Masdar Institute Researchers Developing Real-time Fog Detection and Monitoring Tool for Tapping Fresh Water and Ensure Efficiency of Transportation Systems

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 23 December, 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced research is currently under way in collaboration with the National Research Foundation (NRF) to develop a real-time fog detection and monitoring tool for the UAE.

The new tool will offer twin benefits. It will enable tapping of this potential renewable source of fresh water and improving the safety and efficiency of transportation systems during fog events. The research projects are titled ‘Development of Functional Nano composite Materials to Harvest Fresh Water from Humid Atmosphere’ by Dr Raed Hashaikeh, Associate Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, and ‘Development of Satellite-Based Tool to Forecast and Monitor Fog Events in UAE Coastal Cities’ by Dr. Hosni Ghedira, Director, UAE Research Centre for Renewable Energy Mapping and Assessment.

The projects are supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) through the Research and Scholarship Award program.

Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said: “The two groundbreaking research projects will bring sustainable benefits to the UAE and other parts of the world. Our projects remain relevant to Abu Dhabi and the UAE while offering benefits to regions with similar climatic conditions. With the support of the UAE leadership, we have sustained the momentum in achieving innovative solutions. We hope the global community will benefit from the outcomes of the two research projects currently being undertaken at Masdar Institute.”

Dr. Ahmed Alosi, Research Program Manager, National Research Foundation, said: “The collaborative effort with Masdar Institute will bring benefits to the community. As directed by the UAE’s leadership, NRF promotes research activities that survive international peer review and contribute to social and economic benefits in the UAE. We hope the research projects on fog by Masdar Institute faculty will result in tangible outcome to support sustainable development in the country and the region.”

The location of the UAE on the edge of a very warm sea on the one side and hot and dry desert on the other create the optimal conditions of inland fog forming. The afternoon sea breeze –almost a daily event in the UAE’s coastal areas – transports moisture inland, then at clear sky conditions at night, the large surrounding desert radiates heat very efficiently and temperatures fall quickly. The rapid cooling of accumulated inland moisture during the night facilitates conditions for fog development.

The fog detection and monitoring tool being developed through the research project will run with satellite data received in real-time by the Masdar Institute satellite receiving station. A team of students and researchers are presently working on analyzing a large archive of satellite images acquired during previous fog events to model the physical characteristics of fog episodes and to label their location, frequency and duration.

Dr. Hosni Ghedira said: “On an average, there are 20 occurrences of dense fogs each year in the UAE, mainly during the December-January period. Heavy fog events reduce visibility, causing flight delays and fatal highway accidents. An accurate detection of fog will improve the safety and efficiency of transportation systems.”

Dr Hosni Ghedira’s team is currently developing three sub-algorithms to test fog forecasting (at night); fog mapping, classification, and monitoring; as well as forecasting of fog dissipation time. The first phase of this project was performed in collaboration with the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) in Dubai.

Dr. Raed Hashaikeh said: “Desalination is the main source of fresh water in the UAE. The ambient atmosphere in the UAE contains a large quantity of water which makes it a potential renewable source of fresh water. Our research work will focus on developing advanced surfaces to enhance the capture and collection of tiny fog droplets. Through materials that can increase water capture efficiency, we aim to exploit fog occurrences as a renewable source of fresh water in the UAE.”

Serving as a key pillar of innovation and human capital, Masdar Institute remains fundamental to Masdar’s core objectives of developing Abu Dhabi’s knowledge economy and finding solutions to humanity’s toughest challenges such as climate change.

Established as an on-going collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow.  With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change through education and research.
 

Information to be Used for Research Project on Sustainable Transportation

Abu Dhabi – UAE: 19  December, 2012 – Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport (DoT) and Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a collaborative partnership on exchange of information in transportation.

The MoU will enable the sharing of information on Abu Dhabi’s public transport systems and basic traffic data to be used by Masdar Institute for a research project. The project will investigate the transportation infrastructure, technology needs and public attitudes in Abu Dhabi, pertinent to instituting a level of electrification in the Abu Dhabi transportation system.

The collaboration on exchange of information aims to develop a successful urban transport system in Abu Dhabi covering human resource development, integrated program management, knowledge management and intelligent transportation systems.

The MoU was signed by Dr Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, and H.E. Mohamed Hareb Al Yousef, the Executive Director of the Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi.

H.E. Mohamed Hareb Al Yousef said: “DoT will provide Masdar Institute with the technical details including the provision of basic data on traffic in the city and the status of public transport services to facilitate the research project. Our participation will ensure that the scope of research is consistent with the objectives of the department’s strategy on intelligent transport systems (ITS).”

Dr. Sgouris Sgouridis, Associate Professor, and Dr. Amro Farid, Assistant Professor, both from the Engineering Systems and Management program, Masdar Institute, will be the principal investigators of the project. Eng. Salah Mohamed Al Marzouqi, the acting director of Integrated Intelligent Transportation Systems Division in Department of Transport will be the lead coordinator in regards to the provision of data and technical advice to the research team.

Dr Fred Moavenzadeh said: “The agreement with DoT further demonstrates our continuing commitment to bring innovations in clean energy systems. Research collaborations are the ideal way for an academic institution to solidify its role in implementing innovative solutions. We believe with the support of the country’s leadership, the information from DoT on transportation will enable rapid progress in the research project, leading to an outcome that benefits Abu Dhabi and the UAE in general.”

Serving as a key pillar of innovation and human capital, Masdar Institute remains fundamental to Masdar’s core objectives of developing Abu Dhabi’s knowledge economy and finding solutions to humanity’s toughest challenges such as climate change.

Established as an on-going collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow. With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change through education and research.
 

Three-Day International Gathering in Abu Dhabi Provides New Insights, Tools and Techniques for Application in Libraries

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 13 December, 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced it hosted a workshop to highlight the role of electronic resources and licensing at libraries in the digital age.

Titled ‘Contemporary Topics in Licensing & Consortia’, the three-day event was organized from 8-10 December by the Special Libraries Association (SLA) – Arabian Gulf Chapter and Masdar Institute at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The event targeted professionals in the e-resources arena and those interested in remaining up-to-date with local and global practices.

The course provided the participants with new understandings, tools, and techniques that they can apply in their libraries and in their ongoing conversations with users, publishers, and other information providers. It also built in detail on the crucial understandings in the areas of pricing, usage data and their deployment for decision-making, appropriate access for library patrons, and perpetual access/preservation.

Leading industry professionals including Ann Okerson, Special Advisor on E-Resources, Center for Research Libraries in Chicago, US, and Terry Bucknell, Electronic Resources Manager at University of Liverpool, led discussions at the event. Bucknell manages an extensive collection of e-journals, databases and e-books, as well as the online services, including EBSCO Discovery Service and SFX, through which they are accessed.

Okerson, on the other hand, combines experience in academic library management, the commercial sector, as well as a senior and founding program officer for Scholarly Communications at the Association of Research Libraries in Washington, DC.

A large number of staff members from the academic libraries, information centers, public libraries, and other information centers attended the event that focused on some of the key issues in the e-resources sector. Educators, electronic information providers, legal staff, funders and government agencies also participated at the workshop.

Dr. Abdullah Al Hefeiti, Library Director, Masdar Institute, said: “The digital era marks a new beginning in accessing and acquiring intellectual capital of diverse sources. However, managing the current electronic world of educational and research information in a library requires advanced techniques and global best practices. The support of the country’s leadership has enabled us to organize events that gather thought-leaders in this sector. Masdar Institute is honored to host the workshop in Abu Dhabi to highlight the new advancements in the use of e-resources and licensing for the benefit of professionals in the knowledge sector.”

The event focused on ‘Electronic Journals and Electronic Resources Library Management’ on the first day and ‘Licensing E-resources; Copyright and its Relationship to Licenses: Role and importance of consortia in the licensing environment’ on the following day. The last day was taken up for discussions on ‘Managing Electronic Resources’.

Other developments that were discussed in detail include e-books, future of subscriptions, patron-driven acquisitions (PDA), licensing beyond the immediate campus (all the way to global campuses and partners), new business models including significant open access experiments, contractual issues related to mobile technologies, and some new types of license language including Authors’ Rights.

The Masdar Institute Library is equipped with advanced information technologies that offer excellent Internet connectivity and efficient online access to rich e-resources and digital contents. The services and collections at the library are entirely dedicated to support the Masdar Institute community of faculty, researchers, students, and administrators. The library also offers out-campus researchers and postgraduates access to its collections and facilities.

Established as an on-going collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow.  With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change through education and research.
 

Scientific Paper on the Treatment of Produced Water Co-authored by Masdar Institute Faculty Appearing in January 2013 Issue

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 10 December, 2012– Oil producers and petroleum refineries especially in the GCC countries could save up to US$50 billion if membrane distillation techniques are applied to treatment of produced water, according to a paper co-authored by Masdar Institute faculty.

The scientific paper titled ‘Produced water treatment: Application of Air Gap Membrane Distillation’ is co-authored by Dr. Nidal Hilal, Professor in Nano-membranology and Water Technologies, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Naif Darwish, and Abdullah Alkhudhiri, a  student working under Dr Hilal’s supervision.
The paper on ‘membrane distillation as a new technique for treating produced water from oil industry’ has been accepted for publication in the respected international journal ‘Desalination’ and will be appearing on 15 January 2013, Volume 309. The paper adds that the new technique can also be applied in conjunction with renewable energy such as solar. Membrane distillation or MD, a thermally-driven separation process, is a promising technology for desalting highly saline waters and offers several advantages over other techniques.

Dr. Nidal Hilal said: “In all GCC countries including the UAE, treatment of produced water is a huge challenge faced by the petroleum industry. Current options include discharge into the environment, or re-injection into disposal wells. But environmental regulations strictly govern such measures. Also, exorbitant cost of available technologies and their low efficiency levels plague the scenario. The membrane distillation offers the right solution.”

Produced water constitutes one of the largest wastewater streams generated in the petroleum industry where minimum of three barrels of produced water comes out with every barrel of oil, which totaled more than 145 billion barrels in 2011 alone. The total dissolved solids (TDS) can reach up to 200,000 ppm which is around five times the TDS in seawater.

Additionally, current practices of produced water management in the petroleum industry do not ensure even a fraction of the extent and the rate of natural water replenishment required to balance the colossal water consumption by the industry. While water resource sustainability concerns suggest maximal reuse and recycling of water, traditional methods of produced water management are largely inadequate in treating produced water up to discharge and reuse standards.

Membrane distillation (MD) requires significantly lower operating temperatures and therefore lower energy requirements. Since non-volatile solutes cannot be transported across the membrane barrier in an MD system, it is capable of achieving near 100% rejection of dissolved salts and minerals.

Dr. Nidal Hilal is additionally involved in other desalination-related research projects. Holder of a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Swansea University in the UK and a DSc in Nanotechnology and membrane separation from the University of Wales in the UK, Dr Hilal, is also entrusted with the responsibility of working with the faculty to establish a Centre of Excellence for Water Technologies at Masdar Institute. He is also the current Editor-in-Chief of ‘Desalination’, an international journal on the science and technology of desalting and water purification. Dr. Hilal recently published two major books titled ‘Atomic Force Microscopy in Process Engineering: An Introduction to AFM for Improved Processes and Products’ by Elsevier and “Membrane Modification: Technology and Applications” by CRC Press.

Serving as a key pillar of innovation and human capital, Masdar Institute remains fundamental to Masdar’s core objectives of developing Abu Dhabi’s knowledge economy and finding solutions to humanity’s toughest challenges such as climate change.

Established as an on-going collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow.  With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change through education and research.
 

GCC Renewable Energy Readiness Meeting to Highlight Region’s Commitment to Adopting Green Measures

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 26 November, 2012 – The EU-GCC Clean Energy Network, an inter-regional consortium that aims to advance the common interest between the EU and the GCC for strategic energy cooperation, has announced it will host a high-level meeting on the sidelines of the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP-18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to be held in Qatar.

The COP-18 session to be held from 26 November – 7 December, coincides with the 8th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP8). The meetings are organized on behalf of both the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Climate Action, a multimedia platform that aims to encourage businesses and large organizations reduce their carbon footprint, and puts forward the business case for climate change.

The EU-GCC Clean Energy Network’s GCC Renewable Energy Readiness meeting will be held at the GCC Pavilion, Qatar National Convention Center on 28 November to highlight the importance of a recent initiative, ‘GCC Renewable Energy Readiness Assessment Report’, being developed with Network partners across the GCC. 

Renewable energy (RE) readiness is defined as the level of development of the county’s infrastructure, institution and human capital factors that influence the attractiveness of investing in renewable energy projects. It plays an important role in enhancing the reliability of renewable energy technologies (RET) to ensure their sustainable deployment.

The report will serve as a ‘benchmark’ using a common framework to assess each country’s RE-readiness, helping identify and address gaps to overcome the main barriers for the deployment of renewable energy projects which are of growing importance for the GCC region. It will also elaborate on key R&D priorities and an enabling policy framework that will be conducive to scaling up renewable energy technologies.

Some top officials participating in the meeting from the GCC include Faisal Mohammed Al Suwaidi, President of Research and Development at Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, Hamza Kazim, Vice-President, Operations & Finance, Masdar Institute, and Dr. Scott Kennedy, Dean of Research, Masdar Institute.

High ranking officials from the EU include Artur Runge-Metzger, Director, Directorate of International and Climate Strategy, DG-CLIMA, European Commission, and Professor John Psarras, ICCS-NTUA, Project Director – EU.

Hamza Kazim said: “Masdar Institute remains instrumental in leading sustainability efforts in the quest for a green economy, globally and in the region, thanks to the vision of the UAE’s wise leadership. Their support and guidance have ensured that Masdar Institute remains as a top research-based academic institution, driving innovation and human capital development, while developing energy leaders of the future.

“The GCC countries are at present assessing their renewable energy readiness to submit a report. The region’s commitment and enthusiasm to adopt renewable sources is overwhelming and the events in Doha will provide a fresh stimulus to implementing green measures across the GCC member states.”

The presentation by the high-level team of attendees from the GCC and European Commission will highlight the achievements in areas of mutual interest for the GCC and the EU including renewables, energy efficiency and demand side management, electricity interconnections, carbon capture and storage, as well as natural gas.

Some of the concrete outcomes that will be summarized during the session include publications, research work/papers, established partnerships between the GCC and EU, co-operation project ideas, targeted working meetings and training workshops.

The EU-GCC Clean Energy Network’s mission is to support and enhance the long-term strategic EU–GCC energy relationship, addressing specifically clean energy issues; develop concrete cooperation activities of common interest on clean energy (including policy and technology aspects) among various stakeholders across the EU and GCC countries; and expand as a professional network among public and private sector players in clean energy by retaining and recruiting institutional members.
 

Energy and Poverty Solutions (EAPS) Course Offers Students Opportunity to Contribute to Communities through Sustainable Innovations

Abu Dhabi-UAE 27 November, 2012: Masdar Institute of Science and Technology is an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies. The Abu Dhabi-based institution serves as a key pillar of innovation and human capital, while remaining fundamental to Masdar’s core objectives of developing a knowledge-economy and finding solutions to humanity’s toughest challenges such as climate change.

Even though knowledge transfer regarding sustainability and clean energy research are the core focus areas, Masdar Institute continues to take its lessons in sustainability beyond the GCC region to places in Asia and Africa for the benefit of the wider community. In short, Masdar Institute’s sustainability efforts also include addressing and improving sustainable human development, especially through its Energy and Poverty Solutions (EAPS) course, offered annually.

Over the past three years, students of the Energy and Poverty Solutions (EAPS) course, taught by Dr. Scott Kennedy, Dean of Research, Masdar Institute, under the Engineering Systems and Management program, have visited rural communities in northern India, Sabah in Malaysia, and Lusaka, in Zambia. The visits offered the students first-hand experience about the extent of time and effort actually spent by the community to tackle even everyday challenges.

Dr Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said: “Masdar Institute remains a pioneer in imparting knowledge and guiding creative minds in sustainable innovation. At the same time, with the support of our country’s leadership, our students continue to work with communities across several regions on sustainable projects. Through such active participation, Masdar Institute serves its objective of contributing to sustainable community development.”

The EAPS Course focuses on the design of robust, low-cost energy systems including micro-hydro, solar, wind turbine generators, and biomass cooking fuels, for providing power and heat. It is an elective course in which students address the multi-faceted problem of poverty and all its associated issues, while promoting improved energy access to alleviate poverty.

As part of the course, student teams embark on a semester-long project, focusing on and investigating a chosen aspect of poverty and sustainable development. The course seeks to provide students with a holistic understanding of the complex issues faced by developing communities, their associated energy needs and how this relates to human and economic development.

Subject matter in the past has ranged from issues associated with the link between education and poverty, to the socio-technical aspects of operating a rice-husk fueled, gasifier-powered, rural micro-grid. Some past projects have also included improved cooking stoves, solar panel feasibility studies, water purification and Power Line Communication (PLC) for micro-grids powered by renewable sources of energy.

The culmination of the course’s learning process involves a week-long trip to a developing area that serves as a fieldwork component to the students’ projects. Masdar Institute students work closely on the ground with a local organization in order to enhance understanding and close the gap between human development theory and real-world experience.

Some of the projects undertaken by the students include the enhancement of a micro-hydropower energy system for a rural village in Borneo, an analysis of water supply options for rural areas in Somaliland, and an assessment of energy needs and opportunities for a residential compound near Lusaka, Zambia.

This year, student teams traveled to Varanasi and Patna in India for projects on gasification of rice husk for power generation, increasing access to primary education and health care, and community development through micro-credit and self-help groups.

Dr Scott Kennedy said: “A first step into addressing issues related to poverty and development is to interact with the communities one is seeking to benefit on equal terms.  The field trips to India and other sites have offered students a glimpse into the lives of the poor – their challenges and vulnerabilities, as well as their assets and talents. Sustainable development in this context can only be achieved by building capacity and strengthening institutions. The process of designing and deploying energy, education or healthcare technologies and infrastructure therefore becomes simply a platform for the more fundamental goal of building human capacity.”

Serving as a key pillar of innovation and human capital, Masdar Institute remains fundamental to Masdar’s core objectives of developing Abu Dhabi’s knowledge economy and finding solutions to humanity’s toughest challenges such as climate change.

Established as an on-going collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow. With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change through education and research.

• New Technology to Offer Long-Term Benefits to Abu Dhabi and UAE;
• Patent Application Filed with the US Patent and Trademarks Office

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 21 November, 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced faculty and students from the Electrical Power Engineering (EPE) program have filed a patent application with the US Patent and Trademarks Office.

The technology that could be applied in wind energy will support the grid with shunt and series compensation to mitigate voltage dips, which are caused by grid faults or severe disturbances. The technology presents a new configuration and transient management scheme that achieves superior fault ride through performance in response to all types of grid fault, extreme fault duration and multiple faults. The wind turbine configuration in the system is capable of alleviating unwanted electrical phenomenon and providing support to the electricity grid.

Such innovative technologies and patents in renewable energy sources are expected to offer both short-term and long-term benefits to the UAE, supporting the economy by outsourcing the technologies and establishing local manufacture for promoting renewable energy. The patent assumes significance following the recent report on the supply of power for the first time by London Array offshore wind project to the UK grid. The project – Masdar’s collaboration venture with Dong Energy and E.ON – will be one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms when completed.

Development of Phase-1 of London Array remains on track with 151 of the 175 wind turbines installed along with the successful installation of the offshore and onshore substations and cables. Expected to be completed in March 2013, the 630MW first phase will generate enough power to supply 470,000 homes.

The application for ‘Fault Handling System For Doubly Fed Induction Generator’ was filed by the team of faculty members Dr. Mohamed El Moursi, Assistant Professor, Dr. Weidong Xiao, Acting Head of EPE program, and Po-Hsu Huang, EPE Master’s student. In addition to the patent application,  the IEEE, world’s largest professional association for the advancement of technology, accepted the paper ‘Novel Fault Ride Through Configuration and Transient Management Scheme for Doubly Fed Induction Generator’ in its publication IEEE’s Transactions on Energy Conversion.  The Masdar Institute team has exceled in its collaboration with MIT counterpart Prof. Dr James Kirtley for this research work.

Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said: “Our academic programs are designed to further stimulate the creative-minded students and seek novel solutions in sustainable technologies. The filing of a U.S. patent application by the EPE program faculty members and student reflects the academic excellence and quality guidance that are offered at the research-based institution as mandated by the country’s leadership. Our efforts in human capital development will continue as we expand the scope of new technology patents while ensuring that Abu Dhabi provides the best environment for the creation of intellectual property rights. We congratulate the faculty and students for their commitment that continues to bring accolades and worldwide recognition in research and education to Masdar Institute and Abu Dhabi.”

Dr. Weidong Xiao said: “IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion is the top journal in the field of wind power generation where reviewers are among top experts in the field of electric power engineering. Even in the top engineering universities around the world, the achievement is considered outstanding for an MSc student to start the research, perform simulation, write up the paper, and get it published on the top journal within one year. Po-Hsu Huang’s strong academic background and hard-work have contributed to the success. It also reflects the importance of faculty collaboration between the advisors Dr. Elmoursi and Dr. Xiao, who lead the research subjects in wind power systems and control engineering, respectively.”

The Masdar Institute research team has also submitted a number of papers to IEEE Transactions, which is under revision and review process. They are looking forward to excelling high quality publications and strong collaboration to promote wind and solar energy research in the UAE.

Serving as a key pillar of innovation and human capital, Masdar Institute remains fundamental to Masdar’s core objectives of developing Abu Dhabi’s knowledge economy and finding solutions to humanity’s toughest challenges such as climate change.

Established with an on-going collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow.  With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change through education and research.
 

Rana Qudaih to Present Thesis on Polyolefins, Chosen by Jury, at Borealis Innovation Day Event in Austria in January 2012

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 21 December, 2011 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced one of its alumni has won the prestigious Borealis Student Innovation Award for her thesis on Polyolefins (plastics).

Rana Qudaih, a Masdar Institute alumni majored in Mechanical Engineering, will be presenting her thesis in front of an august audience during the Borealis Innovation Day event in January 2012 at Linz, Austria.

The Borealis Student Innovation Award recognizes two most innovative research papers – one for a master’s degree graduate and one for a doctorate degree graduate – on Polyolefins, olefins or melamine. Rana Qudaih is being awarded for her thesis on the Polyolefins (plastics) category. Currently employed as a Manufacturing Engineer with Dubai Cable Company (Ducab), Qudaih worked under the guidance of Dr. Isam Janajreh, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering at Masdar Institute.

Using the cable industry as a case study, Qudaih’s thesis focuses on providing two innovative solutions to reduce the rejected waste of Low Density Poly Ethylene (LDPE), which comprises over 80% of the discarded plastic waste globally. It also reaches up to 12% of total Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). Qudaih’s thesis successfully demonstrates that these solutions work not only at the macro scale but at the large ‘batch’ scale as well.

Among the two solutions discovered by Qudaih, one involves recycling LDPE back to extruder at a controlled quantity, enough to stay within the threshold of the mechanical and thermal properties of the end-product, thereby converting the cable industry into green or zero plastic waste industry. The second solution follows a thermo-chemical process and converting such waste into a byrolytic-oil that is observed to have approximately similar physical and thermo-chemical properties as to that of diesel fuel, which was demonstrated by Rana Qudaih’s work following intense laboratory testing and analyses.

Dr Fred Moavenzadeh, President of Masdar Institute, said: “The globally prestigious Borealis Student Innovation Award for Rana Qudaih demonstrates our role in developing critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow as mandated by the UAE’s leadership. The award also illustrates Masdar Institute’s status as a world-class institution with a high quality faculty that fosters innovation and human capacity building in the region. While we offer our congratulations to one of our promising alumni, we express our gratitude to the country’s leaders for their guidance and support in our academic endeavor that has brought this distinction.”

Ducab became a partial sponsor of Rana Qudaih’s project following an exploration visit to the plant. Discussions with Samih Zamzam, Plant Manager, led to an assessment that the rejected amount of LDPE waste is alarming. This created an opportunity for Prof Isam Janajreh’s group on ‘Waste to Energy’ at Masdar Institute to conduct their research.

Dr Lamya Fawwaz, Executive Director, Public Affairs, said: “The Borealis Student Innovation Award for Qudaih represents a great acknowledgment of the collaboration between the academia and the industry. Within a few years since inception, Masdar Institute has firmly placed itself as one of the leading academic institutions by effortlessly integrating with the global community through intellectually nurturing its high-caliber students. The research outcome of these students who have a penchant for innovation is now being rightfully recognized by international companies based in Europe and we thank the country’s leadership for creating the state-of-the-art facilities that has facilitated our student to obtain this international award.”

Prof Janajreh said: “Rana Qudaih was a member of brilliant group of five students who was attracted to my newly established and well-equipped “Waste to Energy Laboratory” at Masdar Institute. These students have been internationally recognized by their achievements in the two years Master’s program. Without Qudaih’s hard work and dedication, the global-level of accomplishment would not have been possible. The credit also goes to our industrial partner/sponsor and in particular Samih Zamzam who supported the activities of Masdar Institute’s ‘Waste to Energy’ group during every aspect of this project, right from sample preparation to additional testing and many of the subsequent discussions that were fruitful. The research exemplifies the academic-industry partnership that Masdar Institute hopes to further build on in the years to come.”

Rana Qudaih said: “It was a moment of great honor for me when I heard that my Master’s thesis was chosen by the jury for the Borealis Student Innovation Award. I was privileged to work under the guidance of Prof Isam Janajreh whose support was crucial for my thesis to have been chosen for this prestigious award. At the same time, I would like to express my thanks to everyone at Masdar Institute, the faculty and fellow students who constantly helped me during my study. The country should be proud that the UAE’s leaders who have established an institution that offers world-class research and academic facilities to students with an innovative turn of mind.

Qudaih added: “I would also like to urge the students at Masdar Institute to work on a research topic which is interesting to them and where they have the passion to innovate and succeed. At the same time, it is necessary to work hard, be proactive, patient, keep up a positive attitude and stay motivated. While I encourage them to gain insights from data and experiments to validate simulation results, they also need to believe in their abilities and skills that they can be successful researchers to lead the renewable energy and sustainability industry in the future.”

Established in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow.  With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change.
 

 

Fundamental Study on ‘Nanoscale Energy Dissipation’ Carried Out at Masdar Institute Chosen as One of the Best in 2011 by Esteemed Scientific Publication Nanotechnology

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 19 December, 2011 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced that a fundamental study on nanoscale energy dissipation carried out at the Masdar Institute has been chosen by the esteemed scientific publication Nanotechnology as one of the best in 2011.

The scientists group led by Matteo Chiesa, Associate Professor, Laboratory of Energy and Nano-Science (LENS) at Masdar Institute, include Sergio Santos of LENS, the leading author of the manuscript, and a group of collaborators including Dr. Victor Barcons, Joseph Font, Albert Verdaguer and Neil H. Thomson from Spanish and British universities.

The article titled ‘How localized are energy dissipation processes in nanoscale interactions’ is one of 21 accepted for publication within the nanotechnology domain developed by the Masdar Institute’s LENS in 2011. This article has been chosen for its impact by the editorial board of the Nanotechnology journal to be part of a special edition that collects the highest relevant articles from 2011. To underline the significance of the results presented in the study, one of the figure from the article was picked as the main cover for this special edition.

The article focuses on the degree or level of localization in nanoscale dissipative interactions. Written by the scientists, it presents a fundamental explanation of the area of interaction between a sphere of a radius of few nanometers and a surface of different material. This has implication for the study of energy dissipation at the nanoscale and thus on the quantification of properties of surfaces. For the nanotechnology community, this is a great achievement since it allows controlling or manipulating of the process at the nanoscale.

The Nanotechnology magazine is part of the not-for-profit society Institute of Physics (IOP) Publishing, which publishes a range of journals, websites and magazines. It has more than 60 journals that reflect the growth and interdisciplinary nature of scientific research and application, from topics as varied as nanotechnology, astronomy, mathematics, the biosciences and physics.

Dr Fred Moavenzadeh, President of Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, said: “The recognition from one of the most respected magazine indicates the significance of the advanced-level research work that is being conducted at LENS in Masdar Institute. We offer our heartfelt congratulations to our scientists and believe such recognitions will further motivate them to move forward with their pioneering work. We thank the country’s leadership for their support and will remain committed to further expanding our capacity building and human development efforts in the UAE.”

Dr. Matteo Chiesa, Associate Professor, LENS, Masdar Institute, said: “The work is of fundamental origin and by itself cannot be commercialized. However, there are other published works for which we have filed invention disclosures. Our research work on the area of interaction for each of the elementary dissipative processes can be pivotal in the development of advanced materials for various industries such as defense or energy. We are extremely honored that our paper has been chosen by the Editor of the Nanotechnology magazine as one of the best among all of those published in 2011.”

The research work calculates the effective area of interaction for each of the elementary dissipative processes. It then uses a figure of merit defined as M to quantify both the density of the energy dissipated and the level of localization of each dissipative interaction. Each process is shown to present a different pattern in M with decreasing separation between the colliding bodies from tens of nanometers to angstroms. Though the work is theoretical, it uses parameters that can be readily measured with an atomic force microscope.

The UAE-based scientists at Masdar Institute have been prominently featured in industry and scientific publications respected worldwide and avidly read by scientists and researchers. Prof Matteo Chiesa has already published his works in other scientific journals such as Nature Materials, Journal of Physics D and Solar Energy. Earlier, the prestigious ‘Science’ journal published for the first time a paper co-authored by a UAE-based scientist – Dr. Iyad Rahwan, Assistant Professor – Computing and Information Science, Masdar Institute.

Established as an on-going collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow.  With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change.
 

Keynote Address Highlights Abu Dhabi’s Government’s Contribution towards Creating Knowledge-Based Economy

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 18 December, 2011 – Tangible actions by the global environmental data and information community to bridge and rectify the growing obstacle to information gap will help in the conservation of our planet, said Dr Fred Moavenzadeh, President of Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies.

Dr Moavenzadeh’s remarks came during his presentation titled ‘Moving the World Forward’ at the Eye on Earth 2011 Summit and Exhibition in Abu Dhabi that concluded on 15 December at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). The presentation was rooted in the ideals of sustainability and education propagated by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the UAE.

Organized under the patronage of The UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Eye on Earth Abu Dhabi Summit aimed to address topics related to environmental information networking, including disaster management, oceans and blue carbon, water security, innovative cities, as well as networks beyond information technology.

Giving an overview of Abu Dhabi Government’s Masdar initiative, Dr Moavenzadeh’s said: “The 21st Century has begun by moving the world towards a knowledge-based economy, compared to the agrarian nature of the 19th century and the industrialization and cold war of the 20th century.  This does not, however, mean we are giving up manufacturing or agriculture, but those two areas are becoming more and more automated with the major concern now focusing clearly on the environment and climate change.”

Highlighting the commitment to tackle these challenges, Dr Moavenzadeh said the Abu Dhabi Government launched the Masdar initiative. He said: “Masdar is endeavoring to move the world forward towards addressing the issues of environment and the opportunities that exist at this juncture. The UAE leadership seeks to actively participate in addressing the issues of environment, energy and climate change and to diversify the economy toward a knowledge-based one with emphasis on clean technology.”

Elaborating on the holistic and multidimensional approach to fulfilling the mission, Dr Moavenzadeh said Abu Dhabi is focusing on a two-pronged strategy – capital formation and market creation. The former will include human, intellectual and financial while the latter will cover start-ups, joint ventures and entrepreneurship, he pointed out.

Dr Moavenzadeh added: “Masdar Initiative was established in response to the commitment of Abu Dhabi to develop a comprehensive and holistic approach to tackle issues of environment and sustainable technology, develop the complete value chain that includes human resource, R&D capacity, venture capital, start-ups, and joint venture with major global firms. It also aims to create public awareness through platforms such as the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) and the Zayed Future Energy Prize (ZFEP). The successful attempt to locate the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi is also part of this initiative.”

Speaking about Masdar Institute that was set up by with Abu Dhabi Government with the ongoing collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dr Moavenzadeh added that the graduate-level research-driven institute aims to promote industry and government partnership.

Regionally, Masdar Institute is also the lead institution representing the GCC in the EU-GCC Clean Energy Network, which aims to advance the common interest between the EU and the GCC regions for strategic energy cooperation. The Clean Energy Network focuses on energy demand side management and energy efficiency, clean natural gas and related clean technologies, electricity interconnection and market integration, carbon capture and storage, as well as renewable energy sources.

Dr Moavenzadeh concluded: “We should not be constantly reinventing the wheel; therefore, access to and sharing of existing and vital information is not a luxury but a necessity and access to quality data is crucial, but often unavailable to poorer communities. Only through free flow of information will the world find solutions to preserve the plant.”

Established in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow.  With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change.