Green InTegrator
Title: Green IT voucher: Green InTegrator: solution provider for measurements and analysis of greenhouse gas emissions
Researchers: S.M. Cristescu
Cost estimate: €30.000
Funding: Faculty of Science voucher
In 2021 S. Cristescu has received one of the four Faculty of Science vouchers (€30.000) for an innovation and collaboration project relating to Green Information Technology.
The project awarded is Green InTegrator: solution provider for measurements and analysis of greenhouse gas emissions.
Background: To minimize the effects of the climate change, the Dutch government presented the National Climate Agreement in 2019. In order to assist decision-making, we need representative and accurate emission data. What is the quality of the current data?
Based on user’s experience, there is a discrepancy between the manufacturer claimed performances of a commercial sensor and the actual ones, when used in field conditions. Currently, only CO2 emissions are satisfactory measured. There is still huge need for technologies for low-cost methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) sensors, since the existing ones are unstable, very sensitive to high humidity, not selective, etc. There are several commercial technologies for low-cost gas sensors and next to these, new high potential technologies are to be explored, i.e. based on Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs).
Green InTegrator starts with a core team of experts and aims to build a consortium covering the entire chain from measuring the emissions in the field to data acquisition and processing, to data modelling and footprint analysis.
Objectives:
- What the user needs? Set up the requirements for application in field conditions and in network settings together with the expert users of the sensors from their practice, rather than from literature.
- What sensors are currently available to use in practice? How do they perform?
III. What can the new technologies (i.e. PICs/others) offer for GHG measurements?
Goal: generate technically sound basis for research, development and valorization for future project(s) on small or large scale.
Applications:
- CH4 emissions from cows breath, natural wetland, wastewater treatment
- N2O emissions from natural wetland, wastewater treatment, drinking water.