Stage 2

The results obtained in the second stage of the complex project were achieved in all component projects, the indicators being confirmed for each activity. 

In the framework of Project 1 a program for designing, sizing and verification of sandwich panels was developed. Tests on samples cut from sandwich panels allowed to determine the shear strength of the core, and the tensile strength of the sandwich faces, respectively.  The transverse modulus of elasticity of the core was determined in four point bending tests of the sandwiches and the elasticity modulus were determined using the transverse tensile test respectively.

The experimental results also confirmed the predictions based on the failure diagrams of sandwich beams with aluminum outer skins and polyurethane foam core, that indicated the wrinkling of the face as failure behavior. Fatigue tests (similar to wind loads) have shown that the higher fatigue strength was obtained for the lower density foam core (145 kg/m3).

The dynamic fracture toughness increases with increasing density, the obtained values are 2.5 times higher than the static fracture toughness.

The analyzes of the component project 2 were focused on widening the applicative potential of cellular materials by functionalizing them with substances having photocatalytic properties in order to degrade some pollutants. TiO2 and WO3, two photocatalysts active in the ultraviolet, respectively visible field, were used. The activated materials were subjected to photocatalytic studies and their ability to degrade pollutants under the action of simulated solar radiation was evaluated. Two dyes were selected as degradation reference substances: Rhodamine B (RhB) and Methylene Blue (MB). Activation of cellular glass support was achieved in two ways: by surface and by volume deposition. Cellular glass was obtained by the usage of common glass wastes as a base material and CaCO3 waste as porogen agent. The activated material characterization was performed using the following analysis techniques: Raman spectroscopy, FT-IR, EDAX, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scan microscopy, confocal 3D laser scanning microscopy.

Project 3. Management of energy conversion and storage using "smart grid" technologies.
Smart grid technologies ("smart grid", "microgrid" etc.) are implemented today at different levels, being able to integrate energy systems from high values of installed powers, up to the level of a residential neighborhood, or even individual homes.
The development of power electronics assisted by high-performance control systems has made possible the implementation of this technology, which, in addition to energy transfer, also needs a transfer of information between components.
Energy storage media are absolutely necessary elements in the composition of "smart grid" systems. Most of these components operate in DC rechargeable batteries, including plug-in electric vehicles, supercapacitors). In addition, most of household consumers (lighting, “info-gagets”, household appliances) use electricity in DC, having rectifiers connected to the AC network. These are nonlinear elements, generating a deforming regime, with negative influences on energy quality. If we also take into account the fact that the photovoltaic energy conversion elements and the electric generators attached to the small wind turbines provide electricity in DC, we can conclude that the distribution systems can be made from the beginning based on DC buses.
The proposed project topic has as objectives the theoretical and experimental study, regarding the implementation of DC energy distribution, in the residential environment, in off-grid regimes, having as inputs wind and photovoltaic energy conversion systems and as outputs DC loads.
The entire system will be monitored through a dedicated SCADA application.

The activities of the Component Project 4 were focused on three main directions:

  • construction of the modular laboratory EXPERIMENTARIUM, realization of the metallic structure execution project, the contracting of an execution company and the realization of the resistance structure. On the other hand, during 2019, the Urbanism Certificate and the approvals of the various public entities were obtained. The research team is currently awaiting the Building Permit.
  • design of facade systems. The studies were focused on the construction and efficient operation of solar collectors with perforated absorbent plate, in order to integrate them into the facades of buildings. Based on the obtained results (both experimental and numerical) a glazed solar collector prototype with perforated absorbent plate can be recommended to be tested in real operating conditions by integrating it into building facades. The proposed configuration aims towards integrating phase change materials in the construction of the solar collector in order to increase its performance;
  • experimental tests on fast foundations. Based on a geotechnical study conducted in phase 1 of the project, the study included three tests characteristic of geotechnics, an experimental plate test to determine the deformation modulus of the site and two experimental tests on pyramid trunk foundations that have allowed the evaluation of the load-bearing capacity and compaction of this foundation type. The studies are complemented by ongoing parametric numerical simulations.

Book chapters

  1. Lucia-Andreea El-Leathey, Assessment of the Main Requirements and Characteristics Related to the Implementation of a Residential DC Microgrid, IntechOpen, 2019, ISBN: 978-1-78984-061, Book chapter.

Articles published in international journals

  1. Kovácik Jaroslav, Liviu Marșavina, Emanoil Linul, Poisson’s Ratio of Closed-Cell Aluminium Foams, Materials, 2018, Vol. 11, Fascicola 10, ISSN: 1996-1944.
  2. Emanoil Linul, Liviu Marșavina, Cristina Valean, Radu Banica, Static and dynamic mode I fracture toughness of rigid PUR foams under room and cryogenic temperatures, Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 2018, ISSN: 0013-7944.
  3. Emanoil Linul, Liviu Marșavina, Mircea Georgescu, The Anisotropy Effect of Closed-Cell Polyisocyanurate (PIR) Rigid Foam under Quasi-Static Compression Loads, IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 2018, ISSN: 0921-5093.
  4. Mircea Georgescu, Daniel-Viorel Ungureanu, Liviu Marșavina, Andra Floricel, Aurelian Gruin, Composite Roofing of PIR Sandwich Panels: Numerical and Experimental Approach, 3rd World Multidisciplinary Civil Engineering-Architecture-Urban Planning Symposium - WMCAUS 2018, Prague, Czech Republik, 18-22 June 2018, IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 471, ISSN:1757-8981.
  5. Emanoil Linul, Liviu Marșavina, Andrei-Petrica Linul, Jaroslav Kovacik, Cryogenic and high temperature compressive properties of Metal Foam Matrix Composites, Composite Structures, 2019, Vol. 209, Fascicola 490-498, ISSN: 0263-8223.
  6. Maria Mihăilescu, Adina Negrea, Mihaela Ciopec, Corneliu Davidescu, Petru Negrea, Narcis Duteanu, Gerlinde Rusu, Gold (III) adsorption from dilute waste solutions onto Amberlite XAD7 resin modified with L-glutamic acid, Nature, 2019, ISSN: 0028-0836.
  7. Dan Ioan Stoia, Emanoil Linul, Liviu Marșavina, Influence of Manufacturing Parameters on Mechanical Properties of Porous Materials by Selective Laser Sintering, Materials, 2019, Vol. 12, Fascicola 6, ISSN: 0889-325X.
  8. Cristiana Verona Croitoru, Andrei Stelian Bejan, Florin Ioan Bode, Preliminary numerical studies conducted for the numerical model of a real transpired solar collector with integrated phase changing materials, E3S Web of Conferences, 2019, Vol. 111, ISSN: 2267-1242.
  9. Larisa Meliță, Cristiana Verona Croitoru, Aerogel, a high performance material for thermal insulation-A brief overview of the building applications, E3S Web of Conferences, 2019, Vol. 111, ISSN: 2267-1242.
  10. Adrian Liviu Ciutina, Raluca Ioana Buzatu, Daniel-Mihai Muntean, Daniel-Viorel Ungureanu, Heat transfer vs environmental impact of modern façade systems, E3S Web of Conferences, 2019, Vol. 111, ISSN: 2267-1242.
  11. Mircea Georgescu, Daniel-Viorel Ungureanu, Aurelian Gruin, Andra Floricel, Building Cladding using Liner Trays: Experimental and Numerical Approach, 4th World Multidisciplinary Civil Engineering-Architecture-Urban Planning Symposium - WMCAUS 2019, Prague, Czech Republik, 17-21 June 2019, IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 603, ISSN:1757-8981.
  12. Mădălina Gabriela Ivanovici, Paulina Vlăzan, Ştefan Novaconi, Florina Ştefania Rus, Degradation of Rhodamine B over glass foam coated with WO3 and TiO2 under simulated solar radiation, TIM 19 Physics Conference, Timișoara, România, 29-31 May 2019, American Institute of Physics Conference Proceedings Series (AIP-CP).
  13. Florina Ştefania Rus, Ştefan Novaconi, Paulina Vlăzan, Mădălina Gabriela Ivanovici, Removal of methylene blue by activated glass foams with TiO2 in dark and simulated solar light, TIM 19 Physics Conference, Timișoara, România, 29-31 May 2019, American Institute of Physics Conference Proceedings Series (AIP-CP), USA.
  14. C. Szekely, M. Sabău, A. -M. Iuoraș, M. Bojan and Petre-Teodosescu, "Overall performance analysis of a resonant driver with different LED output stages," 2020 International Symposium on Power Electronics, Electrical Drives, Automation and Motion (SPEEDAM), Sorrento, Italy, 2020, pp. 757-762, doi: 10.1109/SPEEDAM48782.2020.9161954. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9161954

Articles published in international conferences

  1. Rareș Andrei Chihaia, Renewable energy harnessing using innovative systems for a clean environment, US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium 2019, Stockholm, Sweden, 18-20 November 2019, Poster.
  2. Dan Hulea, Nicolae Muntean, Mihăiță Constantin Gireadă, Octavian Cornea, Emanuel Șerban Bidirectional Hybrid Switched-Inductor Switched-Capacitor Converter Topology with High Voltage Gain, EPE 2019 ECCE Europe: 21th European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications, Genova, Italia, 02-06 September 2019, Proceedings ISBN 978-9-0758-1530-6, IEEE catalog.
  3. Dan Hulea, Nicolae Muntean, Mihăiță Constantin Gireadă, Octavian Cornea, A Bidirectional Hybrid Switched-Capacitor DC-DC Converter with a High Voltage Gain, Aegean Conference on Electrical Machines and Power Electronics, Istambul, Turkey, 27-29 August 2019, Proceedings: Optimization of Electrical & Electronic Equipment Conference.
  4. Dănuț Vitan, Lucian Tutelea, Nicolae Muntean, Ion Boldea, Sensorless Synchronous Reluctance Generator Control Based on q Axis Estimated Current, Aegean Conference on Electrical Machines and Power Electronics, Istambul, Turkey, 27-29 August 2019, Proceedings: Optimization of Electrical & Electronic Equipment Conference.
  5. Charles Baptiste David Berville, Cristiana Verona Croitoru, Ilinca Năstase, Recent Advances in Solar drying technologies – A short review, 9 th International Conference on Energy and Environment 2019, Timișoara, România, 17-18 October 2019, Proceedings of the 9 th International Conference on Energy and Environment: Energy for a green digital world.
  6. Mădălina Gabriela Ivanovici, Paulina Vlăzan, Ştefan Novaconi, Cristina Moșoarcă, Florina Ştefania Rus, New environmental building material with self-cleaning property, ISAEP 2019: 25th International Symposium on Analytical and Environmental Problems, Szeged, Hungary, 7-8 October 2018, Proceedings of the 25th International Symposiumon Analytical and Environmental Problems, ISBN: 978-963-306-702-4.
  7. Paulina Vlăzan, Florina Ştefania Rus, Ştefan Novaconi, TiO2 activated foam glass as reactive environmentally friendly construction material, 28th Symposium on Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry-Eugen Segal of the Commission for Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry of the Romanian Academy & 2nd Symposium on Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry of Moldova, Timișoara, România, 9-10 May 2019, Proceedings of the Symposium on Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry-Eugen Segal of the Commission for Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry of the Romanian Academy & 2nd Symposium on Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry of Moldova, Poster.

Articles published in national conferences

  1. Adrian Liviu Ciutina, Raluca Ioana Buzatu, Daniel-Mihai Muntean, Daniel-Viorel Ungureanu, Sisteme moderne de fațade metalice: analize termice și de impact asupra mediului, A XVI-a Conferință Națională de Construcții Metalice, 13-14 iunie 2019, Timișoara, România, ISBN 978-973-638-646-6, 185-196.
  2. Mădălina Gabriela Ivanovici, Studii fotocatalitice privind descompunerea coloranților organici sub radiatie solara simulata utlilizand spectroscopia UV-VIS, Ziua Mediului, Timișoara, România, 05 iunie 2019, Prezentare orală.