Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | ES/T003812/1 | |
| Title | ARUA CoE in Materials, Energy & Nanotechnology Research. | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electric power conversion) 20%; Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution) 10%; Other Power and Storage Technologies(Energy storage) 20%; Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Environmental, social and economic impacts) 50%; |
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| Research Types | Basic and strategic applied research 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | SOCIAL SCIENCES (Development Studies) 40%; AREA STUDIES (Middle Eastern and African Studies) 10%; PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Metallurgy and Materials) 20%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 20%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 10%; |
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| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Technology acceptance) 20%; Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Other sociological economical and environmental impact of energy) 30%; Other (Energy technology information dissemination) 50%; |
|
| Principal Investigator |
Professor L A Cornish No email address given Sch of Chemical and Materials Eng University of the Witwatersrand |
|
| Award Type | Standard | |
| Funding Source | ESRC | |
| Start Date | 01 September 2019 | |
| End Date | 31 August 2022 | |
| Duration | 36 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £609,538 | |
| Industrial Sectors | ||
| Region | London | |
| Programme | ESRC - RCUK GCRF - Grants | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Professor L A Cornish , Sch of Chemical and Materials Eng, University of the Witwatersrand (100.000%) |
| Industrial Collaborator | Project Contact , University of Oxford (0.000%) Project Contact , University of Southampton (0.000%) Project Contact , University of Cambridge (0.000%) Project Contact , Cranfield University (0.000%) Project Contact , Coventry University (0.000%) Project Contact , University of Bath (0.000%) Project Contact , Open University (0.000%) Project Contact , University of Leicester (0.000%) Project Contact , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), South Africa (0.000%) Project Contact , University of Ghana (0.000%) Project Contact , University of Nairobi, Kenya (0.000%) Project Contact , University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (0.000%) Project Contact , Makerere University, Uganda (0.000%) Project Contact , University of Pretoria (0.000%) Project Contact , University of Nigeria Nsukka (0.000%) Project Contact , Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria (0.000%) Project Contact , Federal University of Technology, Nigeria (0.000%) |
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| Web Site | ||
| Objectives | ARUA CoE-MEN intends to reduce the energy divide by networking world leading scientists, system engineers and IT specialists and social scientists to work in close collaboration with the private sector, civil society organisations, and practitioners to:1. Develop innovative technology to link the massive efforts on off-grid energy provisions using solar, wind and bio-mass, storage, distribution and consumption of energy, through understanding local and regional energy storage and generation challenges and the social and political challenges underpinning the energy divide.2. Enhance international co-operation by leveraging energy research in the UK to increase research capacity of the targeted institutions in sub-Saharan countries, particularly in clean energy, renewable energy, by developing novel energy storage and hybrid technologies, energy efficiency, energy infrastructure, increased materials efficiency and increased capacity to recycle materials.3. Utilize materials more effectively, by understanding the problems of changing the micro-structure on welding, select materials more effectively for the right environment, develop better materials for aggressive environments (e.g. energy production) and to increase recycling.4. Drive societal change by empowering, educating and upskilling society through exchange programmes to stimulate growth and employment using better materials, and to encourage entrepreneurship and employment opportunities, ensuring sustainability of the initiative by identifying commercialization opportunities of research in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda.ARUA CoE-MEN intends to reduce the energy divide by networking world leading scientists, system engineers and IT specialists and social scientists to work in close collaboration with the private sector, civil society organisations, and practitioners to:1. Develop innovative technology to link the massive efforts on off-grid energy provisions using solar, wind and bio-mass, storage, distribution and consumption of energy, through understanding local and regional energy storage and generation challenges and the social and political challenges underpinning the energy divide.2. Enhance international co-operation by leveraging energy research in the UK to increase research capacity of the targeted institutions in sub-Saharan countries, particularly in clean energy, renewable energy, by developing novel energy storage and hybrid technologies, energy efficiency, energy infrastructure, increased materials efficiency and increased capacity to recycle materials.3. Utilize materials more effectively, by understanding the problems of changing the micro-structure on welding, select materials more effectively for the right environment, develop better materials for aggressive environments (e.g. energy production) and to increase recycling.4. Drive societal change by empowering, educating and upskilling society through exchange programmes to stimulate growth and employment using better materials, and to encourage entrepreneurship and employment opportunities, ensuring sustainability of the initiative by identifying commercialization opportunities of research in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda. | |
| Abstract | Under the theme of Energy, Materials Development and Nanotechnology, ARUA CoE-MEN will use materials and nanotechnology to develop energy solutions for Africa, as well as materials development for efficiency and sustainability, and also develop personnel. The main aim is to develop materials and new technologies to benefit Africa, in both infrastructure and human development, to enable global competition. There will be a range of projects around the technological use of materials, from fundamental to devices up to prototype level and application. The projects should help to identify, and later develop, new opportunities in an African context. This is necessary because often solutions from more temperate climates cannot withstand the harsher conditions in Africa (higher temperatures and humidity), and so are not suitable. This will facilitate the development of new opportunities in an African context (e.g. sustainable manufacturing, off-grid energy technologies, improved materials, and materials recycling - obtaining more useful materials, as well as removing waste), developing the people to do it, and to help Africa become more competitive. ARUA CoE-MEN will investigate barriers to upscaling and uptake of sustainable technologies in Africa. As well as improving materials, strategies for creating and encouraging new technological pathways to facilitate transitions to sustainability in emerging water and energy technologies will be explored. Improved energy security will help the economies develop, leading to more stability with jobs, facilite people to become entrepreneurs, and help to improve the welfare and the wealth of citizens in the different countries.Some of projects target efficiency of materials and hence safety, e.g. by improving buildings and infrastructure (recent flood damage in southern Africa has shown that houses need to be more robust). Improved materials could have even larger long-term benefits on the environment, and help to improve other living conditions, e.g. improving water storage efficiency and cleanliness by combatting corrosion. The potential benefit to the African countries is improved development, improved environments and better education, for researchers and more widely, for the public, by outreach.ARUA CoE-MEN will also try to support more part-time higher degree students, who struggle to balance work, family and their research. This is an untapped source of students, and is an opportunity to increase the skills and work more closely with industry, and possibly entrepreneurs. The benefit to the UK is the strengthening of ties with the different African countries involved, and the potential to enter into business relationships for manufacturing in the future. The hub will be at the University of the Witwatersrand, which has a long-term history of running very successful networks and groups in materials science, and also provides world-class equipment and infrastructure to be shared.Under the theme of Energy, Materials Development and Nanotechnology, ARUA CoE-MEN will use materials and nanotechnology to develop energy solutions for Africa, as well as materials development for efficiency and sustainability, and also develop personnel. The main aim is to develop materials and new technologies to benefit Africa, in both infrastructure and human development, to enable global competition. There will be a range of projects around the technological use of materials, from fundamental to devices up to prototype level and application. The projects should help to identify, and later develop, new opportunities in an African context. This is necessary because often solutions from more temperate climates cannot withstand the harsher conditions in Africa (higher temperatures and humidity), and so are not suitable. This will facilitate the development of new opportunities in an African context (e.g. sustainable manufacturing, off-grid energy technologies, improved materials, and materials recycling - obtaining more useful materials, as well as removing waste), developing the people to do it, and to help Africa become more competitive. ARUA CoE-MEN will investigate barriers to upscaling and uptake of sustainable technologies in Africa. As well as improving materials, strategies for creating and encouraging new technological pathways to facilitate transitions to sustainability in emerging water and energy technologies will be explored. Improved energy security will help the economies develop, leading to more stability with jobs, facilite people to become entrepreneurs, and help to improve the welfare and the wealth of citizens in the different countries.Some of projects target efficiency of materials and hence safety, e.g. by improving buildings and infrastructure (recent flood damage in southern Africa has shown that houses need to be more robust). Improved materials could have even larger long-term benefits on the environment, and help to improve other living conditions, e.g. improving water storage efficiency and cleanliness by combatting corrosion. The potential benefit to the African countries is improved development, improved environments and better education, for researchers and more widely, for the public, by outreach.ARUA CoE-MEN will also try to support more part-time higher degree students, who struggle to balance work, family and their research. This is an untapped source of students, and is an opportunity to increase the skills and work more closely with industry, and possibly entrepreneurs. The benefit to the UK is the strengthening of ties with the different African countries involved, and the potential to enter into business relationships for manufacturing in the future. The hub will be at the University of the Witwatersrand, which has a long-term history of running very successful networks and groups in materials science, and also provides world-class equipment and infrastructure to be shared. | |
| Publications | (none) |
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| Final Report | (none) |
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| Added to Database | 07/10/19 | |
