Exhibitors & Products
Events & Speakers

Innovative compressed air energy storage power plant separates compression heat
Using the sun or wind to generate energy works well if you have a lot of both. Quite often, in fact, more power is produced than is needed at a particular time. But how can this excess energy be stored so it can be used on a rainy day or when the wind isn't blowing? At HANNOVER FAIR 2016, the APT (Applied Physics and Technology) company will present a compressed air energy storage power plant that was developed within the scope of a large-scale energy technology project in the German state of Hesse.

When energy is stored by means of compressed air, there are usually problems with heat recovery because a large part of the electrical energy is converted to heat during the compression process. Thanks to the new APT process, however, the compression heat is stored separately from the compressed air, resulting in a high overall efficiency ratio of power-used to power-stored. Compared to hydrogen fuel cells, it's twice as high.

The innovative compressed air energy storage power plant also has a distinct advantage over pump storage because it can be used decentrally at any location - directly at the producer's, for example - to minimize transportation losses and grid charges. The compressed air energy storage power plant is more economical and has a longer life than battery storage or hydrogen fuel cells, is environmentally friendly and also has a high residual value. It stabilizes grid frequency, while storage capacity and performance can be adjusted as needed. The plants can be built horizontally above and below ground as well as vertically above ground as towers.

APT GmbH – Applied Physics and Technology
Waldecker Strasse 18
34497 Korbach, Germany
Tel.: +49 5631 5018840
www.apt-gmbh.de

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Dr. Bernd Geisler
Hall 27, stand G29 (G29/4)
E-mail: info@apt-gmbh.de

First-aid treatment for high-tech plastics
Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) are high-performance materials that typically exhibit low weight and high strength. They find wide application in the aerospace and automotive sectors as well as the manufacture of wind turbines. At HANNOVER FAIR 2016, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) will show how a new type of repair concept can make FRP structures more competitive and economical. Their repair concept is flexible, efficient and appropriate to the material, while extending the useful life.

Here's how it works: First, the damaged material layers are removed and replaced with a patch. This patch is made of the same material as the structure to be repaired. After that, a new heating technology developed by the DLR comes into play: Heat is applied only to the area of the patch and the damaged area of the structure using a metal sheet heated by induction. A vacuum presses the metal and the patch onto the structure, which then bonds with the surrounding material.

German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Linder Höhe
51147 Cologne, Germany
Tel.: +49 2203 601 0
Fax: +49 2203 607310
www.dlr.de

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Dorothee Bürkle
Hall 27, stand K31
Mobile: +49 172 385 46 40
E-mail: dorothee.buerkle@dlr.de

Tough as nails: Converters put green electricity on the grid
Sun, wind, and water are the energy sources of the future. But before they can be used, the energy has to be converted and fed into the grid - those are tasks for which Knorr-Bremse PowerTech is offering solutions at HANNOVER FAIR 2016, where they are showcasing the innovative PowerTech converter for energy generation and storage.

Suppliers of storage solutions use these devices to convert energy from a generator or a renewable energy source into electrical energy, after which they store it or feed it into the grid at high stability. The converters are designed to convert energy from wind or hydro power and are used in different storage systems ranging from batteries to power-to-gas. As a result, the devices can be easily integrated into existing systems and configurations. Active grid compensation supports the balance of voltage and frequency fluctuations during supply times and optimizes reactive power compensation.

The high-performance electronics in the devices made by Knorr-Bremse PowerTech are able to withstand even the most extreme environmental conditions: large temperature fluctuations, heavy vibration, dampness and splash water. As a result, they can also be deployed in harsh environments: in open pit or underground mining and underground engineering, for example, and in drilling tunnels and in natural gas and petroleum production.

Knorr-Bremse PowerTech GmbH
Am Borsigturm 100
13507 Berlin, Germany
Tel.: +49 30 297725208
Fax: +49 30 297725102
www.kb-powertech.com

Contacts at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Hall 13, stand D20
Sabine Matthes
Mobile: +49 151 29292925
E-mail: sabine.matthes@kb-powertech.com
Kim Urbanke
E-mail: kim.urbanke@kb-powertech.com

EMIL and Emilia
Those are the names of the two highlights at the TU Braunschweig booth at HANNOVER FAIR 2016. What might seem to some like the title of a tragic drama is actually an interesting project on recharging electric vehicles using induction.

EMIL stands for Electro Mobility through Inductive charging. In Braunschweig, a number of different bus stops have already been equipped to create the infrastructure for recharging electric buses using this non-contact process. The vehicles are recharged through an inductive charging system integrated into the vehicle undercarriage while they wait at the bus stops. In a second step, this technology, now dubbed Emilia, has also been tested for cars using a fleet of e-Golf vehicles. So what’s so special about it? The charging capacity achieved amounts to 20 kW, which makes it possible to recharge electric vehicles very quickly. The vehicle is equipped with a coil system (secondary coil) on its undercarriage, while another coil system (primary coil), which is built into a recess in the road, is installed at the charging station. The primary coil uses a converter to create a magnetic field which transmits the energy through the road surface and the air space between road and vehicle undercarriage right into the vehicle. This energy can then be used to recharge the battery.

Technical University of Braunschweig
Pockelsstrasse 14
38106 Braunschweig, Germany
Tel.: +49 531 391 0
Fax: +49 531 391 4577
www.tu-braunschweig.de

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Jörg Saathoff
Hall 2, stand B08, a partner of Uni Hannover - uni transfer
E-mail: j.saathoff@tu-bs.d

3-D Printers for Schools
The intelligent use of modern technologies like 3-D printers encourages creativity and inquisitiveness, which in turn increases young people's interest in the STEM subjects. As a result, students and job trainees have opportunities to learn about spatial modeling and technical skills early on to help them understand the entire product development process. So far, so good - in theory. But at HANNOVER FAIR 2016, fabmaker is showing how these goals can actually be achieved in practice.

One of the products the young, Braunschweig-based company is presenting is fabmaker E1 - the 3-D printer for schools. It was specially developed for simple, sustainable, widely diverse use in the entire education sector. And to make sure everything works right in 3-D printing, fabmaker also offers a didactic teaching concept and a workshop for the innovative use of additive production machines for apprentices.

fabmaker
Rebenring 33
Technology Park TU Braunschweig
38106 Braunschweig, Germany
Tel.: +49 531 42878918
Fax: +49 531 42878917
www.fabmaker.com

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Dean Ciric
Hall 2, stand A08, a partner of the Lower Saxony Ministry for Science
E-mail: info@fabmaker.com

Icebergs, oil platforms, windmills ahoy! eNavigation now able to guide ships
What GPS devices are to cars, eNavigation is to ships. Visitors to this year's HANNOVER MESSE can see all the latest innovative options offered by eNavigation. The Oldenburg-based OFFIS institute is showcasing its open eMaritime Integrated Reference Platform (eMIR), which in future can serve to prevent collisions with other ships, but also with icebergs, wind turbines or oil platforms.

This is because the coastal areas of our oceans are becoming ever more heavily populated by offshore wind farms, at the same time as they are experiencing increasingly heavy maritime traffic. A number of different maritime information and communications technologies are available to ensure the safety and efficiency of maritime traffic, including systems that support the safe and efficient transport of goods from one port to another. These new assistance and monitoring systems along with state-of-the-art control technology require new processes and methods to verify their correct operation and certify them.

That is why the researchers at OFFIS got together with the maritime industry to create the eMIR open reference platform. It allows companies to try out new eNavigation and assistance systems and demonstrate their performance along the development process. Among other things, the institute uses the platform to develop assistance systems that coordinate evasion maneuvers to prevent ship collisions. The system architectures have moreover been designed to handle the autonomously navigated oceangoing vessels of the future.

OFFIS e. V.
Escherweg 2
26121 Oldenburg, Germany
Tel.: +49 441 97220
www.offis.de

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Dr. Ing. Axel Hahn
Hall 2, stand A08
E-mail: hahn@wi-ol.de

"May contain traces of nuts" soon to be superfluous
Food shopping isn't easy for someone who is allergic to things like peanuts. After all, food producers are required to clearly indicate all the ingredients that may trigger allergies on the packaging of their products. However, foods might also contain traces of other allergens that don't comprise an actual ingredient, but can be a result of the manufacturing process - the well-known "may contain traces of nuts" warning, for example. Even though that might not actually be the case, food producers usually indicate it voluntarily. Now, researchers from the Fraunhofer-Institute for Silicate Research ISC are appearing at HANNOVER FAIR 2016 with some good news for allergy sufferers, by presenting special, ultra-thin coatings that exhibit outstanding non-stick properties and can be easily used on production lines.

Initial experiments conducted by printing ink and food manufacturers were so promising that the surfaces of notoriously affected parts could be equipped with the newly developed non-stick coatings to prevent particles from getting so stuck that they can only be removed using expensive cleaning processes. As a result, the food industry could significantly reduce or even entirely prevent traces of allergens from finding their way into foods "by accident".

Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC
Neunerplatz 2
97082 Würzburg, Germany
Tel.: +49 931 4100 0
Fax: +49 931 4100 399
www.isc.fraunhofer.de

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Dr. Bernhard Brunner
Hall 2, stand C16, a partner of Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
E-mail: bernhard.brunner@isc.fraunhofer.de

Floating lightweight structures for solar energy, aquafarming or buildings
Solar collectors require lots of space. So why not put them out to sea instead of installing them on dry land? After all, 70% of the earth’s surface consists of water. At HANNOVER MESSE 2016, researchers from the Technical University of Vienna will be demonstrating how this can work, in the form of their new Heliofloat platform - a floatable prototype.

To exploit the ocean's advantages, the research team has developed a novel lightweight structure which is the basis for 100m-long platforms that maintain their stability even in choppy seas. To achieve this, Heliofloat is supported by open air chambers made out of a soft, flexible material, each of which functions like an open barrel. They are designed so the air cannot escape above, while maintaining contact with the water below. These air columns function like shock absorbers, allowing the platform to maintain a stable position in the water.

The platforms are supported by several pressurized air chambers and can put solar energy to good use if they are outfitted with photovoltaics or parabolic gutters. In the long run, the research team believes their platform system could also be used for desalination plants, producing biomass from salt water, aquafarming or even the building of offshore sports facilities or housing.

Technical University of Vienna
Karlsplatz 13
1040 Vienna, Austria
Tel.: +43-664-605883320
www.tuwien.ac.at/pr

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Dipl.-Ing. Peter Heimerl
Hall 27, stand 71
E-mail: forschungsmarketing@tuwien.ac.at