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The Hague worst hit in the case of extreme precipitation

A new precipitation index compares the risks that different cities face from extreme rainfall. In The Netherlands, The Hague will be affected most.

Solar charging of electrical vehicles

Solar charging of electrical vehicles Electric cars are seen as the sustainable future of transport. But they are only truly sustainable if the electricity used to charge them comes from sustainable sources and not from fossil fuels. This is why researchers and businesses are also looking into charging electric vehicles with solar panels. TU Delft has developed a quick charger together with the companies Power Research Electronics and Last Mile Solutions which can charge cars directly with electricity from solar panels. Direct current Solar photovoltaic panels (PV) generate direct current (DC) and this normally had to be converted to alternating current (AC) before it could be used to charge an electric car. ‘Charging stations are currently using the 50Hz AC network to exchange power between the solar panels and the vehicle,’ explains Gautham Ram. ‘However, this is not efficient or cost-effective, for two reasons. Firstly, converting to AC results in unnecessary steps and power loss. And, secondly, it requires two separate DC-AC converters, one for the vehicle and one for the solar panels, resulting in increased costs and size.’ Interim stage unnecessary ‘A more self-evident solution would be to use a single converter, which could charge the vehicle from the panels via a DC link while also being connected to the AC electricity grid. In this study, we therefore designed a 10kW converter with an internal DC link and three terminals, which can charge the vehicle both from the solar panels and the electricity grid. The integrated DC charger has a higher efficiency and is about three times smaller than existing solutions based on AC power exchange.’ The use of this charger means that the electricity grid is no longer needed as an interim stage in charging. In addition, the system works two ways. Not only can you charge your electric car with solar power, the energy from the charged car battery can also be used to supply your house or the grid with electricity, although this first requires conversion into alternating current. This concept is referred to as ‘vehicle-to-grid’ ‘The developed converter is used in a solar charging station, including smart charging algorithms. Charging the vehicle with solar energy resulted in zero CO2 emission, lower fuel costs, tax benefits and less dependence on the feed-in tariffs for renewable energy.’ Prof. dr. Pavol Bauer +31 15 27 84654 p.bauer@tudelft.nl dr. Ir. Gautham Ram +31 15 27 81898 g.r.chandramouli@tudelft.nl Links Award IDtechEx– Most Significant Innovation for Electric Vehicles https://www.tudelft.nl/2018/ewi/pavol-bauer-gautham-ram-and-menno-kardolus-awarded-most-significant-innovation-in-electric-vehicles-prize / Department of DC Systems, Energy Conversion & Storage https://www.tudelft.nl/en/eemcs/the-faculty/departments/electrical-sustainable-energy/dc-systems-energy-conversion-storage/ DIG IT Research Exhibition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FPWXQ9Bbec&t=8s Electric Cars: Technology Obtain a comprehensive understanding of electric mobility to lead projects and initiatives to success: https://online-learning.tudelft.nl/courses/electric-cars-technology / Related courses Partners

2nd JPEG Workshop on Media Blockchain Announcement (Lisbon)

Dr. Zeki Erkin is giving an invited talk on “Blockchain, Distributed Trust and Privacy” at 2nd JPEG Workshop on Media Blockchain in Lisbon on Tuesday the 22nd of January 2019.

The ever challenging fight between strength and weight

Hey guys, Sasha here! When I began working at the Eco-Runner Team, I (as mathematician and physicist) never imagined that some day I would be doing structural analysis. Yet here I am, as Chief Structures, doing the work classically associated with Mechanical and Aerospace engineers. In this blog I shortly would like to tell you what I have actually done in this role over the last period, and how my background in the Applied Maths and Physics Bachelor has played a role in this. As Chief Structures I am responsible for the complete structural integrity of the body of the EcoRunner 9. The challenge is to make the car as light as possible while keeping strong enough. That means accounting for al the possible scenario’s in which forces are applied on the vehicle, and performing simulations to make sure the body is strong enough to withstand the force. An example such a scenario is carrying the vehicle with two people or simply the driver sitting inside. As for how light I am aiming for: About as light as a cat! To perform the necessary simulations, I use FEM software called ‘MSC Patran’ provided to us by InSumma, which together with Solico provide assistance and consulting during the process itself. With that help I am able to perform very accurate analyses of our body and can optimize it for weight. That process consists of three main steps: Firstly, the body has to be translated into the model, after which the possible load scenarios are integrated into the software. The final step is to iterate different structural designs. This in general means changing the type and amount of carbon fibre and honeycomb used. Now, most of the specific knowledge and skills that are required for this job, for example the concepts of stress or FEM analysis, are not discussed in my Bachelors. However, the general knowledge of numerical analysis, modelling and debugging, which I gained especially gained during my Bachelor Applied Mathematics has proven to be of high importance. With that, as well as the skill to find new creative ways to solve problems and understanding connections, I was able to perform the tasks at a high level and able to safe weight compared to the previous design. Looking to the future, I will have to adapt my model a bit to account for the changed rear-suspension design. After this I will create the lamination plan which the Lamination Department will use to produce the body. Then my job is done, and we will be another step closer to the lightest EcoRunner ever produced!

Using Scrum

It’s almost Christmas. This means that the end of the detailed design phase is in sight. This is the phase where everybody designs their subsystem to meticulous details. I have been working on the height control as electronics engineer: this means I design and produce the electric system and write the software for the actuation of the wings. Without proper height control we would not be able to fly! The detailed design phase is eight weeks long, which means that beforehand you have to make a planning to ensure we all make our deliverables. To help with maintaining this planning we have one person in the team who is busy fulltime ensuring that all people stick to their planning. In the case of people not sticking to their schedule, he will help them get back to it or look into the consequences and re-plan the yearly planning. We do need to have a working boat in July for Monaco, so this is an important job! To assist the planning our team makes use of a combination of Scrum and Waterfall methodology. Scrum is used a lot in software engineering so I was already familiar with this technique. Waterfall is used a lot more in other engineering fields, because it deals with tasks having to be done sequentially rather than when you feel like it. Because we are a multidisciplinary team, it works really well to combine these techniques. We start the week with department meetings, in which we update the engineers in our department what we did last week. Then you we ask ourselves questions like: “what do I need to do now?”, “What can I do within this week?” and “do I need to do certain tasks sequentially or on a certain date?” Then everybody makes a list of their to-do’s, and write them on a post-it with an estimation of the time it will take and a date if needed. Then we hang them on our scrumboard. To end this phase, we also needed to make a list of deliverables: these are tasks or concrete things that need to be completed by the end of the phase. In my list you can find among others: PCB design, choosing PCB components, connecting and reading of sensors. I finished all my deliverables a week early, which means that I could start on my production and enter the christmas break without stress! Happy holidays!

Collaboration between departments

As a member of the Software department in the Forze Hydrogen Electric Racing team, making the car ready to race is not only a one department’s job. Communication with the other departments is of high importance, especially with the departments were software is directly in contact with: Electronics and Control & Simulations. Collaborating with Electronics is necessary where software has to be written for newly designed hardware. The last project that was finished was an iteration of a new Power Distribution Unit, PDU for short, that gives power to all low-voltage components in the car, such as the embedded nodes, cooling pumps and sensors. The newly implemented sensors had to be read out correctly in software due to changes in the schematics, for example, series and parallel resistors to sensors changed. When implementing control in the car that was made by Control & Simulation, the Simulink model of a control system in the car is compiled to C++ which is put in the car. In the software, it must be made sure that all inputs and outputs are connected and integrated into the rest of the software. It was not always that the communication went smooth. A couple times, this resulted in long days and very short nights to integrate and fix software on time for an important test. However, the dedication of the whole team really shows when the people involved in preparation are ready to not stop working until problems are fixed and the car is ready to drive!

Communication in the car

In the Forze VIII race car we have a lot of electronics, such as the electro motors, nodes and sensors. All of these have to be able to communicate or send signals to each other. Therefore we have the wiring harness in the embedded system and big power cables in the powertrain. The choice for cables is very important. For the powertrain the main considerations are the insulation of the cable and being able to conduct up to 400 amperes. For the embedded system the main considerations are capacitance and coupling. A good example is the cables for the CAN bus. CAN is a protocol used a lot in the automotive industry for communication between systems. CAN has a high speed mode of operation, and because of that it is important to reduce the bus capacitance. So we use shielded twisted pair cables for this. The shielding is used to reduce noise, which we have a lot in our car due to the high currents. To further improve to reliability of the wiring harness, we make use of high quality connectors. In the powertrain these connectors have to be able to handle high currents and have to be connected firmly. In the embedded system low capacity is required as well as waterproofness. Lastly all our cables are extra protected using heat shrink. Boots are used to provide strain relief on the connectors. Without boots the tension when you pull on a wire is on the pins of the connector, usually resulting in a broken connector.

Solar Deck & MPPTs

This year we will do something which has never been done before by a student team. We will build a seaworthy solar boat that accommodates three passengers. As we go offshore, we need to build a huge boat which requires a power source. As we are the TU Delft Solar Boat Team, we make use of solar panels. The solar panels form a deck which is vital for the boat. The solar deck acts as the power source of the ship, by converting the solar energy into electrical energy. It will also make the public realize that this is not a regular boat, it is a solar boat. All the solar panels are placed on top of the deck. Thus, the public will see a giant deck of solar panels. But how do we convert as much solar energy as possible to power? We do this with the help of MPPTs. The maximum power point trackers are used to ensure that the maximal amount of power is delivered by the solar panels. The voltage-current characteristic of a solar panel is depicted as the red line in figure 8. The electrical power can be found by multiplying the voltage with the current, P = U I (the blue line of figure 8). The figure shows that at the voltage VM the power reaches a maximum, this is called the maximum power point (MPP). At the MPP the highest amount of power (for constant solar intensity) is generated by the solar panels. The MPPT ensure that we operate at the correct voltage.

Brainstorm with Sintecs

Hey all! First of all, on behalf of the whole team of Project MARCH, I would like to wish you a happy and productive new year! In this blog I want to talk to you about a great brainstorm session with one of our partners, Sintecs. We visited Sintecs just before the holidays to talk about the Power Distribution Board (PDB) we’re developing. During this visited we discussed how we could improve the PDB with respective to last year’s PDB. We want to primarily focus on optimising the size of the Power Distribution Board. During the brainstorm we got a lot of new amazing ideas and drafted some new concepts. We found that making the PDB mostly a double-sided PCB would provide the most area saving. First, we worried this would be very cumbersome to do and it would take too much time. The consultants relieved us with their new ideas and tips. This meant we could begin placing all the different schematics in Altium after the holidays. After some more brainstorming we concluded our visit at Sintecs in Hengelo it was time to head for Delft again. It would be long two-hour drive to Delft, luckily Martijn could entertain us with his beautiful singing voice as he serenaded “Ik kom eraan” from Dries Roelvink. I hoped you enjoyed this blog and I hope to talk to you soon! Roy

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The Educator Newsletter | September

Discover inspiring stories, developments, (training) activities, and other reads about Education.

TU Delft helps Maastricht air traffic controllers make safe choices

In March 2024, the EUROCONTROL air traffic control centre MUAC in Maastricht launched a new software tool that allows their air traffic controllers to make faster and more intuitive decisions about air traffic in their area. The tool was developed by MUAC , but is based on research into ecological interfaces by colleagues Clark Borst, René van Paassen and Max Mulder at Control & Simulation.

New ‘captains’ in the cockpit of Rotterdam The Hague Innovation Airport

On 1 September, Jos van den Boom, Lennard Verhoeff, and Victor Rijkaart joined the new executive team of Rotterdam The Hague Innovation Airport (RHIA).This trio is preparing to usher in the next phase of RHIA. A period in which, community-driven, privately led and publicly supported, they want to make visible and where possible accelerate the transition to a cleaner, quieter and smarter future of aviation.

Systems Workforce Summit 2024 at TU Delft

As the need for systems engineers is rising, TU Delft and NXTGEN Hightech are organising a unique global event on systems engineering on October 8 and 9, 2024. Thoughtleaders from organisations such as Airbus, ASML, MIT and NASA will discuss the future needs of the Systems Engineering workforce tackling the major transformations in society.

The Systems Workforce summit

TU Delft and NXTGEN Hightech will organize the unique worldwide Systems Workforce Summit at the TU Delft on October 8 and 9, 2024. Reserve your spot now to attend this unique summit! This global summit will address the future of systems engineering in industries like energy, health, aerospace, semicon and transportation. Skilled systems engineers are scarce and in high demand by enterprises worldwide. Cooperation between the diverse organizations participating in this Summit could significantly advance the needed 'Workforce of the Future'. This Summit is open to: Professionals from various industries: junior, senior or potential systems engineers/systems architects, less or more experienced; Scientists of knowledge institutes working in the discipline of systems engineering, management, technology or policy; Talents/students from engineering disciplines interested in systems engineering/system thinking. From universities and universities of applied sciences. Date: 8 & 9 October 2024 Location: TU Delft Aula Conference Centre Click here to register

First-ever imaging of pathogens on lettuce leaves in real-time

Met een groeiende wereldbevolking van meer dan 8 miljard mensen is voldoende voedsel produceren een uitdaging. Nederland is ‘s werelds tweede exporteur van voedsel en verbouwt enorm efficiënt allerlei gewassen. Plantenziektes zoals valse meeldauw zijn echter een veelvoorkomend probleem dat de oogst van de boer flink kan bederven. Delftse wetenschappers hebben voor het eerst een manier ontwikkeld om de infectie in planten real-time te volgen, zonder de plant te hoeven doden. De hiermee opgedane kennis helpt om nieuwe resistente gewassen te kweken met een hogere opbrengst en minder gebruik van pesticiden. Het onderzoek staat nu in Nature Communications.

New LDE trainee in D&I office

Keehan Akbari has started since the beginning of September as a new LDE trainee in the Diversity and Inclusion office. What motivated him to work for the D&I office, what does he expect to achieve during this traineeship? Read the short interview below! What motivated you to pursue your LDE traineeship in Diversity and Inclusion office of the TU Delft? I completed both bachelor's and master's degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology at Leiden University. Within these studies, my main area of interest was in themes of inclusion and diversity. After being hired as a trainee for the LDE traineeship, and discovering that one of the possible assignments belonged to the Diversity and Inclusion office, my choice was quickly made. I saw this as an excellent opportunity to put the theories I learned during my studies into practice. What specific skills or experiences do you bring to the D&I office that will help promote inclusivity on campus? I am someone who likes to connect rather than polarize, taking into account the importance of different perspectives and stakeholders. I believe that this is how one can achieve the most in fostering diversity and inclusion. You need to get multiple parties on board to get the best results. What are your main goals as you begin your role here, and how do you hope to make an impact? An important goal for me this year is to get students more involved in diversity and inclusion at the university. One way I will try to accomplish this is by contributing to the creation of D&I student teams. By establishing a D&I student team for faculties, it will be possible to deal with diversity- and inclusion-related issues that apply and relate to the specific department. How do you plan to engage with different (student) communities within the university? Since I am new to TU Delft, the first thing I need to do is expand my network here. Therefore, I am currently busy exploring the university and getting to know various stakeholders. Moreover, I intend to be in close contact with various student and study organizations to explore together how to strengthen cooperation on diversity and inclusion. Welcome to the team Keehan and we wish you lots of success with your traineeship!

Researchers from TU Delft and Cambridge University collaborate on innovative methods to combat Climate Change

For over a year and a half, researchers from TU Delft and the Cambridge University Centre for Climate Repair have worked together on groundbreaking techniques to increase the reflectivity of clouds in the fight against global warming. During a two-day meeting, the teams are discussing their progress. Researchers at Cambridge are focusing on the technical development of a system that can spray seawater, releasing tiny salt crystals into the atmosphere to brighten the clouds. The team from TU Delft, led by Prof. Dr. Ir. Herman Russchenberg, scientific director of the TU Delft Climate Action Program and professor of Atmospheric Remote Sensing, is studying the physical effects of this technique. Prof. Russchenberg emphasizes the importance of this research: "We have now taken the first steps towards developing emergency measures against climate change. If it proves necessary, we must be prepared to implement these techniques. Ideally, we wouldn't need to use them, but it's important to investigate how they work now." Prof. Dr. Ir. Stefan Aarninkhof, dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, expresses pride in the team as the first results of this unique collaboration are becoming visible. If the researchers in Delft and Cambridge can demonstrate the potential of the concept, the first small-scale experiments will responsibly begin within a year. This research has been made possible thanks to the long-term support from the Refreeze the Arctic Foundation, founded by family of TU Delft alumnus Marc Salzer Levi . Such generous contributions enable innovative and high-impact research that addresses urgent global challenges like climate change. Large donations like these enable the pursuit of innovative, high-impact research that may not otherwise be feasible, demonstrating how our collective effort and investment in science can lead to real, transformative solutions for global challenges like climate change. Climate-Action Programme

IDE Publication Highlights (Week 39 2024)

Click here to view recent publication highlights from our staff and students.

National and International Phishing Attackers revealed

Phishing attacks, which trick users into sharing private data, have been a major online security threat for years. According to a 2023 FBI report, it is the top digital crime type. Researchers from the Intelligent Systems department have collaborated with three European country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) to characterize phishing attacks, focusing on the Netherlands’ .nl, Belgium’s .be, and Ireland’s .ie. By understanding these patterns, the research aims to enhance security measures and protect internet users from phishing threats.

11,000 young researchers have obtained a PhD from TU Delft

It was a very memorable day for PhD Amey Vasulkar last Thursday, the 19th of September. Not only did he successfully defend his promotion on Arctic Sea Ice in Tide Models, but he was also the 11,000th student to obtain a PhD from TU Delft. We are incredibly proud of and thankful for every single one of these 11,000 PhDs who started their scientific journey with us and continuously strive to change the world through their scientific innovations.

How system safety can make Machine Learning systems safer in the public sector

Machine Learning (ML), a form of AI where patterns are discovered in large amounts of data, can be very useful. It is increasingly used, for example, in chatbot Chat GPT, facial recognition, or speech software. However, there are also concerns about the use of ML systems in the public sector. How do you prevent the system from, for example, discriminating or making large-scale mistakes with negative effects on citizens? Scientists at TU Delft, including Jeroen Delfos, investigated how lessons from system safety can contribute to making ML systems safer in the public sector. “Policymakers are busy devising measures to counter the negative effects of ML. Our research shows that they can rely much more on existing concepts and theories that have already proven their value in other sectors,” says Jeroen Delfos. Jeroen Delfos Learning from other sectors In their research, the scientists used concepts from system safety and systems theory to describe the challenges of using ML systems in the public sector. Delfos: “Concepts and tools from the system safety literature are already widely used to support safety in sectors such as aviation, for example by analysing accidents with system safety methods. However, this is not yet common practice in the field of AI and ML. By applying a system-theoretical perspective, we view safety not only as a result of how the technology works, but as the result of a complex set of technical, social, and organisational factors.” The researchers interviewed professionals from the public sector to see which factors are recognized and which are still underexposed. Bias There is room for improvement to make ML systems in the public sector safer. For example, bias in data is still often seen as a technical problem, while the origin of that bias may lie far outside the technical system. Delfos: “Consider, for instance, the registration of crime. In neighbourhoods where the police patrol more frequently, logically, more crime is recorded, which leads to these areas being overrepresented in crime statistics. An ML system trained to discover patterns in these statistics will replicate or even reinforce this bias. However, the problem lies in the method of recording, not in the ML system itself.” Reducing risks According to the researchers, policymakers and civil servants involved in the development of ML systems would do well to incorporate system safety concepts. For example, it is advisable to identify in advance what kinds of accidents one wants to prevent when designing an ML system. Another lesson from system safety, for instance in aviation, is that systems tend to become more risky over time in practice, because safety becomes subordinate to efficiency as long as no accidents occur. “It is therefore important that safety remains a recurring topic in evaluations and that safety requirements are enforced,” says Delfos. Read the research paper .

Kaitai Liang receives Distinguished Reviewer Award by ESORICS 2024

I am pleased to share that Kaitai Liang, a tenured faculty member of the Cybersecurity group, has been honored with the Distinguished Reviewer Award by ESORICS 2024.

Compliant DNA nanopores capable of size-selective molecule transport across cell membrane

Scientists at TU Delft and the Max Planck Institute have made a new class of structurally adaptable ‘mechanical’ pores made from DNA that can transport molecules through cell membranes. These innovative nanopores can open and close on demand and, for the first time, adjust their diameter.

New Delft Lectures in Design

This autumn marks the introduction of IDE’s three renewed Masters programmes. One of the unifying features is a stronger link with the world-leading research carried out in IDE. “Delft Lectures in Design - Where IDE moves the Horizons of Design Research” is a case in point. This new cross-programme course serves as a rigorous and inspiring introduction to the broad variety of IDE’s research.

Safety and Security Week 2024

Join us on 7, 8 and 10 October! From October 7 to 12, 2024, the national Safety & Security Week will take place. The free program organised by TU Delft takes place on October 7, 8 and 10. It will be an educational and interactive week— make sure you're there! The full program can be found on the website , including: Two interesting masterclasses ‘ Aggression and violence on campus: Navigating between reality and myths’ and ‘ Predict and Prevent: Masterclass in Safety, Crowd and Crisis Management’ Security & Privacy symposium Safety Square: increase your knowledge about safety and prepare yourself for emergencies For more information: Safety & Security Week (tudelft.nl) . Please note: some activities require registration through the website.

Flight Case 2024: A Journey to Japan

From 22 July – 3 August, 20 IDE master students, 8 committee members from the ID Study Association, assistant professor Rebecca Price, and professor Gerd Kortuem travelled to Japan for a unique learning experience. The group worked on cases for three global companies, Sony, NHK Spring, and Sekisui, each of which provided its own distinct challenges and insights.

Boosting sustainable building education

On 17 September, TU Delft launched a new initiative to implement sustainable building practices across the Dutch educational landscape by bringing together educators from Dutch vocational institutions (MBO) and TU Delft lecturers.

Do something that matters

We komen in Nederland in het basis- en voorgezet onderwijs samen 13.500 leraren tekort. Het leraarschap heeft niet altijd de reputatie die het verdient. En dat terwijl het alles in zich heeft. Daarom startte Universiteiten van Nederland (UNL) vorig week de campagne ‘Doe iets wat ertoe doet’. Het doel is om mensen met een nieuwe blik naar het leraarschap te laten kijken.

Marina Bos-de Vos wins EURAM best paper award

At the end of June, IDE Assistant Professor of Strategic Design for Ecosystem Innovation, Marina Bos-de Vos, won two awards as a first author at the European Academy of Management (EURAM) Conference for her research paper "Projecting for accelerating sustainability transitions: practices of joint value creation in circular economy programs".