, novel fundamental insights into enzymatic cellulose conversion will be obtained. Interestingly, improvi ng the thermostability of such "minimal blends" is easier than improving the thermostability of multi-component blends and this may open up possibilities to run processes at higher temperatures. pages/1253976572000 none Elkem Solar is developing Solar Grade Silicon (SoG-Si) Feedstock based on a proprietary metallurgical refining process. Solar grade feedstock has been gaining market acceptance as the quality requirement are better known and its application during ingot c asting has shown that similar solar cell efficiency can be achieved using other types of feedstock. With production facilities in Norway, Elkem Solar can only be competitive if it maintains its technological advantage by rapid continuous improvement combi ned with step change R&D. It is essential that Elkem's Solar Grade Silicon feedstock keeps up with future advances in solar cell concepts compared to other higher purity feedstock processes. The present project is focused on the final route step of solar grade silicon: final refining by ingot casting. The main challenges of the (directional) casting method as final refinement step in Elkem's process are: i) the less efficient refining due to the in-take of impurities due to the destabilization of the crys tallization front, the presence of grain structures and grain boundaries, and ii) the precipitation of particles due to the higher amounts of impurities. Moreover, current technological solutions rely on a good control of the heat transfer in the furnace adjusted by additional heating of the ingot. This, however, results in increased energy consumption. It is the aim of this project to increase the efficiency by control of structure formation within the ingot (grain size and particles). An ambitious targe t is to i) achieve grain sizes in the 5 cm range (today < 1cm), ii) suppress particle precipitation over 90% of the useable ingot volume, and iii) reduce the energy consumption by 20%. Elkem's strategy to reach these goals is a combination of novel energy efficient and modular control of heat extraction in the crystallization furnace and the use of 3D modelling tools for process design and control. pages/1253976662087 none Mobility problems are very common for elderly people, and a low self-efficacy (people's belief in their own competence) leads to reduced mobility and higher risk of falling that can ultimately lead to lower mobility, reduced quality of life and limitation s in everyday activities and social participation. This is a vicious circle since physical exercise is important to maintain mobility and reduce risk of falling. In Norway we have long winters with roads covered with snow and ice, which makes the situatio n even worse.In GameUp, we will apply technologies that have been shown to be effective to modify behaviours and motivate: persuasive technologies, serious games and social computing. We will use these technologies to promote mobility by encouraging eld erly persons to be more physical active and motivating them to move more by increasing their self-efficacy. We will develop a platform for social and exercise games to reduce physical and motivational barriers of elderly people's mobility.Using low cost motion sensors, we will develop exercise games designed to enhance mobility. Motivational games will provide personalized information and motivational tips adapted to the individual user's unique physical and cognitive situation. The platform will be deve loped using easy-to-use commercial modules and products (e.g TV set-top-box5, Android Tablets, motion sensors) in order to facilitate bringing the idea to the market shortly after the project is finished. The project both has a strategy for service and b usiness models.Norway is represented with research, business and user partners, and are leading two out of five work packages; 'Ecosystem of mobility games' and 'Dissemination and exploitation'. pages/1253976841604 none There is a strong and increasing demand from the petroleum industry for advanced instrumentation providing online process surveillance and condition monitoring for subsea installations. Optical technologies is the solution of choice for such instrumentati on, and has the merit to increase production and cost efficiency, reduce safety risks, avoid production interrupts, and satisfy environmental safeguard regulations. Technology for this purpose is a field of research having both regional and national strat egic importance, being identified as a key focus area by OG21, Norway's official technology strategy for the petroleum sector. However, fouling of optical windows by precipitated salt, biological growth and hydrocarbon deposits are fundamental issues wh ich hinder application of above mentioned optical technologies in subsea environments. There is to our knowledge no existing anti-fouling solution available today which can keep optical windows sufficiently clean and optically transparent over time to ena ble permanent installation of optical instrumentation in subsea environments without the need for frequent maintenance intervention for cleaning or window replacement. The project aims to develop durable, effective anti-fouling technology for optical wi ndow surfaces, enabling maintenance free solutions for permanent subsea installation of optical instrumentation, with focus on solutions for continuous oil-in-water monitoring and optical imaging technology for structural condition monitoring and leakage detection.The proposed innovation combines novel nanostructured anti-fouling and super-hydrophobic surfaces with robust coating materials, monitoring technology and cleaning methods uniquely adapted for two different subsea applications. By this unique approach, the aim is to develop optical windows that are highly resistant to all relevant fouling mechanism such as precipitated salt, biological growth and hydrocarbon deposits. pages/1253976841627 none T&Tnet provides solutions to help elderly to get to a specific destination by making use of a different transport means, and it offers navigation/orientation adapted to the user preferences in real time. The development process consists of 3 interactions, having as an outcome of each cycle: System MockUp, first prototype, and the final integrated prototype. Pilot application has the critical goal to: 1. Measure the implementation quality in terms of user experience, 2. Involve end-users in the development process in order to evaluate the outcomes and 3. Validate the final products and outcomes. The pilots will take place in Spain, Norway and France. The R&D-work packages with objectives are:WP1 (User requirement analysis, system specification and desig n):1. Specify scenarios, personas, and target groups, and to analyse their needs and preferences.2. Involve the end-users from all pilot countries in the development process in form of user surveys.3. Define and specify user requirements.4. Define ove rall system design and architecture.WP2 (Implementation and prototyping):1. Implement the specifications from the WP1, to code all modules and corresponding test cases, and to integrate all source code to the final systems.2. Change and improve the sou rce code and test cases based on changed specifications and testing.3. Create a prototype and final integration of the components and services providing interconnection.WP3 (Testing and evaluation):1. Measure the implementation quality in terms of user experience2. Involve end-users in the development by means of user evaluations3. Verify the final implementations.WP4 (Raising awareness and exploitation activities):1. Produce, release, and spread appropriate dissemination material2. Create public awareness for the project and its outcomes and to promote results and public deliverables across Europe.3. To plan business opportunities, to analyse the market, and to generate business plans. pages/1253976841792 none Mechanical degradation of polymers is a well known technical problem in the industry. Polyacrylamide molecules are flexible chain molecules that can be broken when submitted to high shear rates. This causes an irreversible loss of viscosity of the solutio n, and higher weight polymers will be more sensitive to shear. Analyses of shearing conditions done by TOTAL (Morel 2008 and 2010) have identified that the highest shearing device would be the well head chokes. As much as 25% to 50% in viscosity loss due to shearing conditions of the choke has been observed. Our experience indicates that the Typhoon® technology can reduce the negative effect of shear forces significantly, and our idea is to validate our proposition through experiments with existing equipm ent and test loops already available in our laboratories. We also have ideas with regards to the transportation (pumping) and the preparation of the polymer solutions, which could lead to a significantly improved process system and to an overall improved efficiency of polymer flooding operations. This pre project will focus on validation of the use of Typhoon® low shear technology within handling and injection of polymer solutions. We will, with the assistance from IRIS, try to indicate a quantifiable ef fect of reduced mechanical degradation on the reservoir flooding.1. A desk study, literature review and process review.2. Laboratory testing with, primarily water and polymer solutions. We will test the effect of the Typhoon® technology on pumping and f low control. We shall apply rheometer analyses to compare viscosity of unaffected polymer solutions with solutions exposed to shear. 3. Establish a consortium of research providers, suppliers and end users and file in an application to Petromaks for a ma in project within 17. October 2012. pages/1253977541497 none The main objective of the proposed project is to work out the design, handling and economical aspects of offshore wind turbine platforms for use in the southern Baltic Sea, within the Polish economical zone. The design will be based on existing concepts u pdated with technical developments that are particularly adapted to the suggested deployment areas. Within the project two different types of platforms will be developed one for waters shallower than 40 m and the other for waters deeper than 40m.The pro posed project is divided into 6 work packages WP1:Coordination; WP2: Environmental parameters (wind/waves/currents); WP3: Platform design; WP4: Anchoring and foundation design; WP5: Transport and installation procedures; WP6: Economical aspects.From the Norwegian side two organizations will be involved in the project these are Aanderaa Data Instruments (AADI) and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA). These organizations will mainly work in WP2 which deals with mapping and prediction of norma l and worst case scenarios for hydro-meteorological conditions (currents, waves and wind). Simple bottom topography mapping and sediment investigations, to deduct anchoring conditions, will be conducted in selected areas.In addition we will investigate and propose the most efficient way to integrate environmental monitoring systems to the wind turbine platforms, so that these can serve the additional task of environmental monitoring. Use of these data can serve to improve navigational safety, to track c hemical spills if these occur and for biochemical measurements, of particular interest in the Baltic Sea which is suffering from oxygen depletion, eutrophication and large blooms (of e.g. toxic cyanobacteria).With this letter we apply for a pre-project support of 60 000 NOK (40 man hours writing + 20 kNOK for travel) to finalize this proposal. pages/1253977692268 none The research community in Molde has analysed industrial cluster characteristics within the Norwegian ship industry since the end of the 1980ies. This industry has shown a remarkable ability to change and to adapt to new challenges. The ability to change a nd renewal as ?the world? changes is the key to long-term sustainability which is far from current success. The problem is that it is not easy to know what to keep or preserve. What should be the hub of reframing or reconfiguration and what should be chan ged or abandoned. Therefore we want to closely study 1) the drivers of clusters, 2) the conditions for viable clusters and 3) the cluster as a strategic alternative and hybrid for organizing value creation (between the pure market and the vertically inte grated company) 4) the dynamic capabilities necessary within companies to sustain competitive in a supply network configuration.This project has drawn the attention and also the interest of the milieu at Cambridge University, The Center for International Manufacturing, Institute for Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge has experience from their research on more than fifty industries worldwide, and has developed tools and models to investigate into the dynamic capabilities necessary for companies and value creating networks. They played a leading role in the study A landscape for the future of high value manufacturing in the UK on behalf of the Technology Strategy Board. Essentially, the aforementioned institutions want to define a research proje ct which aims to define a landscape and strategies for the future of high value manufacturing in the maritime industry in the region. pages/1253978885919 none Several Norwegian ship owners employ their ships in the trade and transport of chemicals. Chemical carriers are one of the most complicated areas within cargo handling, with thousands of different cargoes/commodities transported, with treatment and cleani ng of cargoes into segregation of more than 50 tanks for many ships.There is an awareness that there are severe differences in the use of fossil fuels to solve the same operations on similar ships in the same duty. The project will work to define the sc ope and plans to apply better technology and processes that reduce the use of fossil fuels for heat demands on these tank ships.The regulations by the International Maritime Organization demanding use of low sulphur fuels or scrubber technology will als o influence the future scenarios, with respect to cost of maritime fuels and the production of heat by exhaust gas economizers onboard ships. Hence, future optimization of heat systems has to cost- and environmentally effectively handle also these upcomin g constraints.The project will bring improved systems and technical operation in application/practice by cooperation between dedicated users, a system supplier and a research institution. The yearly consumption of fuel on a typical chemical carrier, onl y for the oil fired boilers, can reach an amount of more than 1000 tons. There is an assumed potential to reduce this consumption with at least 20 per cent by cases in this project and to provide essentials of this experience to a wider community for thei r improvement.The project will be broken into following tasks.1. Heat generation technology2. Steam distribution3. Consumers4. Optimal operation5. Scenarios for 2015 and 20206. Training pages/1253978885928 none Offshore oil & gas exploration and production operations are complex undertakings, especially where Arctic areas are involved. This is of course due to a number of rather obvious and easily observable facts:- The distances from any sort of established i nfrastructure are much larger than for ?conventional? offshore operations. - Severe operating conditions, through icing and surface ice, low temperatures, seasonal darkness and in general rougher weather conditions.It is thus a largely uncontested assu mption that the design and planning of Arctic exploration and production activities will require a whole new approach when it comes to both the design and setup of the logistics system and operations, and also the design of the vessels and equipment invol ved. Whereas areas such as safety issues and oil spill response are associated with more specific regulations from the authorities, logistics aspects are however less likely to be subject to specific regulations or requirements from regulators. Consider ing the nature of Arctic operations, the logistics solutions based on established methods and practices from the Norwegian Sea / North Sea will in most cases not be directly transferable to Arctic operations: The distances, the conditions and the risks in volved will require new models and new methods of appraisal. From this, the need for R&D and further exploration may be derived, particularly into the areas of: - Identification and description of risks and hazards with respect to field operations- Too ls and methods for assessing and quantifying risks, accept criteria - Requirements and recommendation for design and documentation The pre-project will thus be centred on defining the proper scope and plans for a main project that will explore the oper ational aspects of complex operations in the Arctic as defined above. The pre-project will also allocate substantial resources to identifying industry partners. pages/1253979297579 none An everyday phenomena met by consumers world wide is the fact that it is not possible to empty many containers without scraping or flushing to avoid loss of content. Typical examples can be drinking yoghurt, tomato ketchup or paint, where up to 10% loss can be observed. This represents significant value both for the consumer and producer. When waste handling or recycling is considered packaging products might end up as special category waste, or both consumer and waste handling companies perform washing with and extensive amount of water. Due to the environmental aspects and increasing customer focus on these challenges, this project target to find solutions to the problem. The overall idea of this project is to develop an environmentally friendly packag ing concept with inner plastic surfaces that due to very good slip properties (easy slip) would enable more or less no residues in the package when emptied. Extensive R&D is crucial in order to identify and develop concepts that are applicable for plast ic forming processes, consistent with food or paint applications and that have potentials in markets with low to moderate margins. The innovation will increase customer value of products, give access to new markets and give an important reduction i CO2 fo otprint.The project consortium developing this new technology has six partners: two R&D institutes (Norner and YKI), two packaging producers (Elopak and Promens Kambo) and two final product producers (Tine SA and Jotun). Elopak, which is one of the lead ing companies in non-carbonated food packaging, is the project owner. Norner AS, which is an independent, global polymer institute, is the project leader.The result of the project will be upscalable prototype packaging products with documented potential for significant reductions in waste residues. The demonstrators will be made by the participating packaging producers and evaluated by final product producers. pages/1253979297588 none The underlying idea is to offer a durable wood-based material for use in marine environments. Wood used in marine environments has traditionally been protected from marine organisms by chemical preservatives or creosote. Such treatments are now banned fro m private use in the European Union and Norway due to concerns about environmental and health issues. As a result, there exists a lack of wood resistant to marine organisms such as Teredo and Limnoria. Kebony AS has developed an award winning proprie tary technology for preparation of wood-polymer composites through impregnation of a furfuryl alcohol solution, followed by a curing step in which the wood-polymer composite is formed. The wood produced has material properties similar to those of tropical hardwoods for outdoor use. Preliminary tests indicate that it is also possible to achieve excellent durability in marine environments. In this project we will develop methods for characterization of the furan structural polymer (in order to identify t he features that yield high biological resistivity), as well as methods for assessing the biological resistance of wood-polymer composites in laboratory tests. This knowledge will be used to control and optimize the polymerization process in order to incr ease the resistivity to attack, and to achieve wood-polymer composites suitable for long-term exposure in marine environments. More detailed data, particularly of the interactions occurring at the microscopic scale, will enhance understanding of the form ation of polymer in wood and the resultant structure. The BioComp project, which concluded in April 2012, provided important leads as to how this this may be achieved, in particular about concentration effects of initiators and pH stabilizers. The wood -polymer composite will represent a sustainable alternative to vulnerable and endangered tropical woods, and to wood materials treated with biocides or creosote. pages/1253979297602 none The main objective of the project is to develop new high performance low weight and low cost drill bits for the geothermal drilling market. The project will be run as a cooperative project between Lyng Drilling AS (LD) and SINTEF Materials and Chemistry ( SMC). It will last for 4 years with a total funding from RCN of 4 MNOK.LD is one of the leading manufacturers worldwide of advanced high performance drill bits for oil well drilling and intend to develop drill bits for the growing renewable geothermal e nergy market. Due to very high drilling cost this market demands low cost drill bits. If successful, the present project is expected to put LD on the map in the geothermal drill segment. By utilizing the long experience of LD and their mother company Schl umberger Ltd., and the expertise at SMC on net shape ceramics processing, testing and analysis the project will hopefully result in new drill bit materials and new manufacturing processes. The new technology is expected to significantly reduce the cost of drill bits. Based on a review of materials developed for drilling, crushing, grinding and tribology markets as well as the latest developments in net shape forming of ceramic based products, a series of candidate materials will be manufactured. The n ew materials will be tested in a specialized screening test in order to select the best candidates for further processing. The preferred materials will be used to make full scale prototype drill bits for drilling tests. The best of the materials that pas the drilling tests will form the basis for LDs efforts in the geothermal market pages/1253979297629 none The GADT project is aiming at developing a calibrated mathematical model for the characterisation of bubble formation and alumina and gas bubble transport mechanism at the anode surface in an aluminum reduction cell.The project will be based on results f rom in-house Hydro projects as well as on results from the Research Council supported BIA-PI HCD and RENERGI-HAL UP projects.The project will be executed in close co-operation with the Norwegian R&D institutions SINTEF and IFE, as well as with the Austra lian R&D institute CSIRO.By being able to understand, describe and thereby control the gas and alumina behaviour at the anode surface it is expected that the distance between the anode and cathode can be reduced, reducing the ohmic drop with 100 mv and thereby save energy.The consquential energy reduction will be approx. 0,3 kWh/kg Al, equivalent to an energy consumption reduction of 360 GWh / year for the Norwegian smelters. pages/1253979297638 none Use of aluminium scrap is vital as it saves ~95% of the energy and associated emissions compared to producing the metal from the ore. It provides metal, saves capital expenditures, and reduces landfill space requirements and fees.The main goal of the QuA lity project is to develop technology that can supply:high quality aluminium products from low quality input material (scrap) by refining the metal into end user specifications, with increased production by improved control, while retaining quality.New technology is steadily being developed based on extensive research and education facilities. It is now time to try out new innovations, and to more systematically make use of the competences of SINTEF/NTNU and the extesive indutrial know-how.We aim to:1 ) Filter technology: study and test new filter materials, test and implement filters with various pore sizes.2) Degassing of molten metal: improve fundamental understanding and modelling of hydrogen and inclusion removal, remove impurities and inclusion s,3) Salt: utilize the refining characteristics and properties of salt in a reproducible and efficient manner, improve routines for using salt to clean the metal.The project includes the work packages that are the three main components in QuAlity Alumin ium Cast House ; 1 the input scrap material and supply rate, 2 refining steps and 3 customer specifications. In addition a fourth work packages concerns publications of our reults and generated knowlegde, among students, within the international communi ty and to the customers of the industrial partners. pages/1253979297647 none Globally 20.000 kt/year of carbon anodes are consumed in the processing of alumina, 450 kt/year in Norway. If 5 - 15 % of the carbon in the anode is made from natural gas with microwave plasma technology, the performance of the carbon anodes can be improv ed (density, conductivity, permeability, reactivity re. air and CO2) resulting in lower production cost of aluminium.The Nordland based company MetalPlas' non-equilibrium (or 'cold') microwave plasma technology efficiently dissociates natural gas to soli d carbon and hydrogen without CO2 emissions. It also has favourable investment and operational costs. An up scaled lab reactor has been utilised for investigation of plasma carbon for metallurgical applications in a successful feasibility study with Alcoa Mosjøen and Elkem Carbon. The results from this feasibility study now enables us to transition to the development phase.This project will optimise the technology for production of solid carbon to metallurgical uses, including application testing like fu ll scale anode testing in an aluminium plant and a new pilot sized reactor in Nordland county. These activities will provide the knowledge required for construction of the first commercial unit for start-up in 2016. pages/1253979297775 none Within the rechargeable battery concepts, the chemistry of the Ni-Metal Hydride batteries is the simplest, safest and the most rugged one. The capacity per weight is less than for the Li-ion batteries but advantages in total cost and life time expectancy will be superior when also the calendar life of the batteries is considered. A needed life expectancy of +10 years can be achieved in the metal hydride batteries. High abundance of magnesium and its affordable price attract interest to its applications as materials for the metal hydride electrodes in the rechargeable Ni-Metal Hydride batteries. Novel nanostructured alloys of magnesium with rare earth elements and nickel offer significant improvements of the performance of the batteries with respect of their reversible electrochemical capacity and specific energy stored. Several approaches will be applied in current project in experimental and theoretical research activities on the development of the novel nanostructured alloys of magnesium with advance d performance as battery materials, including:1.Selecting and optimising chemical composition of the Mg-RE-Ni alloys; (a) By replacing rare earth elements, La, Nd and Pr, with magnesium in a series of the structurally related compounds RNi3; (b) By synth esising and studying novel hydrides formed during the high temperature-high pressure processing in the systems La (Mm)-Zr-Mg-Ni.2.Nanostructuring to yield nanoparticles / clusters of Mg-containing hydrides thus decreasing hydrogen desorption energy and i mproving the kinetics of hydrogen exchange. 3.Use of catalysts to improve gaseous and electrochemical charge-discharge performance of the hydrogen storage alloys. Studies of various electrolytes, including nonaqueous and polymer-based ones. 4.Probing t he mechanism and kinetics of the alloy-H interactions during in situ studies of H charge and discharge. 5.Performing theoretical studies on the modelling of the electrode materials. pages/1253979476727 none The HSE framework regulation demands a 'sound HSE culture' (§15) in the involved organizations. As HSE Culture is an abstract and loosely defined concept, this regulation leaves much room for interpretation. It is an illustrative example of how some outco mes or effects are, and probably must be, pursued by a regulation that is hard to frame in the language of concrete, measurable and auditable entities. Still, HSE Culture is important, and TRACULT is designed to study how this concept is translated and op erationalized in organizational practices in operator companies, and in their relations to contractors. As such, TRACULT aims to improve the regulation of those aspects of HSE that are hard to explicate, measure and follow up upon.TRACULTs main data is a comprehensive interview study, investigating how HSE culture is understood and made concrete in different companies. It includes a broad selection of operators and contractors, in addition to selected key informants and a series of interviews with the a uthorities. We will conduct this study along the 'path' that the concept travels, from its inception ten years ago in the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), to how it influences HSE strategies and organizational choices in different companies and their sub contractors, and we will specifically see how it informs and influences practice. In support of the interview study, TRACULT consists of an introductory literature study, a document analysis including coding of the different conceptions of the HSE Culture , two dialogue conferences with authorities and company representatives, and a study of the different safety climate assessments of the companies involved.The project draws on theory from safety research (specifically concerning safety culture,) supplem ented by organizational theory that focus on the 'travel' of concepts across boundaries, and how accountability and control is obtained between organizations and authorities. pages/1253979476751 none Occupational exposure to benzene during contact with petroleum products is associated with an increased risk of blood cancer, even at exposure below occupational exposure limits. Working gear-mounted sensors for detection has limited relevance when modern protection equipment is used, and in this proposal we suggest a biological sensor based on blood cell analysis. Personalized exposure monitoring based on blood cell analysis will allow relevant exposure determination, and may in the future provide inform ation about individualized susceptibility to petroleum exposure without disclosing controversial genetic information about the user. In this project we will develop a functional prototype of a single cell based test that carries the robustness needed for occupational monitoring on-shore as well as off-shore. The prototype blood test for occupational petroleum exposure is based on exact measurement of stress responding proteins within leukocytes, bringing the occupational health surveillance of petroleum workers into a personalized and biological context of relevance for long term health hazards. The prototype will be prepared for future field tests and prepared for surveys of workers exposed in the cleaning operations after oil spills or other accidents with emissions of petroleum-related hydrocarbons. pages/1253979476760 none The human contribution to the safety of petroleum installations has long been a concern for the industry and for the Petroleum Safety Authority of Norway. In the petroleum industry, quantitative risk analysis (QRA) has been used in order to predict the li kelihood of failure. However, this has mainly been focused on technical barriers. There are no standardized methods for how Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) is performed, nor a standard of how human error probability data should be integrated in the QRA. Statoil has begun exploring the usage of a simplified HRA method (SPAR-H) from the nuclear industry, revealing a method that is a good candidate for further development and use in the petroleum industry.The aim of this project is to test, evaluate, adjus t and standardize HRA to accident scenarios in the petroleum industry, thus improving the decision basis for managing risk in design and operations. This will be done by adapting performance shaping factors to the petroleum industry, developing guidelines for the qualitative HRA process, and testing HRA on human actions in major accident scenarios.Four work packages are defined:I. Evaluation and adjustment of contextual factors for human actions in accident scenarios in the petroleum industry. II. Task analysis and human error identification analysis (Human error analysis and reuse methodology). The purpose is to simplify the task analysis and human error identification analysis by looking at how much of the task analysis can be reused.III. Qualitativ e data collection: Interviews, observations and questionnaires. Evaluation and optimization of the qualitative data collection process.IV. Studies for the quantification by an expert group. Development of a systematic expert judgment process for evaluati on and validation of parameters in the HRA method, such as nominal values and the effect of performance shaping factors (multiplier values). pages/1253979476792 none People with disabilities, still find insurmountable barriers on web sites and online services, preventing full participation. With the increasing life expectancy, the group of people with disabilities will grow and thus increase the need for accessible pu blic services and online content. User testing of web site accessibility is labour intensive and is therefore expensive to perform. Automated accessibility testing is cheap and reliable, but can only cover about 20% of all possible barriers on a web sit e.Therefore we propose to develop a new approach to combine the benefits of automated testing with user testing in a new tool to improve the quality and coverage of the evaluation results.The R&D challenges to be addressed in the proposed main project include how to:* Combine the automated testing with user input on targeted questions in a suitable way.* Guide the user through the testing procedure directing the attention to objects to be examined and supporting the actual manual check of them.* Ta ke a representative sample from a web site for automated and for user testing. Exhaustive checking of the complete web site is often not feasible. * Track the user behaviour (user input, mouse movements, and clicks) without any code injection on the web site or installation of software on the client side.* Combine the test results from a large numbers of users to provide statistically significant inputs from the user interaction to web site design.* Design a fully accessible user interface to the UTT to enable users with disabilities to carry out the tests.* Use the UTT to create new jobs, specially for people with disabilities.The pre-project will refine the research challenges and provide the UTT demonstrator as an open source online service with a prototype interface for real users to try out and comment on. pages/1253979476848 none In the MAROFF innovation project, technologies that use cool flame to remove particulate matter (PM) and NOx from diesel engine exhaust will be optimized. The target is to remove 100% of PM and reduce NOx emission by at least 70% from diesel engines. The ultimate objective is to commercialize these technologies both for retrofitting and for new engines.These novel technologies are not well tested and some pre-testing is required in order to define the scope of the planned MAROFF project. Results from th ese tests will enable framing of hypothesis that can be tested in the main project.The project establishment phase is divided into three parts.1. Feasibility tests will be done to identify hypothesis that can be tested in the main project. Focus will b e on(i) Direct reaction between cool flame gas and exhaust and (ii) Injecting cool flame gas with air into a diesel engine for combustion2. Based on this, scope of the main project will be defined. Feasibility test will highlight the challenges that ne ed to be solved and help in formulating hypothesis that will define the MAROFF innovation project. Success criteria for the project can then be defined based on the commercial and technological considerations. Milestones, project plan and budget can then be realized.3. Finally, an application will be prepared for MAROFF innovation project. pages/1253979611791 none The objective of this project is to improve water quality monitoring tools in order to protect public health and the environment. Colifast AS is a world-leader in development and delivery of rapid, automated instruments for detection of faecal contaminati on in water and has been in the market for more than 20 years. The rapid methods combined with early warning options provide information long before the traditional laboratory results are available. In addition, the automated analysis at site will reduce time and risk of errors during sampling, transportation and sample preparation. The two market areas that will be targeted in the project are drinking water and ballast water. For the ballast water market, forthcoming regulations will require shipboard ra pid methods to determine the safety of water to be released. Both markets are driven by regulations demanding more rapid, and ideally real time on-line test capabilities for microorganisms. The participants in the project are well known and recognized par ticipant in the drinking water market. In addition to Colifast, the research institution NIVA and the Norwegian SME vendor, Pemac AS, are contributing. The project is also involving large end users like Oslo VAV and IVAR IKS in Norway, Københavns Energi, Denmark and Aqualytic in South Africa. Regarding the ballast testing market the project involve the world leading BallastTech-NIVA as a partner. The project aims for six deliverables, ranging form low to high level of risk. The highest risks derived from combining two on-line instrument platforms that will generate near real-time data representing faecal contamination in drinking water, and the uncertainties associated regarding the choice of fluorogenic substrates and representative viable target organis ms in ballast water. The planned innovations enable development of a unique monitor, and access to new regulatory driven markets. pages/1253979611800 none It is well known that airborne short-lived radon gas inhalation contribute considerably to the total radiation exposure of the public. Elevated radon gas concentrations with considerable temporal fluctuations (daily, seasonal and yearly) can occur in many closed environments (dwellings, public buildings and workplaces). The World Health Organization recommends that to limit the risk to individuals, a national reference level of 100 Bq/m3 is recommended. Wherever this is not possible, the chosen level shou ld not exceed 300 Bq/m3. The objective of this project is a unique adaptive on-demand radon mitigation system. An optimized radon monitor to continuously measure the radon concentration and automatically regulate the airflow capacity of the active radon mitigation system (ventilation or active soil depressurization) to keep the radon concentration at acceptable levels. Currently, the mitigation method most often involves the installation of continuously running fan or pump, and the airflow capacity of the mitigation system is fixed in function of the estimated yearly average. It does not adapt to the considerable temporal fluctuations in indoor radon concentration.Further, the proposed solution is expected to produce an active mitigation system wit h lower energy consumption (due to reduced air-exchange reducing the heating demand in the dwelling), extended lifetime and reduced environmental noise compared to presently available solutions.The main R&D work will consist of modelling both the radon detection (phenomenology and methodology) and the indoor radon concentration as function of emanation and air exchange. Development of prototypes, tests and measurements to verify and validate the models are other major R&D activities.The proposed R&D is the core element of Corentium's plan to industrialize and commercialize a product for on-demand indoor radon mitigation. pages/1253979611809 none The dawn of personalized medicine promises to revolutionize the field of cancer. Tumors will no longer only be classified and treated based on anatomical and pathological findings, but will also be individually genotyped and treated according to their spe cific mutational profile. The innovation is a software tool named GenomeMiner, to enable personalized cancer medicine. The tool will facilitate the interpretation of complex genome mutation profiles extracted from a patient's tumor. The tool will act as a guide, helping the oncologist match relevant or druggable mutations from a tumor to tailored therapies and clinical trials, based on the associated dysfunctional molecular pathways. The tool will also employ learning algorithms to build associations betw een patient profiles and treatment responses over time, in order to make more informed and improved recommendations for new patient cases.The major R&D challenges are the creation of a comprehensive gold-standard cancer mutation database and applying nov el ranking and learning algorithms. In addition there is a challenge to develop an intuitive web-based tool.The project will provide a commercial product to be marketed worldwide. There are over 1,400 accredited cancer units in the US alone, who could b enefit from the product, and we have identified clear marketing channels for distributing the product. Our preliminary estimates suggest that product could generate annual revenues of $50mUS through licensing fees, if it can penetrate 20% of the US & EU m arkets. pages/1253979611818 none Hydro Aluminium Precision Tubing (PT) is the world leader in supplying thin walled extruded tubing in Aluminium. Wall thickness and number of port holes make these tubes and the requirements quite different compared to standard extruded products. The main market today is the automotive industry. In an effort to expand the HVAC&R market (Heat, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) is identified as a huge business potential by Hydro. The HVAC&R segment is today dominated by Copper tubing. It is t he intention of Hydro to enter into this market and replace Copper with Aluminium. The conversion from Cu to Al as the material of choice poses significant technical challenges: 1 Competitive/superior tube product quality; 2 Cost efficient and competi tive tube manufacturing processes HAPT is leading this development, but more fundamental research is needed. The major innovative step in this project is to use the strength of Hydro as a fully integrated aluminium company together with the fundamental research capabilities at SINTEF and NTNU to develop all aluminium heat exchanger solutions with superior corrosion resistance as this will represent a significant step change. The required durability and overall corrosion resistance will be obtained by modification of the external surface of the aluminium tubes without reducing the thermal performance and the brazeability of the heat exchanger system. Compared to the current automotive requirements, the HVAC&R aluminium heat exchanger system has to be improved by a factor 5 to 10 in terms of corrosion resistance. Special attention will therefore be given to fundamental R&D activity in the field of: 1. In line/continuous tube surface layer formation/coating with additional corrosion protection 2.Tube alloys with superior corrosion resistance of the tube core which at the same time are compatible with the surface coating and the heat exchanger manufacturing process. pages/1253979611827 none Through this project Norsk Titanium Technology AS (NTiT) aims to develop a direct production process for titanium metal via electrolysis with oxycarbide anodes. The expected metal powder product from the process is perfectly suited for making wire feedsto ck to the new titanium component production process developed by Norsk Titanium Components AS (NTiC). This new processing route from raw material to titanium components is representing a game changing opportunity for the titanium industry. It allows for t he use of low-grade titanium ores, and it can eliminate several processing steps upstream and downstream and thereby reducing energy consumption, production cost and production time for titanium components significantly.The fundamentals of the electroly tic process have already been identified in cooperation with SINTEF in a previous BIP project sponsored by NFR, and the objective of the current project is to develop and document process understanding further, to the extent that pilot production of titan ium can be implemented.The process must produce titanium powder of sufficiently large particle size to allow for it to be extracted without reacting with oxygen or other reactive species. The challenge is therefore to describe the process mechanisms for all sub-processes, and use the knowledge to design and demonstrate a process capable of producing titanium of sufficient quality. NTiT's team with expertise in the field of industrial development in the relevant technological fields will cooperate with U iA, Teknova and SINTEF as research partners in the project.The current initiatives by NTiT and NTiC are driven by Scatec which is a Norwegian based think-tank and innovator in the materials industry. Scatec is utilizing Norwegian resources and internati onal networks to grow new sustainable industry, within the areas of renewable energy and advanced materials, and has previously successfully launched REC, PhotoCure and several other ground-breaking ventures. pages/1253979612003 none Hammertech is in the process of developing an online measurement of water content in multiphase flow based on a patented water fraction and salinity measurement principle. This project is carried out in collaboration with Statoil and Innovasjon Norge. Thi s technology is cost efficient, simple, robust, and enables a direct real-time measurement of water content in multiphase flow.The downhole application of the technology is substantially different from the subsea and topside application, although the me asurement challenge is the same. The gas/oil ratio generally is a lot lower, and the design of the sensor element must be adapted to the downhole restrictions in size and volume. In addition, temperature and pressure are generally higher. This adaptation necessitates extensive research into the design of the sensor element with respect to the core technology in coherence with the electrical and mechanical design restrictions of a downhole installation. Challenges will arise with power supply and consumpti on, high temperature electronics design, sensor configuration, communication, process control, and packaging.The application of a water fraction meter downhole is to identify water producing reservoir intervals. This is a particularly important measurem ent in intelligent well completions where proper control of the zonal water contribution is essential for optimal control such that oil recovery is maximized. A measurement of water salinity has the potential to differentiate between formation water bre akthrough and injection water breakthrough. Injection water breakthrough is especially important to identify to avoid mineral scale precipitation inside the well.A zonal measurement of water fraction and salinity would allow the well to be proactively c ontrolled for optimal reservoir performance. Reducing water production at the source is beneficial for transport, process and the environment in general.See enclosed project description for more datails. pages/1253979612012 none The Preproject will design and prepare a subsequent main project tentatively named ?Autonomous Barrier Management (ABM)?. As a preliminary formulation, the purpose of the main project will be:Develop a framework for embedding autonomy in safety function s of subsea well intervention systems, and build a demonstrator for a specific wellhead protection system to verify that autonomy can improve its ability to detect, prevent and limit major accidents.Recent large accidents and incidents both internationa lly (e.g. Deepwater Horizon) and on the Norwegian Continental Shelf show how current safety systems in the petroleum industry may fail to protect personnel, environment and property from serious harm. One notable common cause is the inability of human dec ision makers to act correctly and timely in stressful and time-critical situations. The underlying idea of the ABM proposal is to verify if carefully delimited deployment of autonomy in safety systems can improve their ability to detect, prevent and lim it major accidents. Autonomy is the ability of a system to manage goals, make decisions and carry out actions without human intervention. Autonomous shutdown system can take over decision making upon detection of a harmful well event and initiate and cont rol a shutdown sequence. pages/1253979987599 none It is widely accepted that normal fault zones evolve through growth and linkage of precursor fault segments, and that such fault zones play a major role in rift basin development. The underpinning structural models for normal fault evolution are based la rgely on homogeneous crust and homogeneous cover stratigraphy. However, a review of research on normal faults suggests that their structural style and evolution may be more complex than this, particularly in sedimentary basins that have undergone several phases of rifting (multiphase rift basins). Furthermore, erosion and sedimentation around evolving normal faults may significantly modify fault development.This proposed research project aims to develop the next generation of structural and tectono-se dimentary models for rift basins, addressing the effects of pre-existing structure, erosion and sedimentation on fault growth. The project will be organized around three interrelated themes: 1) subsurface analysis of a transect across the northern North S ea (from the Tampen Spur to the Horda Platform), 2) numerical modelling of pre-existing structural controls on normal fault evolution, and 3) numerical modelling of fault growth, erosion and sedimentation. This research will advance fundamental scientific knowledge about the factors that control normal fault and rift basin evolution. It will also contribute to improved understanding of hydrocarbon systems in rift basins, leading to increased exploration success (e.g. potential identification of new reser voirs) and improved hydrocarbon recovery. pages/1253979987691 none AUTOFLEX focus on large and complex high-value products with low production volumes, large number of operations and long lead times. Main objective is new cost-effective and HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) optimized manufacturing. These new methods w ill include utilisation of new, flexible, movable and reconfigurable automation, hybrid manufacturing with man-machine co-operation, autonomous / decentralised manufacturing control with intelligent feeding and material flow. The solutions should be easil y scalable, as well as easy to move to a new location. The HSE aspect covers safe manufacturing methods as well as removing manual operations with potential HSE hazards.AUTOFLEX is a unique collaboration between the automotive and maritime sector and wi ll benefit on exchange of ideas and experience on state-of-the-art effective manufacturing of customized large and complex products and flexible automation. Main R&D challenges are: (i) Flexible, reconfigurable and movable assembly equipment, ii) Effici ent shop floor programming, (iii) Hybrid automation with man-machine cooperation, and (iv) Holistic plant design for automation with intelligent material flow. It will be important to transfer technology and create a living lab on site at the industrial p artners.Automation and effective processes and material flow are key elements in keeping Norwegian manufacturing competitive in a global market. The project aims at contributing to this through increased competence in new innovative automation solutions for manufacturing operations on large, low-volume and complex products, processes previously regarded as impossible to automate. Since Norway is in special need for flexible automation, Norwegian research and suppliers of automation equipment is on the c utting edge of global competence. The project will utilize this and increase the general competence, giving Norwegian industry a better leverage. pages/1253979987709 none Occurence of miRNA in blood specific for a number of different diseases including neurological diseases has been reported. We intend with this project to explore the potential of using an expression pattern with selected miRNAs isolated from whole blood, plasma or serum as biomarkers for the early stages of Alzheimers disease.DiaGenic have extensive experience in developing diagnostic tests based on characteristic blood based gene expression patterns using mRNA for Alzheimer's. miRNA in blood is more sta ble than mRNA which could make it posssible to facilitate the pre-analytical sample handling including transport and storage and thus making the test more robust, user-friendly and cheap. If included in a test these features of miRNA will give DiaGenic a competitive advantage and help opening new markets requiring lower analytical cost and simplified sample handling. The project will be divided in the following parts:1. Selection of the most appropriate sample type to use. Whole blood, serum or plasma. 2. Collection of samples from existing biobanks. Depending on sample type chosen it can either be DiaGenics own whole blood biobank or plasma and serum biobanks at HUNT or other sites. For validation we also plan to use independent whole blood, serum or p lasma samples collected in the french Baltazar study.3. Identify informative miRNAs for Alzheimers disease.4. Selection of a commercially useful technical platform for the test.5. Generation of a classification algorithm based on the expression of a se lected set of miRNAs.6. Validation of the classification algorithm on samples collected from independent patient cohorts. pages/1253979987727 none During the establishment and tremendous growth of the solar cell industry in the last decade, Norwegian industry has, due to a strong competence base within materials technology, taken and maintained a position as a world leading supplier of silicon ingot s and wafers. The solar cell industry is presently in a crisis due to the fact that the production capacity has increased even more rapidly than the market demand and the position of Norwegian industry is seriously threatened by competitors in low-cost c ountries(mainly China). Companies like NorSun therefore increasingly focus on differentiation through innovative step change technology and consistent high-performance quality products. The overall goals of the proposed project are to develop the new gen eration technology for fixed abrasive wire sawing of silicon (FAS) and to demonstrate by pilot-scale production that this technology reduces the wafer cost by at least 30 % compared with the present FAS process performance in NorSun. If the project is suc cessful, the new technology will constitute a major step change with respect to cost and quality compared with today's solutions, and will form the basis for monocrystalline silicon wafer supply for the next generation of high performance solar cells. In the project, NorSun partner up with a world leading diamond wire supplier, an innovative international recycling company, and the leading edge research institutes SINTEF and ECN (the Netherlands). pages/1253979987750 none Energy storage is a huge bottleneck towards the mass adaption of renewable technologies and electrical vehicles. Electrochemical systems in the form of Li-ion batteries are the most established and effective energy storage solution we have today. The perf ormance of Li-ion batteries is fundamentally linked to the properties of its constituent materials. As the demand for better and cheaper batteries increases so does our quest to improve the properties of these materials. In this project we aim to develop a composite silicon-carbon material which will replace graphite as the existing anode in a Li-ion battery. The material can improve the charge density at the electrode up 10 times the present levels and improve the net performance and the cost of the batt ery by 20%. This material will be developed based on existing production of silicon and carbon at Elkem and a strong emphasis would be given on the cost optimization of the final product such that it remains competitive in an international market. pages/1253979987791 none The worlds digital data is growing exponentially. The amount of digital data generated is doubling every second year and the amount is expected to increase by a factor of 50 from 2011 to 2020. A significant amount of the data generated, needs secure long- term storage of 100 years or more. None of todays data storage media have the expected life time required. Therefore the most common way to give eternal life to data is through vicious costly circles of repetitive data migration to media like spinning dis ks or magnetic tapes. The migration costs required to preserve digital data will be unmanageable and will also have negative strain on the environment.Cinevation AS has developed a system called Archivator in a Eurostars project. It is a closed loop pro cess for writing digital data on an optical data storage medium, as well as reading it back when needed. It has proved that the data can be stored and archived for more than 100 years. However, there is a need for secure long-term physical handling, archi ving, storing and retrieving of the storage medium. The proposed project will develop the logistics and hardware, including the plastic materials and packaging needed to support longevity of more than 500 years. The project will develop a storage system and integrate with Archivator to make a fully automated storage and retrieval system for digital data. The success of the project will benefit organizations, institutions, or enterprises who need a secure and efficient integrated data storage and archiv ing solution for long-term storage of digital data. The developed products and solutions will have advantages as increased long-term data integrity, reduced costs, decreased energy and raw materials usage, less pollution and electronic waste and reduced carbon foot print. Additionally, but not least important, is that this will make it possible to preserve the steadily growing digital scientific, cultural, social and political heritage of the world for future! pages/1253979987800 none Isolated Systolic Hypertension (ISH) is the dominating hypertensive disease in elderly people. This form of hypertension is often difficult to control. Uncontrolled hypertension is a very serious burden to the society, affecting 25 % of the adult populat ion. Hypertension is the direct cause of 7,6 million premature deaths annually, and nearly half of all strokes and other ischaemic cardiovascular events are caused by systolic hypertension. New therapeutic approaches to effective and safe treatment are t herefore needed. The present research project aims to document that SER100, a new compound with a first-in-class mode of action, is safe and can provide a selective reduction of systolic blood pressure in elderly, thiazide-resistant ISH patients.SER100 is a hydrophilic peptide with a partial agonistic effect on the ORL1 (opioid) receptor similar to that of the endogenous peptide nociceptin. Earlier clinical studies in other patient populations (acute and chronic heart failure) unexpectedly revealed a significant drop in systolic blood pressure, with only minor effects on diastolic pressure. The observed effect of SER100 on systolic pressure is difficult to explain on the basis of its known pharmacology.The main objectives of the project is to ident ify the pharmacological mechanism behind the selective drop in systolic pressure and to verify that SER100 provides a safe and clinically meaningful reduction of systolic pressure in patients with isolated systolic hypertension.A positive outcome of the project will result in a decision to initiate further clinical development of SER100, through Phase II dose-ranging studies, larger Phase III studies and applications for market authorisations in most major countries. pages/1253979988001 none The project will look to develop a new lightweight hull design for the pilot boat segment. A new adapted version of the "Air Support Vessel" ASV technology will be developed and it will be characterised by operational efficiency through a new modified hul l cavity and air support design. According to the project's objectives these vessels will set new economical standards and far exceed current environmental requirements reflected in drastic reduced fuel consumption and CO2/NOx emission.The project lo oks to deliver a pilot boat with a soft motion character hull form. It that will set new standards in terms of stability, manoeuvrability, safety during transit, disembarking and embarking of pilot, all during extreme weather conditions.To demonstrate a nd evaluate the pioneering design the project will construct a full scale operational prototype in carbon composite of about 15-20 meters. The boat will be outfitted for the purpose of testing the concept and design. It will be fully operational with air- assisted system, propulsion and other equipment's to measure fluid dynamics, resistance, sea capability and other parameters. It should be possible to convert and outfit the prototype into a fully operational boat post project period should the partners w ish to do so.Each of the partners will participate with own research and development efforts necessary to reach the objectives. These will include:- Design of air supported soft motion capabilities of underwater areas- Propulsion driveline and hull i ntegration- Bow shape design and transition towards main hull body- Air support system development- Carbon composite hull engineering developmentConcept design of the new generation pilot and ambulance boats- Operational requirements pages/1253980081507 none The cross-disciplinary project aims to develop technology for improved image guided spine surgery that aims to increase the success rate in first-time surgery of degenerative spinal disorders, like surgery of herniated disc and spinal stenosis. The proje ct involves R&D to develop ultrasound hardware like front-end electronics on the SONOWAND ultrasound platform and development of novel transducers for intraoperative use. Further, the project involves R&D to develop unique image processing and registratio n methods for spine surgery, which enables the use of 3D ultrasound for image-to-patient registration (MR-US registration). The clinical partners involved in the project will establish clinical procedures for the use of the new technology in spine surgery . For the ultrasound development in the project, the challenging and innovative part is related to development of high end transducers and flexible beam forming methods, which necessitate further development of front-end electronics and signal processin g methods. New probe technology is necessary to obtain high quality images of a challenging imaging object as the spine. Determining the optimal transducer parameters is crucial and acoustic simulations must be performed to optimize the probe design. For the navigation technology the major challenge is related to the development of robust and accurate registration methods for use in spine surgery. The project will result in a new spine product module for the SonoWand Invite intraoperative imaging and na vigation system. The module will be a complete image guided solution for spine surgery, including guidance in surgery of soft spine tissue, which is different to the current commercial solutions. The project will expand the total market for SONOWAND in t he order of 500-1000 million NOK. The tools developed in the project will be utilised by research partners in future research within ultrasound imaging and image-guided therapy. pages/1253980081521 none The LCD industry is expecting a strong growth in the years to come. One critical element in the LCD manufacturing is the technology to provide a very uniform and controlled gap between the two glass plates in the display. Gap variations of less than 0.1 m icron across the display are enough to cause degradation of the optical quality. At the same time, it is important to avoid spacers in the optically active areas, as this will reduce the effective contrast ratio of the display. Today, a costly photo proce ss is used, utilizing large volumes of expensive photo-imaginable materials as well as costly equipment. Nevertheless, the gap variation obtained with this old technology do have an adverse effect on the optical performance of the display.In this project , Conpart is teaming up with some of the major industrial and R&D partners in the world. R&D challenges and activities will include modeling of the spacer particles in the display, development and characterization of the spacer particles, surface modific ations of the particles to comply with LCD requirements and microfluidic flow in the application process. pages/1253980081558 none The contribution of this PhD thesis aims to explore how new Smart house technology may support elderly people living at smart homes at Kampen Residential Care+ to extend the time the elderly could be self-reliant in their private homes. The lack of human resources and beds in nursery homes provides a need for looking at optional possibilities to meet the need for caring of the growing elderly population. Most elderly wish to postpone institutionalization and rather live at home as long as possible. The N orwegian government also has an interest in finding smart solutions to serve the elderly due to the scarcity of health resources. There are a number of research projects and solutions for smart homes that have been developed in prior studies (1-8); howeve r many of these studies have primary explored technological possibilities and currently there are no common agreements as to how the additional smart home package should be designed. In a regular Norwegian home several technologies are included that also support elderly in daily activities like washing machines, vacuum cleaners, microwave, electrical controlled chairs and bed etc. In addition the smart homes at Kampen Residential Care+ offer inhabitants a smart house package infrastructure including safet y alarm for elderly, automatic door locker, automatic stove switcher and control system for light and electricity. However, these technologies have also become regular in homes adapted for elderly that are not living in so called smart homes. Therefore, t his thesis is a contribution to explore how new ICT or additional smart home package could support elderly inhabitants needing care and assistance in order stay longer as self-reliant in their homes. The study includes developing prototypes for private an d public interactive information / dissemination screens including participatory design and user studies evaluating the usability of the prototype for redesign to better met the need of the users. pages/1253980356614 none The INTEGRISC project will develop the next generation CO2 partial pressure monitoring ischemia sensor based on an improved sensor design, utilizing leading edge volume manufacturing methods, integration schemes, assembly and encapsulation technologies. SensoCure AS is a medical device company that develop and manufacture biomedical sensors for the medical sector. The company has developed a real-time CO2 sensor to provide early warning of ischemia, a condition whereby restricted blood flow cause body ti ssues and organs to deteriorate and die due to oxygen deprivation. Ischemia causes stroke and cardiac arrest and is a common complication of surgery, post-operative care and organ/tissue trauma. Ischemia constitutes the most frequent cause of death in th e western world. Early warning of ischemia allows for early treatment, and reversal of the incurred damage, which may help saving patients' health and lives, and considerable health care expenses. The sensor principle can provide detection of ischemia at a very early stage, by measuring the partial pressure of carbon dioxide directly in tissue and organs, and give early warning about critical changes in blood perfusion and respiration. The present sensor is suitable for a very narrow diagnostic segment, a mong a multitude of potential diagnostic uses. The INTEGRISC project will bring together several leading edge technologies and developments to facilitate sensor products that allow a wide coverage.The project will address the following important issues; 1) sensor design for extended lifetimes and high stability in an aqueous corrosive environment, 2) high volume sensor manufacturing strategies and processes yielding high yield, uniformity and repeatability, 3) challenges in the design and packaging of the sensor, 4) refining of conditioning electronics system architecture, and 5) immunological effects of the synthetic device surface and strategies for obtaining a biocompatible interface. pages/1253980356623 none Future advanced smartcards and credit cards may become multi-functional and contain fingerprint reader, accelerometers, Wi-Fi, NFC, batteries, energy harvesting circuitry, solar panels, keypads, LED, displays and various other sensors in addition to a sec ure element which is already present. The partners in the proposed project are currently developing innovative products that require the integration of several components in a smart card format. The companies are facing similar challenges; namely a need f or new assembly and interconnection technologies for low-cost, high-volume production of highly integrated smart card products. Research is required to fully understand, develop and optimise these technologies in order to deploy them in a successful manne r. The project aims to establish and verify robust hybrid microelectronics packaging and interconnection technologies that will fulfill the requirements of low-cost mass production along with durable and reliable operation in a harsh environment endured b y smart cards. Research on materials and processing is required to understand how to optimize the combined underfilling, molding and embedding processes. The study of failure mechanisms will be an important task, and only by understanding the physics behi nd a failure, it can be predicted or prevented.The project will establish prototype production facilities at Norbitech, and through a number of industrial cases from the partners the project will make prototypes for testing and failure analysis. A thorou gh assessment of reliability and failure mechanisms for the prototypes will further enhance the design rules for such products. The innovations from the project will constitute the platform on which the participating partners will base their current and f uture designs and products. pages/1253980356652 none Diving is a novel challenge to human physiology, and as a profession it is essential for underwater work where machines and robots are unsuited - as is frequently the case in Norwegian offshore industry. With continuing exploration and development of unde rwater projects, improved technology has led to reduced risk of injury from diving. But divers still experience significant physiological stress, the functional basis and health challenges of which are only partially understood. Divers are exposed to ra pid pressure changes, elevated ambient pressure and potentially toxic levels of breathing gas components, all of which confer risk of adverse health effects. Additional risk may come from exposure to pollutants in closed hyperbaric habitats. Better unders tanding of the mechanisms that uphold physiological balances, and applicable knowledge of how specific factors such as individual capacity for oxygen uptake, vascular health and nutritional status affects fitness to dive may aid in preparing and protectin g divers for underwater tasks. In addition to acute risk, there are potential long-term detrimental effects of diving. There is a need for prospective studies of the central nervous system after saturation diving, where retrospective studies have provided inconclusive or conflicting results. The primary objective of this project is to provide physiological knowledge that may be applied in preparing and protecting divers from acute and long-term injury. The project uses a translational approach in which rat models are supplemented by observations from human divers. The project addresses 1. How the circulatory system reacts and adapts to hyperbaric exposure. 2. Whether hyperbaric exposure with or without particulate pollution (welding dust) affects the ce ntral nervous system. 3. How individual intrinsic and acquired traits affect circulatory reactions to hyperbaric exposure. pages/1253980356768 none Prototech will establish a MAROFF project, which will focus on development of an APU and propulsion system for marine vessels based on HTPEM fuel cells.The planned project will combine the ideas from REMKOF and BioHTPEM projects in order to demonstrate an efficient and reliable low-emission power system for marine vessels. The focus will be on optimizing the APU and propulsion system for marine use. The project will link with national and international research groups and companies to make the technolog y, as well as the components required to develop the complete system, available. The project will radically enhance competence and state-of-the-art of high temperature fuel cell systems, allowing important business development opportunities to emerge for the national marine industry.Industry, research institutions and representatives from the end user will be invited to participate in the main project. This pre-project will define the roles and deliverables in the main project, and also define the techn ology and technical details which will be developed in the main project. Expected partners in the pre-project are: ZERO, Serenergy, Advent, Norled. Prototech will lead the project. pages/1253980509850 none There is a tremendous development in different minimally invasive cardiac procedures and this is driving a need for a more effective visualisation to improve patient safety and speed of procedures. The idea behind the project is that holographic 3D visual isation of real-time 3D ultrasound data will create a foundation for novel systems to guide interventional cardiac procedures, as well as diagnosis and treatment planning. Such systems will allow the world's first real-time natural view of a beating heart , which in turn will enable innovative ways to perform these procedures.Norwegian ultrasound research is world class and the project has collected key players including Setred (3D display technology), GE Vingmed (world leader in cardiac ultrasound), Chr istian Michelsen Research (Medical visualisation) as well as leading research hospitals OUS and Karolinska.A successful project would result in unique knowledge and products worldwide. The socio-economic effects are expected to be significant through le ss patient complications and better outcome for a large patient group with heart diseases. The project will conduct two clinical studies in order to verify the benefits.Compared to visualisation on a 2D display, Setred's 3D display requires processing b etween 25 and 50 times more data per frame. This has to be processed at a rate that meets the requirements for guiding interventional procedures. This will require new thinking along the whole pipeline from image acquisition, image transfer, rendering eng ine to display electronics.The graphics processing methods used today for 3D ultrasound are inadequate. 3D ultrasound data differs from CT and MRI in a number of aspects and it is expected that tailored processing methods would provide an improved visua lisation. In addition, the holographic 3D display will add additional complexity and unknown aspects that will require research on novel processing schemes and methods to obtain an acceptable result. pages/1253980509886 none The project is pursuing the development of a treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) as a CNS therapy for the application of the OptiNose technology for nose-to-brain delivery. A known compound with proven pro-social effects will be tested with an OptiNose device that will be optimized for N2B delivery . High doses typically used today in studies with the compound represent a logistical challenge and increase the risk of adverse-events in long term use. These issues are major obstacles for the cli nical development of this very promising compound into a commercial product. OptiNose in collaboration with SINTEF, will develop a specific device customized for nose-to-brain delivery. SINTEF will also be the partner for the optimization of the formulati on.In the clinical program OptiNose will collaborate with Oslo University Hospital and Smerud Clinical Research. The Phase 1 trial we l assess pharmacokinetics and explore the effects on brain activity and cognition by applying advanced fMRI in conjuncti on with validated cognitive tests. The Phase 2a trial will test the effect on cognitive and social symptoms in ASD patients. Positive outcome of these trials would make it possible to attract the funds for further development required for marketing appro val and commercialization, a major step towards a much needed therapy for ASD patients. The market potential of such product exceeds $1 Billion per year in sales. In addition, demonstration of N2B delivery in this project will represent a major breakthro ugh and will offer a new treatment modality in many other brain disorders. pages/1253980509932 none Customer care is a vital component of a much broader brand- and customer experience imperative for service brands. It is quickly becoming a calculated driver for providing service brands with unique points of differentiation and businesses with sustainabl e competitive advantage. Customer care across digital touch-points is a strategic competitive instrument, now that customer behavior and desires are increasingly mediated digitally. For large service providers, offering long-term customer relationships, transformation to digital touch-points is, however, hampered by organizational silos. Successful and sustainable transformations to digital touch-points thus demand innovations further afield than the digital touch-points themselves. It demands experien ce-driven innovations in basic organizational enabling systems and delivery processes. The power of such innovations are that they are hard for competitors to replicate and represent thus the main foundation for digital differentiation and competitive adv antage.The most important research questions of the project are therefore:1. How should new digital touch-points be integrated in the total customer care delivery, and secure that the customer does not sense any touch-pointand/or departmental barrier s?2. How should organizational culture, employee incentives-systems, and KPI-structures be re-designed such that competitive advantage from consistent and seamless experience delivery across touch-points and channels can be realized?The project will gen erate beyond state of the art knowledge related to an intersection between internal branding, strategic service design and business models. Furthermore, the contribution from the project is the transition capabilities developed across the industries of te lecom, banking and insurance, and postal services; a capability that rests on innovations in organizational systems and delivery processes. pages/1253980509980 none Well placement and geosteering technology have been successfully implemented in various reservoir rocks worldwide. However, these technologies are operated under some limitations of MWD tool capabilities and earth modelling technology. Despite an operatin g condition regarding the capabilities of an MWD tool and the current technology of earth modelling, there is still significant uncertainty in real time data gathering and interpretation. This will affect the decision making processes.There are two main objectives in this research. The first objective is to develop an efficient method of updating a 3D geological model with the collected real-time data. The second objective is to develop an approach for fast optimization in geosteering decision under the uncertainties in rocks and fluid parameters. pages/1253980509989 none The recent availability of offshore deepwater installations and fiber-optic infrastructures to connect them to centers onshore in real time has made it possible to conduct oil and gas activities in highly fragile areas where the human presence is not poss ible (think for instance of the Arctic region). There, sensors are the only data source available. In order to efficiently make use of this data for risk assessment, environment protection, and also production enhancement, we must leverage the fact that the petroleum industry is characterized by decision-making processes involving users from different disciplines: to foster their practices, the contextual information gathered from the environmental sensors should be turned into something understandable a nd relevant to let them communicate and make right-time decisions through seamless patterns. For instance, if a drilling activity is performed close to a coral reef, does the direction of the generated current harm the corals? Real-time information manage ment can improve the perception and handling of environmental risk.The research question we are trying to address in this research is: how is it possible to obtain a relevant and meaningful model out of this overview for the people who are supposed to us e it?A tool must be designed to allow for the encoding and representation of different levels of knowledge, including techniques supporting the processing of that knowledge based on given rules. pages/1253980611464 none The project comprises the following research activities:1. Perform research related to the analysis of data primarily from offshore use ofQP100ex. These data comprise the noise exposure and hearing development ingroups and on an individual level for wo rkers exposed to high noise levels.2. Strengthen the barriers to hearing loss by developing proactive and predictiveindicators for noise-induced hearing loss based on the extensive material that willbe collected.3. Study exposure levels and hearing de velopment of personnel performingespecially noisy operations, e.g. sandblasting, high pressure flushing and needlepicking.4. Study exposure levels and hearing development in other known high risk groupssuch as helideck personnel.5. Study the influenc e on hearing damage of other risk factors such as age, previousnoise induced hearing damage, high noise sensitivity, etc.6. Study changes in exposure level and hearing development as a result of specialnoise-reducing measures and actions.7. Study poss ible changes in hearing thresholds before and after the work intervals toassess differences in exposure between work, leisure and restitution.8. Study the degree of noise protection offered by the HPD under real workingconditions.9. Contribute to inte rnational meetings and congresses through publications pages/1253980611493 none Accidental hypothermia is always a potential threat to humans exposed to circumpolar environments. If not immediately rescued body core tp. of immersion hypothermia victims will eventually drop. As a consequence of muscular rigidity and mental confusion t hey are unable to swim or move properly at core tp. close to 33ºC. Below 28ºC cardiac arrest and thus cold ischemia takes place. Theoretically, global ischemia at low tp. is ameliorated by protective effects on organ survival by primarily reducing cellula r metabolism (Q10) and subsequently O2 demand. As an example; at 25ºC brain tissue will survive ischemia > 30 min in contrast to < 5 min at 37ºC. These beneficial effects of hypothermia to buy time with respect to organ survival during rescue have been do cumented in our case reports showing successful rewarming after immersion to core tp. to 13.7°C on admission following 3- 5hs continuous pre-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before hospital rewarming by use of heart-lung machine. This indicate s that in hypothermic patients, in essential contrast to normothermic patients, CPR provides sufficient organ O2 transport to prolong organ survival for 3-4hs. Our published data show that mechanisms facilitating O2 extraction are functioning during hypot hermia; during maintained spontaneous cardiac activity for 4h at 15ºC, despite a temperature dependent decrease in cardiac output (50%) and blood pressure (70%), we documented adequate O2 supply at these low tp. In addition to Q10 reduction, also dissolve d O2 content is increased at low tp. which will elevate blood O2 transport. Our established porcine accidental hypothermia model will be used in the present project and equipped with an automatic, hydraulic chest compression/ decompression CPR device. Thi s model is equipped to provide mandatory new data on organ (heart and brain) O2 consumption and metabolic function during CPR. Post mortem organ examination on molecular and morphologic patency will also be done. pages/1253980611662 none AbstractIn recent years, several experiments of various nanoparticles have been conducted for Improved/Enhanced Oil Recovery (IOR/EOR) by worldwide petroleum researchers. Most of them gave potential result to apply in full field case. In this paper, exp erimental study has been performed to evaluate oil recovery improvement using nanofluids injection onto several sandstone Berea cores. A hydrophilic silica nanoparticle with averages primary particle size 7 nm was used in this study. The synthetic brine 3 wt.% was made from sodium chloride (NaCl) and deionized water. This synthetic brine also used as diluents for nanoparticles.This study also investigated the effect of nanofluids concentration to permeability and porosity impairment. Hence, nanoparticles retention was extensively studied to explain that impairment includes analyses of pressure log-jamming, dynamic light scattering (DLS), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and visualization under Scanning electron microscope (SEM). As a result, na nofluids concentration 0.01 wt.% was chosen in our experiment to minimize impairment and make it applicable in full field scale.Compare with brine flooding as secondary recovery, nanofluids flooding has up to 7.85% higher oil recovery onto Berea cores. T he nanofluids flooding also reduced residual oil saturation from 2 to 13% of pore volume at the core scale. Once brine flooding is performed after nanofluids, it only gives 0.53% additional oil recovery. As tertiary recovery, nanofluids flooding only give s up to 1.6% additional oil recovery following brine flooding. The essential result from our experiments showed that nanofluids flooding have more potential in improving oil recovery as secondary recovery rather than tertiary recovery. pages/1253980611671 none The purpose of this project has been to investigate hydrate phase transition mechanisms and to implement kinetic simulation results from advanced theoretical simulations (Density Functional Theory, Phase Field Theory) into a reservoir simulator. The imple mentation is through simplified models based on the observed kinetically limiting factors from the advanced kinetic and non-equilibrium simulations. The reservoir simulation platform is a reactive transport code named RetrasoCodeBright(RCB) which has been extended at University of Bergen to become a high pressure CO2 storage simulator. Unlike treatment of hydrate in other reservoir simulators, the different hydrate phase transitions are treated as pseudo reactions and as such, dynamically reflect locally competing phase transitions. The main goal has been to bring the model up to a level that enables studies of possible hydrate exploitation scenarios (pressure reduction, CO2 injection). pages/1253980611689 none Investigations of particle dispersion and deposition have found numerous attentions in recent years due to their recognizable importance and applications in food, chemical, and oil industries, as well as in science. These particles diffusion in laminar an d turbulent flows depends on different parameters including the pipeline characteristics, the properties of solid and liquid, and finally the operating conditions. These dependencies raise the complexity of analyzing two-phase processes where flow include s solid particles, bubbles, or droplets. Although, one-phase processes have been studied theoretically, numerically, and experimentally, the description of these two phase processes requires much more experimental and numerical investigations.Regarding t o experimental views, Positron Emission Tomographi (PET) and Positron Emission Particle Tracking(PEPT) are relatively new nuclear imaging techniques for visualizing the image of the fundamental elements in the process experiments which make it possible t o track particles inside the two-phase flow. In this regard, much of pioneering works have been done by university of Birmangam and the Technical university of Delft.Recently university of Groningen and university of Bergen have conducted a series of exp eriments to track particles, to investigate the two-phase flow patterns, and to study particles transport mechanisms spatially and temporally using PET and PEPT technologies.In this work, we investigate numerically and experimentally the hydrodynamic beh avior of relatively coarse particles flowing through a horizontal straight pipe over an obstacle. To provide a highly accurate numerical assessment of two- phase flow, we apply Large Eddy Simulation (LES) using STAR-CD to solve particle-coupled differenti al equations, in which the particles dynamics and interactions are modelled using Lagrangian Newtons second law differential equations. To confirm the skill of coupled model results and to provide better underst pages/1253980695970 none The present project aims to further develop an already existing collaboration between the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Northeastern University in China. The objective is to develop the next generation of thermoelectric energy con verters for recovery of waste heat from the high temperature industry. We propose to introduce a new class of thermoelectric systems, using electrochemical symmetric cells, as we see a potential to increase the power production by an order of magnitude c ompared to state-of-the art semiconductor systems. The first task of is to search for candidate systems with large Seebeck coefficients. In the second part, we focus on system design and maximization of the power generated from the thermoelectric system. The aim is to propose a system as simple and robust as the semiconductor devices for use in the industry. Four professors in each country, all with contacts to the metallurgical industry, are committed to the plan, and will provide a fertile environment f or exchange of young coworkers and master students. pages/1253981136360 none The present project is a study of the relationship between dermal exposure to oil and diesel and skin cancer (melanoma and non-melanoma) in male offshore oil industry workers. The study will be conducted according to a case-cohort study-design and will ex plore the dose-related risks of skin cancers in different occupational groups of Norwegian offshore workers. Due to individual information on onshore work, ultra violet exposure, and on leisure time skin contact with oil and diesel, we will adjust the ris k of skin cancer from offshore work for potential confounding effects from exposure obtained elsewhere. Ten years of follow-up for cancer will most likely provide the study with sufficient statistical power, to determine whether the association between de rmal oil-exposure and skin cancers in Norwegian upstream offshore oil industry workers is statistically significant. To assure adequate competence on exposure assessment, the Cancer Registry study-group will be assisted by Professor in occupational hygi ene, Magne Bråtveit who is leading the Research Group for Occupational and Environmental Medicine at University of Bergen.There has been a growing concern about health effects from work in the offshore industry. Research directed at work conditions and potential health effects is of public utility and interest, especially as the petroleum sector is such an important employer in Norway. The proposed project will contribute to the knowledge on the relationship between chemical exposure and cancer risk. In turn, this can lead to improved monitoring of work conditions and better hazard control. The study will be published in an appropriate peer-reviewed scientific journal. pages/1253981136393 none Cultural institutions have the crucial goal of storing, managing and disseminating knowledgeabout our culture to a worldwide audience of people. Museums, libraries, archives and othervendors of cultural heritage information are currently in the process of exposing their data asLinked Open Data (LOD) to encourage reuse of this information in semantic aware serviceswhich utilize the synergy that can be achieved when combining and integrating complimentaryinformation resources. Linked Open Data is based on the the standards and formatsthat have been developed for the Semantic Web, but even though we have the technologicalframework, there are many challenges that must be solved to achieve true automatic integrationand interoperability between a potent ially very large number of loosely connectedinformation sources.The main objective of this project is to support the process of integration and alignmentof heterogeneous, but related information sources within the area of cultural heritage. Thisprojec t aims at proposing a novel communication protocol to support the process of semanticmappings in order to ease the interconnection between a large number of semantic dataproviders. The performance of this protocol will be evaluated and will be compared. The project includes partners from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and University of Lyon 1. pages/1253981136402 none Developing software is a complex task. In addition to this complexity, nowadays? world is driven by high expectations expressed by end-users in front of software. For example, Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) must be adaptable to different contexts (e.g., desktop, tablet), and the running system in itself must be highly customisable according to the user needs. To tackle these challenges, the Software Product Line (SPL) paradigm leverages methods and tools initially developed in the automotive industry to represent "family of products" by capturing the variability of a given domain. For example, like a car can be manufactured with 3 or 5 doors, a piece of software can be deployed with a desktop GUI or a mobile GUI. An interesting challenge is that software (contrarily to manufactured goods that suffer from physical restrictions) can actually be deployed with a desktop and a mobile GUI, triggering new research challenges in the software engineering field with regard to software and GUI composition.Our lon g-term goal is to establish a sustainable collaboration between the two participating laboratories. The objective of the proposed AURORA collaboration is to leverage tools, methods and case studies developed by the two partners in the SPL domain to bootst rap such a sustainable collaboration, for example with the submission of an EU proposal at the end of the AURORA contract. From a scientific point of view, the objective of this collaboration is to merge our research efforts into one single direction: "th e systematic use of SPLs to support the design and implementation of complex and variable pieces of software". pages/1253981136411 none The project considers the application of ensemble data assimilation techniques to the advanced Adaptive Optics (AO) of the E-ELT, the future largest telescope in the world. This is justified by the increasing complexity of AO systems and the need to corr ect high-dimensional AO systems for atmospheric turbulence. The classical Kalman Filter will soon become intractable in AO systems, which justifies the exploration of ensemble data assimilation techniques borrowed from the fields of geophysics and first i ntroduced at NERSC in Norway.By comparison to the classical Kalman Filter, the data assimilation techniques used at NERSC (the EnKF and its variant ETKF) have the two advantages of better scalability and robustness against non-linearities. They are prese ntly used for intensive real-time applications with the TOPAZ ocean forecasting system and make good candidates for improving the AO systems in the planned E-ELT. The project will fund regular visits of Morgan Gray to Norway and two travels from a scient ist at NERSC to meetings at LAM in France over the next two years to set up the assimilation, together with a PhD student (NN, starting Fall 2012) working on methodological developments of Iterative Ensemble Smoothers. pages/1253981136483 none The object of the present project is to investigate the relationship between the constrained control design methodologies and the theory of positive dynamical systems. The attractive feature of positive systems in automatic control is that it extrapolate s the understanding of simple first-order systems, which are positive systems. Further, an interesting control design problem is represented by the need to guarantee simultaneously the closed-loop stability and positivity of solutions under positive initi al conditions. Recently, the dual comparison principle provided design tools based on a description of sets in terms of a finite number of generator vectors. This approach offers a new perspective for the analysis and design of interconnected and/or state and control constrained dynamical systems. pages/1253981361573 none Stimulation of production and injection wells in carbonate reservoirs using an hydrochloric acid is a common practice to enhance flow towards the wellbore. There are two main types of carbonate acid treatment, fracture acidizing and matrix acidizing:-Aci d fracturing is obtained by injecting gelled fluids and acid into a carbonate formation at a pressure above the formation-fracturing pressure. -Matrix acidizing is performed when the stimulation fluid is pumped into the well at a pressure below the fract uring pressure. In this method acid penetrate into the porous rock. By dissolving the porous rock, conductive channels are created. These channels are known as wormholes. Wormholes increase the surface area between the porous media and the well, allowing fluid flux at lower energy consumption. This increases the drainage area of the porous rock and oil can flow easier.Wormholes are weakening the rock structure and the risk of breaking-down the formation increases. The changed stress level in the area wh ere the wormholes are formed influence the resulting achievement of the acid treatment. Simulation of the stimulation process and the stress analysis connected to it is a challenge in many respects. Wormhole structure and geometry can be quite complex an d modeling all details require extensive computing resources. The need for an approach that treats the subject efficient, but in line with the physics, is obvious. There are several approaches that can be imagined, but all are not equal with respect to time consumption and accuracy. A simulation system shall give an impression of the physical processes behavior and the interaction between them. The target of this study is to investigate the above subjects with emphasize on the industrial usefulness wi thin simulations. Equally important is the conformation between simulations and physical behavior with respect to fractures and wormhole formation and resulting stresses. pages/1253981620434 none The main objective of this project is to develop stable research co-operations with high level Chinese researchers and institutions. The project is based on the collaboration between Faculty of Architecture and Fine Art at NTNU and China that has been goi ng on continuously since 1989. The project aims at establishing a Joint Research Centre with our Chinese counterparts. Our application is based on the understanding that actual cooperation in research is the most productive way to enhance common understan ding, professional links and further research. The project relates directly to two themes for the RENERGI and CLIMIT programs: Energy efficiency: Buildings and industry and Climate friendly heating and cooling. At The Faculty of Architecture and Fine Art, NTNU, the project is linked to the research project "ZEB" (Zero Emission Buildings) and the work on "Sustainable Urban Development". The project, which is on buildings in SheXian County, Anhui province in China, is the first of several where NTNU will co operate with Tsing Hua University, Beijing (TH), and China Academy of Urban Planning and Design (CAUPD). The project is initiated by the local authorities in SheXian County and CAUPD in collaboration with NTNU and the subject is energy efficient up-gradin g of valuable historical dwellings in SheXian County, Anhui Province, China. The research project is part of a work intended to consist of three stages: 1: A preliminary elaboration that is funded by NTNU besides this NFR-project. 2: A research period, wh ich is this NFR-project, examining existing conditions and providing guidelines for energy efficient refurbishment and 3,to be applied for later: Further research on two issues. One is to pursue the research project from design-guidelines to actual archit ectural design and construction of pilot projects. The second is research widening the scope of energy efficient development from dwelling and neighborhood to village and landscape level. pages/1253981620486 none The goal of the proposed project is to deliver the Operating Agent function for a new task established under the IEA Hydrogen Implementing Agreement (IEA-HIA), Local hydrogen supply for vehicles. Overall goal for the new task is to provide an unbiased evaluation of the merits of the various pathways for local hydrogen supply. This will be achieved by creating an exclusive network of world wide suppliers of reformers and electrolysers as well as end-users to contribute in development, evaluation and ha rmonization of on-site production technologies and optimal use of feedstock. This to reduce production costs, improve system performance and enable mass production.Norway currently hosts two of the leading demonstration projects in Europe (HyNor and H2m oves). It is in the interest of Norwegian stakeholders engaged in the development of a hydrogen society, both on the supplier and end-user side, that such an initiative is successful as interaction across technology segments (i.e reformer, electrolysis) i s essential to enable harmonisation of technology. pages/1253981620504 none Planned activities include a) heading SP Transmission Networks, b) participation in the management of the EERA JP Smart Grids, c) dissemination of information and coordination with Norwegian entities. Heading Sub-Programme on Transmission Networks wi ll be done by Oddbjørn Gjerde.Participation in the management of the JP Smart Grids includes:-Participation in Steering Committee of EERA JP Smart Grids (Knut Samdal)-Participation in the Program Management Board of EERA JP Smart Grids (Knut Samdal) The activities above including dissemination involves cooperation with several Norwegian research entities; namely the SINTEF group as main participant in EERA JP Smart Grids, and NTNU as associate participant.Dissemination of information and coordina tion with Norwegian entities are given priority. This will in part be through dialogue with RCN, Norwegian experts within the research field and other stakeholders (e.g. OED, Energi21) via electronic media, telephone conferences and meetings. The activity will be aligned with activity in other relevant EU arenas such as TPSmartgrid, TPWind, EERA SP Offshore Wind, EERA JP Energy Storage, including interlinking with RCN representatives. Input to RCN's EU - newsletter will be done when relevant. pages/1253981620513 none Planned activities include a) participation in TPwind and b) dissemination of information and coordination with Norwegian entities. Participation in TPwind includes: - Participation in the Steering Committee (J.O.Tande)- Chairing Working Group 4 on of fshore wind energy technology ( J.O. Tande)- Participating in Working Group 3 on grid integration (M.Korpås)The specific expectations for the works of the WGs shall as minimum include the elements described below:-Finalize the 2013-2015 EWI Implement ation Plan;-Update the SRA/MDS (strategic research agenda); -Organization of 2 WG meetings (one in combination with the General Assembly in spring and 1 in combination with the TPWind energy event in autumn);-Organization of one additional yearly ev ent (e.g. workshop) focusing on the R&D issues targeted by the WG. This event will have to be organized by the WG autonomously. The WGs are further encouraged to identify additional objectives for their 2013 Work Plans, such as development of joint pape rs, implementation of joint R&D projects and so on.Dissemination of information and coordination with Norwegian entities are given priority. This will in part be through NOWITECH activities, including collaboration with NORCOWE and Arena industry cluste rs, and in part through dialogue with the RCN and other stakeholders (e.g. OED, Energi21) via electronic media, telephone conferences and meetings. A "shadow group" is suggested to be established with relevant representatives to ensure efficient communica tion. At least two open meetings will be arranged for presentation of EU opportunities and TP wind activities, which will be also announced trough RCN's EU-newsletters. Other information to RCN's EU - newsletters will be supplied at least once per year as an article.The activity will be aligned with activity in EERA JP wind and other relevant EU arenas, incl.interlinking with NRC representatives. J.O.Tande is heading the EERA sub-programme on offshore wind energy. pages/1253981789628 none SINTEF and NTNU are coordinators of SP3 Energy-efficient Interactive Buildings, and form part of the core group that created and launched the JP Smart Cities. Thanks to this position it has been possible to influence SP3 structure to mirror in the best po ssible manner that of the Norwegian FME-ZEB centre. Continuing our commitment as coordinators will keep us in an advantageous position for promoting Norwegian interests into the JP Smart Cities.For 2012 SINTEF and NTNU have been granted support from NFR (ref. 216454/RI) for establishment and strategic development of the JP Smart Cities. The activities connected with the actual coordination of the SP3 are of different nature, as explained in detail in the attachment; and so are the incurred costs, for wh ich we apply in this application.Activities at EU level - Two workshops per year - Continuous connection with SP participants and JP Management BoardActivities at National level- Two seminars for the shadow-group - Continuous co-ordination and com munication with Research Council of Norway- Information and feedback with electronic media pages/1253981789637 none This application relates to a 6 months visit to Stanford University, which is a part of my, Jon Olav Grepstad, doctoral work. My supervisors are Johannes Skaar at NTNU, Aasmund Sudbø at the University of Oslo, Ib-Rune at SINTEF and Olav Solgaard at Stanfo rd University.In my doctoral work, I have made a proof-of-principle sensor that demonstrates a novel method to detect single nano-particles. The current work has been published in a high-rank scientific journal, and at multiple international conferences and national workshops. I also got the chance to present my project as one of three finalists at the finishing seminar of NANOMAT 2011.The ultimate goal in my PhD is to make an advanced point-of-care diagnostic tool, which can analyze small human sampl es, typically a finger-prick sample of blood, to find relevant molecules that expose a patient's disease without having to use expensive and time-consuming techniques found in laboratories todays. Moreover, the aim is to substantially improve the sensitiv ity relative to current technologies, meaning diseases can be detected at an earlier stage than they can today. Generally speaking, there are multiple technical challenges in this project, involving micro-fluidics to make a compact and fast working syst em, and advanced surface chemistry to capture relevant biological molecules with localized selectivity. My doctoral work focuses on the transducer in the sensor, which involves the optical challenges related to how nano-particles can be detected when they have been immobilized at desired locations. The current sensor has detected particles down to ~50 nm in radius. Since relevant molecules typically are in the 5 nm range, the detection limit must be improved by a factor 10. This is what I hope to achiev e in collaboration with Olav Solgaard's research group during my visiting at Stanford. pages/1253981789763 none The aim of this mobility project is to study strategies of innovation, but with questions and methods developed from within STS. The empirical material that will be explored are innovation documents and strategies in aquaculture, with a particular focus o n the farmed development of new species, such as the Gadus Morhua (the Atlantic Cod) that has become the object of extensive and intensive innovation strategies in recent years.The project consists of three related dimensions: 1. Exploring ways of stu dying nature in its co-production with the economy - thus in my own words; practices of co-modification. In doing this one needs to go closer, aim a close and detailed readings, of the relevant empirical material. 2. Integral to the project is to study t ransformations by way of a close reading of innovation documents, including the scientific publications and research projects on aquaculture biology as well as aquaculture market research. The approach to the reading of texts however is strongly inspired with a practice-oriented approach in STS. Hence, texts will be studied as agents that take part in performing action and shaping the issues at stake.3.Policy documents and strategy plans constantly value and evaluate efforts to co-modify fish-biologies a nd fish-markets. What then are the relations, possible conflicts and tensions, between that which is being valued, seen to be good and valuable in a normative sense, and the making of economic value? And how does value and valuation processes in biology a nd in biological research go together with values and valuation practices in the market and in market research? pages/1253981789808 none This project is designed to help bridge the gap between the theoretical work being done at the Cardiac Modeling Group at Simula Research Laboratory with the clinical and experimental expertise at the Cardiac Biomechanics Laboratory from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). With this collaboration, we intend to combine our relative strengths to create advanced patient specific models of cardiac electromechanics in a clinically driven fashion. There are two main scientific aims to the pr oject. The first is to create a detailed electromechanical simulation of a patient suffering from arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) and to use this to test clinical aspects of vulnerability to arrhythmias. The second will be to use Simul a?s simulation tools and UCSF clinical data sets to create cardiac models of patients suffering from myocardial infarctions. These will be used in the travel period as well as after the research stay to study stress and cardiac remodeling. The resulting models will provide new insight into the mechanisms of heart failure and sudden cardiac death after an infarction. In addition to common scientific goals, this research stay is intended to directly benefit both the participants. The face-to-face time enabled by the grant will give UCSF training with our computational tools and input into its development cycle, intended to provide them with a powerful tool for their continued research, while Simula will gain recognition for the dissemination of its so ftware outside of Norway. Also, this research stay will give Simula the ability to shape clinical experiments along their own needs, bringing back specialty data sets that will be both useful in tuning existing mathematical models as well as developing t he next generation of tools for clinical simulation. pages/1253981789925 none Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is likely more common than previously thought. This project aims to address the challenge of understanding these complex disease processes through the use of patient-specific, image based, multi-scale models. Specifically, th e collaborative visit will concentrate on an ongoing project related to the modeling of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. In silico studies are well-suited to shed light onto the mechanisms that increase the vulnerability to arrhythmia in these patients. Joi nt patient-specific, multiscale modeling and simulation work between Simula and UCSD will focus on expanding this insight.The detailed research plan for the duration of the 3 month visit (to be approved at the host institution after the first week) will build upon models and simulations previously completed to address the above hypotheses. In essence, most collaborative modeling and simulation work pursuant to the above will be complete by the beginning of the research visit, and detailed, expert-level consultations will ensue at the visit's start. This will be followed by follow-up simulations, and the development of a manuscript centered around key results. Finally, the defined collaborative project team will jointly write a full manuscript aimed at p ublication in a top domain journal (as detailed below). Before the visit's conclusion, plans for continuing work and next steps will be finalized.In addition to the scientific and potential clinical contribution of the scientific components, the project will serve to further strengthen the research relationship between UCSD Bioengineering and Simula Computational Cardiac Modeling, increasing visibility of both Simula and the Center for Cardiological Innovation (SFI) and opening the possibility for futur e joint endeavors. pages/1253981923459 none Planned activities for the objective presented above include:a) heading SP Offshore wind energy, b) participation in the management of the EERA JP wind energy, c) dissemination of information and coordination with Norwegian entities. The activities i nclude cooperation with several Norwegian research entities; namely the SINTEF group as main participant in EERA JP wind, and NTNU and IFE as associate participants. Dissemination of information and coordination with Norwegian entities are given priorit y. This will in part be through NOWITECH activities, including collaboration with NORCOWE and Arena industry clusters, and in part through dialogue with the Research Council of Norway (RCN) and other stakeholders (e.g. OED, Energi21) via electronic media, telephone conferences and meetings. Input to RCN's EU - newsletter will be done when relevant.The activity will be aligned with activity in TPwind and other relevant EU arenas, including interlinking with RCN representatives. John Tande is chairing the TPwind group on offshore wind energy. SINTEF Energi AS is also involved in TPwind grids and EERA SmartGrids. pages/1253981923536 none Statoil's research center in Trondheim, in collaboration with SINTEF Materials and Chemistry among the most important institutions in Norway for studies of hydrocarbon-eating micro-organisms related to oil drilling, production and refining. SINTEF and Sta toil have together acquired much knowledge and experience related to what these microbes are, what properties they have and the communities they live in. There has been established a large strain collection of oil-eating micro-organisms isolated from a va riety of hydrocarbon sources. The opportunity has been created for a number of new inventions and useful technology that can increase profitability across the value chain of production of oil. NorChip AS, together with SINTEF (Mina Lab) and Vestfold Univ ersity College, is the most important institutions in Norway that can create and produce usable biological or chemical micro-and nano-system platforms. SINTEF (Mina Lab), Vestfold University College and the central German institutes (IMM and IMTEK), toget her with NorChip AS has developed important biological micro-and nano-systems that represents a key technology platform POCNAD that is under industrialization. The POCNAD technology is now oriented towards the accurate detection of at least 16 different R NA (mRNA, or microRNA 16SRNA) that is specific genotypic against any gene activity in bacteria or other organisms. POCNAD is now ready to be used by a doctoral candidate. Microrefining system and micro-optical devices have already been developed by Hive, Trilobite Microsystems AS and NorChip AS. Techni AS from Borre is an important player in terms of reducing cost and time until the finished products, in particular against the micro-and nanotechnology, and the Techni AS is responsible for developing a sam pler system that can be used to take samples from the fermentor/tank/seabed. ISentio AS has developed a complete software and database systems that will make the bioinformatics work available. pages/1253982381858 none Both internationally and at the NCS, there is a trend towards exploration and production in more challenging locations (i.e. deeper, marginal and more complex fields, deepwater and subsea operations, and more challenging wells) that result in an increase in technological complexity. This development also constitute the basis for substantial HSE challenges in the industry. In particular, technological complexity requires work process specialization, which again result in an increase in the amount of intero rganisational interaction and cooperation in offshore drilling and well activities. In spite of this, safety research in the petroleum industry has not yet been concerned with challenges related to interorganisational complexity. In order for the petrole um industry to be world leading in HSE work, knowledge generated from research addressing these issues is fundamental. Based on this acknowledgement, this project will analyse the potential for serious accidents in the complex interorganisational processe s in drilling and well activities. More specifically, we will analyse 1) how safety issues are related to formal and informal coordination of work in interorganisational systems (e.g. authority issues, process/work descriptions, standards, etc.); 2) condi tions for and safety effects of knowledge sharing within and between organisations; and 3) management and safety effects of interorganisational industrial relations. The research will contribute to new knowledge and new methods that can reduce risk and in crease resilience in the petroleum industry. It will also contribute to better understanding of the challenges of implementing regulatory standards and provisions in interorganisational constellations. pages/1253982381923 none Anaerobic biodegradation has environmental advantages compared with conventional methods for treatment of high strength waste water due to low energy demand, and because most of the energy in the waste water is converted to methane. The energy budget is p ositive; i.e., it produces energy. Anaerobic biodegradation can also be a more economical solution because the anaerobic process does not need supply of oxygen, has low sludge production, and has a low need for nutrients. Challenges with anaerobic treatm ent is that it is a complex process and is more sensitive than aerobic treatment to environmental and chemical factors. This is one of the main reasons why anaerobic treatment has not been widely applied. Challenges in this case may be that the waste wate r often contains sulfate and have a high salinity levels. Therefore, an important aspect in this project will be to identify the effect of these factors in the waste that may lead to process instability and operational problems. Strategies for controlling these compounds either by pretreatment or directly in the reactor are a major objective of the project. In addition, there are environmental and operational factors that influence the anaerobic process, such as alkalinity, pH, suspended solids, temperatu re, nutrients, retention time and organic loadings. These factors will also be evaluated in the project. There will be conducted a literature review, developed a mathematical model and performed a series of laboratory exsperiments. The results will be in terpreted in order to develop operational methods and test reactor configurations for anaerobic treatment of this type of industrial waste water. pages/1253982381932 none Small- and medium sized enterprises (SME) are currently in a challenging situation. On one hand, they are small, flexible and have low overhead costs compared to bigger enterprises. On the other hand, they are dependent on manual work force which makes th eir competitiveness dependent on the wage level ? which is significantly higher in Western Europe and USA compared to Eastern Europe and Asia. Due to the increasing requirements to productivity and EHS (Environment, Health and Safety), the SMEs have a hig h pressure to invest in industrial robot systems to reduce the wage costs which is a challenge due to their knowledge gap.One challenge for the SMEs is the considerable variation of products being produced. This is due to the increasing push on one-of-a- kind production to satisfy the delivery upon the customers? requests. This project is going to focus on the development of new robot technology for highly flexible man-robot solutions which both utilizes the flexibility of the human worker and the produc tivity on the industrial robot. There are already done significant research on this field However, these solutions have significant presumption; The operator has all the time to be careful to avoid being in conflict with the robot?s working area. By usin g a redundant robot (> 6 degrees of freedom), these limitations will be less significant because the redundant degrees of freedom can be used among others, to provide automatically avoid collision between the man and the robot. Thus, the operator can focu s his mental energy on the production, and thus, achieve higher productivity.This project will educate an Industrial PhD within this field, but in addition, provide new, industrial related technology. During the project, there will be developed an advanc ed laboratory for cognitive robot control applied in human - robot collaboration.The candidate, Audun Rønning Sanderud, will be imployed by PPM AS during the entire project. pages/1253983068329 none The aim of the IDEAS consortium is to develop long-term relations between the Norwegian photovoltaic (PV) community and strong internationally recognized partners in China, becoming recently an arena for remarkable acceleration of PV industries encouragin g more efforts on PV research and education. In order to explore collaboration, we identify ambitions but realistic objectives that are divided into educational, research and innovation issues, however, ultimately linked together for their successful impl ementation. Specifically, in average 30 MSc and 20 PhD students per year (in total on Norwegian and Chinese sites) will benefit from taking specific on-site short courses given by professors travelling in both directions covering both technical and entre preneurship issues . Further, we plan for MSc and PhD student travelling in both directions too for taking experimental courses. In order to reduce the cost, all distant travelling to courses given in Norway/China will be synchronized with the rest of the IDEAS activities, for example research training visits, annual workshop participation, staff exchange etc. In terms we target to go beyond state of the art in (i) pushing Si-based solar cell technology toward its ultimate performance and (ii) exploring n ew semiconductors and nanostructures for PV devices. The ultimate target is to prepare for the results uptake and moving the effort toward innovations providing foundation for a long term operation well beyond the first 3 years. Presently we may foresee similar (or even increased) volume of the project for the second step (2015-2020) of operation. pages/1253983068338 none FutureHydro will focus on hydropower and pumped hydrostorage development and their environmental impacts in the context of renewable energy expansion. In order to meet the growing demand of renewable electricity in China and Europe, extensive projects for developing hydropower and pumped hydro-storage to balance intermittent energy sources have been planned. In Norway, the use of existing reservoirs to balance the European intermittent energy sources is motivated by the strong development of intermittent renewable energy to meet the EU targets. However, hydropower and pumped hydro-storage may have negative impacts on the environment, such as modification of physical conditions and deterioration of existing eco-systems in storage reservoirs and downstream rivers. The project's objective is to develop and exchange scientific knowledge between Norway and China regarding the implementation of hydropower and pumped hydro-storage to balance intermittent energy sources. Emphasis will be put on stakeholder intera ction, establishment of long-term collaboration between Norwegian and Chinese partners and to create awareness about how hydropower can contribute to the optimal mix of renewable energies both in China and Norway. The main activities will be a review of t he current and future balancing power demand, the need of capacity of the Chinese hydropower to balance power in a system with continuous increasing electricity demand, and the extension of knowledge of pumped hydro storage utilization with a focus on env ironmental impacts in several case-studies. In parallel to these activities, FutureHydro will strive to encourage the exchange and the dissemination of knowledge by the organization of four seminars gathering students, teachers and researchers in two of t hem, and decision makers in academic, administrative and political positions as well as users in other the two. pages/1253983068375 none Within a period of three years, joint assessments shall be made aimed primarily at identifying, defining and carrying out specific research actions of common interest to further explore under a joint hallmark. Two topical areas form the framework for dev eloping and strengthening the institutional collaboration under this project: a)TA1: Thermophysical characterisationb)TA2: Advanced combustion technologiesDuring the initiating phase of the project, a priority list on specific topics of joint intere st within these areas will be established pursuant to a targeted methodology, referred to as collective intelligence. The rationale is that this approach will require proper personal involvement by key scientists, which is deemed necessary to benefit from the cultural disparities of the partners, and to create the necessary trust and ownership to common objectives and targets. The project will combine innovation, education and research subjected to structured forecasting techniques (Delphi or similar). I n this process, imaginable ways for closing the knowledge gap shall be addressed with emphasis placed on scientific and technological approaches. A selection of appropriate ideas shall be made and be further expanded to a level of precision that enables t he consortium to obtain the required public and private funding to pursue beyond the project, thus, spurring the partners to extend the institutional collaboration into new directions on a highest level of proficiency.Within each topical area, at least t wo new directions to explore will be defined. These directions shall all refer to a subset of scientific and techno-economic criteria responding (preferably) to future needs.Joint institutional research actions planned under this project shall survive th e project by at least three years, and inherently belong to subsequent projects pages/1253983068882 none The over all goal of the project is to develop new lignosulfonates for use in chemical admixtures for concrete and geopolymer concrete. Lignosulfonate is wiedly used as plasticizer (water reducing admixture) for concrete and it is the best performing plas tcizers for geopolymer concrete.The cement and concrete industry is moving towards less clinker and more fly ash (from coal fired power plants) and slag (from production of pig iron) in cement and concrete. Lignosulfonate is mainly interacting with the clinker component of the cement, making the concrete more workable and increasing the final strength of the hardened concrete. The limitation on dosage of lignosulfonate in concrete is given by the retardation of setting (transition from plastic to elasti c material) and the strength development. The goal of the project is to reduce or eliminate the retardation and improve the strength development.Geopolymer concrete is concrete made with slag or fly ash that is activated by alkali. A plasticizing admixt ure is needed to reduce the amount of mixing water and to make the geopolymer concrete workable. The performance of lignosulfonate is less than what the industry needs and there is room for improvement of the performance. This project will develop lignosu lfonates tailored for use in geopolymer concrete.Lignosulfonate is made from renewable raw material and provides CO2-saving of 14 kg per kg used in concrete. The motivation for reducing the amount of clinker in cement and concrete is to make concrete a more sustainable construction material. Geopolymer concrete has a much smaller carbon footprint than ordinary concrete. The use of lignosulfonate in concrete is sustainable and provides a cost-effective solution to the industry.The results of the projec t is expected to generate 65 000 MT of lignosulfonate sales from Borregaard within three years of concluding the project. pages/1253983068891 none Cellulose ethers, chemically modified cellulose to make water soluble polymers, are excellent thickeners, lubricants, suspension- and binding agents. This makes the cellulose ethers very useful in applications such as construction, paint, oil drilling, fo od, pharma and personal care. Important properties of the cellulose ethers such as viscosity and rheology are dependent on the properties of the cellulose starting material.Borregaard is one of the global leaders in the production of specialty cellulos e for manufacture of cellulose ethers. The aim of the project is to develop and commercialize new, innovative specialty cellulose products with extreme rheological properties not available on the market today. Laboratory based studies will be scaled up to production in the current process of Borregaard AS. Chemical modifications will be conducted in order to alter the chain length and shape of the cellulose.Development of analytical methods and application tests will be important to understand and improv e the development and production of the target products. pages/1253983068915 none The Exilva project focuses on development, manufacture and sales of Microfibrillated cellulose into various applications. The Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) is a new promising product based on a sustainable Norwegian raw material. The Borregaard scope i s to develop a full scale manufacturing facility. The project covers in detail the technical sides of development and evaluation of production methods, pilot plant and design of a commercial industrial plant in addition to pre-commercialisation steps. Mic rofibrillated cellulose is a product with global potential and Borregaard will focus on export to several regions and applications. The MFC product will open a new set of opportunities for Norwegian Export industry. pages/1253983383577 none The existence of trapped natural gas hydrate resources have proven sealing integrety since hydrates would otherwise have dissociated by contact with groundwater through contact in fractures and faults. Storing carbon dioxide in natural gas hydrate reservo irs therefore implies the double sealing of verified clay or cap-rock on top and a solid phase trap (hydrate) for the cabon dioxide molecules. The concept have been proven experimentally and theoretically during the last two decades. A succesful field tes t in Alaska proved that injection of a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen into a hydrate formation released in situ methane from hydrate during conversion of the injected carbon dioxide into mixed hydrate of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen. Even the very limited mapping of natural gas hydrates offshore Norway shows substantial quantities that can be used for hydrate storage of carbon dioxide. The released methane can be sampled and used in a combined carbon dioxide storage and methane production conceot, or the methane can be left to accumulate for later production. In either case the released methane is a value that will compensate for storage costs. A positive side effect is that the produce carbon dioxide hydrate (with some remains of methane) will be more stable than the original hydrate and thus less sensitive to possile future temperature increase and corresponding risks for rapid and catastrophic dissociation. Norwegian industry, with STATOIL as a locomotive, shows an increased interest in hydrate and projects like this can contribute to an increased interest in safe long terms storage and methane production from hydrate. Storing carbon dioxide in resrvoirs with regions where temperature and pressure makes hydrate possiblecan lead to addit ional sealing and can potentially repair leakage of carbon dioxide through fractures and holes. Hydrates in porous media are not thermodynamically stable and there are limits of acceptable dissociation rates. pages/1253983383601 none The key aspects of successful large-scale CO2 storage are evaluating the capacity of suitable storage sites and understanding the risk of injecting CO2 into large open systems. In the North Sea, many suitable saline aquifers have been identified in the ea stern provinces, ranging from the relatively shallow Utsira and Skade aquifer to the deeper Johansen and Cook Formations, each with enormous volumes of potential storage capacity for CO2. Estimating the practical or realistic storage capacity requires a f undamental understanding of how CO2 migrates and is eventually trapped in these aquifers over long timescales. By investigating the uncertainty in storage capacity and identifying important factors that affect this uncertainty, we can determine the optima l injection strategies to attain the maximum capacity possible for a given storage site. Primary objective:Development of a best practice manual for assessment of CO2 storage in sloping aquifers by numerical simulation. Secondary objectives:1. Compar e simulation tools on representative data sets for CO2 storage on the Norwegian Shelf.2. Quantify the uncertainty associated with different equations of state for relevant storage conditions.3. Quantify the effect of caprock topography for relevant CO2 storage data sets.4. Make a broad sensitivity study on the effects of boundary conditions and parameterization for CO2 storages.5. Include vertical cross-flow and pressure-induced geomechanical deformation in the vertical-equilibrium model and implement these effects in the in-house simulator.Challenges:1. Implementation of robust and reliable simulation code for large-scale and longtime CO2 storage in sloping aquifers. 2. Understanding of impact of uncertainties on storage capacities.3. Applicatio n of the simulation tools on relevant storage sites on the Norwegian ShelfApplication potential:Evaluation of capacity of relevant CO2 storage sites and open software for such evaluations. pages/1253983383610 none Long-term storage of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) in geological formations is viable due to at least four trapping modes: (1) Structural trapping - CO2 is trapped due to geological structure, low permeability cap rock and/or non-conductive faults; (2) Minera l trapping - dissolved carbonate species can react with ions and precipitate as minerals; (3) Residual phase trapping - CO2 as the non-wetting phase can be trapped by the capillary forces as isolated drops surrounded by brine; (4) Solubility trapping - if the brine is undersaturated with respect to CO2 a significant volume of CO2 will dissolve in to the brine and can only escape by diffusion, which is an extremely slow process. In heterogeneous formations another important mechanism for trapping injected scCO2 within the storage site could be capillary seals. This is because a "breakthrough" pressure (normally larger than the entry pressure) needs to be exceeded before scCO2 can migrate from the storage formation through a low permeability rock. Therefore , during the upward migration of the CO2 plume "mini basins" and pressure compartments of CO2 could be formed within the larger basin.In order to build good simulations models that can predict the long term behaviour of CO2 in sedimentary basins, data f rom lab experiments are needed as input. However, experiments are not always easy to perform and interpret. In this project we suggest to use both highly advanced pore scale models that include multiphase flow and geochemical reactions in realistic pore s pace combined with novel experimental techniques to obtain information about flow functions (capillary pressure and relative permeabilities) that are needed in the field scale simulations models. Furthermore, we will investigate the impact of the predicte d flow functions in a 3D in-house reservoir simulator on long term CO2 storage effects. The primary focus will be on heterogeneous media, where capillary entry pressure and hysteresis effects are very important. pages/1253983383756 none This project is driven by a need to improve fault-tolerance, safety and performance of vessel control, monitoring and advisory systems. Taking advantage of recent developments in low-cost Micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) based sensors, the approach i s sensor fusion that combines redundant inertial sensors with other redundant vessel state, motion and position sensors in order to achieve more accurate and reliable motion and position estimates. Meeting these objectives are essential for reaching perf ormance and availability targets, and is challenging on existing technologies, in particular at a cost level that can enable a wider usage of high quality position reference systems and motion sensors.Our vision is to develop novel architecture and algo rithms for integrating sensor data from various position reference systems and inertial sensors, to be able to provide motion and position measurements with better accuracy and reliability with less stringent requirements to each of the sensors. The solut ions will improve redundancy and failure handling, and use software algorithms to gain high quality information from data from lower grade sensors.These objectives will be met through research centered around the following 3 work packages:WP1: Optimal sensor fusion for marine vessels using redundant inertial and position sensorsWP2: Fault-tolerant sensor fusion by exploiting redundant inertial measurementsWP3: Full-scale validation, pilot installations, technology qualification, and demonstrations The project targets mainly MAROFF theme 2: Challenging safe maritime operations, although the technology also has benefits towards fuel efficiency, emissions and cost. pages/1253983383812 none In the coming years, significant reduction of emissions from maritime transportation will be required to fulfil national and international regulations, particularly for operation in costal and emission-sensitive areas. Successful application of battery s torage systems for zero-emission and plug-in-hybrid, battery-based, will require fast, safe and reliable power transfer from the onshore power system while the ship is docked. Especially for costal transportation, operating on a fixed schedule with short docking times, maximum utilization of the time available for charging will be important for reliable operation and effective utilization of the energy storage capacity. A possible solution to overcome the problems of conventional electrical connections f or high power battery charging in ship applications, could be to apply technology for wireless, inductive, power transfer. For addressing the challenges and limitations of existing solutions, the main idea behind this project is to develop the necessary technology for high power wireless, inductive charging of on-board battery storage in ship applications. This is possible due to the fast development of battery technology the resent years.Development of fast energy charging technology may be an enabler for battery technology as main propulsion power due to an economical battery sizing.In addition this solution may have the potential to serve as a future cold ironing technology.The project will be highly in line with the intensions of the Maritime 21 strategy and the priority area of efficient and environmental friendly energy utilization.The further demonstration of the technology for inductive charging will be organized as an extension of the ongoing "Folgefonn project ," and will be closely coordi nated with a project application to Transnova for large scale demonstration of the technology. pages/1253983383839 none The R&D project concerns the development of a technical concept that seeks to solve some of the main challenges facing the small scale LNG industry today. As stated in the research and innovation strategy report Maritim21, some of the core challenges are: - Too high investment cost for LNG terminals- Safety during LNG bunkering operations- Lack of availability for LNG - Limited space in/or near existing harborsTechnology associated with LNG distribution and use is stated as one of the five key resea rch areas for the Norwegian maritime industry towards 2020 (Maritim21). The Norwegian government aims to increase the distribution of natural gas in Norway, and therefore supports technology that seeks to accomplish this objective. This project will meet the aforementioned challenges by developing a cost-efficient system for in-shore LNG transfer between vessels and onshore terminals for bunkering and small scale LNG distribution, thus increasing the distribution and use of LNG. pages/1253983542298 none The proposed project focuses on processes that may facilitate or endanger large scale permanent storage of CO2 injected to enhance oil recovery in Norwegian oil producing chalk fields. Recent results based on interpretation of the geological record, theor y and nanoscale experiments have established a new, emerging understanding of the chemistry and mechanics of chalk: High porosity chalks are protected from reaction with reservoir fluids by a passivating organic material. The chalk may be activated by por e fluid changes or by fracture growth due to stress changes and become highly reactive. This may result in rapid compaction and complete collapse of the reservoir and escape of stored CO2. The project details how to develop new fundamental knowledge by co mbining experiments, geological observations and computer simulations. The research will explicitly treat the state of passivation of calcite surfaces in the chalk matrix and focus on the detailed micro and nanoscale mechanisms of deformation and fluid-ch alk reactions. The development and proper application of this new fundamental knowledge can facilitate self healing of the reservoir chalk and ensure permanent storage of hundreds of Mton of CO2. pages/1253983542307 none HyMemCOPI focuses on post-combustion CO2 capture, takes the advantages of polymer membranes (flexibility, processability and low cost) and makes a breakthrough improvement in the membrane properties for CO2 capture by integrating multifunctional nanosized particles in the polymer matrix. HyMemCOPI targets the main goals of the priority area of CLIMIT, i.e. to improve the cost and energy efficiency of CO2 capture and develop new generation CO2 capture technology with large potential improvements. SINTEF Ma terials and Chemistry and NTNU are the main partners and will collaborate closely with leading groups in USA and Germany. HyMemCOPI will take major steps toward bringing robust membrane technology for CO2 capture to power plants and industry. The project aims to gain understanding of the transport phenomena in hybrid membrane materials, considering the effect of multifunctional nanosized materials which will enable improved fabrication of low cost and high performance hybrid membranes for CO2 capture. SI NTEF will develop cost efficient synthesis of well-defined multifunctional nanomaterials for the fabrication of the novel hybrid membranes. NTNU and SINTEF will together investigate the integration of the nanomaterials into the polymer matrix and shape, m anufacture and test the membranes. One PhD candidate will be educated at NTNU. Personnel exchanges will be considered within the partners in Norway and abroad. pages/1253983542445 none The motivation for this project arises from the fast exploration of the arctic sea and the fact that Norwegian waters are the primary entrance to high north transport. Thus, the key decision and innovation must be made with the Norwegian maritime industry . Consequently, this project will develop the cutting-edge arctic ship design knowledge needed to ensure a competitive Norwegian maritime industry. The next 3 to 5 years will be crucial for competence building due to the strong worldwide interest in the a rctic sea. To ensure that the Norwegian maritime industry can be the most competitive stakeholder concerning arctic ship design, the following key competences need to be developed: consistent design methods for the arctic sea considering rare and unknown events; concise identification of the design relevant actions occurring during the ships life-cycle; safe and sustainable ship design for economic arctic transport as well as highly trained experts (PhDs) in the design departments to allow for cutting-edg e products with confidence.Therefore, the scope of this project is the development of a holistic risk-based design methodology for arctic ship design. By doing so, RISKAT will identify: the influence of service and accidental actions on the risk and safe ty level and related uncertainties; the design relevant features and their identification to ensure safe arctic transport during the entire ships life-cycle; a consistent link between the design relevant actions and the first principal based assessment of their effects as well as the identification of the most competitive ship design.As a result of this project any ship operating in and/or transiting through the arctic sea can be designed to the distinct safety requirement using the developed holistic ri sk-based design methodology. pages/1253983542638 none Extent of the project: The total amount of 140 man - months is expected from starting the specification work until complete product.The solution is planned to be developed and taken in use in 30 months with total budget of 2,255 mil. Euro.Mission; Impr ovement of quality of the end-users everyday life. The eCare@home focus on elderly people at home, helping them and their environment to communicate, prevent the negative effects of being alone, and providing the feeling of living a secure and a meaningf ul life when becoming older. Expected results: Promote and prolong possibilities for elderly with or without mental health problems to stay at home independently and improve their daily functioning; increase the care potential of their informal carers a nd professional careers.Commercialization: The consortium partners will develop partnership strategy in order to build up offensive and strong marketing approach with base in successful first round of installations in own countries.Unique: eMH has none known similar solution in the market, focusing on elderly citizen living at home with mental disorder. Strategy: For Hospital Organiser, the eCare@home solution will build on the company existing platform of competence and SW components in the field of s ervice at home, - strengthen the existing investments and focusing on the core group services.Other project partners: VU University in Amsterdam, Facility of Psychology.GGZinGeest in Amsterdam area is the far biggest treatment and research organization in the NL, in eMental Health with more than 2500 employees, ensure user demands specifications and professional testing . The Alloy, UK, design of Graphical User Interface, GUI. The intension is to meet the end user with extreme user-friendly interface. Alloy was chosen to be the creative company of the 2011 in UK.Mental helse is the Norwegian end user partner which will ensure that the eCH will meet the demands in Norway. pages/1253983663876 none English versionChanging boundary conditons with operations in deeper water and arctic areas, more extreme climate, and increased demand for energy and food supply from the oceans give new environmental, safety, functional, geographic and structural chall enges. Cutting-edge interdisciplinary research will provide the needed bridge to make sustainable autonomy a reality for ships and ocean structures, unmanned vehicles and marine operations, to meet the challenges related to greener and safer maritime tran sport, monitoring and surveillance of the seas and oceans, offshore renewable energy, and oil and gas exploration and production in deeper and Arctic waters. Ground-breaking research in autonomous marine operations and systems requires deep interdisciplin ary research. The main knowledge fields of AMOS are marine hydrodynamics, structural mechanics, guidance, navigation and sensor systems, and control and optimization. Autonomous marine operations and systems requires that mathematical models of hydrodyna mics and structural dynamics form the basis of the design, analysis and real-time operation of the automatic control and monitoring systems to account for structural flexibility and strong hydrodynamic non-linearities. In the application 8 research projec ts are presented. They will contribute to fill in the gap defined by 5 major research questions raised in the proposal for the first 5 years. AMOS will organize its research activities in a number of targeted research projects with well defined objectives , tasks and outcomes, to be executed in three phases - 3, 5 and 10 years perspective. AMOS will annually evaluate the different projects and redirect the research dynamically based on the findings and advises received from the scientific advisory board, u ser reference groups, and at internal and external workshops.Norwegian versionForskere ved AMOS vil jobbe mellom fagdisiplinene for å etablere et verdensledende forskningssenter på autonome marine operasjoner og systemer. AMOS vil bidra med fundamental og interdisiplinær kunnskap i hydrodynamikk, marine konstruksjoner, reguleringsteknikk og autonomitet. Forskningsresultatene vil bli brukt til å utvikle intelligente skip og havkonstruksjoner, autonome ubemannede fartøy (under, på og over vann) og robote r for høy presisjon og sikkerhetskritiske operasjoner i ekstreme områder. Dette er nødvendig for å møte utfordringene relatert til miljø og klima, sikker maritim transport, kartlegging og overvåkning av kystområdene, offshore fornybar energi, fiskeri og h avbruk samt Arktisk olje- og gassutvinning på dypt vann. pages/1253983663885 none This proposal describes a 4-year knowledge-building project with user-involvement that is supported by the FME BIGCCS. The proposed project builds upon the ongoing BIGCLC Phase II project managed by SINTEF Energi AS, also part of BIGCCS. The main aim of t his project is to bring the CLC technology to the next level of maturity by filling important knowledge gaps. A lot of research has been carried out over the last decade investigating costly oxygen carriers like nickel oxides, and doing tests in reactor s et-ups not industrially relevant. In addition, results from operation of realistic, optimized oxygen carriers is lacking in the literature. Work carried out in preceding projects (BIGCLC Phase I and II), have paved the ground for establishing SINTEF/NTNU as an internationally leading actor on the border of applied and fundamental CLC research. This is due to top-class research on materials science side (SINTEF Materials and Chemistry), that has resulted in patents and novel carrier formulations, and to wo rk done on the process side at SINTEF Energi and NTNU, as the innovative design and erection of a 150 kW rig based on industrial solutions. Combining this knowledge on reactor systems, materials technology and system simulations, the goal in BIGCLC Phase III is to enable CLC technology that deliver CO2 capture at low cost, high capture rate and low efficiency penalty. Leading technology providers have recently confirmed that CLC has become a true breakthrough CO2 capture technology. The need for more scie ntifically focused research in the field of oxygen carrier optimization in realistic environments is widely acknowledged. There is also a fundamental lack of understanding related to part of the particle behavior in the reactor systems. All these aspects will be focused in BIGCLC Phase III. International collaboration with Stanford in the US is one example of important scientific excellence that will be brought into the project. pages/1253983663894 none Membranes technology making use of robust and efficient ceramic mixed conducting (oxide ion, electron or proton, electron) membranes have the potential for significant cost reduction and higher efficiency of CCS in power production and industrial processe s. However, a number of critical challenges must be addressed to achieve breakthrough development in lifetime and performance of these membranes, as high flux is also accompanied by less desirable increasing cation mobility, which results in faster degrad ation rate. The SEALEM project aims at a radical improvement of lifetime and performance of ceramic membranes by developing ground-breaking self-healing ceramic membranes with high flux from increased surface kinetics and fast bulk diffusion. Self-healing membranes would allow cheaper production of membranes, major increase in lifetime, and reduced operational costs, as faults created upon operation or manufacturing would repair themselves. Two healing mechanisms termed Reaction Growth Repair and Chemical Creep Closure are IPRs of UiO and will be investigated in SEALEM. This is a pioneering work which builds on knowledge on cation diffusion. Model for lifetime prediction in SEALEM will be created from an integrated knowledge on surface kinetic, kinetic de mixing and chemical creep and stresses in membranes operating in a chemical potential gradient set by industrial applications using both theoretical and experimental approaches. This model will be used for robust assessment of membrane technology in power and industrial cycles in the project. SEALEM will further develop novel module designs with cold seals and internal heating of membranes. The project lasts 3 years and is led by UiO in collaboration with SINTEF and NTNU. It educates one PhD candidate and trains one post-doctoral researcher. pages/1253983821095 none Large-scale cultivation of seaweed (macro algae) for conversion into biofuels has recently attracted increased attention. In order to become competitive and thus be able to displace conventional fuel, biofuels from seaweed must be farmed at low cost in ve ry high quantities. The size of a commercial-scale seaweed farm is expected to be in the range of 5000ha (50km2) yielding annually around 1 millions of tons of wet biomass. Recent experience from breeding, seeding and cultivation tests bring along a new development priority, namely the major logistic challenge related to harvest and delivery of seaweed to the biorefinery. This project targets the main technical challenges related to the seaweed harvest and transport, both with respect to energy- and cost -efficient processes. Overcoming this challenge will remove one of the last barriers to mass scale cultivation of seaweed, enabling seaweed to make a sustainable and major contribution to the future energy mix.At present stage of development, the challe nge is divided into two distinct work paths:(i) The development and field demonstration of a mechanised harvest process for seaweed cultivation farms;(ii) A convincing and well-substantiated vision upon how harvest sequences, vessels and machines can be optimised for future commercial phases.Both these milestones have not been tackled to date on a global basis. This project builds up on ongoing SES projects and is a precedence with respect to providing a tangible and quantifiable proof of harvest me thods of seaweed. pages/1253983821203 none A major earthquake turns into a disaster when it affects an area with man-made structures that are vulnerable to the effects of the ground shaking caused by the earthquake. Today, there are many regions that has a vulnerable building stock under the threa t of a major earthquake every day. A lot of research is devoted to design of expensive, monumental buildings but we can save more lives by showing attention to basic principles that can be taken into account almost regardless of the size and budget of th e project. Identifying the vulnerabilities of the existing building stock, particularly in the developing countries, and providing simple solutions to these vulnerabilities remains one of the biggest challenges of the earthquake engineering community. Th e main objective of this project is to quantify the importance on various seismic vulnerabilities with respect to each other. Once the most significant vulnerability is identified, the effects of different remedies to decrease the effect of this particula r vulnerability will be investigated.This study will quantify the effects of certain structural deficiencies on the collapse probability to refine and improve the standard questionnaires for structural vulnerability assessment of buildings. The results will help earthquake engineers decide what to change in current and planned structures. It will be developed for areas with high seismic hazard, but I will investigate how the form can be adapted to Norwegian conditions which are characterized by mediocre seismic hazard.These objectives will help save lives and economic values during future earthquakes. pages/1253984007820 none A Joint Research Centre (JRC) Agreement in 'Sustainable Energy' was signed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and NTNU on 26 May 2010 in Shanghai. The agreement contains descriptions of SJTU's and NTNU's positions and activities in energy research, g oals, organization of the centre etc. Both SJTU and NTNU have developed substantial research and education activity over a broad specter of energy technologies. By teaming up together in this goal-oriented JRC with the common mission "Sufficient and clean energy for a sustainable and peaceful society" SJTU and NTNU will be in a considerable better position to contribute to bringing forward new solutions in key technology areas that will be important to the future.To achieve this, the following thematic research areas have been identified in the JRC agreement:1.Gas technology to support utilization of natural gas to substitute coal (LNG technology-Distributed CCHP)2.Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) to reduce emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases- Use of CO2 as working fluid3.Renewable Energy (solar, wind, ambient)4.Energy Use in Buildings/Zero Emission Buildings(energy efficiency)5.System Analysis and Optimization (how to combine different technologies in the right way. Regional energy planning )SJTU and NTNU have started four joint research projects in which totally eight PhD students from both universities are recruited. For each project there will be a pair of PhD students and supervisors from both universities. An important issue is to hav e exchange of the PhD students between the universities, as described in 'Fundings'.In addition, both institutions have cooperated on and completed a draft for a 'Double-Degree Master in Sustainable Energy'. This includes awards of MSc degree from both institutions after completion of the study, which lasts for 5,5 years. Both SJTU and NTNU have decided to realize this programme and start by student exchange and project affiliation in fall semester 2013 pages/1253984008445 none Alkanolamine base solvents for post combustion CO2 capture has two main drawbacks: Firstly the high energy requirement for alkanolamine regeneration, and secondly the low thermochemical stability leading to high amine consumption and subsequent waste depo sition. An alternative type of solvent based on water soluble metal-organic complexes that are able to sorb CO2 reversibly might be an attractive alternative. Initial results have shown that specific complexes can bind CO2 at ambient temperatures and that CO2 can be reversibly released already at 80 ºC. The main objective of the present project is therefore to evaluate this type of solvents further and make a real comparison with state-of art alkanolamine base technology. The research part will be carried out within the SINTEF foundation coupling metal-organic competence in the Department for Process Chemistry with the competence on the development of CO2 capture processes using alkanolamine solutions in the Department for Process Technology. Together the two groups cover the needed expertise. In addition, industry relevance will be ensured by the participation of Statoil. pages/1253984008549 none The main objective of the present project is to provide software tools which will make transition to the Danish seine fishing method easier and enable design of more optimized fishing gears of this type. There is a growing interest to adapt this fishing m ethod as an alternative to bottom trawling in some situations, because it is more fuel efficient, provides less impact on the seabed and leads to higher fish quality in the catch.The access to such tools will promote more environmental friendly fishing methods and it will put Norwegian fishing industry in the forefront regarding design and operation of Danish seine. It should also put Norwegian scientists in the forefront regarding development and use of computer simulation based methods for development and analysis of active fishing gears.The project will run for three years (2013-2015). The research work will be divided between development of simulation models, development of software tools and verification of tools and models. The most critical research tasks are found within the model development. In particular, there are unsolved challenges within the selection properties of net structures, computational efficient methods for modelling interactions between net structures and the surrounding fl uid. Also the structural modelling of the net structure, possibly using a compliant variation of the Baumgarte method poses a particular challenge.The most challenging development tasks will probably be within integration against sources of environmenta l information as well as creating user interfaces suitable to the needs of the different user groups.The research team will be mainly SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture (SFH) and the University of Tromsø. But additional international expertise will be pro vied through an expert workshop. Industry will be involved through workshops. pages/1253984008618 none The RISKOP project will target the identification and management of risk factors in IMR (Inspection, maintenance and repair of subsea installations) operations, anchor handling and lifting operations offshore. Such operations carry potentials for both maj or and minor accidents. The project will study both types of accidents but the main focus will be to study everyday activities, behaviour and decisions that contribute to a successful operation. Our partners represent companies covering the total chain of activities within the actual operations; oil companies, drilling company, offshore shipping companies, training and course providers, simulator centre and producer. Our researhers comes from highly recognised Norwegian, European and American Universi ties and are personally highly recognised. The team cover several expertieses. The 20 researchers represent in total 286 research years of experience, have produced 554 articles and have a total of 432 years of experience.The project consists of five wo rk packages, with the first three covering the three types of operations, number four will study the relations between vessels/rig and shore offices and the impact of risk factors. The fifth WP will study and design the most efficient and effective traini ng programs to be tested in simlulators, in the company training programs and the maritime, tecnical and management education at the University College (HSH).We will use a combination of observational methods and in-dept interviews combined with focus g roup discussions onboard and onshore to develop the understanding of risk factors and how they are managed. This will be supplemented by quantitative questionnaires to map especially the relations between sea and shore.We will develop a design for onboa rd discussions and learning from identified risk factors and situations and effective ways to familiarise the crew to awareness. The project will cover a period of four years and be managed by HSH. pages/1253984008647 none Fierce global competition in shipbuilding requires excellence in innovation, design and manufacturing. Strong market fluctuations and operations in a high cost environment increase these challenges. For customized and capital-intensive products such as of fshore ships, companies must develop their ability to provide unique sustainable solutions at acceptable cost. This project aims to exploit innovations from mass production, such as automation, modularization, lean production and ICT integration, to ach ieve sustainable and life-cycle-oriented ship production. The overall objective of SURF is therefore to develop knowledge, methodology and life-cycle decision support for sustainable production of highly specialized and capital-intensive offshore ships in an uncertain, fluctuating market. This will be realized by means of the following sub-objectives: (1) Continually monitor and analyze market trends and fluctuations and their impact on design, manufacturing, the supply chain and network. (2) Realize nex t generation, sustainable ship production that ensure both high environmental and economical performance. (3) Analyze and guide the route to sustainable shipbuilding by applying analytical tools and life cycle management practices. The SURF project brin gs together industry partners from all phases of ship production and experts within the scientific fields of production management and life cycle management in order to ensure the Norwegian offshore industry's worldwide leading position in the future in a sustainable manner. pages/1253984008925 none To date, full-scale vertical axis turbine concepts have not been used for hydrodynamic applications, and all test concepts have fixed static wing profiles. A novel vertical axis turbine has been designed, with flexible double cambered profiles and pivot a nd spring arrangements that enable a passive pitching action and profile flopping motions, similar to movements in aquatic creatures. A full-scale pilot turbine has been tested in a controlled river environment in Norway, demonstrating self-starting capac ity at low water speeds, high efficiency (up to 37%), and reduced torque vibration resulting in good mechanical fatigue characteristics.The most critical R&D challenges for the development of this type of turbine include design and profile and turbine te sting that can be based on in-silico analytical tools to assess accurately turbine performance and dynamic forces. This is important in particular with respect to addressing rotational rippling effects and mechanical fatigue in all constructional elements . The study will therefor evaluate several theoretical analytical models and concluded and developed an accurate model to be used for calculating hydrodynamic performance and instant forces as a function of the azimuth angel. Hydrodynamic performance of Darrieus type vertical axis turbines depends on their solidity, tip speed ratio, and profile. For the tested flexible profile vertical axis pilot turbine, increasing incoming water flow (0.79, 1.18, 1.55 m/s) was correlated with a slight increase in th e turbine RPM (3.7, 4.2, 4.7) and a decrease in the TSR (2.21, 1.68, 1.4) and efficiency (37, 25, 20%). These aspect versus the spring loaded pivoting flexible profile feature should be described and analysed.Concept field developments for river and ti dal application will be described and cost estimated in the study The results of this project are expected to facilitate commercialization of this turbine for river, tidal, and ocean current applications. pages/1253984009045 none Transporting goods by sea is the most energy efficient solution, but international marine fleet is nonetheless amounting to 3-5% of total global CO2 emissions. As of today, there are a limited number of alternatives to using fossil energy sources for mari ne propulsion. The cost of emitting greenhouse gases for ships will likely increase in coming years.Battery and fuel cell technologies are approaching commercial applications in cars, buses and other land vehicles. These technologies can enable clean power and propulsion for marine applications. Batteries and hydrogen fed fuel cells are well suited for smaller distances where infrastructure is available. For longer distances, other technologies based on liquid or liquefied fuel are required. HTPEM tec hnology has reached a maturity level that enables its near term commercial use in marine transport applications, providing systems with high efficiency and lower fuel costs.The main objective of the project is to develop power and propulsion system for ships with very high efficiency exceeding 60% and low emissions that use local renewable resources as fuel. The project further aims to enable near term commercial use of such systems in marine applications and develop a plan for introduction of the best renewable resource chain. The project will combine the ideas from REMKOF and BioHTPEM projects, novel HTPEM technology from Advent, patented Prototech reformer technology and expertise of both Statoil and the largest HTPEM FC manufacturer in Europe Sere nergy to create and demonstrate a superior marine power and propulsion system. The focus will be on increasing system efficiency and using renewable fuels. The project will link with national and international research groups and companies to make a brea kthrough on the market of marine APU / propulsion systems. pages/1253984009126 none The proposed project aims to develop decision support software that will aid the crew on board purse seiners in improving the energy efficiency of their fishing operations. The suggestions made by the software will be based on statistical and model-based calculations. Such calculations require input in the form of of sensor data collected from a multitude of machinery components and systems on board the vessel. Today, such sensor data is often not available, either because the equipment is not sufficientl y instrumented or because the data is limited to use in the components' own control and monitoring systems. Components that do communicate operational data do so using a plethora of different, often proprietary, protocols, formats and interfaces. An integ ral part of this project will therefore be to develop a generic hardware and software infrastructure capable of collecting and distributing data from systems across the ship and making them available in a standardised manner. pages/1253984009432 none 1. CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS: 1) Support older adults to manage Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) to prolong independent living at home by using smart devices to support location- or object-relevant content delivery, e.g., video clips. 2) Supp ort formal and informal carers to produce, share and distribute care experience and knowledge content through social network and rich interactions. 3) Provide personalised and intuitive user interfaces to secure accessibility for all, templates and tools to facilitate video clip production and deployment for carers, and guidelines and supporting materials for PIA system deployment.2. TARGET GROUPS: Primary end-users: older adults living at home. Secondary end-users: informal and/or formal carers. 3. TEC HNOLOGY: sensing technologies, e.g., NFC; smart devices, e.g., smart phones or tablets; knowledge-based, decision support system; online social networking and content sharing; content production, management and personalisation. 4. BUSINESS MODEL: The PIA system and generic knowledge content will be made available over the Internet, e.g. as an "app" and a knowledge repository respectively. The PIA service provider licenses the PIA system to end-users through a subscription (starting fee plus payas-you-go) . End-users with installed sensors and internet connection can then use PIA services via smart devices at home. Personalised knowledge content can be generated by informal carers and stored locally in the smart device, and used by the specific user. The P IA system can also integrate technically and organizationally with professional, either public or private, care administration systems to support new care delivery models. 5. END USER PARTICIPATION: End-users in focus groups will participate throughout t he project, from user requirements, technology and/or system testing, to field trials and assessment of IADL support, carers stress and QoL. Ethical issues have a prominent role through a dedicated WP. pages/1253984215235 none HVDC cables with extruded insulation are attractive being less complicated to manufacture, install and repair compared to the traditional mass-impregnated cables. The design and manufacturing of reliable HVDC accessories is among the critical challenges t o be overcome. In this project material characterization and numerical simulations will provide the foundation for choosing candidate designs and materials. Scaled models and full size prototypes will be tested to validate these designs. The project will provide essential knowledge and criteria to design the future HVDC accessories at the highest system voltages. In this work, financial support from the Norwegian Research Council is essential to establish fruitful co-operation between a Norwegian cable pr oducer, The Norwegian TSO, relevant Norwegian research institute and the university which will result in the development of the future offshore power grid.The main purpose of this project is to provide essential knowledge to the on-going development of reliable and cost effective accessories for polymeric insulated subsea HVDC cable systems for voltages up to 600 kV. Such accessories are not mature today and needs to be developed further in order to make polymer insulated, extruded HVDC cables applica ble for the future power grid. Manufacturing of high quality joints and terminations are essential to give the Norwegian power cable industry dominant leading position in this strategic market. The project will focus on the design criteria for HVDC access ories, thus creating a technical basis for designing HVDC cable systems for even higher voltages in the future. pages/1253984215267 none The aim of this project is to improve the wind farm performance in the operational phase by accurate predictions of wind turbine production and loading. Accurate wind characteristics on the turbine scale is the key challange, it will be determined by inte grating mesoscale and microscale models.Recent improvements in both mesoscale meteorological models and microscale models based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) make a tighter integration possible. The improvements includes better description of th e flow stratification and turbulence, along with better compatibility of the boundary conditions - the difference in scales between meso and micro models has simply been reduced during the years.In a forecast situation the accuracy of a CFD simulation w ill heavily depend on the input from the mesoscale. In areas with complex terrain the accuracy is expected to be of a poor quality. In such cases it is necessary to recognize the salient processes underling the forecast error and improve the accuracy of t he mesoscale model before running the microscale fluid dynamics model.To further improve on the accuracy machine learning techniques will be used. A new mesoscale-microscale coupling model is proposed: trained on historical observations, the model uses mesoscale forecast output to issue a high quality site-specific forecast which will be used to scale the CFD modelling of the flow at the site.The outcome will be wind farm simulations more representative of local terrain conditions than usual idealized problems considering a wider range of stratification regimes and their individual effects accounted for in wind farm optimization procedures. pages/1253984215285 none The ESiP goal is to obtain 5% more energy efficient silicon production by developing and applying an operating support system for silicon furnace operation. Presently, a silicon yield of 80% is typical; meaning that 20% of the silicon is lost in the off g as from the furnace. Energy cost is one of the main cost elements in silicon production, accounting for around 1/3 of the overall production costs. Increasing the silicon yield from 80% to 85% will lower the specific energy consumption from around 12.0 to 11.4 MWh/t. The development of this operating support system is based on three major activities:1) Increase the process information from a silicon furnace charge surface by implementing new systems for measuring surface temperatures, charge mix topogra phy and off gas chemical composition. 2) Performing high-temperature (>2000°C) lab-scale and pilot experiments to gain increased knowledge about material and energy flows in a silicon furnace and investigate the chemical reaction kinetics. The main resul ts will be kinetic data for process reactions, new understanding of how raw material properties affect process reactions and the coupling between reactions and energy distribution and how this will affect the silicon yield.3) Developing an operating supp ort system based on a simulation model of a silicon furnace developed from physical principles and adapted to industrial use by continuous testing and modification on an industrial furnace in parallel with the model development. The model will use process information from the new charge surface measurements and new process knowledge gained from the experimental work. The user interface will be developed in close cooperation with process operators and engineers. By combining model information with online m easurements, improved furnace control strategies and raw material optimization, the hypothesis is that the silicon loss can be reduced considerably, resulting in a more energy efficient production of silicon. pages/1253984215294 none Over the past five years Dr.techn.Olav Olsen AS (OO) have developed foundation solutions for offshore wind, bottom fixed and floating. As the market for bottom fixed solutions have grown rapidly, floating wind is relatively new and the number of publicly known floating solutions is limited. The need for innovative and cost effective floating solutions is emerging in countries with lack of shallow waters. OO believes that a concrete floating solution will be very competitive due to the nature of offshore wind which require foundations with long design life and not sensitive to fatigue.In response to this OO has over the last year developed a concrete semisubmersible floater with the following characteristics:-simple construction-structurally robust- can be designed for harsh water-can support large turbines-long design life, no maintenance-completion (including WTG) in shallow water alongside a quay-simple operationOO and IFE want to document the feasibility and advantages with such a solution through this proposed R&D project, split in two phases:1.Feasibility study2.Basic EngineeringThe aim of the project is to achieve the following:-Document feasibility and competitiveness of this new concept compared to existing solutions-Develop a fo undation technology which will be perfect for Norwegian waters and which can also be exported to other deepwater areas worldwide-Optimize the concept based on use of the Norwegian developed analysis and simulation tool 3DFloat (developed by UFE), specifi cally made for floating offshore wind-Design the concrete floater based on the most advanced design software for offshore concrete structures, Shelldesign (developed by OO). This software is today the only code checking program which allow for non-linear design with stiffness reductions due to cracking and corresponding stress distributions-To engage Master students in a number of master thesis over the next two years, related to structural and marine issues pages/1253984215303 none MemfoACT AS is a Norwegian company formed in 2008 which produces an efficient, compact and sustainable system for biogas upgrading to fuel quality bio-methane based on hollow fibre carbon membranes. This pioneering technology aims to make the production of fuel economically attractive even for small and medium sized biogas plants. The motivation behind this project is that MemfoACT with its full scale pilot installation have experienced a significant drop in productivity of the modules over time due to a ging of the carbon membrane. While MemfoACT's membranes have demonstrated excellent initial performance for the upgrading of biogas to bio-methane, a significant loss in the performance has been observed over time. Therefore, it is essential that MemfoACT introduce methods for extending the life time of their carbon membranes if the product is to be competitive in the biogas market. The underlying idea of this project is to increase the life-time, performance and hence competitiveness of the membranes mo dules. This will be done through two steps which will allow the membrane module to function at higher temperatures and facilitate regeneration of the membranes in the modules after extended periods of operation. This will be realised by the integration of a new conducting sealing material which can tolerate operating temperatures over 100°C and secondly by the development of a regeneration technique such as thermal, electrical or chemical regeneration. This project will be a collaboration between Memf oAct AS as the main applicant ,with SINTEF Materials and Chemistry and NTNU as R&D partners. SINTEF has extensive experience in the fields of sealing materials (Dr. Ove Paulsen), membranes and electrochemistry (Dr. Edel Sheridan) . Ass. Prof. Fride Vullu m-Bruer who will supervise a post-doc on this project at at NTNU has very relevant experience from work with sold oxide fuel cells (SOFC), gas separation membranes and carbon materials. pages/1253984215312 none Mechanical degradation of polymers is a well known technical problem in the industry. From the analysis it appears that the highest shearing device would be the well head chokes. As much as 50% in viscosity loss is due to shearing conditions of the choke. Typhonix aims to design a new process system for polymer injection, which reduces the loss in viscosity due to mechanical degradation of the polymers. We will focus on optimizing our low shear technology for this purpose and thus minimizing the damage ca used by traditional process equipment like valves, pumps, mixers and other shearing devices. Generic simulations show that if applying the Typhoon low shear technology leads to a doubling of the effective viscosity, the potential for increased recovery fo r a given reservoir could be as much as 7%. The main activity will be to run comparative experiments in TOTAL's test loop in France with new geometries/designs of valves, pumps, and other process units. The effect on degradation by the new technical solu tions will be compared directly with the effect of the industry standard of today in terms of differences in loss of viscosity. Tests will be run with different flow rates, pressure drop and polymer solutions. Fluid flow samples will be taken before and after the device being tested. The samples will be subject to rheological analyses and the viscosity of the solution before the device and after the solution has been subjected to the shearing forces in the device, will be measured. It will be a serious r esearch challenge to establish a good control of the process variables in a polymer test loop with long chained polyacrylamide molecules. Development of sampling methodology will be critical.A new low shear process for EOR polymer flooding has a potentia l of doubling the effective viscosity and thus increasing the oil recovery rate with 7 percentage points, which would represent a "quantum leap" within EOR/IOR. pages/1253984215326 none This project aims to widen the range of possible applications of multiscale technology by providing significant speedup of traditional reservoir engineering workflows and enabling the use of reservoir simulation in new workflows in which one currently mus t resort to proxy models or empirical correlations. Multiscale technology has the potential to provide fast computation of approximate, but representative flow solutions that can be used to verify parameter and model choices early in the reservoir charact erization process. To achieve this, the project will address the following research challenges: (1) Develop multiscale methods that are flexible with respect to the size and shape of coarse and fine grid blocks. Develop suitably prescribed boundary condit ions on interfaces of irregularly-shaped coarse blocks, coarse-grid operators that produce high quality coarse-scale solutions, as well as fast converging iterative schemes for coupled pressure and transport. (2) Construct algorithms for automatic coarsen ing of complex models that adapt to important features such as wells, short-range and long-range geological heterogeneity, and faults. (3) Investigate concurrency of multiscale methods and develop prototype implementations that fully utilize multi-core an d many-core hardware to scale well on current and future hardware architectures. (4) Provide proof-of-concept prototypes of workflows that utilize variable-fidelity multiscale simulation to improve reservoir characterization, uncertainty quantification, a nd production optimization. For Schlumberger and its customers, the main benefit from the project will be improved performance in simulation software available for the Petrel platform. In a wider perspective, the power and flexibility of the multiscale f ramework can provide easy-to-use simulation-based workflows across many domains. Rapid deployment in the INTERSECT simulator on the Petrel platform give the proposed innovation a short time-to-market. pages/1253984215335 none The present project aims to supplement two large on-going research projects on Smart Grids in Norway, Demo Steinkjer and Smart Energi Hvaler. Complementary data and results will be collected by monitoring the electricity use in 40 passive houses of which 37 will produce electricity with solar cells. The houses are located at Skarpnes in Arendal and will be built by Skanska. Norwegian authorities plan to introduce the passive house standard as a requirement for new buildings from 2015. To be able to dime nsion the electricity grid in areas dominated by passive houses it is necessary to learn how load profiles in passive houses differ from those of traditional houses. In 2020 the building regulations might be even stricter, as there are plans to introduce zero energy buildings as a requirement for new residential buildings from this year. This will enhance the need for new modeling tools for grid planning, tools that must take into account the electricity production from distributed electricity generation as well as new load profiles.By the end of 2016 the plan is that all electricity consumers must have installed meters registering their electricity consumption every 15 minutes. Seen in combination with the above mentioned changes in energy performance of new houses, this outlines a future with new opportunities and challenges for the grid operators.In the research project "Electricity usage in Smart Village Skarpnes" data from smart electricity meters will be used to monitor load profiles and electri city production in the new passive and zero energy houses at Skarpnes as well as the production from the PV-systems. The site offers a unique opportunity to study a larger number of buildings to prepare for the future, and the project aim to harvest exper ience and data that can be used to plan the future electricity grid. Expansions and up-grades of the electricity grid are expensive, and careful and accurate planning will be of great value for the grid operators. pages/1253984215349 none The Offshore Pumped-Storage (OPS) system is a patent-pending(Subhydro) concept for a utility-scale electricity storage solution. The concept involves a subsea installation of man-made reservoirs for the generation and storage of electric energy through a pump turbine - generator unit. OPS is a safe and environmentally friendly energy storage for coastal regions and islands and offers a matchless solution for offshore oil & gas platforms. OPS enables the use of more variable energy sources such as wind, ti dal and solar power. OPS has a global potential to reduce dependency on fossil fuel power generation and on capital intensive grid connections to remote locations pages/1253984215394 none See attached revision for 2013 onlyToday, about 60 percent of the primary energy production is never utilized. Most of this energy is rejected as waste heat, the electricity generation sector being the largest contributor closely followed by the transp ortation sector and industry. As an example, more than 60 percent of the energy that goes into an automotive combustion cycle is lost, primarily to waste heat through the exhaust or radiator system.Thermoelectricity is a promising source of electric pow er, thanks to its ability to locally scavenge energy by converting a heat flow into electricity when placing a thermoelectric device in a persistent thermal gradient. Even with a modest conversion yield, this would have huge benefits. As a consequence, ma ny applications are being imagined for local energy production by the thermoelectric effect thanks to local heat leakages. Examples are exhaust heat recovery in cars and trucks, waste heat recovery in land based industry, waste heat recovery in off-shore industry and on ships and power generation in aeronautic and space applications.TEGma AS is a new company, established by Scatec AS in 2012. The business idea of TEGma is to produce high temperature thermoelectric materials of high efficiency and by thi s to bring a new generation of thermoelectric generators to the market. Through this project, TEGma aims to develop a industrially scaleable process for production of thermoelectric materials to the new emerging waste heat recovery technologies within aut omotive and process industry.TEGma's team with expertise in the field of industrial development in the relevant technological fields will cooperate with Sintef and the University of Agder as research partners in the project. The project will also collab orate with other national and foreign research institutions as University of Oslo (Dept. of Chemistry) and German Aerospace Center in Cologne. pages/1253984215413 none The project aims to develop, build and demonstrate a full scale active heave compensated offshore crane, based on using fibre rope as substitute for steelwire as the main lifting line. The objectives are to be able to utilize the advantages from light wei ght fibre ropes compared to heavy weight steelwires. This will lead to reduced size and weight of crane structures and winches, and may also have substantial impact on the vessel design. Subsea field developments are increasing in numbers and water depths . The self-weight of wire increases as a function of water depth, due to the fact that the wire needs to carry its own weight in addition to the subsea module payload. Hence, the size of cranes, winches and vessels are increasing in size, weight and cost. If the vessel grows in size, this also means higher fuel consumption and emissions. It is not possible to exchange the wire by fibre rope directly. The project comprises several separate R&D initiatives, which all represents important input to the develo pment. These are typically; development and downscaled testing of winch-spooling-pattern and methods, brake-unit development to secure sufficient spooling tension and the Hoop stress tests on winch drums (University of Clausthal). Finally, all these separ ate parts from individual R&D projects must be incorporated into one combined solution, which is planned to be tested in full scale from an offshore vessel and approved by DnV (certification body) in accordance with the new standard for certification of U nderwater Deployment & Recovery Systems, DNV-OS-E407, to be released in October 2012. This is the first standard that covers certification of fiber rope systems and is based on the process of qualification of new technology DNV-RP-A203. This project will probably be the first fiber rope system to be qualified and certified according to this new standard, thus this project can be considered a pilot project for this purpose, and DNV is a partner of the project. pages/1253984356167 none Elkem Solar produces a silicon feedstock material dedicated for use in the solar cell industry, Elkem Solar Silicon®, ESSTM , by a unique, proprietary low cost production method. This material has repeatedly been shown to be compatible with the manufactur e of efficient solar modules. Recently, field tests of two sets of solar modules made from ESSTM and reference silicon material made using a conventional production process were performed in India and Japan. The test sites are in regions with high tempera tures and high levels of irradiation. Although both sets of solar modules were nominally equally efficient, i.e. they exhibited the same efficiencies under standard test conditions, the actual power production during the field tests from modules based on ESSTM exceeded that of the reference panels by up to 12%, a highly significant fraction. This observation of enhanced energy production is interesting for Elkem Solar for the following three reasons:1.It shows that ESSTM can be used to produce solar mo dules with at least equal, if not improved field performance, compared with silicon made using conventional routes.2.It opens up the scientific question as to what features in the silicon material are the causes of this unusual effect and whether a sil icon production process can be designed in order to ensure that an enhancement of at least the same magnitude is observed every time. 3.It is relevant for an industry-wide challenge, namely that the use of solar energy in climates with the highest sola r resources is to a certain extent hindered today by lower performance of solar cells at high temperatures, a well-known effect. If this project demonstrates a pathway to abating this efficiency loss, it can have a large impact on the extent of solar elec tricity production in such climates in the future. pages/1253984356185 none Macroalgae, or seaweed, have a high sugar content, suitable for conversion to biofuels. Norway has a long coastline with favourable climatic conditions for cultivation of sugar-rich brown algae. SES has since 2009 been engaged in development of new techno logy for cultivation of seaweed with test cultivation at various locations in Norway and Portugal. SES entered into a collaboration agreement with Statoil in 2012. Ethanol will probably be the first realizable product, but other fuels, such as butanol and more advanced biofuels may be future products from seaweed. Independent of the fuel product, a high carbohydrate content of the biomass is critical for the fuel yield. The carbohydrate content of brown algae has large seasonal variations, with a maximum in the period July-October. Storage of the biomass will therefore be necessary to allow year-round manufacturing. This imposes large challenges for the logistics. A high water content compared to terrestrial biomass (straw, wood) makes seaweed more vulner able to microbial degradation, and preservation of the stored biomass will be required. To allow year-round fuel production, two strategies exist; 1) extended harvesting season, combined with short- or long-term storage in the sea, and/or 2) preservation of the harvested biomass. Neither of these strategies have previously been explored for the large biomass volumes needed for fuel production. The project will design strategies for handling and storage of harvested biomass. Research tasks include evaluat ion of the stability of harvested biomass in the sea to determine the acceptable time window until preservation is needed, and development of a preservation method that also will be a part of the pre-treatment process. pages/1253984356194 none The project "Novel Conductive Adhesives Technology Platform for Solar Industry" will provide enabling technology for the solar industry to help reduce the environmental impact of the solar module manufacturing. Due to the brittleness of the solar cells, t he present soldering process has been exempted from the lead ban that is put on the rest of the electronics industry. The only viable alternative is to use adhesive technology, which significantly reduces the bonding temperature and hence the mechanical s train on the cells. Such technology is also well suited for the next generation of solar modules, based on back-side contacted solar cells. The novel electrical conductive adhesive that is developed in this project reduces the amount of silver by an orde r of magnitude compared to present adhesives, which is also important from a cost perspective. The potential world market for conductive adhesives in solar applications is of the order of 300 MUSD, and the adhesive development will also have great interes t for electronics applications outside solar module manufacturing. In this project we have gathered a number of SMEs that cover the value chain from materials to final module assembly. We have joined forces with world leading institutes and universities t o solve the technological challenges in the project. pages/1253984356203 none Well integrity management and risk evaluation is a global challenge. Statistics from three independent sources demonstrate that there are well integrity issues in 45 %, 34 %, and 18 % of the wells in the Gulf of Mexico, North Sea UK sector and North Sea N orwegian sector, respectively. On average about 38 % of wells worldwide are underperforming due to integrity issues, and a conservative estimate indicates that the total lost revenue is over 1 billion USD per day. No existing tools are able to confident ly quantify the risk of uncontrolled discharge related to annular integrity, which is the second most important source of well issues, constituting 20 % of all well integrity issues worldwide. A new tool with capability to pinpoint the location of failure s will provide facts for the well owner to decide whether to plug the well or to perform measures to repair it, as well as which measures that will be most effective during all stages of a well's lifetime.Through research on penetrating ultrasound techn ology we propose to develop a well intervention tool capable of providing spatial images of the cement condition behind casing - within the first annulus, as well as detecting and quantifying fluid flow behind casing in the event that barrier integrity ha s failed. The information obtained with a new tool would give a massive potential for increased revenue both through more effective interventions and the possibility to reopen wells that have been shut in due to annular integrity issues. Additionally, red uced safety hazards and risk of uncontrolled discharges will be a benefit for the society at large. pages/1253984524501 none Offshore operations like the installation of equipment, maintenance and repairs are complex and to a high degree weather sensitive. The operations are often carried out by specialized ships which are hired for a given time period. The cost of such operati ons is to a large extent driven by waiting for weather windows for weather-sensitive phases (transportation, mooring, crane operations, etc.). The criteria used to commence a weather sensitive operation are today related to simple parameters such as signi ficant wave height and average wind velocity at a reference height. The physical limitations are however related to response parameters, e.g. motions, accelerations and forces. The project will close this gap by developing methods for decision support whi ch are based on real physical limitations of the equipment being used. A second gap will be closed by taking uncertainties into account in the decision making. Uncertainties constitute an important aspect of weather-dependent data, and in this project the uncertainties will be transformed to uncertainties in equipment response, and be utilized in a decision support system where the risks and consequences of failed operations are taken into account, enabling a risk based decision support. pages/1253984524644 none The objective of the project is to develop an early warning system for detecting ice and characterizing the level of threat for oil and gas operations in Arctic regions. The innovative technology, consisting of coherent radar technology and state-of-art s ignal processing software, will be capable of monitoring ice, waves and currents with significantly improved accuracy compared to existing, non-coherent marine radar systems. The consortium partners Nortek (instrumentation), North Atlantic Drilling (offsh ore drilling company), Statoil (oil & gas), Norsk Polarinstitutt (Arctic research) and University of Oslo (numerical modeling) have a genuine commercial and technical interest in succeeding with the new technology as this will improve maritime safety.Th is solution differs from standard radar systems in that it utilizes coherent radar, which provides an enriched data. Coherent radar data allows the use other criteria for small target detection in the presence of substantial background clutter. Ice such as "growlers" and "bergy bits" have a small surface expression relative to their total volume. This stealth characteristic makes them difficult to detect and a serious safety issue for Arctic operations.Coherent radar signal allows to directly estimat e the radial velocity. This is an aid for tracking ice velocity, but the greater benefit is the ability to (a) estimate radial components of surface currents, and (b) estimate wave height. Wave height has historically been challenging to estimate with ra dar, particularly standard marine radars. These new capabilities will become the state of the art for environmental monitoring.To reach this goal much effort will focus on understanding the surface response to radar and identify error sources.Algorithm s for the wave inversion problem and target detection will be developed baseed on a solid understanding of the mechanism. The system will be a software solution that employs the benefits of coherent radar. pages/1253984524653 none The motivation for this R&D project is to utilise the Hammertech patented water fraction and salinity measurement principle in oil wells to increase oil recovery by directly identifying water producing reservoir intervals.This unique and essential abilit y to directly measure and characterise water production at its source in combination with down-hole inflow control technologies will enable the following:- Maximize field recovery through proactive reservoir management- Early pinpointing of water breakt hrough- Effective water shut-off and reduce water production- Optimisation of reservoir sweep to maximise field recovery- Identification of injection water and mitigate the risk of mineral scale precipitation- Reduced water production enhances subsea flow assurance and releases topside process capacity for other projects- Reduced well intervention costHammertech, in collaboration with Statoil, is currently developing an instrument for online measurement for direct water content in multiphase flow f or surface and subsea applications. This is project supported by the Statoil LOOP program, and the PETROMAKS project will be based on the results from the LOOP project. The AquaWell technology is utilising the same patented water fraction and salinity de tection principle as utilized in the ongoing development program. The technology enables a direct real-time measurement of water content in multiphase flow.The sensor principle is well suited for down-hole permanent measurement applications. The design is non-intrusive, robust and with a geometric form factor that compliments typical completion equipment technology. AquaWell can be readily integrated with existing down-hole measurement systems for both platform and subsea installations without requiring additional cabling nor extra tubing hanger penetrators. By enabling real-time detection and control of water production at its source the full potential of intelligent well syssystem installations can be realised. pages/1253984524681 none The underlying idea of ExWaCli is to enable stakeholders within the marine related industries to adapt to climate change by improving risk management of their activities. The project will contribute to increased safety at sea by expanding the knowledge o f how climate change may impact the design and operations within shipping, the offshore industry, aquaculture, harbours and other coastal activities.In ExWaCli known and well proven climate and wave models will be evaluated, modified if necessary and app lied to several combinations of models and emission scenarios to obtain a range of possible future wave conditions. The results will be used to estimate future design wave conditions and the associated uncertainties. Available approaches and software for carrying out structural reliability calculations is available within the industry since the mid-eighties. Also, complicated non-linear effects can be included by embedding a time domain simulation code in a reliability code, like the probabilistic analys is code PROBAN® (Det Norske Veritas, 2002). In ExWaCli these methods will be used , together with methods for Extreme Value Analysis on non-stationary processes. The latter will be further developed. Sensitivity studies will be carried out by SRA to iden tify the importance of the uncertainties to the failure probability of ship and offshore structures. We will also investigate the effects of the uncertainties in future wave conditions on loads and responses. The results will be included in recommendation s for revisions of Recommended Practices and rules of Classification Societies. pages/1253984524699 none Rising fuel prices and emissions regulations drive the maritime industry towards more cost-effective and environmentally friendly technologies and operations.The project objective is to improve significantly the efficiency of ships via detailed mapping o f energy losses and introduction of energy Harvesting, Recovery & Storage (HRS) systems. Onboard measurements on an LNG ship will be performed to map the total ship energy flow. Exergy analysis on the data will reveal the sources of energy losses. The poi nts of high energy loss will become the focus for energy Harvesting (e.g. solar), Recovery (e.g. thermoelectrics, cold LNG energy, ORC) and Storage (e.g. heat tanks, batteries). Screened HRS combinations will be assessed and ranked via model-based simulat ions. The introduction of HRS systems can be used to optimise the performance of the energy system and maximize total ship energy efficiency. A decision support tool will also be developed for ship-specific assessment of the potential and impact of HRS te chnologies.In this effort there are R&D challenges involving measurements, mapping of the ship energy flow, HRS component design, power management and control and system integration. Further, qualification of HRS technologies for marine use, safety and o perability are of significant importance but also complex. To address these challenges considerable effort is required in applying a holistic model-based systems engineering and integration approach, capable to concurrently manage these issues.Upon succe ssful accomplishment of the project the energy savings and application potential of HRS technologies is expected to be significant. The novel methods and tools to be developed will provide ship oners with the opportunity to select the best HRS solution fo r their specific requirements, minimising fuel costs and environmental impact. The strong market position of the consortium partners guarantees the effective dissemination of results in the shipping industry. pages/1253984734617 none Three recent breakthroughs have caused the current excitement over the use of DNA information in salmon breeding: (i) the availability of a reference genome sequence, and the identification of large numbers of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs); (ii) cost effective methods to genotype these SNPs; and (iii) the genomic selection (GS) methodology, which is a form of marker assisted selection on a genome wide scale. These three breakthroughs also enable precision breeding, which aims at (1) increasing th e scope and the precision of the predictors of genetic value and genetic improvement; (2) to avoid the introduction and advance of characteristics that are deleterious to animal well-being, which includes improving disease resistance of the fish; and (3) managing genetic diversity, which may be jeopardised by these new powerful selection tools. In this project, genome sequence data will be used to increase the precision of breeding by using the fact that these data contain the causative mutations. In addi tion, the scope of the predictors increases in that the prediction equations become more stable over families, time and populations. However, the causative mutations are hidden amongst millions of neutral SNPs. This problem will be addressed by developing the salmon transcriptome, methylome and a eQTL library in order to prioritise some SNPs amongst millions of others. This will further improve the precision and scope of the breeding. We will here develop precision breeding for three proof of principle tr aits, and demonstrate its use and potential for genetic improvement. The three traits are texture of the fillets, muscle versus fat growth, and Pancreas Disease resistance, which are currently important challenges to the salmon production industries. Once precision breeding is developed for these three traits, it will be relatively straightforward to extend it to a broad sustainable breeding goal, addressing many traits simultaneously. pages/1253984734660 none Experience in the maritime industry and research indicates that there is a gap between so-called preferred and actual work practice among the officers on board (i.e. Lamvik et.al. 2010). While officers seem to be familiar with the correct or preferred wor k routines given in steering documentation, training manuals, engine manuals and company policy, they sometimes use an alternative work practice in their daily work on board. There is a need to bridge this gap. The solution is to add to a structure that a llow experimentation, support reflection, socialization, community learning and is more motivational. So far, this has not been possible due specific ICT limitations such as limited band width and previous computer based systems not based on experienti al and social learning. Also, systems for personalized learning have not existed. Through combining SINTEF's expertise on work practice and experience based learning systems through the TARGET project, High Skillz' expertize on software development and ga mification and for social learning, Seagull's expertize on computer based training for seafarers, and SMS Global's expertize on on-board communication both between vessels and between on-board and on-shore, it is now possible to solve this problem in a re al world setting provided by Grieg Star. The innovation in the TOOLS project is thus to combine a set of existing expertise's and solution's into a new combined system that could not be created by any single of the partners. The solution can be commercial ized and employed throughout the whole maritime industry, but is too expensive to be achieved through an individual effort of the partners. pages/1253984976473 none Over the last 20 years it has been stressed that several ecological impacts need to be considered when assessing wind energy. Bird mortality caused by wind turbines has been one of the main focuses. Because of the fast rate of wind power development in co astal areas it has become a challenge to assess impacts on birdlife and construe ways to minimize these. Development of effective and practical measures to reduce bird mortality related to offshore and onshore wind power is therefore paramount to avoid an y consenting delay.The project "INnovative mitigation Tools for Avian Conflicts with wind Turbines" (INTACT) aims to develop tools to reduce bird-associated impacts connected with wind energy. This specifically includes:* micro-siting tools for pre-con struction EIAs and monitoring* in-situ testing of measures for reducing the risk of bird collisions* building a model for post-construction operational adjustment of cut-in speedsINTACT has conducted a desk top study reviewing a wide range of relevan t trials, tests and experiments of mitigation and deterrent measures aiming at reducing the risk of birds colliding with wind turbines. The mitigation measures to be tested in the project include contrast paint on rotor blades and turbine towers and UV-li ght, all aimed at making the wind turbines more visible to birds. To be able to test the efficiency of such measures especially adapted methods are required, consisting of a combination of avian radar, birds equipped with GPS, video detection, and visual observations. The perceived tools and measures, to be developed and tested at the onshore Smøla wind power plant in Norway, are envisioned to enable transference for development of wind energy offshore. Partners: Energy Norway AS (lead institution), Sta tkraft Development AS (project coordination), Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) (scientific coordination), Statoil, Vattenfall, TrønderEnergi Kraft, NVE, Energy Norway. Also, DN is invited as observer. pages/1253984976511 none When optimizing in a supply chain, each optimization module has a limited task to optimize. This often leads to a myopic behaviour of the individual solver, and a sequential solving scheme. (E.g., production planning followed by distribution planning.The PoShCoP project will address the concept of cooperating solvers, extracting the synergetic effects of cooperative solving. The target case will be integrated planning between a port and a ship's sailing plan. The cooperation can be at many levels. We wi ll start at the simplest, that is making info from "the other" plan available when required for planning or replanning. Our final aim is to make a set of fully cooperating solvers running on parallel architectures. This will be delivered as a demonstrator , showing the potential benefits that can be gained by such cooperation. The industrial partner will be Seamless, a leading Norwegian company in harbour management. The end of the project will be marked by an end-user seminar, where our findings and pot ential benefits will be shown. An important part of the project willl be to publish our results internationally, both in journals and at conferences. We would also like to make this project a vessel for increased national and international networking an d cooperation. pages/1253985160216 none This project emphasizes the operational logistics challenges of oil and gas activity in Arctic waters. We contribute to the development of value chain-integrated business process management models that may increase logistics quality, efficiency and safety in high turbulent maritime contexts. The partners within this project will through collection of data, prototyping and active experimentation develop state of the art knowledge on risk and business process management systems matching operational logistic s challenges and vessel technology demands in three different geographic settings (The North Sea, The Barents Sea (Low Arctic) and ice covered waters (High Arctic). The focus will be on three categories of offshore service vessels: supply (PSV), achor-ha ndling (AHTS) and stand by (ERRV) providing logistics, towing, ice management and SAR duties for oil and gas exploration expeditions. Our scientific ambition is to contribute to knowledge that may reduce risk and to increase the competitive advantage of the ship owners following innovative strategies in new challenging market arenas. Data is collected through a broad range of sources including interviews throughout the value chain, and participant observation studies within the chosen operational settin gs. pages/1253985160396 none The effect of advanced ITS vehicle routing and optimal route finding software is largely determined by a combination of the power of the underlying optimization methods and the power of the computer. For many applications, there is still a large gap betwe en requirements and performance offered.SINTEF has developed efficient sequential methods for real-life variants of the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) and the Shortest Path Problem (SPP) in dynamic, multi-modal transportation networks. These methods are the basis for the Spider and Invent VRP/IRP solvers and the Dynamo SPP solver.Sequential methods cannot exploit modern, heterogeneous PC architectures that consist of multiple cores for task parallelism and one or more stream processing accelerators suc h as the GPU. In the recently finished Collab project, SINTEF, supported by 4 academic partners abroad, has developed new algorithms for the VRP that fully utilize multiple cores for task parallelism, and other algorithms that fully utilize stream process ing accelerators. Results have already been widely published and disseminated for commercial exploitation.In Collab II, we continue to collaborate with excellent research groups abroad. We extend the efforts on VRPs and aim at self-adaptable algorithms that fully utilize all processing units of modern PCs. Self-adaptation is important for scalability and automatic exploitation of future hardware developments. We also expand the scope to the SPP for multi-modal, dynamic transportation networks. This prob lem is key to dynamic fleet management, and also to route finding for goods transportation as well as personal travel.To ensure relevance we collaborate with DI AS (newspaper distribution), GdF Suez, Statoil, Tieto AS, and PetroOnline AS (maritime and l and based transportation of LNG and petroleum products), and the ongoing Norwegian personal travel portal project and ITS Norway (intermodal transportation). pages/1253985641346 none The COMPASS project aims at developing methodologies and reccommended practices for collecting and utilizing sensor based ship operational real-time data in a uniform manner. By making the data available in an understandable format on-board and on-shore through diagnostics the objective is to improve safety, performance, energy efficiency and environmental impact of ship operations.The methodology will be demonstrated by instrumenting a ship and developing an infrastructure for collection of data. Sens ors will be installed for the purpose of demonstrating one case for condition based monitoring and one case of performance based monitoring. An on-board and on-shore database and diagnostics hub will also be developed to demonstrate the on-board utilizat ion of the measurements and also the transfer of data on-shore and futher processing and utilization of these data. Topics such as data quality, formats, protocol and proprietary issues will be adressed in the project. Data transfer capabilities and sel ection of raw and processed data for transmission to shore for further processing will also be studied. A central topic in the project will be related to diagnostics of the measured data. The physical location of which data diagnostics should be carried out will be determined in order to minimize the amount of data to be transferred on-shore. The focus of the data diagnostics will also be to present the results in such a way that they can be utilized by the various stakeholders to improve their current services at a minimum cost to the stakeholder. In order to facilitate the implementation of the methodology suggested by the project a set of reccommended practices will be developed by DNV to alow for a standardized implementation of condition and perfo rmance monitoring by the maritime industry. pages/1253985641383 none Mobility generated by economic activity has primarily been analyzed in terms of goods transportation and, for person travel, commuting trips. However, a large and growing share of the labor force has work tasks that require physical movement from one plac e to another and/or temporary activity outside of a fixed workplace. In a transportation perspective, craftsmen is a particularly interesting group of mobile workers since their tasks require carrying tools, materials, and other equipment necessitating ca r transportation. Unlike white collar professionals, craftsmen hardly have alternatives to the car. Although this group can be assumed to generate a significant number of trips, it has to a great extent been neglected among transportation researchers and policy makers.The ambition of the CRAFTTRANS project is to generate new knowledge about everyday transportation within this large group of professionals, and to analyze the potential for a large scale transition towards a more sustainable and efficient mobility system within this industry. Based on a socio-technical theoretical framework, the conditions for a large transformation are discussed with a particular focus on the potential impact of mobility management systems (MMA) and new electric vans (EV) suited for craftsmen. The project consist of five integrated work packages that; review relevant literature(wp1); estimate volumes of craftsmen travels(wp2); survey managers attitudes and motives(wp3); conduct longitudinal case studies of craft enterpr ises implementing MMA and EV (wp4),and; conduct an integrated analysis of potential benefits related to these technologies, the conditions for a large scale transitions of craftsmen transportation, and policy measures necessary to enhance and stimulate th is development(wp5).The project will serve to expand existing knowledge and create a basis for enterprises and transport planners to move towards more efficient and sustainable blue-collar transport. pages/1253986062354 none In the KMB project "Optimal Short-term Scheduling of Wind and Hydro Resources" a prototype for stochastic short-term optimization (SHARM) was developed. SHARM is a stochastic formulation of the successive linear programming method used in SHOP, where SHOP is the short-term scheduling tool used by most Norwegian hydropower companies. The SHARM model takes into account uncertainty in inflow to the reservoirs and in the spot price, and is capable of providing decision support and robust planning where severa l strategies must be weighted against each other. This is directly aimed towards the use of hydropower flexibility to balance larger volumes of intermittent generation. The project builds the bridge between the research prototype SHARM and the implemen tation projects required for operationalization of SHARM in the generation companies. Economic feasibility is one of the answers addressed in the project but mitigation of the obstacles for getting the SHARM concept operational is also included. A key act ivity in the proposal is the industry tests performed by and in the partner companies. The tests will be carried out in close cooperation with SINTEF, who will develop a test framework and implement updates to the SHARM model throughout the test phase. R&D challenges in the project are related to the design and development of the test framework that substitutes testing over many years of climate data. In addition the large amount of input and output data is a new challenge, in particular how to interpr et the results from a stochastic model. In the project, a decision will be taken regarding whether to continue the SHARM development towards an operational decision support tool, or towards an improved research tool. In any case, the project is expected to increase the competence pool regarding challenges in operational hydropower scheduling. pages/1253986402492 none The main project will be a concept study and demonstration of a ship traffic management system (STMS) that is able to monitor and predict traffic situations and possible future "hot spots" as well as giving guidance at an early stage to avoid such situati ons. Issues to be addressed are safety, security, traffic congestion and ensuring just-in-time arrival for more efficient use of the ships and port resources as well as for reduction of fuel use and CO2 emissions.The aim of the main project is to show h ow such a service can be implemented in the existing configuration of sensor and monitoring systems in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, including the Maritime Electronic Highway, and to quantify the possible benefits of such a service based on actual ship movement and weather data. The aim is further more to use this as background for the development of the e-Navigation concept in IMO.The project will be divided into three main parts:1.Developing the STMS concept specification, including metrics for measuring safety, security and efficiency, traffic management strategies, and necessary information exchange standard and communication strategies.2.A simulation study that will compare existing traffic patterns with patterns as they would be when d ifferent management strategies are used. 3.A concept demonstration that will show how the proposed system would look like for operators on shore and on the ships.The Maritime Electronic Highway in the Straits will be used as a demonstration case, but the intention is to develop this as a general simulation and demonstration tool case that can be used in other geographic areas.A high level advisory group consisting of representatives from IMO, IHO, IALA and ICS as well as participating countries' aut horities have agreed to oversee the project. pages/1253986606868 none Docmap AS will enter a partnership with the German companies Load-Line and Skysails and the German Hochschule Bremen, University of Applied Sciences. It is the goal of the partnership to conduct an R&D project under the ERA-Net MARTEC Call for Proposals 2 013 and to apply for funding for this project.This transnational project will be called TIDE. The acronym TIDE stands for "Taking Informed Decision on Efficiency". The project objectives are as follows:TIDE is developing a solution that drastically re duces the fuel consumption of maritime transport, thereby targeting two effects:1) increase the competitiveness of maritime operators;2) contribute to a sustainable and efficient use of fossil fuels.The project addresses both environmental impact and p rofitability.TIDE will come up with the design of an integrated energy management system that brings together data, KPIs, performance models and planning tools into a well-functioning whole. It addresses all factors of fuel consumption and creates a con sistent framework for energy management decision support based on ISO 50001. In the TIDE project Docmap AS would like to research on interface and integration issues for the energy management of maritime vessels. Docmap AS will be responsible for condu cting research on how to efficiently capture source data on board of vessels and its transfer to a land based database. It will further be Docmap's task to deliver information and commands produced by the land based "energy simulation" to the vessels.It is Docmap's goal in the Pre-Project to contribute to the request for funding under the ERA-Net MARTEC Call for Proposals 2013 and in particular to - identify and further define roles and responsibilities of the project partners- define and provide mean s of knowledge transfer among the project partners- identify/define technical interfaces to partners- determine means of communications, set agendas and fine-tune the general project plan. pages/1253986722688 none In the last decade, in the search for new oil field, the oil and gas industry has been moving Northward into the Barents Sea, in both parts, the Norwegian and Russian sectors. As industrial activities increase in the Arctic, there are increasing risks for accidental discharges of crude oil. Such accident can be pipeline leakages, well blow out, oil transfer at terminals, ships running aground etc. Once the spill occur, there are several options to mitigate the impact on the environment: in situ burning, m echanical recovery, bioremediation, chemical dispersion etc. Among those, chemical dispersion has regained a lot of interest from the industry and the authorities following the Macondo accident in the Gulf of Mexico. Indeed, by injecting dispersant right at the top of the well, the industry demonstrated the efficiency of the dispersion, to enhance natural dilution and degradation. However, this raised lot of concerns about the environmental impact. In this respect, our objectives is to develop a proposal for PETROMAKS II with an industry partner (Total Fluids) to assess the environmental impact of a variety of dispersants in Arctic waters and to develop a common Norwegian-Russian strategy for dispersant use in the Barents Sea. We have organized a 3 day wo rkshop with Total FLuids, APN, CEDRE with participation of Vladimir Pavlenko to set the main lines of a research project and identify russian partners. We wish to run two workshops to meet the Russian partners in St Petersburg, VNIRO and SEVNIIRH which ar e responsible of the toxicological part of such project to calculate a maximum permissible concentration (MPC), and CNIIMF which elaborate oil spill contingency plans and instructions. This first workshop will aim at agreeing on the main line of a project . The second workshop will be at Arkanghelsk for the PETROMAKS meeting to present the research concept. A final proposal will be submitted to PETROMAKS in October 2013. pages/1253986867978 none Steel structures, such as those found in offshore constructions, are typically subject to wear during normal operation. For example, during the span of many years of service, progressive wear in steel materials might cause fatigue and eventually develop s urface cracks. Also, structures might experience deformations caused by large forces due to waves or other rough conditions. For condition monitoring of such structures different technologies have been developed and are used for nondestructive evaluation, however, there are none such for on site fatigue monitoring.Recently, a new technology called FEMM has been developed by Ferrx as, utilizing the fact that for many types of steel there is a close correspondence between structural deterioration and its electrical and magnetic properties. This PhD project will investigate further how measurements of electrical and magnetic properties of steel can be used for characterization of degree of structural damage related to fatigue in steel. The project will be based on experimental work accompanied by modeling of the processes involved, with the aim of arriving at new methods and techniques for determination of quantitative characterization of stress and deterioration in steel materials. pages/1253987332080 none ITS have developed a new innovative method (the ITS method) for enhanced oil recovery. The ITS method is based on important physical principles first formulated by Lord Rayleigh (1842-1919) and Heinrich Hertz (1857-1894). The scientific work by Lord Ray leigh and Hertz has never, to our knowledge, been combined by anyone in the oil research community before. Employing the ITS method in laboratory-scale experiments have demonstrated that unique possibilities can emerge from unlikely combination of physica l principles.The objective of the project is to investigate and document the EOR effect caused by the ITS method in real oil reservoirs. The goal is therefore to determine the relevance of the experimental findings at laboratory-scales in relation to la rge-scale systems such as oil reservoirs. It is necessary to obtain a better understanding of the basic principles of the ITS method at work in real oil reservoirs. The project shall in addition provide a scientific basis for design and operation of the I TS method.Laboratory-scale experiments have been promising and convincing, but the ITS method must be proven to be valid outside the laboratory-scale for a variety of different conditions. This involves comprehensive research based data collection and a systematic approach to the experimental design. It is also important to determine that the industrial large-scale design is operating satisfactorily. pages/1253987332109 none This project is a joint co-operation between Troms Offshore Management AS and Tranberg AS, University of Tromsø, The Meteorological Institute - Tromsø and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.The project is related to winterisation solution s of vessels operating in Arctic waters and involves a planned innovation that entails three main parts: Development and investigation of sensors based on ultrasonic and camera image technologies for ice detection and accretion. Development and investigat ion of new surface technology for efficient de-icing with minimum energy consumption. Integration of onboard sensor data in a decision-support system that can provide the ship officers with an early warning of risk of ice accretion. There are no such ef ficent solutions (products) available to the national/international shipping markets as of today. Tranberg AS considers development of such commercialised products and associated services to be beneficial in its business segment of maritime winterization solutions. Troms Offshore Management AS will be an end-user of such products and services. The universities will benefit from the gained knowledge of novel technologies in their scientific educational programmes. pages/1253987332161 none Safety, in the sense of accident-free operations, has received less attention from safety scientists than accidents. This applies to theory development and empirical work, and even more to the development of methods and tools to promote learning from expe rience. This project explores how safety is achieved in operations that are more or less successful, that is, situations where accidents and negative concequences do not occur. The overall objective of this project is to develop knowledge and guidelines for improving the learning from operations which do not result in major accidents. An important sub-objective is to identify factors contributing to success in dealing with critical situations, and factors which promote or prevent learning from successfu l operations.The proposed project will provide (1) new scientific approaches to study successful operations, (2) documentation of cases of successful operations that can be used for educational purposes and metaanalysis, (3) new theoretical accounts of successful operations, and (4) methods and guidelines that can be used by companies to analyse and learn from successful operations (e.g. in incident investigations, debriefing and training activities).The knowledge gained from this project will be impo rtant for oil companies in reducing risk of major accidents. Project results will also contribute to improved understanding of operational and organisational barrier elements and application of project findings should improve barrier management in the p etroleum industry.The project will promote the development of relevant educational programmes and other knowledge-disseminating activities. pages/1253987332170 none The number of sour oil and gas fields worldwide is increasing, as sweet fields are being depleted and high oil prices vouch for profitable development of sour oil and gas finds. Sour oil and gas production and transport always imply a risk of material dam age and shutdowns due to CO2/H2S corrosion, and especially localised corrosion attacks. Development of these fields necessitates development of better, and more economical, corrosion control methods to prevent environmental hazards and production upsets c aused by leaks and ruptures. Increased knowledge of the localized corrosion mechanisms is necessary to develop efficient prediction and mitigation methods. Of particular interest to the industry is the deeper understanding needed for control and mitigat ion of localized corrosion caused or influenced by deposits of solid particles (under-deposit corrosion, UDC), water condensation (top-of-line corrosion, TLC) and abrupt breakdown of protective corrosion layers. The project will combine experimental ac tivities, review of relevant literature and corrosion modelling with the aim of improved prediction of localized CO2/H2S corrosion. Systematic comparison will be performed between field experience and data/mechanisms obtained through laboratory studies, i ncluding recent field data reviews and the IFE field database, and the results and findings from H2S/CO2-related JIPs and other projects. The project will deliver explicit formulations of the corrosion mechanisms related to the scenarios studied. The proj ect will include studies of under-deposit corrosion with iron sulfides and other deposits like sand and carbonates, studies of corrosion during condensation in the top of the pipeline in systems with H2S in addition to CO2, studies of the kinetics of iron sulfide growth and breakdown, and development of a prediction philosophy and model for localized H2S/CO2 corrosion with emphasis on factors which can trigger localized attack. pages/1253987332179 none The first task will be to analyse situations where information about risk is required as input to decision-making, and to determine situations where average risk is sufficient as opposed to where instantaneous risk needs to be considered. A range of situa tions will be identified in cooperation with the industrial partner. The situations will be considered and a classification scheme will be developed, to enable a structured evaluation of the type of decision support required for different situations. The work will be based on general experience and knowledge about operations, combined with discussions with relevant operating personnel. From the classification of decisions, a set of cases that will be used as basis for the analyses will be identified. Th e introduction of instantaneous risk also implies that present ways of expressing risk not necessarily are suitable. Through a literature review, and a seminar/workshop, alternative ways will be identified and discussed. This will form the basis for sugge stions for alternative ways of expressing and thus also communicating risk in different situations. This may also open for a discussion about acceptance criteria and the applicability of the ALARP principle.The main part of the project is related to exp loring and developing methods for analysing instantaneous risk. Alternative approaches (traditional QRA supplemented with influence modelling, STAMP, FRAM and other approaches) will be investigated and evaluted with respect to what is the most promising a pproach. Most likely, the project will pursue a method based on work in the RISK_OMT project, but supplemented with knowledge from other methods and approaches. The theoretical basis will be developed and the method will be applied to several case studies at the Kårstø processing plant. pages/1253987332188 none The project will contribute to improving the risk management of the Norwegian petroleum activities, in particular the management of major accident risk, by developing a new practical framework for the understanding and assessment of risk for the Norwegian petroleum activities, that gives due attention to the knowledge dimension and surprises. The practice of risk assessment in the oil and gas industry is to large extent probability based with strict number rules linked to meeting specified risk accepta nce criteria. It is a practice strongly challenged by the research community but also by signals from the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authorities who stresses the importance of seeing beyond probabilities and better reflect the uncertainties (lack of know ledge) in risk assessment contexts. The industry has so far to a rather limited degree followed up these signals, two important reasons being lack of conceptual clarity about what the ideas concerning risk and uncertainties actually express, and lack of practical guidance on how to implement the ideas. The present project meets these scientific challenges by presenting a practical framework - with recommended approaches and methods - which compared to the current practice has a stronger focus on uncert ainties and surprises. The black swan metaphor will be central in illustrating ideas and improving the risk descriptions and communication. The project is based on recent research on risk, in which uncertainty and knowledge are key concepts supplementi ng the probability-based thinking. The research group is composed of several internationally recognised experts in the field in addition to the core group of researchers at the University of Stavanger. The research will be carried out in close collaborati on with the industry, in particular the partners Gassco, the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association, ConocoPhillips and the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway. pages/1253987332211 none We have identified needs for off-grid power supplies for several marine applications, and we will in this pre-project work out a concept for an autonomous power supply to be used for these applications. Examples of applications are 1) signal posts along t he coast, 2) pumps for small boats, 3) signal boosting along under-water cables 4) sensors with emitting devises.Our target product is a reliable, cost-efficient and scalable power supply with long life-time for use in demanding environments such as coa stal, deep-water, "bøyer" and oil- and gas rigs.In one embodiment, we foresee a devise where salt water is used as electrolyte in a primary cell. We will also explore closed systems and secondary cell concepts. In the pre-project, important activities are to precisely identify the needs, in terms of application, physical requirements (size, weight, total energy, life time, maximum power, etc). Furthermore we will contact potential customers and end users - for example Aker Solutions, FMC and Statoil. A patent and literature survey will be performed and the basis for design will be established. Preparations for a MAROFF-application together with an industrial partner will be prepared for.A final report will be prepared. pages/1253987548279 none The demands towards future oil- and gas production at the Norwegian continental shelf and worldwide includes increased recovery and long step-outs. Subsea processing is considered as one of the main issues in achieving these goals. To enable the next gene ration subsea boosting and processing facilities, high power electrical connectors are strongly needed and considered one of the most critical components. This project will obtain essential knowledge and criteria to design the future subsea power connecto rs. Material characterization and numerical simulations as well as development of test methods will provide the foundation for choosing candidate designs and material combinations. In this work, financial support from the Norwegian Research Council is ess ential to establish fruitful co-operation between Norwegian and foreign connector manufacturers, SINTEF Energy Research and NTNU. pages/1253987548288 none The project is addressing knowledge needs identified by OG21 (TTA3) to be able to increase the number of drilled production wells on the Norwegian continental shelf, and specifically needs related to automation of drilling processes. Today, limitations in process understanding and model accuracy constitute a challenge with respect to achieving accurate and efficient control of the drilling process. Application process automation and diagnostic software tools are an integral part of today's drilling operat ions, and will in the future be even more so as increasingly more complex wells are drilled to improve oil recovery. The project focus is on deeper understanding of the fluid and particle transport processes during drilling using advanced mathematical mo delling supported by experimental data. The choice of modelling methodology shall be guided by the identified needs for improved models in drilling automation systems, with a hierarchy of models ranging from very detailed CFD-models to mechanistic models capable of faster than real-time execution. The project will be built around the three PhD candidates, with the research institutes SINTEF and IRIS contributing to the work packages containing the PhD work. In addition, SINTEF and IRIS scientists will w ork on a work package connecting the three PhD-topics and ensuring that that the end results of the project are targeted at the overall objective of supporting future model development for process automation. Titles for PhD-thesis are suggested as: 1) Cut tings bed interaction with the drill string, 2) Turbulence structure and particle transport in particle loaded Non-Newtonian Fluids, 3) Hole cleaning in drilling of deviated wells with multiphase drilling fluids. Experiments will be performed to generate data sets for analysis and model verification. Already existing process data will be applied where available. Also flow laboratories at the University of Stavanger and at NTNU will be used. pages/1253987548306 none Well cementing is an important operation during oil well drilling. The cement sheath must maintain well integrity behind the casing throughout the life of the well (20-30 years). Despite recent technological advancement with elastomers, polymers, fibres a nd reactive components, including self-healing micro-fissures, the cement sheath is not able to deliver an acceptable long-term solution for todays demanding drilling environment. Shrinking of the hardening cement creates a suction pressure. Poor displa sement creates micro annuli and poor bonding of the cement to its surroundings. Harsh downhole conditions, such as temperature and pressure fluctuations impose persistent stresses on the cement sheath. Development of small micro-annuli and micro-crack all ow for fluid and gas migration. To cope with the fluid and gas migration problem on short and long term, we propose to apply swellable and elastic nanoparticles in the well cement in order to improve cement sealing and hence keep well integrity. Five di fferent state-of-the-art laboratories, NTNU NanoLab, Nanomechanical Lab, Concrete Lab, Drilling Fluid Lab and Heavy Duty Petroleum Lab, all situatied at two departments at NTNU, will be used to perform the comprehensive experimental work in the project. C omputational simulations will be carried out to complement the experimental development of nanoparticles. Atomistic simulation, such as molecular dynamics, is a powerful tool to evaluate and predict material properties from its atomic structure.The tota l package of renewed thinking of the cement sheath's fate through fundamental understanding, modeling and experimental investigation will lead to a sloution in the form of a long lasting cement sheath behind the casing. pages/1253987548324 none The METALLICA project aims at developing new knowledge and cutting edge solutions to achieve sustainable integration of high temperature steam electrolysis technology in geothermal or solar plants by exploiting the international leading expertise of Norwe gian's academia and research institutes in protonic ceramics. The METALLICA project will develop a clean technology based on novel alloy supported proton conducting electrolytes (PCEC) operating at 600°C for efficient use of heat and steam supplied by geo thermal or solar plants. Proof-of-concept of co-electrolysis of steam and CO2 will also be demonstrated as a further pathway for integration of PCEC in industrial processes. The robust cells will be produced by a combined process developed at SINTEF and U iO making use of wet ceramic processing for producing alloy sustrates and side electrodes, and pulse laser deposition for low temperature deposition of dense cristalline electrolytes. In collaboration with international partners, the scalability of this p rocess will be demonstrated in a two-step approach with firstly the production of button cells with non-optimized electrodes and secondly the realization of 6 x 6 cm2 cells with optimized components using a novel powerful PLD recently acquired at SINTEF. Testing of these cells will be carried out to guide materials, microstructures and architectures optimization, and to determine rate limiting steps as function of cell's operating parameters. This pioneering work will open new scientifical and technologic al pathways for sound management of renewable sources and deployment of protonics technology with innovative SMEs. The project is coordinated by Dr. Marie-Laure Fontaine at SINTEF with support from UiO. It trains one post-doc at UiO, lasts 3 years and h as a budget of 12.8 MNOK. pages/1253987548333 none The main objective of the pre-project is to build the knowledge required to establish a Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for offshore grid development in the North Sea. The SRA will also identify knowledge gaps to be filled within technology, market develo pment, system planning and policy in order to realize a future offshore grid. This will be done in a collaborative way between SINTEF Energi (Norway), Fraunhofer IWES (Germany) and Univ. of Strathclyde (UK). It is planned that the pre-project first step t owards a full-scale NSON RD&D programme, also involving key industries and stakeholders as well as more countries. The pre-project should be considered as a pilot tri-lateral Berlin model type of project, rather than a KPN-project per se.The activities are divided into 4 work packages:WP1: Technology perspectivesWP2: Cost-benefits sharing modelsWP3: Political challenges and possible solutionsWP4: Strategic Research Agenda (SRA)Several studies support that a common undertaking, with shared costs a mong the different stakeholders over a long timeframe, will be considerably cheaper than a case by case approach. The overall cost will be minimized and future industrial initiatives in the region (such as more wind, ocean energy, electrification of oil a nd gas industry) would see a relatively lower marginal integration cost. A key point for the build-up of offshore power transmission is to avoid sub-optimal solutions consisting of only non-flexible point-to-point connections. A successful development of a North Sea offshore grid, which the project aims to contribute to, will lead to better dispatch of hydro power, more MW of offshore wind and more efficient cross-border power exchange. Benefits of offshore grids are expected for power plant owners (onsho re and offshore), consumers (onshore and at oil/gas platforms) and society in general due to stronger market integration that facilitates a higher share of renewables in the power system. pages/1253987548342 none The SAPPHIRE project will develop an integrated prognostics and health management system (PHM) including ahealth-adaptive controller to extend the lifetime and increase the reliability of heat and power-producing systemsbased on low-temperature proton-e xchange membrane fuel cells (LT-PEMFC).The PHM system can actively track the current health and degradation state of the fuel-cell system, and throughthe health-adaptive control counteract the degradation of cells and balance of plant, and thereby boost thelifetime of the controlled system beyond the current lifetime expectancy. An important part of project is to developnovel prognostics approaches implemented in the PHM for estimation of the remaining useful life (RUL) of thePEMFC.An efficient sens or configuration for control will be chosen using controllability analysis methods, also includingindirect sensing/estimation techniques to replace expensive measurement principles. Based on sensor inputsand input from the control system, the PHM algori thms identify the probable failure modes trajectories andestimate the remaining useful life. The consortium?s competence ranges from first principles estimation, to signalprocessing, regression and data-driven techniques, such as neuralnetworks. This e nsures an efficient choice of methods.The project covers a full cycle of research activities, from requirement specification and laboratory experiments,through study of degradation phenomena and selection of prognostic methods, to synthesis of the contr ol systemand its testing on the target PEMFC system. A technical-economical analysis will be performed in order toassess the impact of the developed tool in terms of lifetime improvement.The project is expected to produce hardware and so.ware solutions and have a significant scientific output.The implemented solutions resulting from the project will be tested and validated by the research and industrialpartners. pages/1253987973262 none The coinciding patterns of sediment loading/unloading and compressional/tensional earthquakes in the Nordland region indicate that there is a causal relationship between the two phenomena. However, the seismic and geodetic data previously acquired are too scarce to resolve the precise deformation and uplift patterns and to isolate their underlying mechanisms. Our study aims at reconciling how present-day deformation relates to Pleistocene uplift. The implications for petroleum systems of such processes ar e fundamental in terms of thermal history of the basins and of their reservoir integrity. The project consists of four interconnected work packages (WPs) that address measurements and models of the present-day stress and strain fields as well as estimate s of their Pleistocene equivalents. We propose to collect detailed seismological, GPS and DInSAR data to resolve the local-scale stress and strain patterns and to derive an integrated, continuous stress field. We propose to map in detail the regional sei smicity areas of the onshore-offshore Nordland area to obtain best regional coverage. This is to test and improve the presently known pattern of enhanced and reduced seismicity and to map the onshore-offshore extent of the tensional stress regime. To this purpose, we will deploy 21 temporary seismic stations that have been granted from the Norwegian seismometer pool, and which will be fully integrated in the existing Norwegian National Seismic Network (NNSN).Improved spatial resolution of the surface mot ions will be achieved through the combination of differential SAR interferometry (DInSAR) techniques with new processing of existing permanent GPS stations.We propose to apply active and passive direct in-situ stress measuring methods in three deep boreh oles. We will use 3D numerical finite element modelling to correlate these observations with the denudation and deposition history in order to estimate the Pleistocene paleo-stresses and thermal fields in 3D. pages/1253987973271 none A wealth of field evidence and core experiments show that rock-fluid interactions impact the flow of oil and water and promote enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The increase in oil recovery in core-scale experiments can be substantial, it is not unusual for th e recovery of oil from the core to be increased by 30%, by changing the water chemistry. Several mechanisms have been proposed, that is related to interaction between the brine, oil, and pore surface. Common to all the proposed mechanisms is the valid pre sumption that the injected brine is not in chemical equilibrium with the chalk. This induces changes in surface chemistry (surface charge, surface potential, adsorbed ions, ion exchange etc.) and the chalk texture (through dissolution and precipitation). These changes could induce a favourable wettability change or trigger mineral dissolution and enhanced compaction that would increase oil recovery. Many mechanisms are possible but there is presently no consensus about which is more important under which conditions. In this project we will use direct in situ observation of the pore structure changes that occur when chalk is flooded with brines by a microfluidic technique. This technique could answer questions such as: How does the water move through th e pore geometry and contacts and interact with individual mineral grains as a function of time? When and how does oil mobilize and how does the mobilization relate to textural and chemical changes? The value of such observations could be enhanced by mode lling the observed pore scale processes. This will allow a superior model calibration and the models can then be used to determine how oil recovery could best be enhanced at the core scale. These suggestions will be tested with new core flooding experimen ts. The result will be better EOR upscaling, a reduction in technical and economic EOR risk, better reservoir models, and better reservoir management. pages/1253987973280 none The use of chemical dispersants as an operational tool for marine oil spill treatment will increase the oil attachment areas for the marine microbes and improve oil biodegradation. This may subsequently reduce the impacts of the oil on the marine ecosyste m, although this is debated. The need for information on the fate of chemically dispersed oil is therefore urgent. In this project we will determine the effects on oil biodegradation efficiency caused by dispersant treatment of surface and subsurface oil spills. Oils and dispersants relevant for the Norwegian continental shelf will be used. Various established laboratory systems will be used for dispersant treatment of surface spills, including an oil-on-seawater mesocosm system. Subsurface dispersions wi ll be investigated in a novel system established at SINTEF with an oil dispersion generator and a carousel system for keeping the droplets in suspension. Biodegradation will be determined by GC-MS analyses and related to various oil and dispersant process es and environmental conditions. Selected samples will be analysed by oil fractionation procedures and high-resolution analyses to determine the potential biodegradation of compound groups not normally analysed during biodegradation studies. Microbial eco logy and biochemical processes associated with oil biodegradation will be analysed by molecular microbiology methods. Relevant results will be included in the OSCAR model to improve the biodegradation input data material and to determine if the kinetic mo dels in OSCAR should be modified or not. The final outcome of this project will be knowledge-based information on biodegradation rates and processes to be used in dispersant strategies and to improve the OSCAR model. pages/1253987973312 none The EERA Joint Program on Energy Storage has been established in the winter of 2011/2012 and the Description of Work prepared in the intervening time. SINTEF Materials and Chemistry (with IFE) have participated in the sub-program "Electrochemical Storage" with focus on battery and supercapacitor technology and have provided input in to the DOW, strategic RoadMap documents and related EU proposals, representing Norwegian interests. In addition, SINTEF Materials and Chemistry have through a number of natio nal initiatives (workshops and projects) established a good network of industry, universities and research institutes which have a specific interest in the field of electrochemical energy storage. This interest group continues to grow as battery research and development is becoming increasingly important in a European context with the increase in EV ownership and the increase in renewable energy which requires grid leveling technology to successfully integrate in to the power grid.SINTEF Materials and Ch emistry, in collaboration with our affiliated members NTNU and IFE plan to continue to participate and contribute to the EERA Joint Program on Energy Storage Sub Program Electrochemical Storage. This application is a request for continuted support from NF R to support SINTEF Material and Chemistry further participation in the EERA joint program on Energy Storage. pages/1253987973393 none In the last decade, in the search for new oil field, the oil and gas industry has been moving Northward into the Barents Sea. The South West Barents Sea is characterized by the presence of deep water coral which are protected species and also sponge aggre gations which may be impacted by drilling muds. The authorities are therefore requiring a thorough seabed mapping before any industrial activities can take place, in order to ensure if the coral and/or the sponge communities are impacted by any activities throughout the process of exploration and production. While habitat mapping is traditionally done with sediment survey and benthic community analysis, the deep water coral and sponge habitat call for technology wich is non invasive and non destructive. T oday, video imaging using ROV is widely used by Akvaplan-niva for mapping these habitats. Such technique is very accurate in term of localization, non destructive, and allows to use both video and sampling gears. However, it is time demanding in term of h uman resources, and therefore rather costly. Finally, sea bed mapping may be subjective. ECOTONE approach would be to use an underwater hyperspectral imager (UHI) to identify species on the seabed. This is a unique and new methodology developed at NTNU wh ich is now being commercialized through the spin-off company Ecotone (partly owned by TTO NTNU). The idea is that each specie has its own optical fingerprint, based on it's pigment structure. By use of the UHI unit and suitable platforms larger areas can be mapped, giving automatic identification, classification and population of various species (e.g. corals, sponges). From the foregoing account, we wish to develop a project to assess the potential of UHI sensor technology for seabed mapping and compare i t to traditional approaches. We will also assess different platforms for deploying this sensor (AUV; ROV, towed behind a boat, divers etc). pages/1253988108964 none The principal aim of this project is to develop geophysical methods for better fluid and reservoir characterization. The main idea behind the project is that one can use the same kind of forward and inverse scattering series methods for the modelling and inversion of seismic waveform and CSEM data. Traditionally, workers in the seismic and electromagnetic geophysical communities have not communicated much with each other, although there is a great potential in the modification of methods originally devel oped for use in electromagnetic geophysics for use in seismic geophysics. Also, having similar methods allows us to set up a consistent model for the seismic and electromagnetic properties of a reservoir, and to develop more efficient and accurate systems for joint inversion of seismic and CSEM data. The methods we propose to develop will relevant for both exploration and production, although our numerical experiments may be biased towards applications to geophysical reservoir monitoring. pages/1253988562830 none The aim is to develop new weather radar based precipitation products adapted to the needs of the hydropower companies. The new products will use radar data both for assimilation into a numerical weather prediction model and for estimating ground precipita tion.An improvement in the quality of the precipitation input can directly translate into better inflow forecasts and lead to an increased benefit and a more efficient use of water for hydropower production. This is is also a benefit for the nation as a whole.The need for better precipitation products may be even more important in a future energy market where non-regulated renewable energy resources, including small scale hydropower, wind power, and solar power will be used to a larger extent. Then hy dropower will be essential for balancing purposes and to strengthen the flexibility and robustness of the energy systems. The need for balancing will be on both national and European scale and thus increase the possibilities for Norwegian hydropower produ cers to maximize their profits in an European electricity market. The main R&D challenges are a) to provide best possible radar data(reflectivity and wind) that are corrected for systematic and time-varying errors (attenuation, anomalous beam propagati on, blocking, false echoes), b) assimilate radar observations into Numerical weather prediction models to improve precipitation forecasts c) to implement rapidly updated weather forecasts where radar data might be assimilated eg. every 3 hours d) to trans late radar reflectivity intoprecipitation amounts falling on the ground by including VPR-correction and calibrated relationship between radar reflectivity and precipitation amounts and the effect of orography. All routines will be implemented in the prod uctionchain at met.no and be integrated into met.no's new system for distribution of weather products. The radar products will be introduced in the services provided by Powel for the hydropower industry. pages/1253988563005 none What if at Irene's home there was a robot that "knows" what is happening with her in the house and share this knowledge with her carers? It does not tell all it knows, but will let them know when there might be a problem. The robot knows its user, if she took medication and when, whether she is taking enough water and what her activity level is. It also knows if she has fallen down and can automatically call someone to help. At this stage the carer can come in the house "virtually" using the tele-presence function. The robot will put in the older adult's hands the responsibility of drinking water more frequently, taking the medicines on time and being more active. She knows this will let her carers stay informed regarding key status indicators and activit ies, showing she is OK so that the carers will feel greater confidence as a result. Four trials will take place in Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and Portugal where older adults at home and remote informal carers will interact with the developed product. pages/1253988563014 none Within the time frame and the monetary constraints of this project, SINTEF will execute the techno-strategic leadership of the EERA CCS Joint Programme in a capable manner. Emphasis will be placed on CCS technology, especially techniques and innovation ai med to improve the overall efficacy and levelised costs (and investments) and to improve critical components of the CCS chain. Technically, this will include the de-risking of CCS as a climate mitigation option and the strengthening of the competitive edg e of European stakeholders. The intention is to create an environment aimed at releasing techno-commercial opportunities. This will include efforts striving at harmonising industrial norms, codes and regulations, providing factual information for public a wareness, and last - but not least - facilitating international collaboration on technology demonstration, valorisation, and verification of CCS in part or as a whole.Due to the need for re-accelerating CCS in Europe, and for reducing the expanding capac ity needs within the European Commission, it is expected - as already indicated by EU officials - that the EERA CCS Joint Programme may gradually take on an advisory function vis-à-vis the European Commission pertaining to issues and topics relating to CC S research and technology development. pages/1253988563023 none The present proposal applies for an additional national financing for an ongoing FP7 European Project: Title "Grid+" GA nr. 282794. Theme Energy.2011.7.3-1. Network of projects developing the future European Networks. The project summary (from the proje ct's Description of Work):The present project provides the necessary support to the European Electricity Grid Industrial Initiative (EEGI) Team gathering in a structures and organised way a team of top level players (Research Centres, SMEs, Universities in close coordination with European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) and European Distribution System Operators for Smart Grids (EDSO for SG) to design in a coordinated way with both TSOs and DSOs a set of accompanying ac tivities to make sure that the EEGI will pass through the critical 2012-2014 period (preparation of FP8, initial operation of ACER, increased specification duties of the network operators) when dealing with the most complex electricity system in the world and to address the five remaining critical issues (costs, benefits, KPIs, knowledge sharing and financing) in involving all the stakeholders, to ensure the rational, fluid and stable EEGI workflow as to reach safely the 2020 European goals. pages/1253988563052 none Due to the increased interest in developing new oil fields in the Arctic, it is strongly recommended that the petroleum enterprises in the years to come invest in technology which makes exploratory drilling less difficult, more cost effective and environm ent friendly.Hydraulic motors which have been typically used for offshore drilling applications since 1970s are not always suitable to operate in harsh Arctic conditions. Among their main disadvantages one can mention leakage, noise or high cost. On the other hand, some types of electric motors are characterised by improved control features, reduced energy consumption, higher reliability over time as well as lower emissions and eliminated risk of oil leakages to sea water. These drives have better impac t on the environment and offer greater flexibility in the drilling applications.The main purpose of this project is to introduce and put into wider use a new type of electric actuation system for drilling equipment used in the oil and gas offshore indus try. The project will focus on improving control strategies for electric motors to operate under varying load and environmental conditions. The developed control algorithms will be tested and verified on optimised virtual and real models of a typical offs hore drilling machine. The project will help the offshore industry to satisfy strict safety and environmental requirements associated with developing new oil fields in the Arctic. pages/1253988730908 none The main objective of the proposed project is to work out the design, handling and economical aspects of offshore wind turbine platforms for use in the southern Baltic Sea, within the Polish economical zone. The design will be based on existing concepts u pdated with technical developments that are particularly adapted to the suggested deployment areas. Within the project two different types of platforms will be developed one for waters shallower than 40 m and the other for waters deeper than 40m.The pro posed project is divided into 6 work packages WP1:Coordination; WP2: Environmental parameters (wind/waves/currents); WP3: Platform design; WP4: Anchoring and foundation design; WP5: Transport and installation procedures; WP6: Economical aspects.From the Norwegian side two organizations will be involved in the project these are Aanderaa Data Instruments (AADI) and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA). These organizations will mainly work in WP2 which deals with mapping and prediction of norm al and worst case scenarios for hydro-meteorological conditions (currents, waves and wind). Simple bottom topography mapping and sediment investigations, to deduct anchoring conditions, will be conducted in selected areas.In addition we will investigate and propose the most efficient way to integrate monitoring systems to the wind turbine platforms, so that these can serve the additional task of environmental monitoring. Use of these data will help to improve navigational safety, to track chemical spi lls if these occur and for biochemical measurements, of particular interest in the Baltic Sea which is suffering from oxygen depletion, eutrophication and large blooms (of e.g. toxic cyanobacteria). pages/1253988731014 none Microalgae have an enormous potential use in diverse commercial and industrial applications such as the carbon neutral synthesis of fuels, pharmaceuticals, high-value nutritional food and feed, and materials relevant to nanotechnology. Yet, their commerci alization remains unexplored due to insufficient technology development, primarily in biological technology. Even though internationally leading in physiology and ecological research, Norway has remained underdeveloped in molecular microalgae research. I n this project, we will establish a fundamental biotechnological toolbox for microalgae R&D in Norway. The target algae are production strains of omega-3 fatty acids. We will establish a) nuclear and chloroplast transformation, b) metabolic engineering, c ) technology-assisted breeding (non-GM approach) by forward genetic screens and d) high-level gene recombinant protein expression (e.g., metabolic enzymes, vaccines). The newly developed molecular biotechnology for microalgae will be applied to increase o mega-3 fatty acid content and growth rate. The commercial partners will test and optimize strain and culturing robustness in commercial large-scale production (MicroA, a PBR design and microalgae production company) and as fish feed additives. Commerciali zation of microalgae will be achieved by a strong inter-disciplinary, national research consortium between academia (UiS/CORE), an SME (MicroA) and a large fish feed producer (EWOS Innovation). The ideal neighboring location of the three partners in the S tavanger region allows tight collaboration, exchange of preliminary data and R&D optimization from the bench to fish feed trials by feed-forward and feed-back optimization. The new technology will be transferrable to other applications, including the sust ainable production of carbon-neutral biofuels. pages/1253988731023 none Fish as food for human consumption is associated with health benefits, and one reason for this is the high content of omega3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which originates from the feed. For the fish farming industry it is therefore of critical imp ortance to have access to sufficient quantities of these compounds, in particular DHA. There are several options for solving the problem, but most of them face serious economic or technical obstacles. Here we propose to study a group of heterotrophic micr oalgae, the thraustochytrids, which we believe represents currently the most realistic DHA source for the fish farming industry. Thraustochytrids are already used for production of PUFAs with a very high efficiency for direct human consumption. As a sourc e for fish feed the main problem is that the relative DHA content must be significantly increased, and here we propose innovative ways to achieve this in strains that simultaneously produce the important feed additive pigment astaxanthin. The main scienti fic challenge is that the basic understanding of the thraustochytrid biology is very limited, as for example not even genome sequences have been reported. This is obviously no longer a technical problem to overcome, so we propose that the timing is now ri ght to establish genome sequences and use 'omics technologies to obtain a detailed understanding of PUFA and carotenoid biosynthesis. Gene modification technologies are to some extent available and we will expand the potential of such methods. Evolutionar y engineering will be used to select strains with the desired phenotypes from a library of randomly distributed mutants, and inverse metabolic engineering will be used to characterize the identified mutations. Various carbon sources can be used for cultiv ation of thraustochytrids, and in this project we will investigate the potential of using raw materials that are available in large quantities, and that originate from agriculture or marine sea-weeds. pages/1253988731042 none The InteRest project focuses on using rest raw materials from food and seafood industries in processes that result in new value-added food and neutraceutical products as well as ingredients for improved health in seafood biomass production. In this way, t he rest material is also considered as a product. The project represents a multidisciplinary and intersectorial approach for use of processed rest material biomasses as sources for new biotechnology-guided production processes of valuable products. The p roject aims to exploit these materials as nutritional additives to selected fungal and bacterial cultures for cost-efficient and sustainable production of 1) highly demanded high-quality poly-unsaturated fatty acids food components or neutraceuticals from fungi, and 2) requested probiotic marine lactic acid bacteria in early-/start-feed of marine fish. For additives providing enhanced synthesis, the underlying molecular mechanisms and related pathways will be revealed using state of the art technology app roaches such as genomics, transcriptomics, epigenetics and bioinformatics. Lessons from these analyses will provide important knowledge on which rest materials and processing steps are most efficient for each stage of the pathway. The aim is to produce pa rticular fractions of rest materials that separate or combined give optimal stimulation of fungal PUFA production for high-end food supplement and of probiotic carnobacteria for increased survival of juvenile cod in aquaculture.For the benefit of bioecon omy-based green and blue biotech and food industries, we also propose a socio-economic survey of agri- and aquaculture sources for food production, their rest materials and exploratory potential. We perceive the proposed InteRest activities and goals to be innovative and interdisciplinary representing intersectorial industry interests. pages/1253988731051 none Research on prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and scrapie, has identified the prion protein (PrP) as the culprit of these deadly brain disorders. Large bodies of experimental evidence, dictates that any human or animal without endogenous e xpression of PrP would be completely resistant towards prion infection, since prion-replication would not occur. Prion diseases continue to pose a significant threat against human and animal health and costly preventive measures have been implemented glo bally to combat this. Beyond food-safety, the bio-safety of medicals is also a major concern, since prions are difficult to detect and almost impossible to remove/inactivate while maintaining desired product qualities. Thus, prion-free resources for biome dicals are sought for. We have recently discovered a novel line of Norwegian goats that carry a mutation that prevents expression of PrP, while leaving the goats apparently healthy. In this proposal we focus on this significant discovery by asking the fo llowing questions; a) Are these goats completely prion resistant? b) Do goats with the PrP mutation carry with them recognizable additional traits? c) Are these goats suited for breeding and production? In order to address these questions we have designed a series of studies in co-operation with the Norwegian Goat Breeders association (NSG) and the goat health monitoring body of Norway (HT-goat/TINE). We think that this project carries with it highly significant socio-economic potential for Norwegian goat production and related industries in and outside Norway. pages/1253988731133 none The Norwegian oil and gas industry have 40 years of experience from exploration in the North Sea. This experience has also lead to development of national standard such as NORSOK. Unfortunately, NORSOK covers the temperature down to -14°C, which does not account for cold climates such as those typical for arctic regions, where the temperature may fall well below -40°C. In the Arctic, there will be no long time frame to arrive at safe and robust criteria based on empirical input from experience, and one mu st strive for knowledge-based criteria to be applied from "day one". The challenge is twofold; (i) a knowledge basis must be built concerning actual materials and their response to low temperature, and (ii) specifications must be developed for robust desi gn and use of materials and structures. In order to meet these challenges, a new project is proposed to build an arctic materials technology platform due to the need for: (i) Realistic risk assessment and management, (ii) Development of design tools and d esign codes, (iii) Tailoring of new materials for structural or functional (e.g. ice phobic) properties, and (iv) Innovation and design of cost-effective, safe, lightweight, multi-material, structural solutions. Through establishing such platform, the pre sent SMACC project will be essential contributor in the development of special arctic exploration technology.The project consists of 4 work packages: (1)Assessment platform, (2)Materials behaviour, (3) Technical solutions, and (4)Knowledge-based require ments/Guidelines. Structural and pipeline steels, polymers and polymer coatings, and light-weight materials (Al, and multi-material hybrids) will be studied. In addition, the ability of key technical solutions (e.g. welding, adhesive bonding, hybrid mater ial solutions) will be demonstrated. The project will include fundamental studies through involvement of 5 PhD students. A broad consortium of key players in the industry will join the project. pages/1253988731170 none Aluminium is produced by electrolysis of aluminium oxide (alumina). Alumina as powder is added to the electrolyte automatically. This is done by a socalled point feeder technology, using a pneumatic hammer breaking the frozen top crust. The alumina is fed to the feeding area in a closed system. Process disturbances may upset the feeding operation leading to reduced productivity from loss in current efficiency and increased emissions of fluorides, dust, PAH and climate gases. It is imperative to have a clo se follow-up of the feeding area in order to discover any deviations at the earliest possible time to take corrective actions. Both the follow-up in the form of daily manual inspections and corrective actions are done by operators. The types of corrective actions are defined based on how the condition differs from the standard. At the Lista plant, there are 276 cells having two point feeders each. To inspect all point feeders, operators have to move a total distance of 6 km. Hence routine inspections a re costly and time consuming. The point feeders should be inspected several times per day. Feeders with operating problems require additional inspections and corrective actions. The aim of the project is to develop a tool which can perform this inspecti on automatically, and determine the condition of the point feeder area and corrective actions. This tool will in time be mounted on a robot moving from cell to cell. The robot will obtain access to the closed feeding area. An automatic system for point feeder inspection will enable a much more frequent, accurate and objective inspection, compared to the current situation. This will lead to a more stable operation with higher productivity, less emissions and less maintenance. pages/1253988731206 none The underlying idea is to develop a cost effective method to produce high purity manganese ferroalloys. These high purity manganese alloys can be sold at a premium compared to standard qualities. The customers of these ferroalloys are automotive steel pro ducers that are more and more shifting to Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) that often have a high Mn content.About 90% of manganese ferroalloys are consumed as raw materials in the steel industry. As the raw materials supplier, the ferroalloy produce rs must meet increasingly more strict requirements of the steel industry. Properties of advanced steels like high manganese TWIP steels are depending on twinning and solid-state phase transformations. In order to control the properties, the composition of TWIP steels must be strictly controlled and the contents of harmful impurities, such as S, P, N, and O, should be minimised. However, conventional manganese ferroalloy products, including FeMn and SiMn alloys, contain a significant amount of these elemen ts. Therefore electrolytic manganese is currently used in the production of TWIP steels. The cost of electrolytic manganese is however much higher than the conventional manganese ferroalloys. This provides the Norwegian manganese ferroalloy producer (ERAM ET) an exceptional opportunity to update their products and increase their sales volume. pages/1253988731224 none One of the major challenges when bringing new technology and innovations to the marketplace is the long time needed to develop them into profitable products. Very often disruptive innovations representing the main enabling technology of an end-market prod uct only end up with a very small portion of the total generated product value. In addition most customers use significant longer time than expected to develop finished products very often caused by lack of competence on bridging the gap between a technol ogy innovation and a final product.In this project new tools and methods based on Radical New Product Development (RNPD) principles will be developed to enable Novelda AS and other technology companies to generate, evaluate and select the right product i deas and concepts in the fussy front end of RNPD. At the same time the product cases introduced and refined throughout the project will represent disruptive innovations from a product perspective. Thus the new innovations and R&D results from the project will be both RNPD methodologies and physical products. The fundamental idea in the project is to start with value analysis workshops and tools for generating customer insight generating a list of good candidate products, all based on the Novelda radar pl atform and pre-validated with respect to market need. During the project, RNPD methodology will be applied in an iterative process to end up with the best products and at the same time optimize and re-evaluate the methodology and processes. hodology will be applied in an iterative process to end up with the best products and at the same time optimize and re-evaluate the methodology and processes. pages/1253988731342 none In 2007 the IO Center was founded. It is a SFI consortium, now containing 14 industry partners and three research partners. Since its start, substantial amount of research results in the field of production optimization and reservoir management has been a ccumulated. Solution Seeker AS was established as a Spin-off company from the IO Center in February 2013 with the intention to bring the most promising results into the commercial arena. Solution Seeker AS will provide a decision support solution to oil companies, a tool for daily production optimization with the aim to increase the utilization of oil and gas production systems by e.g. increasing oil throughput. The contribution from this tools, and hence also the challenges, can be divided in two. Th e first challenge is related to accessibility and quality of data. Software solution and or sensors that can identify or help estimate the current state of the system with acceptable accuracy real-time, are very valuable to the engineers and operators. Th e second challenge is related to improvement. The greatest value of knowing the details of the current state of the production system is that it acts as a platform for improvement. Knowing how a change in a wells choke valve, a change in gas lift distribu tion or re-routing between wells affects the system bottlenecks and back pressure on other wells is crucial to optimize performance. The decision support tool Solution Seeker AS will provide combines a new method for well and production system monitorin g with a special purpose optimization technique. Solution Seeker AS will act as a vendor to the oil companies, when installing the decision support package on an asset. It is also possible to act as a subcontractor for one of the larger software provider. The main goal of this pre-project is to develop a strong IPN application to The Research Council of Norway in which LOIs from 2-3 potential industry partners will be a key factor. pages/1253988731351 none Biota Guard aims to supplement existing tools related to oil spill modeling by propagating increased ecosystem understanding. The DREAM and OSCAR models will be at the heart of such an effort, while integration with new initiatives, e.g. SYMBIOSES, also w ill be evaluated. The numerical model DREAM (Dose-related Risk and Effects Assessment) has been developed at SINTEF with support from oil operator companies. The model is a decision support tool for management of operational discharges to the marine env ironment. DREAM is integrated with the oil spill model OSCAR (Oil Spill Contingency and Response) within a graphical user interface. The software tools and the associated risk assessment methodologies were designed and developed to support management of e nvironmental risks associated with operational discharges of complex mixtures. The system has been in continuous development for the past 15 years.By including the response of a real-time biosensor as well as the supplementing physical- and chemical sen sors found in the Biota Guard subsea sensor array, this would would give further insight to tune the modeling tools through real-time updates. A key output from the OSCAR model today include e.g. modeled biological implications, and a deployed solution w ould provide immediate feedback and validate such results. The sensor arrays are mobile (ca 150kg), and Biota Guard's Expert Center with advanced analytical methods can create flexible interfaces and integration.A main project could also include work packages related to maximizing the value of biological data. Key components for improvements in the analytical methodology relate to multivariate analysis and application of Dynamic Energy Budget theory to ecotoxicological test results (DEBtox).In light of the long history behind the oil spill models and the many ongoing initiatives related to their development, securing cooperation with SINTEF and IRIS (advanced discussions ongoing) is key. pages/1253988731378 none Docmap has entered a partnership with the Swedish ferry company Stena Line. It is the goal of the partnership to conduct an R&D Innovation Project under the MAROFF programme and to apply for funding.This project will be called DM-ETRAMS (Docmap Electroni c Task Risk Assessment and Management System). Project objectives:Docmap and its partner will design and develop a solution that will help the maritime industry to significantly reduce accidents and incidents by applying the following key concepts:1) Task Risk Assessment with companywide established standards 2) increase risk awareness by sharing relevant risk and hazard information within the company, department, fleet, etc.3) distribute best practice information and processes to relevant parts in the organization4) Facilitation of mobility: Assess risks at the place where they occurDM-ETRAMS will come up with the design of an integrated Task Risk Assessment and Management system that brings together personnel-,environment-, task-, effect-, haza rd-, and control measure data into a well-functioning whole. It addresses all factors of TRA and creates a consistent framework for risk management under different standards. In the project Docmap would like to research on algorithm, interface and integ ration issues for the Electronic Task Risk Assessment on maritime vessels/platforms. Docmap will be responsible for conducting research on how to design a system which allows 1. capturing of relevant risk information at any place on board of vessels2. the crew to make smart decisions by including best practice information into their Risk Assessment3. to include second opinion in the decision process and thus significantly reduce risk/damage/losses.Docmap will also facilitate sea-land data exchange .Docmap will be supported by Stena Line, which will provide input and reality checks concerning user interface, algorithm and general usability. It is planned to install a test system on one of Stena Line's vessel pages/1253988795952 none Petroleum related activities are predominantly conducted in areas contiguous to the Norwegian coastlines and has recently been moved to more vulnerable ecosystems (e.g. Artic). Therefore, monitoring and assessment of water quality is essential in order to survey the impact for these activities. There is a need to develop even more sensitive methods for the overall understanding of the impact of oil and chemical contamination in the sea. Some of these compounds,i.e. PAHs, are well known carcinogens and mut agens and have been generally regarded as high priority for environmental pollution monitoring. In the last 10 years, IRIS in thigh collaboration with Norwegian operators (Norsk olje and gass) and other national research institutions, have developed and p erformed monitoring of the water column around a range of oil production fields in the North Sea.Enhanced knowledge will be generated in this project by developing new sensitive indicators that will give a better understanding of the impact of PAHs (dose response relationship, acute and long term response) in the marine environment. The technology developed in the project will also be suitable for conducting background surveys prior to start-up of oil production, thus providing baseline data. This is par ticularly relevant in regions just opened for oil production (e.g. Barents Sea), and areas under evaluation for exploration (e.g. Lofoten). In this project a top down proteomic approach is used. Identification of adducted proteins will be performed by usi ng nano liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/MS followed by subsequent search in the available genome database. This approach has already been used successfully at IRIS-Environment. This new high-tech applied method will offer the opportunity to increa se the understanding of the implications caused by PAHs exposure on fish. The knowledge established will also lead to non-invasive methods, very important for monitoring the marine environment in vulnerable areas. pages/1253988795976 none Objectives of the ProjectThe major objective of this project is to design facilities serving as pre- and post- processor, i.e. RotoH2OPure for supplying the hydrogen generation system with cooling and purified water and RotoH2Comp&Pure for compressing an d purification of produced hydrogen for further storage and/or utilization purpose. At the stage of schematic design, models with different mechanisms will be tested and compared by numerical simulation with prototype manufacturing and verification of key parameter impacts based on which systematic optimization will be carried out for the next stage.Critical R&D challenges1. Apart from the design of traditional centrifugal compressors which usually acquires large amount of CFD and field tests and theref ore become very consuming, the current project focuses on designs based on non-conventional compressing mechanisms theoretically feasible with few commercial applications in niche areas, e.g. rotating heat pipes with no blade gap loss or Tesla pump using boundary layer effects as driving force. Moreover, the applicability for enhancing thermodynamic performance needs proving especially for the first stage design of RotoH2Comp&Pure where Taylor vortices are involved in the heat transfer process.2. The pro cess of separating and purifying hydrogen is of key importance to the extensive utilization of hydrogen energy with regard but not limited to the requirement for storage and safety concerns. Some technologies e.g. membrane/film with porous supporting mate rials are getting more and more satisfactory consensus while catalytic oxidization in the current case needs more fundamental work.3. In the current design of RotoH2OPure, the major concern should probably be the system pressure control, backwashing of t he internal walls to fulfill the purity requirements and creating low pressure region for water evaporation and further distillation by using artificial G-force lacking referential experience in concerned courses. pages/1253988796003 none This project aims at developing a refinery system for separation and sorting of different kinds of particles, including biological substances and non-biological substances in various shapes using Trilobites micro- and nanorefinery system and method. This project will further develop Trilobites core technology and focus will be on efficient separation and sorting of cells/particles and the development of a clog free configuration. The system aims to outperform and replace existing technologies that suffer from poor separation performance and clogging.Trilobite Microsystems AS has its core business on particle separation. We aim to develop our technology further to make it more advantageous towards other methods. We have used the last year to prove the t echnology through several projects, and we now need to educate and specialize personnel within the technology to secure the highest quality, and also a further development to enable us to reach our goals. pages/1253988860720 none The focus in the present project is on the energy consumption in electrochemical manufacture of metals, and we bring together aluminium industry and companies based on electrowinning and electrorefining in aqueous electrolytes. Although the processes are different electrochemistry is a generic discipline, and there are common challenges as well as complementary knowledge within the different industries. Bringing together the aluminium experts (mainly at SINTEF) and the experts in aqueous electrochemistry (mainly at NTNU) provides the opportunity to learn from each other's strong sides, leading to increased competence in both camps. Also, the industry partners should benefit from the collaboration across the normal boundaries between the related processes, and it is believed that the project will lead to increased competence for all the partners. The project is divided into three work packages (WP), each of them addressing themes that are relevant for more than one of the industry partners involved.WP1 "Anode development" focuses on developing and electrochemical testing of dimensionally stable anodes (DSA) for replacement of the lead anode currently used in electrowinning of zinc and copper.WP2 "Ionic and electronic transport" addresses the descript ion of transport processes at the cathode. This is a prerequisite in order to attain a more reliable model for the loss in current efficiency in the aluminium electrolysis, where electronic conduction as well as diffusion should be taken into account. Ach ieving dendrite-free deposition of solid metals (Ni, Cu) and avoiding stress at the cathode during electrowinning of nickel are also themes in this WP.In WP3 "Energy recovery" the main topic is to develop thermoelectric electrochemical cells for electri c power production. By replacing semiconductors with electrochemical cells, it may be possible to increase the power production and conversion efficiency. pages/1253988860729 none Daylighting is especially challenging issue in low-energy buildings. All the typical changes connected to the transformation of a building to a low-energy standard have negative consequences for the daylighting level in interiors. Those are: increasing th ickness of the outside walls and roofs, increasing the number of glass-layers and the number of low-e coatings and increasing of the compactness of the building. This was throughly discussed e.g. in the paper: Low-energy house, back to the 'arestue': a thought experiment about low-energy houses. Architectural Science Review. 2012; volum 55 (2). S. 86-91. In low-energy buildings situated in urban context (huge outside obstructions) the minimum daylighting level recommended by TEK2010 is often not pos sible to obtain! New strategies and solutions for daylighting in buildings situated at high latitudes, especially in Norway, will be developed and tested. The most promising computer simulation tools will be tested and calibrated, and a new knowledge w ill be harvested from the international cooperation (IEA Task 50 Advanced Lighting Solutions for Retrofitting Buildings). The project will result with a guidance for owners of existing buildings, architects and engineers. pages/1253988860747 none The underlying idea of the project is to perform research on the components of krill in order to develop new krill-based phospholipid products. Phospholipids from krill have unique characteristics, due to the presence of omega-3 fatty acids in the phospho lipid molecules.The project will be carried out in cooperation with highly competent Norwegian and international partners. In parallel with the described R&D project, Aker Biomarine will pursue a separate process to prepare for the commercialization of the proposed innovation. This will include patenting, B2B marketing and regulatory affairs.The innovation project outlined in this application includes research on, and development of new and innovative products based on a marine resource. Based on the technology and products resulting from the project, Aker Biomarine aims to further build a major marine biotechnology company in Oslo. pages/1253988860756 none In Norway and in other countries ambitions for energy efficient buildings are steadily increasing, and there are more and more stringent requirements of technical regulations for how energy is managed in the building. One of the critical points in this development is whether the buildings' actual energy performance can be kept close to the level of their original ambitions. This "reliability gap" between built and achieved (energy) performance of buildings has prompted the development of a broad variety of different concepts, methods and measures that are supposed to close the gap between good intentions and outcome.In this project the current state of the implementation of these concepts, methods and measures in Norwegian non-residential buildings is mapped. The results of this survey are then used to identify a limited number of cases which are studied in depth in order to deepen our understanding of critical success factors and potentials for improvement. Particular attention will be spent on the e xploration of improvements that are inspired by recent insights from the fields of product design and social science. The ultimate goal of this project is to contribute to the creation of virtuous circles between buildings and their use and operation in everyday life that are able to stabilize or even improve the buildings' energy efficiency. pages/1253988860765 none Norske Skog Saugbrugs aims to bring Micro Fibrillar Cellulose (MFC) production to full scale, using it as a strength enhancer in paper in order to create the most cost-efficient magazine paper grade possible today. The Paper and Fiber Research Institute o f Norway (PFI) will act as our main research partner.MFC is the nano-scale building block of the wood fibre, having great strenght-enhancing properties when added to a paper furnish. Earlier MFC was only intresting from a teoretical point of view due to the huge energy consumption needed to produce it. Later years research has made it possible to produce MFC at a significantly lower energy consumption which has opened up the window for use. The objectives of this research project is to make the nesses ary steps to take it to full scale produciton. The objectives of the project is to produce a new magazine paper grade in a significantly more cost-efficient way through the addition of MFC. pages/1253988860802 none Some large-scale accidents thought to be vapour cloud explosions in the petrochemical industry, are believed to be or to be combined with aerosol explosions. To cite a few with devastating consequences, there are Flixborough (England, 1974), Piper Alpha ( North Sea, 1988) and Buncefield (England, 2005). Moreover, aerosols are also encountered in major transformer accidents as Tonstad (Norway, 1973) or Roncovalgrande (Italy, 1988).FLACS is a CFD tool able to handle gas explosions. For risk assessment purp oses, gas is used to represent aerosols in the current version of the software. This solution works but is not optimal. The differences in physics between explosions in aerosols and gas explosions regarding ignition, dispersion and combustion are not acco unted for in the modeling.While release of gases is extensively investigated in the literature, liquid releases (aerosols) is far less investigated in terms of explosion risk and underestimated. In order to get a better knowledge of aerosol explosions, G exCon AS has performed series of experiments through the programs LICOREFLA and MEXOS for risk assessments offshore, and SEBK for transformer risks.Recent work points out that FLACS the necessity of a tool for predicting explosion hazards of two-phase e xplosions. The proposed doctoral work is part of the scheme for the future development of FLACS regarding two-phase media and establishment of a numerical model for combustion of non-premixed substructures with focus on mist/spray explosions that could be extended to hybrid and dust explosions. pages/1253988860811 none The excellent biocompatibility of titanium is well established. Titanium and its alloys are widely applied in dental and orthopedic implants such as prostheses and joint replacements. Its excellent biocompatibility, great mechanical strength and high cor rosion resistance has been known for decades. Titanium-based implants with native oxide films have shown long-term clinical success. The natural oxide film on titanium is inert and only some nanometers thick. Its thickness can be more than tenfold incre ased by anodic oxidation. It is hardly much gained by this.Despite the general good performance, enhancement of implant integration in bone is still an important area of research in reconstructive medicine. The most common approach is to optimize the s urface roughness by mechanical and chemical methods, sometimes both in combination.Currently, there are no commercial available titanium implants which are coated with anti-bacterial coating both to improve bone formation and osseointegration additional ly to combact infections. There are several candidate for biomolecules such as doxycycline. An ideal biomolecule should be 1) Synthetic, 2) Auto-clavable, 3) Easy to work with (dissolve in hydridation solution, tolerate pH of hydridation conditions), 4) S tabile during Storage, 5) Available, 6) Already on the market (easier FDA approval of the device). Optionally is also to coat with our newly developed and patent peptide sequence, NuPep. pages/1253989053430 none Geophysical methods have been and will still be a crucial tool for for hydrocarbon exploration and production offshore Norway. We propose to develop new geophysical methods aiming for reducing the risk in exploration as well as increased oil recovery. Wi thin seismic imaging we will focus on effective 3D seismic modeling, further development and testing of full waveform inversion methods. We expect that the success of full waveform inversion depends on the acquisition geometry. Therefore, we propose to te st the sensitivity of this technique for various acquisition geometries. We know that the earth is anisotropic, and methods for estimation of various seismic anisotropic parameters will therefore be developed and tested. We propose to further develop the time lapse seismic method into a more quantitative approach. The future within 4D seismic will probably be a combination of permanent receiver systems, semi-permanent receivers or exploiting the new broadband streamer technology. We will develop methods that exploit this richness in data, and especially test if 4D refraction methods can be used to monitor overburden changes. Another area for further research is to explore why the contribution from converted waves is limited, and suggest methods to improv e the use of such data both in exploration and in a 4D seismic setting. There is a close link between time lapse geophysical methods and geomechanics and rock physics, which will be explored. Both measurements and combined seismic-geomechanical modeling a re crucial areas for research. The preferred marine seismic source is the air gun, and there has been only minor developments during the past decades. Environmental issues related to the use of air guns will be in focus, as well as new concepts for develo pment of a seismic low frequency (1-5 Hz) source. We have established international cooperation with 5 international universities, closely linked to these research topics. pages/1253989053453 none Persistent infectious microbial biofilms are the root cause why infections become and remain chronic and cannot be treated by current available therapy. We have developed OligoGs Guluronate (G)-rich alginate oligomers from the Norwegian stortare Laminaria hyperborea stem material for efficient biofilm disruption. This stem material is the gold standard raw material for the most valuable G-rich alginate products, and already a limited resource in a global perspective. To be able to serve large chronic infe ction disease groups with sufficient OligoGs, we in the current project will identify and establish laboratory scale production methods for G-rich alginate oligosaccharides from M-rich seaweed and microbial alginate sources. Through decades of collaborati on and developments the project consortium has access to technologies for chemically and enzymatically modification of alginates in laboratory and pilot scale. An extensive library of alginate epimerases (M-to G-converting enzymes) and lyases (M and G spe cific polymer chain cleaving enzymes) make it possible to tailor a range of OligoGs with narrow defined Mw distribution, in vitro from both seaweed and bacterial alginate substrates. We have access to a great collection of alginate substrates fermented fr om Pseudomonas and Azotobacter natural and engineered strains and seaweed alginates of various M and G contents. This position and these skills we will utilize in the current project to identify and determine optimal oligomer length associated with specif ic known OligoG antimicrobial properties, characterize the mechanism of action of alginate oligomers, investigate how oligomer length influences the known OligoG properties, and test new OligoG candidates in vivo using rodent infection models. Please also see enclosed summary in Norwegian under Other Items pages/1253989053462 none PROJECT SUMMARY:APIM Therapeutics' R&D program aims to develop ATX-101, the company's current peptide drug candidate, as a novel experimental therapy to be tested in phase I/II clinical trials for bladder cancer patients. Emerging as a major potentiato r of the action of >15 clinical drugs via a novel mechanism of action based on validated cancer target PCNA (Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen), ATX-101 has already shown Proof-of-Efficacy (POE) in 4 preclinical animal models of cancer in combination wit h 5 different drugs (Bladder Cancer, Multiple Myeloma, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Prostate Cancer).Selecting localized bladder cancer as its lead development indication as based on clinical, regulatory and socioeconomic attributes of the indication (e.g. i ncreased toxicity and low efficacy of existing therapies, lack of novel therapies, extremely high treatment costs, unmet clinical need), APIM Therapeutics, together with research partners NTNU and St. Olavs hospital, will execute a cost-effective, 3-year development plan resulting in approving ATX-101 as a new investigation drug that will be tested in a phase I/II clinical trial in Norwegian patients.R&D CHALLENGES:1. Validation of bio-analytical method for monitoring ATX-101 in blood after systemic in stillation in vivo; definition of its specificity and sensitivity. 2. Determination of distribution (incl. leakage from the bladder) and pharmacokinetics of ATX-101 following intravesicular administration. 3. Optimize the efficacy of the ATX-101/MMC com bination in two different rat bladder cancer models 4. Determine MOA of the ATX-101.5. Large-scale synthesis of full-length ATX-101 under GMP and development of a scalable synthesis protocol. 6. Design of the appropriate GLP study program and managemen t of unexpected (if any) toxicity and safety issues encountered.7. Defining the appropriate patient population to be included in the Phase I/II clinical program and the study plan to be used. pages/1253989053480 none The underlying idea for the current R&D project (MicrobiAlg) is to develop a microbial process for manufacturing of alginates as an alternative to seaweed extraction. The demand for alginates is steadily increasing, and the demand may in the future exceed what can be produced from Norwegian seaweed. The motivation for the suggested innovation is based on securing the involved companies future ability to supply alginates for food, pharmaceutical and biomedical applications, to be in the technological foref ront and own of important IPR, and to be in position to offer customers new and improved alginate based products. MicrobiAlg aims at developing Azotobacter vinelandii production strains and a fermentation process for cost efficient production of alginates . The project is led by FMC Biopolymer AS in cooperation with AlgiPharma AS and R&D partners NTNU and SINTEF. Together the industrial and R&D partners in this project are internationally leading in microbial synthesis of alginate, alginate engineering and innovation from alginate research. They hold infrastructure, expertise, knowledge in the field of industrial strain and bioprocess development, alginate biosynthesis, production and modification, alginate characterization, novel applications, industrial scale alginate manufacturing and global sales. Alginate is used in many food and pharmaceutical applications, and is used as an API for preventing gastric reflux. Another potential pharmaceutical application is based on the ability of short alginate molec ules (oligomers) to treat cystic fibrosis by enabling clearance of lung mucus. Realization of the innovation will represent strategic important new business opportunities for FMC and AlgiPharma, and will be important for securing a future competitive and expanding alginate industry in Norway. pages/1253989053498 none Foetal/Neonatal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) is a serious bleeding disorder that most often is caused by the destruction of blood platelets in a foetus or newborn by maternal antibodies towards HPA-1a. Upon exposure to these antibodies, the foetus or newborn may become thrombocytopenic and suffer from excessive bleeding, e.g. intracranial haemorrhage which can result in lifelong disability or death. 2% of all mothers lack the HPA-1a allotype epitope and are at risk of developing a damaging immune r esponse against the platelets of their HPA-1a positive foetus.This project aims to develop the first easy-to-use and reliable test to identify pregnant, HPA-1a negative women at risk of causing FNAIT. General HPA-1 phenotyping will immediately enable ob stetricians to improve FNAIT prevention and management strategies and the prophylactic treatment Tromplate may soon be available and eliminate the risk of FNAIT. These pro-active measures are, however, critically dependent on the availability of a reliabl e test for HPA-1 typing and early detection of HPA-1a antigen incompatibilities. pages/1253989053507 none The aim of Spermatech is to develop the first worldwide non-hormonal contraceptive pill for men. The global population is expected to grow above 9 Billion people by the year 2050 and is considered as one of the biggest challenges of our time. This will pu t a strong pressure on global resources resulting in increased environmental problems, poverty, conflict and disease. Reports from UN and others show that contraception and family planning is crucial in order to reduce the population growth in the world. In addition, complications from unintended pregnancies are the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age in developing countries, leading to nearly 600.000 maternal deaths annually. A male contraceptive pill will reduce the financial and heal th-related burdens of contraceptives for woman and simultaneously strengthen men's reproductive independence.The main objective of this research project is to realize a candidate non-hormonal male contraceptive pill ready for approval for clinical phase. The major R&D challenge in the project is how to improve potency and specificity of our lead compound series without compromising other important drug-like features. We will employ state-of the art technology like metabolic tracing by LC/MS, computer ass isted sperm analysis and X-ray crystallography and computer based drug design in order to reach the aims set. Additionally, have put together a consortia of partners who are world leading in the field of drug discovery and pre-clinical trials in order to meet the challenges early drug discovery. pages/1253989053516 none The project targets development a novel Phase Shift concept for localized drug delivery, offering a number of unique attributes vs current state of the art technologies, holding a significant potential for solving major healthcare challenges. Phoenix So lutions` unique technology is based on ultrasound mediated release from a two component micro-particle system. Drug loaded oil droplets are mixed with micro bubbles forming micron sized bubble/droplet clusters. After i.v. injection, when exposed to standa rd medical ultrasound at the targeted pathology, the component oil undergo a liquid-to-gas phase shift (vaporization) and the drug load is instantly released into the vascular space. The resulting bubble expands to ~25 µm and transiently (1-3 minutes)bloc ks the microcirculation, keeping the released drug at high concentration and close proximity to the target tissue. Further application of low frequency ultrasound oscillates the bubbles and induces bio-mechanisms that increase the local permeability of th e vasculature, allowing drug delivery into the targeted tissue.The primary objective of the R&D project is to demonstrate Proof of Concept (PoC) in a relevant oncology model; lead product candidate showing 75% improvement in safety/efficacy parameters vs current state of the art therapy regime. A project plan detailing an iterative optimization of formulation/procedures with responses from in-vitro and in-vivo studies has been made. To execute the program Phoenix has partnered with NTNU and Institute o f Cancer Research (UK). Total project cost is ~ 34 million NoK. Post project the lead product candidate from PoC will be brought into further development through formal GLP studies and clinical trials. In addition, use of the technology in other segments of medicinal therapy (e.g. drug delivery to brain tissue) will be explored. pages/1253989053525 none The purpose of the ICE 2016 project is to develop an economical feasible process for production of pure Silicon Carbide for semiconductors and other application areas such as advanced technical ceramics, coatings and composites.The availability of high purity SiC for such application is limited. Since the number of high purity SiC producers is low, and that these companies have their own proprietary processes (active patents), other competitors are prohibited to utilize these production methods. Thus, W ashington Mills' objective is to develop its own process for production of SiC powder with higher quality and lower production cost than its competitors. The main R&D challenges will be development of a cost effective method for production of high purit y SiC powder through the whole production chain, and thereafter characterization and verification of the powder quality. pages/1253989053534 none The project will address important key questions regarding use of hydropower flexibility and expansion of such flexibility including pump storage development between reservoirs. The project is taking into account the three axes of CEDREN: Technology, envi ronment and society.The need for balancing and energy storage from Norwegian hydropower will be investigated based on scenarios for the development in Europe towards 2050. This includes an assessment of the optimal free market solution for Europe with s cenarios for a renewable mix from intermittent sources and their geographical distribution with different options for providing the required flexibility. Flexibility from the Norwegian power system is one such option. Based on the need for balancing and e nergy storage, business models for integrating flexibility from hydropower given a joint Norwegian European perspective will be assessed.The project will assess what technical solutions from hydropower that will respond to the different needs and time h orizons. The project will investigate the environmental impacts in reservoirs where there currently is a lack of knowledge. The project will investigate social acceptance and regulatory framework in order to identify barriers and possibilities in the cu rrent regulatory and policy framework. This means analyzing the current regulation for hydropower in light of how it is challenged by the European energy and environmental policy. This will make it possible to provide feedback on the main non-technical ch allenges that have to be addressed in order to design a sustainable roadmap for balancing services.The results from the different work packages will be summarazed and elaborated on in roadmap(s). Possibilities and barriers for balancing and energy stora ge through hydropower flexibility will be discussed, taking into account the uncertainty of the future development up to 2050. pages/1253989053543 none Three central documents are defining the current national bioenergy strategy: Klimameldingen, Energi21 and Strategy for increased expansion of bioenergy - 2008. The latter states that the Norwegian energy policy shall work towards producing 14 new TWh bio energy by 2020. In order to achieve this ambitious goal, Energi21, Norway's national strategy initiative for energy, has set three priorities for bioenergy R&D: 1) logistics (harvesting, transport), 2) novel fuels and 3) efficient conversion. This project addresses these by contributing to the enablement of the biocarbon (BC) value chain to produce clean energy efficiently from biomass residues. Producing BC, a renewable solid fuel with superior properties, from low-grade biomass resources will have a two fold effect: it will (1) remove the challenges associated with their handling and combustion and (2) give an energy product with high added value from cheap and largely unexploited biomass resources. A very interesting candidate is GROT (branches and tree tops), with up to 5 TWh/yr available, which cause significant challenges if used as is in combustion applications.The whole value chain, from the resources to the end-use applications and environmental aspects, is included in the project. The target is BC for cost-effective, small-scale and environmental and climate friendly energy use. Through utilisation of low-grade biomass resources to produce BC, several TWh/yr increased bioenergy use is possible within a moderate timeframe. Research is needed thro ugh the whole BC chain; reducing harvesting and logistics costs for low-grade biomass resources, maximising the BC yield (approaching the theoretical fix-C yield) and quality (including for Si production) in the BC production and maximising the energy eff iciency and minimising the emissions in the BC end-use applications. The project consortium covers all the necessary aspects, from resources to end-use, and includes large and central industrial players. pages/1253989053552 none This project is a knowledge building project for life and safety for Li-ion batteries in maritime conditions.The main objective in this project is to build in-depth knowledge on how various Li-ion batteries chemistries decay both by storage and cycling. The decay (ageing) can have severe implications on the safety of the Li-ion battery and hence have large implications of a safe and durable operation of a marine operation as well. By building knowledge on how the Li-ion batteries are ageing, measures can be taken to optimize the batteries operational conditions to optimize life and hence also maximize the economic benefit of the battery system. By developing more sensitive measurements, relevant tests can be performed in much shorter time, speeding up development processes.The following topics will be covered to reach the main objective:-Apply innovative and advanced battery characterisation methods to enable prediction of Li-ion battery life and health for large-scale batteries applied in Nordic c onditions-Validate methods and tools for accelerated cycle life and reliability prediction -Perform accelerated battery cycle life predictions for several Li-ion battery chemistries at various temperatures. Especially with focus on Nordic sea-temperatur e conditions and operation in confined locations with poor ventilation-Validated methods for State of Health (SoH) predication based on the method of Entropy spectroscopy-Perform in-situ and ex-situ thermal characterisation (calorimetry and thermal cond uctivity measurements) on Li-ion batteries and battery materials-Build thermal Li-ion battery models for various load profiles-Monitor battery break-down characteristic-Simulate local short-circuit conditions-Analyse ageing mechanisms and physical pro perties through post-mortem analyses on aged Li-ion battery cells-Develop state of charge algorithms pages/1253989053561 none The transport sector is responsible for about one third of the total emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) in Norway. Thus one way of reducing the GHG emissions would be to substitute fossil fuels in the transport sector. One possible fossil fuel substitut e is biogas which already is used in buses in Norway. Biogas is produced during microbial anaerobic degradation of organic substrates. However, nationwide implementation of biogas production is hampered by several challenges. Some of these challenges are addressed in this project, the overall goal being to maximize biogas yields to improve the role of biogas as a vehicle fuel. We will focus on (1) increased process understanding and control by detailed characterization of the microbial community in biogas reactors, (2) studying the startup and stable operation of two new commercial biogas plants, one mesophilic and one thermophilic, in regard to performance and microbiology, (3) optimizing biogas production from blends of food residues and livestock manu re, (4) studying unconventional substrates for biogas production which have the potential to realize the utilization of biogas as a fuel at large scale, and (5) utilization of the digestate as a soil amendment in agriculture. The project will be carried o ut at Ås campus where a new dedicated biogas laboratory will used for biogas production in laboratory scale reactors. Biogas microbial communities will be analyzed by state-of-the art high throughput sequencing tools. The project is lead by the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and is conducted in close collaboration with Bioforsk, Cambi, Norges Bondelag, Oslo EGE, FREVAR and Avfall Norge. Oslo EGE and FREVAR are owners of two new biogas plants that will supply buses with biogas, and their part icipation yields a valuable link from research to application in this project. pages/1253989053570 none The prospects for EU renewable energy and climate policies beyond 2020 are uncertain. Investors and policy makers in Norway and abroad need knowledge on how to make decisions under this uncertainty.Firms' decisions under uncertainty can be formulated as a real option problem in which the option to delay an irreversible decision has a value. Policy as well as market uncertainty will affect the value of the option to wait. The essence of the real options approach is to compare the value of immediate actio n with the expected value of the delayed project. We derive optimal rules for when to invest or operate a plant under uncertain EU policies. This knowledge is used to form better forecasts for investment in and operation of different power plants, and as sess the social welfare cost of different policy designs and uncertain political processes. For Norway, we examine whether it is profitable to invest in reservoir-based flexible balancing power, and whether renewable energy support should be extended beyo nd 2020. We will use three main approaches to examine these questions: 1) analytical solutions to examine general mechanisms relating policy uncertainty to investment risk; 2) simulation techniques to explore more complex and realistic problems; and 3) e mpirical investigation to test whether investors act in accordance with our theoretical models. Modeling policy uncertainty and developing empirically testable models represents two major challenges in the international real options literature. Our proj ect builds directly upon and extends the research in an ongoing Norwegian research project (PURELEC). Thus, the researcher network and methods developed here will be continued. Finally, we have a highly competent research team combining knowledge on fina ncial models with knowledge on climate policy and economics. This research group is extended by actively involving major stakeholders representing the industry and the authorities. pages/1253989053579 none There is a great potential for better utilization of organic waste and manure in Norway as a resource for biogas production. Net GHG emissions from anaerobic treatment of waste and manure can be reduced with 300-600 kg CO2-equiv./ton compared to incinera tion with energy recovery which is the conventional solution for organic waste treatment today. The total potential for biogas production from organic resources in Norway has been estimated to about 5,5 TWh. The proposed project will focus on the foll owing research questions, based in the need for new knowledge in the area:- How effective and efficient are Danish and Norwegian biogas value chains with regard to economic and environmental net benefits? - What are the main differences between Norwegi an and Danish pre-conditions and measures for the construction and operation of effective biogas infrastructure and value chains?- How does national and EU general politics and regulations and environmental and agricultural politics and regulations influ ence on the effectiveness and efficiency of biogas value chains in the two countries, , and how can regulations more effectively stimulate optimisation of the biogas value chains- Can smaller, locally based biogas plants be a supplement to large industri al scaled plants in Norway and Denmark in order to increase environmental net benefits and resource effectiveness of the value chains?The Value Chain Models for Biogas developed by Ostfold Research, Bioforsk and UMB, which will be applied and further de veloped through the project. The project will be carried out in a partnership with users and research institutes and universities in Norway, and in close collaboration with research institutions in the Danish BioChain project. The project will also have close collaboration and exchange of results a pages/1253989053588 none The Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) is an unconventional technology for producing geothermal energy from regions without natural convective hydrothermal resources. As most geothermal energy resources are located in such regions, the technology has a pote ntial to enlarge the geothermal resources amenable to energy production. The reservoir performance of an enhanced geothermal system depends on the presence of open interconnected fracture networks, or the ability to create such networks, as distributed and connected networks of fractures enable production from large reservoir volumes. In EGS reservoirs, the main mechanism of reservoir stimulation is not conventional hydraulic fracturing with propagation of tensile cracks away from the wellbore, but rath er shear displacements improving the permeability of existing fracture networks. With this strategy, which commonly is called shear-dilation treatment, it is possible to increase the permeability of formations with a pre-existing fracture network.Althou gh shear-dilation treatment has been applied to a large extent for reservoir stimulation, the mechanisms behind its failure or success is not well understood. Mathematical modeling and numerical simulations can be valuable tools in the employment of a she ar-dilation stimulation process, but the design of a reliable modeling framework requires a thorough understanding of the coupled hydraulic, mechanical and thermal processes involved. This crucial knowledge is currently limited, and is addressed in the pr oject, which has the following main deliverables:[D1]Increased understanding of the driving mechanisms of the shear-dilation treatment of reservoirs.[D2]Enhanced knowledge of the relevant model complexity for the shear-dilation process.[D3]Tailored numerical approaches for improved simulation of shear-dilation stimulation under realistic conditions. pages/1253989178074 none In the HVAC&R market segment (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) copper is the preferred material. Increased demand of copper has strained the world wide supply chain and driven the price up. Thus, there is a potential for significa nt cost savings by substituting expensive copper material with aluminium within the HVAC&R market. With a global market share of more than 40%, Hydro Aluminium Precision Tubing (HAPT) is the world leader in supplying thin walled extruded aluminium tubing in the automotive sector. In an effort to grow, bold targets have been set to get a bigger share into the HVAC&R market, replacing copper with aluminium. In this project the objective is to promote the use of aluminium within the HVAC&R market by provid ing technological solutions for the required increased productivity and cost efficient production. This includes innovative and possible step change solutions both on the extrusion - process and the -die side.Expected achievements will be on:- improved process control (flow and temperature),- improved surface properties, and- improved die design and die material.In order to achieve necessary improvements in productivity and reduction of surface defects, the understanding of the complex thermo-mechani cal process and the interaction with the press equipment needs to be taken to significantly higher levels than it is today. To address these problems, the project will focus on increased productivity, reduced surface defects and implementation of technica l solutions. The technical solutions developed in this project will improve cost efficiency of the process and the quality of the product. This will enable Hydro to further increase the market share in the HVAC&R industry. pages/1253989178115 none Point of Care (PoC) "In vitro" diagnosis (IVD) platforms available today have limitations linked to ease of use, reliability, sensitivity and repertoires of analyses. This project will take into use recent developments within high sensitivity detection us ing high sensitivity fluorescence technology to detect a variety of analytes present in very low concentration in biological samples. This will be realized on the patent pending SpinChip platform which will perform these analyses reliably and easy using d isposable chips and a compact portable instrument. The pilot application of the high sensitivity system is for measuring cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) a sensitive and specific marker for acute myocardial infarction. cTnI can today not be measured on PoC IVD platforms with the required reliability, sensitivity and speed. The literature, workshops and interviews with physicians have confirmed a strong interest, socio-economic value and business potential for a PoC cTnI test with the characteristics of the tes t SpinChip Diagnostic AS aim at developing. pages/1253989178124 none Easy access to reliable low cost energy has been an important parameter in developing the high living standard in industrialised countries. Increased energy efficiency is one of the most important measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions and secure futur e energy supply to maintain and improve the living standard globally. Focus on energy performance of buildings and reduction of primary energy creates a potential for energy interaction. Energy efficiency can also be seen as a major energy source and an o pportunity for value creation. Increased utilization of surplus heat/cold has been pinpointed by the Norwegian Energy21-report as an important strategic research area. INTERACT will contribute to release the potential for energy efficiency by fostering kn owledge, technology and development of tools that can be a game changer in utilization of surplus heat. Efficient interaction between energy demand, surplus heat/cool and thermal storage and third party deliverance to the district heating/cooling DHC grid in building complexes is the key to obtain global energy saving goals. Enablers, barriers and frame conditions for decision-making consequences of realizing such systems will be studied. Key work is to develop bridging models and merging tools to connect several branches. This requires multi-disciplinary skills and close cooperation with the partners. The traditional gap between different technical divisions with their own vendors and appurtenant controlling and management systems has to be linked. INTER ACT results will improve energy efficiency since there is a mismatch between simulation and operation of most current systems. Zero Emission Buildings and plus-houses will need to balance uneven supply and demand. INTERACT will develop robust methods and tools for optimal energy interaction between energy demand, surplus heat/cool, thermal storage and third party deliverances. This fundamental knowledge is required for successful installation in the future. pages/1253989178165 none Policy should take account of factors like economic performance, energy security and emission of harmful materials, as well as uncertainty, in a systematic, coherent way when deciding which policy to implement in order to reach a specified target. This re quires development of a framework that assesses different concerns when energy decisions are taken under uncertainty. The aim of this project is to develop a detailed stochastic, numerical model of the energy industry that covers all countries in Europe t hat can be used for policy analyses when agents make decisions under uncertainty. Both domestic policies, for example, initiatives to spur Norwegian production of clean energy, as well as EU policies, for example, the triple 20 percent targets and the roa d to a low carbon European society, can be examined with our model. The model provides a detailed description of the European energy industry where energy carriers are extracted/produced, there is trade in energy between European countries and end-users , as well as power plants, use energy. There is inter-fuel competition, and electricity can be produced by a number of technologies; fossil-fuel based, hydro, nuclear and renewable. We use a method frequently referred to as scenario aggregation to trans form a deterministic numerical model into a stochastic model where several agents make decisions under uncertainty simultaneously. Our method ensures a consistent modeling of uncertainty, and is in line with both statistical theory and economic theory of decisions under uncertainty. This is not the case for some well known methods that have been applied in the literature, in particular the scenario method where a few pictures of the future are analyzed, and also Monte Carlo simulations. These methods assu me implicitly that agents always know which future that will materialize. pages/1253989178184 none Photovoltaic solar energy is recognized as one of the most promising future sustainable energy sources. Multicrystalline silicon solar cells represent the most cost effective alternative. In this type of solar cells crystal defects and impurities are pres ent; crystal defects are introduced during crystallization, and impurities are introduced from the feedstock, the crucibles or the coating. The impurities and defects interact to reduce the solar cell efficiency. Therefore research which aims to increase solar cell efficiency needs to address two factors: How to minimize the presence of crystal defects and impurities, and how to mitigate their effects.Recent developments in crystallization technology have shown that it is possible to produce silicon wit h particularly low defect density in a robust industrial manner. The underlying assumption for this project is therefore that future improvements can now most likely be reached by achieving a better control of contamination. The primary objective of the proposed project is therefore to develop knowledge about impurity transport processes and impurity-defect interaction throughout the process of producing high performance multicrystalline silicon solar cells. The final aim is to provide reliable specific ations for the main components in the crystal growth system, i.e. silicon feedstock, crucibles and coating, as well as best practice guidelines for the process.The project involves 4 industry and 3 research partners. The challenges will be approached th rough integrated use of experiments and mathematical modelling. The competence built within this project aims at answering technologically critical questions and providing a better general understanding of the impurity transport through the value chain. These results are of high importance for the partners as well as the global photovoltaic industry and research community. pages/1253989345665 none Connectors do not get the most attention and may not be as well noticed as a new rig design or subsea compressor module, but connectors are used everywhere: like the tendons in our bodies that connect bone to muscle, we cannot function without them. Why i s it then that we tolerate such a lack of any significant advancement in subsea wet-mate technology over the past +30 years?WiSub brings a game-changing technology that will transform subsea networks similar to the way that USB transformed the computing world. We have eliminated the issues with pin-to-pin connectors by eliminating the pins. Microwave (MW) electronics technology is at the heart of our patent-pending contactless underwater connector.This technology is exceptionally well-suited to applica tions that require high speed communications over very short distances through seawater: subsea wet-mate connectors. The R&D project will focus on defining the boundary conditions, size constraints and MW propagation limits with a focus on implementing th is technology commercially. R&D will result in delivery of field-ready connector prototypes with 1Gbps data throughput.The project aligns well with technology target areas defined in OG21 Future Technologies, especially Developments in Environmentally Se nsitive Areas and Field Life Extension: both require significant additional sensors to be installed subsea, e.g. for environmental monitoring and leak detection. The trend towards real-time monitoring is currently blocked by existing connector technology being either too expensive (fibre-optic) or too slow (pin-to-pin).The industry is adding more and faster sensors but has not yet delivered the basic freedom of fast data delivery. Sensors are delivering "Formula 1 race car" speeds but connectors are fo rcing data to "wait for the ferry" as it is sent in packets over slow connections. WiSub technology is building a bridge, facilitating safer exploration of frontier zones and field life extension. pages/1253989345688 none The overall objective is to avoid shutdowns of offshore projects and operations due to icing and to improve safety for offshore personell.Super-hydrophobic (SH) materials have attracted scientific attention over the last decade because of their unique pr operty to repel water. SH surfaces are highly hydrophobic, i.e., extremely difficult to wet. SH surfaces are obtained by the combined use of surface chemistry to introduce non-polar groups at the interface and surface topography to create a rough surface texture, which together minimizes the water affinity to the surface and traps air pockets within the surface texture.Water droplets that impinge on super hydrophobic surfaces will remain as separate drops and easily roll off the surface by external forc es caused by e.g. wind. If the surface coating is prepared with optimized surface roughness it will prevent condensation.There are few commercially available products with high durability, however the latest research has shown very promising results and represents a good baseline for further R&D and Innovation. Two of the R&D institutions in forefront when it comes SH are The USA Department of Energy?s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and the other is YKI, Institute of Surface Chemistry, Stockholm, Sweden.Researchers at the Department of Energy?s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee have developed super-hydrophobic coatings with remarkable anti-icing properties. This project will combine the leading in stitutions within nanotech and surface chemistry when it comes to super hydrophobic coatings and anti-icing functionality. In the presence of demanding customers as Statoil and Gassco the project aims to deliver necessary documentation for industrializati on of a cost effective and durable anti icing coating by a commercial manufacturer. pages/1253989345832 none The "Novel Particle Technology for Display Interconnect" project will provide enabling technology for the next generation of LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screens with enhanced definition. The goal of the project is to provide technology and materials th at will support a reduced contact pitch distances on LCD screens. This will facilitate higher definition and reduce the costs related to driver chip production. The main innovation is to introduce specially designed "indicator particles" to the Anisotropi c Conductive Film (ACF), that is made to clearly indicate once the conductive particles has reached its optimum deformation.At the same time it will move a small but critical part of the production chain from Asia to Europa and Norway.Conpart will dev elop a new concept that will enable the application of finer ACF particles (metal-plated polymer particles used in Anisotropic Conductive Film) than are commercially available today, for interconnection (electrical contact) between the driver electronics and the Liquid Crystal Display. Today this is limited by the availability of high quality fine particles and the technology to place components with the optimum force to produce a consistant and reliable contact. Conpart will meet both of these challenge s. pages/1253989345841 none The objective of the project is to advance beyond current state-of-the-art and develop technology for nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) and online optimization with unprecedented properties; The system will be based on 'first principles models' an d made tolerant to faults in instrumentation, process equipment and process operation. Among the planned, new features are techniques for model based fault detection and diagnosis; optimization of constraints and reference trajectories for the controller, so as to achieve acceptable performance in spite of faults; Continuous re-optimization of reference trajectories and constraints so as to meet terminal quality specifications.The innovation is expected to increase the marked potential for advanced proc ess control technology in industry sectors where safety and product quality are essential. The technology will be developed as extensions to Cybernetica's industrially proven NMPC products. Implementations are planned for the control of phenolic resin po lymerization, amino resin polymerization, suspension PVC polymerization and ferromanganese refining processes.The R&D challenges are related to the application of advanced methods for model based fault detection and diagnosis, and to the application of optimization based methods to ensure that the NMPC is robust with respect to faults and process disturbances.This control technology is expected to offer superior performance in terms of control and operation of critical and exothermic processes, which are characterized by nonlinear dynamics, frequent grade changes, batch or semi-batch operation. Anticipated benefits are related to stable operation of processes which are difficult to control, increased production volumes, more consistent product quality , and increased safety compared to alternative control methods. pages/1253989345850 none According to an IBM survey in 2011, 90 % of the world's data was created in the last two years. As the data level increases, the market is in demand for high-performance computing (HPC) to efficiently process, analyze and extract value from these great vo lumes of data. Today, data-intensive problems are solved using HPC resources which are either large-scale Shared Memory Processing (SMP) systems, referred to as mainframes, or clusters comprising a large pool of inter-connected commodity servers. Mainfr ames constitute high performing and easy programmable solutions, but are only affordable to a fraction of the market. Cluster solutions have significantly lower costs, but also increased processing time and increased programming complexity. The increased complexity requires specialist developers and significantly limits the market opportunities.The motivation for this project is the market demand for a currently non-existing solution that offers high performance and ease of use at a low cost. Together w ith our project partners Simula Research Laboratory, IBM and USIT at University of Oslo, we will address the challenges and disadvantages associated with cluster computing. By addressing the limitations of cluster systems whilst keeping the computational cost at the same level, we aim to provide HPC with mainframe capabilities at cluster prices.The result from this project will constitute a world-wide new innovation with a huge market potential. It will be attractive to all industries handling big data problems or in the need for high performance computing capacity. Examples include life sciences such as genome projects, energy industry, medicine, space, and financial trading. By drastically reducing the cost per computation we expect to also reach new industries which previously could not access HPC capacity. Thus, our ground-breaking global innovation represents a game-changing tool for big data problem solving across existing and new industry sectors. pages/1253989345869 none Targovax develops the peptide based anti cancer vaccine TG01 for treatment of cancers with RAS mutations. Such mutations are present in about 25% of all cancers and especially in pancreatic cancer (80%), colorectal cancer (40%) and lung cancer (30%). TG0 1 is designed to induce and enhance immune responses (T-cells) in the body that will recognize and kill cancer cells with mutated RAS. Phase I clinical development for treatment of pancreatic cancer is ongoing and phase II will be initiated immediately af ter phase I has been completed.The peptides of TG01 are little immunogenic by themselves and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is used as immunomodulator together with TG01 to obtain enhanced immuneresponses to TG01 treatment. Be fore phase III studies can be initiated it is necessary to establish production and documentation of GM-CSF in compliance with EU/US regulatory standards for phase III. The project will also involve development of novel immunogenic formulations of the R AS peptides. It is believed that it might be possible to optimise the treatment of cancer by using such formulation. Novel formulations of RAS peptides (TG02)with a selected immunestimmulating adjuvant will be investigated and tested in clinical phase I i n patients with lung and colorectal cancer. The goal is to create a basis for development of a second generation of RAS peptide immunotheraphy with an improved clinical profile for broader development in RAS positive cancers. pages/1253989345920 none The lifetime cost of energy (LCOE) is currently relatively high for offshore wind turbines and very important for the viability of large scale deployment of environmentally friendly offshore wind energy. In some cases the hydrodynamic sea loads drives the design, dimensions and cost of the offshore wind turbines. Our main focus will be on how to with sufficiently accurately model the sea behaviour and the following dimensioning sea loads with engineering tools.There is a significant potential for cos t reductions if larger, but unproven wind turbine rotors were to be used offshore. Enhanced knowledge of their performance with respect to interaction between wind, rotor, structure, sea and dimensioning loads is needed to enable their deployment. This wi ll be our other main area of research.Our focus will be on conditions and offshore wind turbine concepts relevant for North Sea sites with shallow to intermediate water depths. pages/1253989346033 none The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an autonomous organization with 28 member countries. While working towards a sustainable energy supply, IEA strives to implement agreements for co-operation in the research and development of renewable energy conve rsion, such as wind. One proposed task of IEA Wind is called "Assessment of Environmental Effects and Monitoring Efforts for Wind Energy Systems in the Offshore and Land Based Settings" (Task 34), and will initiate a collaborative exchange of peer-reviewe d scientific research and methods for the assessment and monitoring of the environmental effects of wind energy development. Until now, Norway has been represented by the Norwegian Directorate for Water Resources and Energy (NVE). As NVE has expressed the wish to delegate this work to experts in the field, we are seeking financial support to represent Norway in IEA Wind Task 34. In contrast to the small size of the group, we have a broad representation including academic and industry experts on the imp act from wind energy developments in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. We have also an extensive experience in related environmental monitoring work. The immediate task of the group will be to represent Norway at a meeting held in Berlin in June, wh ere the final proposal of Task 34 will be drafted and where detailed activities within the task will be planned. The work further includes coordination of the nationally acquired new scientific and operational knowledge of environmental impact from wind e nergy installations, at meetings with other IEA member countries assigned to this task. Through this project our vision is that we will be better equipped to communicate with national stake holders, managers and industry representatives, and be more effec tive in our support to research projects regarding the impact from wind energy project at land and in the sea. pages/1253989346042 none The aim of this project is to contribute to the management of the Joint Program for Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (FCs&H2) as an integral part of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA). Initially, SINTEF will follow up on the work as leader for the Sub-Pr ogram (SP) on Catalysis, in which a series of European key actors take part, e.g., CEA (FR), DLR (D), ENEA (It), FZJ (D), JRC IE (B), DTU (DK), TECNALIA (ES) and VTT (Fi).Frequent meetings for this JP will be arranged, the first already during the Annual Congress in Brussels 18.-19.April 2013. Researcher Dr. Luis Colmenares, SINTEF, has taken on the responsibility of leading the SP on Catalysis and has already contributed to the development of a detailed work plan (Implementation Plan) for the years towa rds 2020 in alignment with the priorities of the European Commission's Strategic Energy Technology (SET)-plan.In conjunction with the work towards European partners, encompassing the establishment of the scientific scope for the activity, Luis Colmenares and SINTEF will link the EERA activities to the national Mirror Group within Hydrogen and Fuel Cells which is operated by SINTEF and IFE. Through this Mirror Group Norwegian stakeholders are being informed about relevant activities and are given the oppo rtunity to engage and interact, and give input to priorities to the EERA JP FCs&H2-activites. Relevant information shall also be disseminated through Norwegian Hydrogen Association (Hydrogenforum), the Norwegian Hydrogen Council (Hydrogenrådet) and the Re search Council of Norway (Forskningsrådet).Moreover, an annual European workshop on the subject of Catalysis for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell technologies with Pan-European participation will be organized as part of this EERA engagement. pages/1253989346116 none New solutions, Game Changers,for CO2 conformance and mobility control are needed for the next generation EOR to recover significantly more of the Original Oil in Place than what is achieved with today's techniques. The project aims at clarifying the techn ical opportunities, challenges and development needs for the use of novel polymers and surfactants, produced by using CO2 as a raw material, in various EOR techniques. pages/1253989346134 none These are the main activities that will be undertaken in the forprosjekt:1. Partner identification and development (coating and industry). There are mainly two kinds of partners that needs to be sought out in the consortium:a) Expertise in coatings for wet structures (for instance SINTEF MATERIAL)b) industry and user input (for instance Jotun and Rolls Royce)2. Technology. Discussion and specifications from potential and actual partners 3. WP development. An efficient work plan will be developed by the researchers and the industry representatives.4. Contracts and IPR development work pages/1253989558733 none The future European electricity system will be more integrated and will include a larger share of renewable intermittent generation than what is the case today. This development is e.g. driven by environmental targets set by the European Union and decisio ns on downscaling of nuclear generation capacity. Tighter market couplings and increased contributions from intermittent generation will call for efficient balancing services, and possibly the development of new products to handle system balancing. The flexibility of hydropower allows for efficient balancing of intermittent production. By fully utilizing this flexibility, hydropower producers can optimize the use and allocation of available capacity in the different electricity markets. Thus, the value of flexible hydropower generation can be enhanced by participating in multiple markets. An increasing share of the income from hydropower production is likely to come from other markets than the day-ahead market.This project aims at identifying how the increasing importance of balancing markets influences the hydropower scheduling process and the tools that are used in the planning process. This goal will be achieved by defining how the hydropower strategy should be computed and interpreted taking into account balancing markets. The focus of the project is the effect on seasonal and long-term hydropower scheduling, but in order to do this the whole planning process must be considered.We define the following major research tasks: 1) Review existing m ethods and tools.There is a need to develop general knowledge about integrated markets and how to model their co-existence.2) Investigate the principles of integrated markets.Based on the findings in 1), simple models will be developed to illustrate an d investigate basic principles.3) Establish stochastic parametric models for balancing markets.4) Integrate balancing market models in seasonal or long-term hydropower scheduling models. pages/1253989558742 none A new piezoresistive silicon technology platform for a ultra high accuracy pressure sensor family for aerospace applications shall be developed in this project. The sensor family shall cover relative, differential and absolute pressure sensors with full-s cale ranges from 0.2 to 60 Bar. Focus in the research will be to develop a technology platform that reduces thermal hysteresis and long-term drift to less than 100 ppm of full-scale per year. The platform will include solutions for high burst pressure, s uperior robustness and media compatibility. 0.2 Bar and 1 Bar versions will be demonstrated and verified in the research project. Early samples of the new innovative 0.2 Bar version will be delivered to NASA to be used in their Tunable Laser Spectrometer for space missions exploring molecular and elemental chemistry relevant to life. The project is part of a long-lasting co-operation between MEMSCAP and research partners SINTEF ICT and Vestfold University College. The project includes a PhD candidate with in micro- and nanosystems technology at Vestfold University College. pages/1253989558760 none The proposed project aims to fabricate high efficiency quantum dot (QD) based intermediate band solar cells (IBSCs). IBSCs have a theoretical efficiency limit of 63%, 50% higher than the limit for standard solar cells. QD-IBSCs have been attempted realiz ed for a decade, but still high efficiencies have not been achieved. In this project we address issues that we believe will lead to improved QD-IBSC performance. QDs can also be used for many other solar cell applications, and the project will establish a knowledge base for the growth and utilization of QDs in solar cells. The project will build on and extend a recently completed project funded by the Research Council of Norway ("Nanomaterials for 3rd generation solar cells", 181886/S10) that ended in D ecember 2011. The InAs/GaAs QD material system has been studied and used in optoelectronic applications since the late 1980's, but still the growth of the QDs is not completely understood. The proposed project aims at increasing the fundamental understand ing of the growth and optimization of InAs/AlGaAs and InAs/AlGaNAs QD-based intermediate band solar cells (QD-IBSCs).In the proposed project, we will use molecular beam epitaxy to grow the QD materials. Advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM) te chniques will be used to image the QD materials with atomic resolution to provide accurate information about QD size, density and chemical compositions, as well as detailed chemical and electronic information about defect structures. Results from the TEM studies will give feedback to the growth optimization. The optical and electronic properties will be studied by advanced photoluminescence experiments, as well as deep level transient spectroscopy. The solar cell design will be optimized by modelling, and the most promising QD materials will be processed into solar cells that will be tested. The solar cell modelling and testing will be performed in collaboration with the world leading group on IBSCs. pages/1253989558858 none The project team with partners from United Kingdom (UK), Greece (G) and Norway (N) proposes to use the Next Generation Technology of metagenomics and bioinformatic, for offshore post injection and long-term monitoring of CO2 storage sites. DNA extracted f rom seafloor sediments exposed to in situ CO2 release at the Scottish west coast will be analysed and compared to our existing CO2 anomaly signatures from the North Sea. An automatic workflow for fast finding and precise detection of genes associated with prokaryotic CO2 assimilation will be generated. Correlation analysis of geochemical parameters and genetic anomalies in in situ and ex situ CO2 exposed sediments will be made. To be able to estimate the resolution and sampling frequency required for safe long term monitoring of CO2 storage sites, we will calculate the theoretical migration of CO2 to the seabed from a conceptual storage site model with cap rock leakage. Based on this approach we will suggest monitoring campaigns and recommendations for th e conceptual storage site model and estimate the monitoring costs. The CCS community needs a technique able to detect deviations from baseline conditions in the seafloor in good time before CO2 migrates from the seafloor into the sea water where pelagic o rganisms such as fish can be affected. pages/1253989685311 none The underlying idea of this project is to develop a novel networked audio sensor, the PTZ-microphone, for video monitoring systems. One PTZ-microphone will be a networked audio node behaving like a PTZ camera, i.e. it will be able to focus on sound from d ifferent directions and track moving sound-sources. The PTZ-microphone will have the ability to interact with one or several cameras, thus enabling audio-video synergy in processing. With the PTZ-microphone solution, the currently provided video functiona lity will be made available for audio also.In short, the main innovations that will come out of this project are:1)A new type of networked audio sensor, the PTZ-microphone, providing remote and directional audio capture for video monitoring systems. 2)A system that is compatible with existing video monitoring infrastructure and protocols. 3)A system providing audio capture in situations where existing audio solutions come short.4)Software defined solution incorporating:-Simultaneous listening and recording of live audio from multiple spatial positions-Control of PTZ-microphones by cameras and vice versa-Tracking of audio sources and spatial sweeps for audio event detection-Audio event scheduled acquisition-Privacy protection through au dio analytics and spatial exclusion of forbidden-listening areas-New audio-video synergy methods-Full system functionality in real-time and in post-processing pages/1253989685418 none Project description:Available normal-stress and shear-stress based critical-plane models for fatigue-crack-initiation (FCI) and fatigue-crack-growth (FCG) based fatigue assessment of engineering components for arbitrary multi-axial stress histories will be critically reviewed. Possibilities for improvements of these models with respect to consistency and ease of implementation will be considered. Selected (improved) models are to be implemented in LINKpfat, a fatigue post-processor based on stresses fro m finite-element analysis. A series of experiments has been foreseen, where critical features of (implemented) models will be evaluated and suggestions for improvements formulated. Predictions for a variety of component geometries subjected to complex mul ti-axial stress histories will be compared with those of other prediction tools, in particular other (proprietary or commercially available) fatigue post-processors, published and project generated test data, and service experience from industrial partner s.Foreseen research activities:1. Critical review of critical-plane modelsStrengths and weaknesses of current critical-plane theories for FCI and FCG will be assessed. 2. Implementation and critical evaluation of selected modelsA selection of (po ssibly improved) current critical-plane models for FCI and FCG based assessment is considered for implementation in LINKpfat. Emphasis is placed on the implementation of algorithms that permit efficient and accurate determination of the critical-plane par ameters.3. Multiaxial fatigue testing under non-proportional loadingA series of experiments has been foreseen, where critical features of (implemented) models are evaluated and suggestions for improvements are formulated. 4. Validation of implemente d modelsPredictions for a variety of component geometries subjected to complex multi-axial stress histories by means of FGI and FCG criteria implemented in LINKpfat will be compared with other data. pages/1253989892596 none The project is a collaboration between Integrated Optoelectronics (laser manufacturer) and Norsk Elektro Optikk (provider of optical gas analyser systems), and SINTEF (research institue). The project will establish new, mid-IR laser products (2300-3500nm wavelengths) based on the III-V materials system and integrate these in gas analysers. A significant end user advantage is projected (cost and ease of use) as compared to conventional gas chromatographs. Particular challenges that motivates a research a ctivity relate to (a) identification of optimum semiconductor material stacks, (b) wide tunability of the wavelength of the emitted light, and (c)high optical output powers. Reliable tunability requires extreme control of fine grating structures in the la ser surface. The project will make use of national laboratory infrastructures, in particular NORFAB (NTNU NanoLab). pages/1253989892681 none The SCOUT project main objective now is to introduce Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) to reduce the CO2 emissions from fossil based power plants. Chemical Looping Combustion technology is such a technology and is based on an oxygen carrier material which is oxidized in an air reactor (oxygen uptake from air) and reduced in a fuel reactor (oxygen released/delivery to the fuel), and a reactor system in which this cycling can be performed continuously. Usually a dual fluidized bed reactor is envisaged for CL C in which the oxygen carrier powders are separated from the air stream in a cyclone bringing the powders further safely, through a loop-seal, to the fuel reactor where the oxygen carrier combust the fuel. This technology therefore gives an inherent CO2 s eparation, giving very low CO2 capture cost and high efficiency. The results so far using ilmenite as oxygen carrier in the 100kW test rig shows an extra oxygen need from ASU of 15-20 % to obtain full conversion. The success (low efficiency penalty) of th is technology for use with coal is based on having a material that have sufficient low cost and can give full combustion of the gas meaning no need for ASU unit. The aim of this proposal is therefore to investigate several new cheap mineral sources with C LOU composition towards the critical CLC properties needed for achieving full combustion and enhanced coal gasification. New promising minerals sources found will be introduced for partners in the CLC community. pages/1253989892791 none AnsuR R&D efforts have been primarily focused on the development of novel transmission protocols at the upper layers (from IP up to Application layers) for optimal delivery of audio-visual content over bandwidth?limited (wireless) channels. In the searc h for further optimization, it has been noticed that user experience in mission-critical communications, has very specific needs that have not been yet explored. Namely, information content of audio-visual data that is relevant to the decision-maker might be a rather minimal part of what is actually transmitted. This means that content awareness would potentially help matching the (relevant mission-critical) information to be transmitted to the bandwidth limitation. This observation opens up the natural r esearch direction of identifying ways that consider semantic aspects for transmission optimization. While Shannon wrote in 1948: "The semantic aspects of communication are irrelevant to the engineering problem", Warren Weaver's introduction to Shannon's seminal paper (Shannon and Weaver, 1962) observes that the effectiveness of a communications process could be measured by answering any of the following three questions:A) How accurately can symbols that encode the message be transmitted ("technical pro blem")? B) How precisely do transmitted symbols convey the desired meaning ("semantics problem")? C) How effective is the received message in changing conduct ("effectiveness problem")? Our proposed work's primary objective is to work in the direction of Weaver´s question B, what is known as "Semantic Information Theory". Specifically, the crucial purpose of the proposed research work is to develop semantic tools that are relevant to the purpose of AnsuR´s core technology.Note: The student does not need to take further University subjects for his PhD as he already holds sufficient credits. pages/1253990046341 none The project consists of the four following parts: Part 1 Automatic image analysis and machine learningMain Aim: For proper analysis and use of pictures, there is a need for a system to help humans to pinpoint/select issues of interest to be further inv estigated. This could be 1) specific objects of interest, e.g. coverage of corals or leaks of hydrocarbons or 2) changes in patterns of vast amount of data on one geographical location e.g. gradually present or absent of specific species. Part 2 Combini ng multi sensor data for optimal benefit of information Main Aim: is to use one or several of the identified case studies in the IEM project and the AUR-LAB cruises to identify which key-environmental variables and parameters that should be measured in g iven situations (1-3 described below), and use multivariate analysis to interpret the results with respect to the source for observed change and the co-variance between variables and parameters. Part 3 How to use processed data into a decision making pr ocesses?Main Aim: The focus in this part will be on finding the optimal way of presenting the data types, or a set of these, described in part 1 and 2. Furthermore, as basis for environmental management the aim is to identify what kind of data different decision makers needs and if some of the data need to be shared between the different decision makers. Part 4 Piloting processMain Aim: The focus in this part is to apply Part 1-3 on an actual offshore case. This part will also be a validation of the s olutions chosen in part 1-3. The pilot will be specified by the IEM project. I addition to reflecting key issues identified as success factors in the IEM project, it is also believed that the different parts will give valid knowledge and experiences on how to optimise and use environmental data in management in general. pages/1253990046464 none The project analyses the establishment and implementation of the 2008 European Union Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) aimed at co-ordinating the efforts of the Community, Member States and industry for the creation of a critical mass of project s and actors to spur development and commercialisation of low-carbon technologies. Part of this SET-Plan were European Technology Platforms (ETPs) and European Industrial Initiatives (EIIs), co-ordinating mechanisms for selecting specific technology field s and projects for EU-level funding. The SET-Plan represented a step forward for the co-ordination of national technology push policies at the EU-level. This loosening of national control is an interesting puzzle, since member states have earlier viewed t echnology policy as a crucial strategic instrument to support industrial development and competitiveness at the national level. The project analyses how and why the SET-Plan came into being, and why specific low-carbon technologies were given priority a mong the larger set of possible options. It next analyses implementation of the SET-Plan, assessing first the relative performance of different technology platforms and industrial initiatives and next, analysing why differences emerged in performance betw een the technology inititives.The project finally assesses how Norwegian energy technology agents (industries and government agencies) have engaged in the SET-Plan and emerging transnational innovation networks and discusses strategies for the Norwegian Government and industries to become proactively involved in the new EU-level energy technology policy pages/1253990046668 none There is no adequate support to informal carers who take on care for vulnerable persons, i.e. individuals who cannot function without the practical help of others. CarerSupport will provide ?Training, learning and orientation programmes, including gener al-purpose training programmes and programmes that emphasize on the informal carers? digital skills.?Collaboration and tele-consulting services, where formal carers are available for consultation and question and answers.?Peer support services, aiming at alleviating the stress of informal carers, while at the same time providing them with social, psychological and emotional support.Our blended-learning environment will enable use to fully leverage ICT based solutions for active ageing and social incl usion. The platform will include psychological support services, aiming at alleviating the stress of informal carers, while at the same time increasing their emotional support. Psychological services will be supported by the ICT platform of the CarerSuppo rt project, through appropriate on-line gaming activities, on-line tips and advice, quizzes and educational activities, assisting them in planning and carrying out their tasks. pages/1253990205151 none We propose a research project addressing key steps in a syngas-based thermochemical conversion process for making second generation biofuels. The steps we propose to study are steps we believe are key to the success of such a process: Central catalytic is sues related to converting the synthesis gas to fuel products, in particular the action of catalyst poisons in the biomass, and development and studies of adsorption and adsorbents for the high-temperature removal of pollutants carried in the syngas. The purpose is to improve catalyst lifetime, and reducing losses in efficiency linked to conventional cleaning processes. The project addresses fundamental issues, with important practical applications and involves theoretical studies, development of new met hods for poisoning studies of Fischer-Tropsch catalysts, and development of new sorbents for high-temperature gas cleaning. 2 researcher candidates will be trained through the project, and a wide national and international network will be maintained. pages/1253990427676 none Driven by environmental concerns new vegetable based electrically insulating liquids enter a market dominated by mineral oils. The dielectric performance of liquids is the basis for design of liquid filled apparatus (e.g. transformers). Breakdown in a li quid occurs via a gas filled streamer propagating across the insulation: this propagation varies a lot depending on voltages and molecular properties of liquids (e.g. velocity may increase three orders of magnitude as voltage is increased). This gives liq uid dependent constraints for design. Today no validated and detailed physical model exists for the behavior of such liquids. Design is done based on benchmark models and return of experience on known materialsKnowledge of liquid behavior under differen t conditions is essential for design, specification and testing of electric liquid filled apparatus. Good design criteria give possibilities for more compact and energy efficient designs. Especially an expected pressure dependence on breakdown voltages wi ll facilitate more compact and lighter designs for offshore and subsea transformers.The breakdown event in a liquid is governed by tip processes where a vaporization and formation of a plasma filled streamer channel is formed. The channels branch into a bush that limits the electric field at the channel tips. There is circumstantial evidence that the streamer formation is driven by electron avalanches in the high field region near the streamer tip. If this hypothesis can be verified it opens for establi shing scientifically based design criteria.The project will be split in three:-Small scale experiments focusing on quantum chemical streamer tip processes.-Large scale experiments focusing on channel propagation properties and branching.-Modeling bas ed on electron valance processes and energetic considerations pages/1253990529703 none Kyoto International Forum for Environment and Energy (KIFEE) was initiated in 2003 and quickly recognised as a valuable contribution to the Research Agreement between Norway and Japan. Since then, an extensive activity has taken place in the KIFEE communi ty of universities, research institutes, and industry. The activities include meetings, exchange of students and researchers, publications, and sharing results from research projects. The most important role of KIFEE has been to provide an arena for shari ng ideas and results across the institutional and national borders and to act as a market place for nurturing collaboration. This has given birth to specific research projects. Part of the attachment to this document is a review of the activities.In ord er to continue the KIFEE platform, we need further financial support from the Norwegian partners and the Research Council of Norway (RCN). This application concerns the Norwegian contribution to KIFEE for the period from 2013-07-01 until 2015-06-30. A sim ilar contribution is applied for at the Japanese side. For this two-year period, we have estimated a total cost of approximately 2.6 mill NOK. We ask RCN to cover approximately 57 % of this (1.475 mill NOK for the two-year period, with approximately 1/3 c overed by NANO2021). pages/1253990784597 none The mobile researcher, Amir Taherkordi, started his postdoctoral position at the University of Oslo (UiO) in December 2012, working broadly on software design, distribution and adaptation for embedded systems, sensor networks, and IoT systems. Amir is inv ited to carry out a 6-month research visit to Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburg, USA. The computer science school of CMU has a long-standing research effort on software architecture design and dynamic adaptation of software systems. Over past few years, they have particularly focused on Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) from the software architecture viewpoint. CPSs are the next computing revolution with applications in medical systems, environmental control, safety and control, etc. CPS applicatio ns are primarily expected to be reliable, safe and secure (i.e., dependability). To meet these requirements, the CPS software system should support dynamic software adaptation. The special attributes of CPSs, such as high complexity and high degrees of au tomation and control make software adaptation a unique challenging issue in this domain. This project aims to address this from two complementary views: system-view and architecture-view. UiO has long experience in addressing the former for embedded syste ms, while CMU has been focusing on the latter for conventional software platforms over past decades. This joint project is aimed at proposing a generic adaptation software framework, including the software architectural model, for CPSs that promises a sol id and reusable software solution for dynamic adaptation of CPSs. Using this framework, the stakeholders in this domain (developers of CPSs in the industry and the academia) will be able to produce more dependable software for CPSs with less development e ffort. pages/1253990784615 none The current measurement accuracy of marine electromagnetic data facilitates using the technology to study fainter targets and also smaller geological details. Resolving these data responses by imaging software can be challenging when the magnitude of data variations are dominated by variations in other geological features. This can be the case e.g. for a rough seafloor topography, presence of islands, or a coastline near the survey area. Although e.g. the seafloor topography can be measured to very high a ccuracy, the processing and imaging tools must accurately determine the effect on measured responses. Unlike the more commonly used rectangular grids, the use of unstructured meshes can accurately represent the effect of tilts and roughness in the geomo del. This is achieved by the arbitrary placement of grid nodes that facilitates tilted structure, and mesh spacing can be made denser in proximity of local geometrical distortions.In this project, we will develop new 3D inversion software based on 3D un structured tetrahedral mesh representations and the finite-element approach to modeling. The computational complexity of such an approach is a significant R&D challenge, and we will develop an efficient inversion algorithm that can utilize the new modelin g approach to process large-scale datasets.The new software will be applied to process a 3D real field dataset where current modeling approaches are known to be a limiting factor. The project will generate new knowledge both in the domain of numerical m ethods for processing of marine EM data and marine geology. The resulting software will enable processing of data acquired in the most complex environments, and the results from real field data processing will be submitted for publication in an internatio nal journal. pages/1253990784759 none The project aims to develop a system called BSID for protecting networked services from failures and attacks, also called Byzantine failures. Several past works have targeted Byzantine fault tolerance (BFT), with the primary objective to improve the perfo rmance of BFT systems. However, despite these improvements, the cost of state-of-the-art BFT systems is currently perceived to be so high that few organizations find it worthwhile to deploy such techniques. The primary challenge that we aim to address w ith BSID is to leverage existing infrastructure present in intrusion detection systems, to assist in detecting misbehaviours and failures. We expect that this will allow us to reduce the cost of providing protection to networked services compared to exist ing techniques, making it a viable choice for organizations where resilience to both classic failures and attacks are of importance. We also expect to be able to further exploit synergies between our BSID design and mechanisms of the intrusion detection system that can provide even stronger protection than classic BFT protocols currently do. pages/1253990784804 none This project is requesting funding to support Dr. Edward McCormack (University of Washington, Seattle) as he participates in a new research center located at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. This center, known as th e traffic technical centre (Trafikkteknisk senter), is jointly funded by the Norwegian Public Roads administration (NPRA) and NTNU. Dr. McCormack main role as a visiting fellow will be to explore and develop advanced methods to coordinate the flow of roa dside, vehicle, and freight data from a range of transportation technology devices. Just like other aspects of our society, roadway transportation has benefited from faster and smaller computers, satellite communications, wireless networks, and the abili ty to store massive amounts of data. The application of this Information and Communication Technology to transportation operations (commonly referred to as Intelligent Transport Systems or ITS) has resulted in a growing number of roadside and in-vehicle d evices designed to create more efficient transport systems. These ITS have created a new source of data that can be utilized to actively monitor roadway networks. The data aggregated from these devices will be used to develop quantitative network-level he avy vehicle performance measures that will allow the NPRA to more effectively monitor, control, and plan for mobility on the Norwegian road network and will provide NTNU researchers with new data sources to support research efforts geared at better modell ing and understanding Norway's transport network. pages/1253990993618 none The project aims to develop technologies for production of electricity and valuable feedstock products with integrated CO2 capture. The project will focus on reactor technologies for high efficiency conversion of natural gas to products and integration wi th solid oxide fuel cells. The proposed innovations will be developed by Prototech AS in cooperation with Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen. The results will form the basis for the design of a pilot plant. pages/1253990993627 none Geothermal heat and power has been identified as one of the strategic Energy Technologies in the SET-Plan [http://setis.ec.europa.eu/geothermal-power]. By participating in EERA JPGE, the partners will have the opportunity to align R&D activities to the ne eds of the SET-Plan, as well as giving input on strategic research priorities. The establishing of an EERA JPGE Mirror Group ("Shadow group") on Geothermal Energy (MGGE) will facilitate coordination of national priorities and cooperation among the nationa l participants within JPGE.The partners will participate in JPGE, which was launched in 2010. Currently 30 participants and associates from 12 European countries have joined the JPGE in a strategically oriented endeavor to facilitate development of cost -effective technologies suitable for a sustainable growth of geothermal energy in Europe and worldwide. JPGE aims to contribute to meet Europe?s climate and energy policy targets for 2020 and beyond through large-scale deployment of geothermal energy. Sin ce it was launched in June 2010, JPGE has obtained a status as the leading platform for networking and cooperation on geothermal energy research in Europe, providing guidelines to Regulatory Authorities and Policy Makers for development of geothermal init iatives. JPGE has, for example, contributed to SET-Plan documents and given input to Horizon2020.The partners will participate in work packages in the follwing sub-programmes of JPGE:SP1 Resource Assessment (UoB, Uni)SP2 Accessing and Engineering of t he Reservoir (UoB, CMR)SP4 Operation and Management of Geothermal Systems (CMR, Uni)The partners have applied to become a full JPGE Participant as a consortium. Planned activities include presentation of application for the JPGE steering committee Dece mber 2013, participation at EERAs annual congress, and participation in JPGE-SP meetings. In addition, the consortium will establish a national MGGE for information exchange and coordination of national priorities. pages/1253990993672 none IFE has been member of EERA-JPGE since November 2011. We have joined JPGE as experts on tracer technology, corrosion and scaling, where we have a rich experience from oil and gas industry. The initiative came from Petroleum Sector at IFE which participate d in two FP5 EU projects on geothermal energy (Soultz and Engine) where Jiri Muller has been the initiator. IFEs Petroleum Sector experience in these areas is in demand from geothermal research organisation in Europe and overseas. JPGE has today 5 SPs, an d our know-how in tracer technology and flow assurance (corrosion and scaling) is in demand in all 5 SPs which are:SP1:Resource assessmentSP2:Accessing and engineering a reservoirSP3:Process engineering and design of power system SP4:Operation and ma nagement of geothermal systemsSP5:Sustainability, environment and regulatory framework In May 2012, IFE organised a workshop for EERA-JPGE on tracer technology, corrosion and scaling, where participants from all five SPs took part. The workshop was a s uccess. We wish to use our expertise in forthcoming EU proposals initiated by EERA, therefore it is important that we participate in workshops, seminars organised by all SPs.Results of the workshops will be disseminated through CGER (Norwegian Center fo r Geothermal Energy Research),where IFE (Jiri Muller) is represented in the ExCo, and also through IEA-GIA, where IFE (Jiri Muller) also sits on ExCo.The impact will be an increased participation of Norwegian organisations in forthcoming Horizon 2020 pr ojects on geothermal energy. pages/1253990993690 none Task 51 had its kick -off meeting 29-30 May 2013 with Maria Wall (TU Lund, Sweden) as Operating Agent. Task 51 aims to improve and accelerate integration of solar energy in urban planning that respects the quality of the urban context. The main work will be on active solar strategies due to a great need of development in this area.Task 51 has 4 subtasks:A: Legal framework, barriers and opportunities for solar energy implementationB: Development of processes, methods and toolsC: Case studies and actio n research (implementation issues, test methods/tools/processes, test concepts as e.g. NZEB, NZEC); This Subtask is led by NTNU and the Research Centre on Zero Emission BuildingsD: Education and disseminationNTNU participated in the Definition Phase (N FR project 224770/E20) as coordinator of Subtask C, contributed to the Description of Work and coordinated development of Team Norway.Team Norway consists of Norwegian city, industry and research partners Omsorgsbygg Oslo KF , Oslo Municipal Planning an d Building Services (Plan- og Bygningsetaten), Aventa Solar, Sogn og Fjordane University College, and Dale Property AS. Bybo (Bergen) and Trondheim municipality may join with case studies at a later stage (depending on capacity). Furthermore several Nor wegian stakeholders are interested in participating in a Norwegian shadow group: Norwegian Solar Energy Association, ZEB Research Centre industry partners, and Cities of the Future.In order to develop a sturdy framework for case study documentation NTNU will during the first year coordinate and perform group interviews and site visits with Team Norway partners. These results form a benchmark for documentation of international case studies.NTNU will disseminate project results and other information usi ng its communication network (NTNU and ZEB newsletters, ZEB and Smart Cities website, and the Renewable Energy Research Conference (RERC2014).Each partner in Team Norway sends their own application. pages/1253990993717 none To address these objectives we propose an annex with the following main subtasks:(i) Subtask A: Possible and accessible storage capacity in buildings (ii) Subtask B: Control of flexibility of buildings (iii) Subtask C: Test of Smart Grid/Energy flexibi lity/readinessThe annex will address both residential and non-residential buildings; however, these two sectors will be treated separately because the issues, challenges and possible solutions are very distinct. The Annex will also address both new cons tructions and renovated buildings.The proposal for creation of the new Annex is still in the preparation phase, so the activity plan is in the draft form at the moment and can be altered according to the overall planning process within the Annex. In r ecognition of the significance of energy use in buildings, in 1977 the International Energy Agency established an Implementing Agreement on Energy in Buildings and Communities (EBC-formerly known as ECBCS). The function of EBC is to undertake research and provide an international focus for building energy efficiency.The new proposed Annex is intended to close the existing gap within the existing Annex framework when it comes to optimization of flexibility in buildings. Today there is no available overvi ew of the flexibility potential of the building stock, the technical and social barriers for its full realization, or how it can best be activated in order to facilitate the future transformation of the energy systems. pages/1253990993735 none Planned activities include a) participation in TPwind and b) dissemination of information and coordination with Norwegian entities. Participation in TPwind includes:-Participation in the Steering Committee (John Olav Tande)-Chairing Working Group 4 on offshore wind energy technology (John Olav Tande)-Participating in Working Group 3 on grid integration (Magnus Korpås)Dissemination of information and coordination with Norwegian entities are given priority. This will in part be through NOWITECH ac tivities, including collaboration with NORCOWE and Arena industry clusters, and in part through dialogue with the Research Council of Norway and other stakeholders (e.g. OED, Energi21) via electronic media, telephone conferences and meetings. A Norwegian "shadow group" will be established with relevant representatives to ensure efficient communication. The Norwegian shadow group shall have two meetings per year that shall be open for all interested parties and will be announced in the EU-energy newsletter s prepared by the Research Council of Norway (RCN) and other channels. Separate meetings / conference calls will be held with relevant RCN contacts for preparing shadow group meetings and related activities. The objective of the shadow group is to be a me eting place for dialogue to accomplish: -Coordination of Norwegian parties that participates in various strategic EU-forums;-Communication with stakeholders that are not active in the EU-arena, but have a potential interest in such activities;-Infor mation exchange with the RCN, in particular the RCN may inform about their activities in EII, preparation of EU call texts, mobilization towards EU application deadlines, etc. The activity in TPwind will be aligned with activity in EERA JP wind; on this John Olav Tande is heading the EERA sub-programme on offshore wind energy. SINTEF Energi AS is also involved in EERA SmartGrids, and WG3 shall align work with EEGI (European Electricity Grid Initiative) pages/1253990993744 none Planned activities for the objective presented above include:a) heading SP Offshore wind energy, b) participation in the management of the EERA JP wind energy, c) possibly start-up of new sub-programmes under EERA JPwindc) dissemination of informatio n and coordination with Norwegian entities. The activities include cooperation with several Norwegian research entities that are affiliated wind EERA JP Wind Energy: SINTEF Energy Research is the main participant in the JP, whereas NTNU, IFE and lately CMR and UiB are associated participants. Possibly more Norwegian research parties will join, i.e. MARINTEK and the SINTEF Foundation with SINTEF MC as active partner are in process of applying to become associate participants. A new SP is proposed on WI ND INTEGRATION - ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ASPECT with a first exploratory workshop prepared on 14 October 2013 at DTU Risø Campus in Denmark. SINTEF Energy and NTNU participated at that workshop and are expected to contribute to the establishment of this new S P. Dissemination of information and coordination with Norwegian entities are given priority. This will in part be through NOWITECH activities, including collaboration with NORCOWE and Arena industry clusters, and in part through dialogue with the Resear ch Council of Norway (RCN) and other stakeholders (e.g. OED, Energi21) via electronic media, telephone conferences and meetings. Input to RCN's EU - newsletter will be done when relevant. A Norwegian "shadow group" will be established with relevant repr esentatives to ensure efficient communication and aligned with activity in TPwind and other relevant EU arenas, including interlinking with RCN representatives. John Tande is chairing the TPwind group on offshore wind energy. SINTEF Energi AS is also invo lved in TPwind grids and EERA SmartGrids. pages/1253991201601 none Predictive modeling of mixing and reaction in turbulent flow environments would accelerate the development of next-generation carbon capture technologies. The quest for such capability at the needed scale and level of detail confronts the fundamental scie ntific challenge of developing a reduced physical/mathematical representation of turbulence and its interactions with chemical reactions and related sub-processes. Without such a reduced description, the needed fidelity is available only from Direct Numer ical Simulation (DNS), i.e., numerical solution of the exact equation set. DNS is computationally affordable only at scales much smaller than needed, but is useful, e.g., for validation of reduced models, and such use is part of the research proposed here . An ongoing collaborative effort by SINTEF and international partners has established a promising pathway to attaining the needed capability. Conceptual innovations addressing this need have led to the RANS-LEM3D approach for modeling mixing and chemical reactions in turbulence. Initial application of this approach to combustion technology development is being pursued through the ongoing CAMPS project. Complementary to CAMPS, the effort proposed here will use RANS-LEM3D and the underlying LEM method to a ddress technological challenges associated with the combustion of hydrogen within pre-combustion CO2 capture concepts. The challenges are linked to the particular thermo-physical properties of hydrogen compared to conventional hydrocarbons, leading to dra matically different combustion behavior, e.g. with regard to auto-ignition, flame stabilization, flashback, and NOx production. The research proposed here will focus on (1) the interaction between hydrogen combustion phenomenology and membranes used for h ydrogen separation, and (2) hydrogen jets and jet flames in cross-flow, for which DNS predicts significant counter-gradient diffusion effects with potential impacts on the noted technological challenges. pages/1253991201610 none We propose to employ a recently developed de novo design software to develop new absorbents, such as amines, amino acids and ionic liquids, for carbon capture. Our software has been successfully demonstrated to work in catalyst discovery and has the poten tial to boost development of new and more efficient absorbent molecules that are also cheap and easy to synthesize.Our method is based on an evolutionary algorithm (EA), a global optimization method ensuring that absorbents with optimal properties are r eached. New structures are automatically assembled and evaluated by one or several fitness functions, which are here directly related to the observed absorption of CO2 or to theoretically computed properties highly correlated with observations. Central to the method is the development of fitness functions based on highly predictive quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) models to make the iterative evolutionary algorithm computationally tractable. The success of the proposed de novo method could be a game-changer for carbon capture as it enables considerable speed-up of the development process and gives cheaper and better absorbent molecules. The economic and environmental impact could be significant. pages/1253991201646 none The project aims to further develop a method for extracting CO2 from diluted gas mixtures at elevated temperatures employing molten salt based liquids as sorbents. Rapid gas-liquid reactions has been shown to ensure high efficiency and selectivity absorb ing CO2 within a wide composition range. The project will address specified issues of fundamental character with key impact on the process´performance and applicability. Of these, the most challenging will be establishing the optimal content of active i ngredients in the liquid. Fundamental knowledge about phase diagrams in the relevant chemical systems will be assessed as well as understanding of the process kinetics. Knowledge about these issues is needed for taking the process to the pilot scale. pages/1253991201768 none The CertiSkatt project aims at launching a new partnership between two highly-rated scientific research teams from France and Norway in the area of Computer Science and more precisely the certification of Public Sector Informations, also called Open Data. The project will establish a formal collaboration between the French CEDRIC-CPR research team (Conception et Programmation Raisonnées), led by Professor Catherine Dubois (http://cedric.cnam.fr), and the Norwegian CERTUS research-based innovation center (http://www.certus-sfi.no/) led by Arnaud Gotlieb, hosted by SIMULA RESEARCH LAB. The CertiSkatt project will initiate the development of a common platform for the formal certification of tax computations, in order to increase the quality of these critica l data and then facilitate their releasing and disclosing through the open data process. In total 9 researchers will be involved in this collaboration, among which 4 PhD students, 2 in France and 2 in Norway. The expected duration of the project is 12 mon ths, starting Jan. 2014. The project will be a starter for launching a larger initiative at the European level. pages/1253991201786 none This research project focuses on a class of systems characterized by having components that communicate through a wireless sensor network and be composed of coupled subsystems that share certain variables. The behavior of these systems can be influenced b y the inherent problems to signal transmission: time delays, package losses, noises and uncertainties, among others. In many cases it is necessary to design decentralized controllers instead of a unique central one.On the other hand, networked control sy stems (NCSs) are spatially distributed systems in which plants to be controlled, sensors, actuators, and controllers, are remotely positioned and communicate with each other through shared band-limited digital communication networks. Compared with traditi onal point-to-point control systems, the main advantages of network structured control systems come from their low cost, flexibility and easy re-configurability, natural reliability and robustness to failure, and adaptation capability. Consequently, NCSs have been finding applications in a broad range of areas such as transportation networks, power grids, mobile sensor networks, water distribution networks, unmanned aerial vehicles and so on. However, there are also some drawbacks caused by the very natur e of communication networks such as transmission delays, packet dropouts, data quantization errors, data rate constraints, etc. Currently engineers, control engineers in particular, have to deal with many network-induced new and challenging issues arising from analysis and synthesis of complex networked control systems. During the past few years, increasing attention has been paid to the study of networked control systems in terms of stability analysis, controller synthesis, state estimation, and performa nce optimization under various network-induced constraints.However, analysis and synthesis of networked control systems are still in the early stage of development and many critical issues remain to be further inve pages/1253991534624 none EERA Joint Programme Smart Cities is initiated by the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), and NTNU and SINTEF have from the very start been among the key research institutions that have driven the establishment of the JP in 2011. Development of the Do W in 2011-2012 and its updated version by January 2013 enabled us to identify and intensify strategic links between the research agendas of the various participating institutions, including identification of common research themes, increased capacity beca use of the exchange of researchers and laboratories and brokerage at national and European policy developments around the Smart Cities. The expectation of a potential IRP (Integrated Research Programme) and ERA-NET+ in Horizon 2020 and corresponding neces sity for visionary development and clear priorities have intensified discussions among partners, and it is now more than ever important to have management responsibility.The attached project application explains our main priorities for management and par ticipation:* SP3 Energy-efficient Interactive Buildings management (1 representative from NTNU and from SINTEF Byggforsk)* Participation in SP1 Energy in Cities and Simulation Task Force (1 additional participant from NTNU)* Participation in the JP Man agement Board and Steering Committee* Facilitate 2 Norwegian representatives for the newly established City Advisory Board* Participate in additional activities where possible: SCC EIP, MSI, ETI, EU-China Sustainable Urbanisation etc pages/1253992256376 none Ballast water is essential for shipping operations, it may, however, pose serious ecological, economic and health problems due to the various marine species carried in ship's ballast water. The transferred species may survive and establish a reproductive population in the host environment, becoming invasive and out-competing native species. While a number of Ballast water treatment processes exist, their effectiveness is limited by conditions such water composition or they might use non-environment friend ly components. The project aims at developing an advanced electrochemical process suitable for Ballast Water Treatment where salinity, temperature, and purity of seawater will have no or minor impact on energy consumption, operational cost, and reliabilit y of treatment. The project will address the use of seawater unconditionally in an electrochemical process to generate (electrogeneration) highly effective, powerful and environment friendly oxidant active substances. pages/1253992256395 none In the last decades it is experienced that most materials used for construction of bridges have limited lifetime. Concrete gets carbonized, steel corrodes and timber may be attacked by insects or fungi. A large number of concrete and steel bridges built a fter the Second World War was assumed to have little need for maintenance. However, the current state of many of these bridges does not support this assumption; we now face a vast gap between the needs for maintenance and repair of these bridges and the w ork actually performed. In many cases the bridges are beyond repair and new bridges are needed. Consequently, the number of bridges in European infrastructure that needs replacement is large. Most of these bridges have quite small spans, in the range 10 t o 120 m, crossing roads and rivers. Since the bridges are vital components of the transport infrastructure, the closing time in case of renovation or rebuild is an important issue. Timber bridges are well suited for this span range, they offer quick insta llation on site, and they can utilize existing foundation due to low weight.It is a common perception that the expected lifetime of a timber structure is only a fraction of that of a concrete or steel structure. In spite of this some of our timber struct ures like the Norwegian stave churches and the covered bridges in Switzerland are among our most durable structures. On the other hand we do have timber structures that show serious decay after only a few years in service due to elevated levels of moistur e and consequently growth of fungi and rot. This is also the case for many timber bridges in Europe. The proposed research aims to significantly improve the applicability of wood as a structural material in bridges and contribute to increased use of envir onmentally friendly timber bridges. The bridge design concepts to be developed shall be among the best alternatives with respect to environmental friendliness, initial costs and life-cycle costs and analyses. pages/1253992256404 none We spend 90% of our lives inside buildings and this affects our physical and psychological well-being and comfort. Comfort is most widely associated with temperature, humidity, noise, light and smell and these are addressed by various regulations. However , the significance of well-being, particularly psychological well-being in construction, is poorly understood.Objectives of the project are(1) to identify opportunities and limitations for the use of wood in interiors(2) to assess and enhance the bene ficial effects of wood on human well-being(3) to develop, design and evaluate sustainable, value-added, multi-functional wood based interior materials, products and systems for both new construction and the retrofitting of residential, care, educational and work environments.Innovation will be fostered through an applied multi-disciplinary approach and market access will be promoted through the development of competitive, end user oriented business concepts.To reach these objectives the project will identify, assess and develop the following aspects of wood based materials, products and systems for interior use:- opportunities for, and barriers to, wood in interior refurbishment and new construction- options to promote the beneficial effects of woo d based products on human well-being- material and surface properties in terms of improved durability and cleanability, energy efficiency, indoor air quality and human perception of wood based products and systems- competitive and sustainable wood surfa ces and coatings- design solutions that promote human well-being, restorative interiors and energy efficiency- design solutions to meet end user expectations in selected market segments- demonstrate, test and evaluate solutions in closed test spaces an d real life test beds- propositions for effective product declarations of wood based materials and systems- a basis for market access, including business environment and services pages/1253992256413 none The project includes several scientific tasks. To address them and for efficient handling it has been divided into four technical work packages (WP). Project management and coordination is handled as a separate activity (WP5), since the interdisciplinary structure, the extensive data handling and the international approach of the project requires a very special focus. Each work package involves participants having essential knowledge for their specific task. The work packages will not only be handled in a consecutive way. Instead interdependencies and even iterative loops over the tasks are needed and planned. The effort from the different work packages will be well integrated to reach the projects final goal. Gender, equal opportunities, diversi ty and intersectionality aspects are included in the project. This could for example mean that differences in subjective response found in earlier projects will be analyzed and calculation tools will be adapted to different target groups, for example, stu dents, elderly or families with children. Technical contentThe following work packages are included: WP1: Prediction tools, low, medium and high frequencies WP2: Validation of prediction tools and constructionsWP3: European Timber Sound Insulation At lasWP4: Dissemination and Exploitation WP5: CoordinationThe work will start with a workshop, an European / international brain storming process to further develop and create innovative ideas and effective work planning within the different work package s. This workshop also gives the opportunity to have a starting point within the extensive and relevant ongoing research and to transfer all new knowledge and comprehensive data available to this project. The timing with other activities such as the standa rdization processes is perfect and the development of calculation tools and optimized constructions follow the intentions on European level. pages/1253992256422 none The interest for the use of wood in urban buildings is growing. In order to preserve and develop the chances on the market, wood construction must be reliable, durable, flexible and strong in off-site production/prefabrication. To fulfil most of these req uirements a prolonged moisture-safety is necessary, which is in the focus of this project.With an increasing height of timber buildings the challenge is increasing to provide dry conditions for the expected lifetime of the building. Tall buildings are pa rticularly exposed to high wind pressures combined with driving rain (WDR). Additionally, large buildings require longer times of construction in which the structural elements are especially exposed to moisture. Last but not least inspection, maintenance and repair possibilities are limited in high rise structures.Compared to the every time aware fire safety and static questions, the risk of moisture damages is today dramatically underestimated in planning and building processes and in quality management . This may lead to an image risk for timber buildings, if damages will increase in future.Therefore "safety concepts", similar to safety concepts in static calculations, are necessary to improve construction and prevent damage by moisture. The variety o f options and configurations of the building envelope and the diversity of the effects of the external and the internal climate need assistance in the selection of material and design options. For this, based on risk analysis methods, a risk facade tool ( RIFA tool) will be developed that will enable planner and producer to make substantiated decisions for specific constructions. In addition, the tool is used to create a guideline for Tall Timber Facades - envelope constructions, which are developed togeth er with industry partners for practical application. pages/1253992256431 none Creosote oil is one of the oldest industrially used and most effective wood preservatives. During the last years, the European Commission has restricted the use of creosote due to environmental and health concerns. An approval for using creosote after 201 8 is very questionable. The probable ban of creosote oils together with earlier banning of CCA (copper, chromium, arsenic) and other chromium containing wood preservatives in Europe will not facilitate any alternative wood protection system to the market for heavy-duty applications outdoors like railway sleepers, timber bridges, and utility poles.The probable ban of creosote will hit the wood industry and the users of creosote-treated wood products hard. Alternative products are not market-ready yet. The current lack of alternative protection systems implies that entire key markets for wood, namely railway sleepers, utility poles and timber bridges, are likely to be lost to non-renewable materials.In CreoSub, a new protection technology will be developed from laboratory to industrial scale.The new protection technology will most likely have a better environmental, health and safety profile than creosote. Moreover, most of the protection systems in CreoSub are based on CTO that is mainly used as a renewab le energy source today. The use of CTO in wood protection systems is assumedly a more environmentally and economically sustainable way than to combust it for energy generation.A viable technology developed in CreoSub is not only aimed to be suitable for r ailway sleepers, utility poles, and timber bridge components, i.e., products with high requirements to public safety and technicalservice-life in Use Class 3 (above ground) and Use Class 4 (in ground contact). Protection systems showing good performance in CreoSub might also be suitable for the protection of products in marine applications (Use Class 5) like piles and dolphins in salt water. pages/1253992383347 none Carbon capture and storage efforts aimed at reducing the climate change have a growing need for reservoirs with good flow properties able to store CO2 efficiently. Given that they kept the hydrocarbons trapped for a geological time, reservoirs that produc ed hydrocarbons for years have verified flow properties as well as storage sealing. Alternating water and CO2 flooding (WAG) has proven very efficient EOR option compared to injection of either water or carbon dioxide. Prolonging the production in a reser voir will allow to avoid huge one-time CO2 emissions associated with exploitation a new field.The injection of CO2/water emulsion instead of WAG as proposed here is not a new strategy. What is new in this project is that we plan to use molecular modellin g to design surfactant candidates with specific properties tailored for safe long terms storage of CO2 while at the same time ensuring more efficient hydrocarbon recovery. Unlike ordinary EOR for storing CO2, we aim at emulsifiers producing stable emulsio ns with CO2 but even more stable emulsions with typical in situ oil components, so that the emulsion would release CO2 via preferential emulsion formation coming in contact with hydrocarbons.The primary focus of this project is to offer an efficient CO2 storage option, with both CO2 fraction and the injection rate mainly dictated by storage efficiency. Potential benefits in terms of the EOR effect will be an additional gain which will offset some of the project costs. Beside CO2-producing power plants, a n important target for this approach would be carbon dioxide-rich fields like Sleipner and Snøhvit. It would be possible to reinject CO2 separated from the hydrocarbon well streams back into reservoir, thus mitigating the emission of carbon dioxide. Metho ds developed through this project will also be relevant for potential CO2 separation from flue gas using emulsion formation, with the actual regeneration strategy depending on the properties of actual surfactants. pages/1253992383392 none A concern in Norway when it comes to large-scale CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS), or the application of CO2 injection for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), is that Norwegian CO2 point sources are few, geographically spread and relatively small. As a result, ship transport will in many cases be favoured over pipelines. The major drawback with a carrier-based CCS solution is that CO2 needs to be in a dense state for optimal shipping efficiency (i.e. liquid and at -53°C).A first step towards making such a transpo rt and injection scheme possible is to understand how wells can be constructed (tailor-built or modified) to withstand these low temperatures. Injection of fluids with temperatures down towards -50°C will expose the well to large thermal cycles during nor mal operations such as injection/shut-down, and a prerequisite for such injection is that the well materials can withstand these thermal cycles.It is well-known from the petroleum industry that thermal cycles in a well can have detrimental effects on we ll integrity. Especially, the annular sealant material (e.g. cement) is likely to de-bond and/or crack radially, which leads to leak paths for formation fluids. Few experimental studies have been performed on the effect of thermal cycling on well integrit y so far, and no such studies have been performed in the temperature range relevant for CO2 injection. This project aims to study through numerical modelling and experiments when, why, where and how well integrity is lost when a well is repeatedly coole d down and heated up - and how such detrimental downhole temperature cycles arise.The deliverables will be new knowledge about well integrity of CO2 injection wells, as well as specific recommendations on material selection, well design and operational parameters in order to ensure the long-term integrity of CO2 injection wells. pages/1253992383487 none Behaviour of water mixed with CO2 is crucial for several processes, not at least for issues concerning storage of CO2 in reservoirs. During an accidental blowout from a reservoir, CO2 may mix with formation water and a gradual change from supercritical co nditions down to a situation of low pressure and low temperature will occur. This process might create different forms of phases, including water ice, hydrates and solid CO2. Also, the behaviour of a CO2 transportation or injection stream will be affected by the water content. Water and other impurities will alter the thermodynamic properties, including the different phase envelopes.Brilliant with ThermoProp (Brilliant is a CFD system and ThermoProp is a themodynamic pckage, both are Petrell proprietari es) provides a novel approach to coupling of multi-purpose CFD modelling and rigorous thermodynamic modelling. Withn Brilliant, ThermoProp provides a generic interface to continuous thermodynamic properties, regardless of which equation of state or thermo dynamic model is being used. Petrell has a unique fundament for tackling the inherent complexity in multi-component multi-phase situations, where N components and M phases interact mechanically, interact chemically and exchange energy.The novelty of thi s project lies in utilizing state of the art thermodynamic models for mixtures containing CO2 and water in real world simulation cases. Reservoir blowout or process segment depressurization is examples of processes that are multi-physical in nature. Fluid flow, heat transfer, thermodynamic property calculations, phase changes and gravity, are all examples of necessary ingredients of a complete simulation model.This project aims to develop technology to handle CO2-water mixtures in fluid flow and thermod ynamic. This imply that the thermodynaic must treat multiple phases within the same phase and both the fluid flow equations and the thermodynamic must work together. pages/1253992572836 none In this project, we propose the development of a method for the quantification and the reduction of uncertainties in geophysical models during CO2 monitoring. While the development in this project is implemented for seismic Full Waveform Inversion (FWI), and Controlled Source Electro-Magnetics (CSEM) the approach should be valid for other geophysical methods as well. We will use a benchmark environment to facilitate the implementation and the testing, as well as the collaboration and the communication b etween the different research partners. We aim to develop and implement the uncertainty quantification techniques for CO2 monitoring methods, addressing both the uncertainties of the model parameter amplitudes, and the spatial uncertainties of structure ( e.g., the extent of the CO2 plume). The analysis of the uncertainties will be based on the analysis of a posteriori covariance matrix. Various ways of quantifying uncertainties in monitoring methods and how to reduce these uncertainties for a particular s ite will be investigated.We will utilize the uncertainty information to optimize the CO2 monitoring for different scenarios. This includes the investigation of various misfit functions, inversion schemes, and regularization strategies for realistic synth etic models and data. Accurate a priori information based on interpretative data will also be included in the investigation. The resulting methodology will be applied to Sleipner and Snøhvit The knowledge of uncertainties of geophysical models will incre ase the value of these models significantly, and may improve the interpretation of geophysical monitoring, and the quantification of CO2. We also anticipate that the results of this project may be used in planning CO2 injection projects, and the design of efficient and cost effective monitoring programs, both for CO2 storage and EOR. pages/1253992572855 none The capacity of saline aquifers in the Norwegian North Sea for large quantities of injected CO2 has been well established. However, our ability to unlock this theoretical capacity in a safe and economically feasible manner remains hampered by significant uncertainties during the operational phase, specifically low injectivity, excess pressurization and leakage risk. The ability to effectively assess and manage these risks is related to our understanding of physical and chemical properties of the storage c omplex, which includes the storage reservoir and surrounding formations. In particular, the impact on geomechanical integrity of the caprock is a critical research area that has been identified in which data collection, process understanding and modeling capabilities are still lacking. This lack of knowledge can lead to ineffective and uneconomical exploitation of a given storage site, or lead to costly operational changes such as well shut-in and remediation after failure or high risk of failure. Det ermining the role of complex processes with laboratory and computational approaches is essential for predicting the behavior of these systems in CO2 storage operations. The PROTECT project will address these critical knowledge needs regarding caprock inte grity and ultimately contribute recommendations to help plan and execute safe storage projects.This project will produce high-quality datasets from a suite of laboratory testing on caprock samples, including samples of North Sea mudstones and naturally fractured caprock obtained from the Longyearbyen CO2 Lab. The experimental work will be accompanied by modeling to interpret the data, verify the models and understand coupled mechanisms acting at larger scales. New modeling approaches will be developed t o account for chemical and thermal impacts on mechanical processes. This work will provide insights towards the attainable injectivity and capacity for North Sea aquifers. pages/1253992572869 none Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is one of the technological solutions to decarbonize the energy market while providing secure energy supply. So far, the cost of CCS is dominated by the cost of the CO2 capture process, reason why innovative capture techni ques should be developed.Adsorption techniques are under demonstration for pre-combustion CO2 capture using commercial materials. Other adsorption-based technologies are being studied for post-combustion techniques and their main limitation is the existe nce of shaped materials with high selectively and cyclic loading of CO2 that can be used in process development and demonstration.On the other side, a myriad of materials with exceptional properties to employ adsorption techniques for CO2 capture has bee n discovered in the last 30 years. Example of such materials are metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The main limitation to evaluate these materials has been their "shaping technology", which is currently in its infancy.The main objective of this project is to develop cutting-edge adsorption technologies for capturing CO2 from pre and post-combustion streams. Our goal is to develop processes that can severely cut the energy consumption of the CO2 capture with minimal environmental effects and footprint. In order to achieve such objective, one of the main activities within the project is to shape MOF materials into usable structures: particles that can be used in Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) processes for pre-combustion capture and honeycomb monoliths tha t can be used in adsorption processes for post-combustion CO2 capture, avoiding significant pressure drop through the columns. The technology developed in the project will be benchmarked against current technology and options of energetic integration will also be evaluated. pages/1253992572902 none Three-phase capillary pressure and relative permeability curves that account for hysteresis and phase trapping are required to assess three-phase enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods, such as depressurization and water-alternate-gas (WAG) injections, in mi xed-wet reservoirs. These properties are usually included in reservoir simulators in terms of correlations that are based on two-phase data. Measuring three-phase capillary pressure is time-consuming and technically challenging, few three-phase hysteresis data exist, and core-scale water floods show large variation of trapped oil and gas. In this project we will develop improved techniques for three-phase pore-scale modelling based on the variational level set method, and simulate three-phase capillary-co ntrolled displacement at mixed-wet conditions directly on segmented 3D rock images. Experimental three-phase distributions in 3D porous media will be generated via synchrotron-based X-ray microtomography and compared quantitatively against pore-scale simu lations. The validated model will then be utilised directly on sandstone and carbonate rocks to gain increased insight into capillary pressure and relative permeability curves, hysteresis and trapping behaviour (including the structure and amount of resid ual oil) in three-phase EOR processes. In particular, we will investigate how three-phase pore-scale mechanisms, such as oil layer existence and multiple displacement events, affect these properties in complex 3D pore geometries. Water chemistry effects w ill be included to investigate the impact of interfacial tension and wettability change during WAG cycles. Simulation results obtained with the novel pore-scale model can be used subsequently to develop practical and reliable three-phase capillary pressur e and relative permeability correlations, including hysteresis loop logic and trapping models, that can be implemented in reservoir simulators to improve the predictions of three-phase EOR processes in the field.