The Energy Engineering and Environmental Conservation Center conducts basic and applied research in energy-related areas. Twenty three faculty members are active in the Center, and in recent years some twenty immigrant scientists have joined the Center and enhanced its research activities. The Center’s overall research objectives are to improve and better understand the utilization of energy resources, while emphasizing environmental conservation. Research topics at the Center include: energy resources, energy conservation, heat transfer, multiphase flow, solar energy, wind energy, internal combustion engines, fuels and additives, vehicle engineering including alternative vehicles, reduction of road transport pollution, turbo machinery, turbines and jet engines, tribology, combustion, pyrolysis and gasification of oil shale, coal, biomass and organic waste, cryogenic cooling, heat pumps, filtering techniques, fluids engineering, air pollution, air conditioning, bio-thermal modeling and heat transfer and personal cooling systems. Since its establishment some twenty years ago, significant progress has been made. While the total number of members has remained about the same, new and modern laboratories have replaced the modest and outdated ones. Two new laboratories have been constructed within the last five years – the Optical Engineering Laboratory and the Cryogenic Cooling Laboratory – both with state-of-the-art equipment and well-funded research projects. Other laboratories have undergone a facelift, particularly the Tribology Laboratory, which has shifted its activities from the traditional toward nano-tribology. The Center’s research activities are sponsored by government and public agencies and by competitive foundations and industry in Israel and abroad. Despite a significant reduction in Technion support in recent years, the Center has continued its activities unhindered, providing faculty members and graduate students with adequate means to conduct research. The Center has also maintained close ties with industry, providing consulting services and novel technical ideas for new enterprises (i.e., the Laser Surface Technology startup SurTech was initiated by the Tribology Laboratory).
Details of the Center’s research topics are listed in the following descriptions of the laboratories and in the short biographies of the faculty members.
Projects and cooperation
The Center has cooperated with the following institutions: Israel Science Foundation, Israel Ministry of Science, Israel Ministry of Defense, Israel Ministry of Trade and Industry, Israel Ministry of National Infrastructures, Israel Ministry of Transport, Israel Ministry of Environment.
The Center has also been involved in inter-disciplinary research projects on campus at the Technion, e.g. with the Technion Transportation Research Institute and other Faculties.
Equipment
Laboratory facilities consist of test equipment for a wide range of thermal and flow measurements. The Center includes a machine shop for the construction of experimental apparatus.
Following are a few typical examples of research projects carried out in the Center.
Energy conservation through friction and wear reduction by laser surface texturing of mechanical components such as pump seals, fluid film bearings, engine piston rings (The Tribology Lab).
Analysis of fluid flow and heat transfer phenomena, using advanced imaging techniques – PIV & IR (The Multiphase Flow Lab).
Microstructured & Nanostructured Optical Elements (Optical Engineering Lab).
Thermal management of electronic equipment, micro-PIV equipment, micro-thermal management equipment, microscopes of various kinds (The Multiphase Flow Lab).
Development of novel transportation systems based on cybernetic vehicles and alternative-friendly propulsion systems: electric, hybrid, fuel cell and gas-powered (Internal combustion Engines Lab).
Head: Prof. David Greenblatt
Academic Staff: M. Shapiro, A. Oron, E. Elias, Y. Ben-Haim, J. Dayan, S. Haber, E. Hasman, G. Grossman, D. Greenblatt, R. Van-Hout, G. Yossifon, M. Bercovici, C. Rotschild, A. Gat, S. Frankel, L.Tartakovsky, M. Suss
Laboratories:
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Aerosol Research Laboratory
The Laboratory for Aerosol Research conducts basic and applied investigations of aerosols and closely related phenomena. The permanent Aerosol research... Read More
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Combustion, Pyrolysis and Gasification Laboratory
The Combustion, Pyrolysis and Gasification Laboratory (CPG Lab) conducts investigations leading to the development of methods and processes for extracting energy and fuels from renewable sources. Higher efficiency ways of utilizing organic waste and conventional low-grade fossil fuels are also... Read More
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Excitonics lab
Our mission: To apply new thermodynamic ideas for developing new frequency-conversion methods. This will allow: Converting inefficient parts of the solar spectrum to wavelengths most efficient for energy-harvesting. Conversion of thermal energy to electricity. Efficient energy storage. Efficient high power... Read More
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Flow Control Laboratory (FCL)
The recently constructed Flow Control Laboratory includes a low-speed blower wind tunnel, 180m2 of laboratory space and accommodation for multiple... Read More
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Internal Combustion Engines Laboratory
The global community is concerned by the climate change. A need to dramatically improve vehicle energy efficiency became a major engineering and scientific challenge. Total dependence on the crude oil and oil refinery products together with the latest rise in... Read More
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Micro and Nanooptics Laboratory
The Micro and Nanooptics Laboratory deals with nanoscale optics and manipulation of radiative heat transfer by use of nanoscale structures. Lab is engaged in research and development of Polarization state manipulation, Subwavelength optical elements, Nanostructured optical elements, Nanophotonics, Nanooptics, Optical-metamaterial,... Read More
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Micro- and Nano-Fluidic Devices Laboratory (MNFL)
Dr. G. Yossifon The laboratory provides experimental facilities for studying micro- and nano-fluidics, which include fundamental research on transport processes on the nano and micro scale as well as application-oriented studies towards the development of novel micro- and nano-fluidic devices.... Read More
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Microsystems Tribology Laboratory
The Laboratory focuses on friction and wear of engineering surfaces, micro- and nano-tribology of contact surfaces in MEMS, adhesion and friction of biomimetic attachment structures, tribology of nanocrystalline subsurface layers, development of tribological instrumentation and contact mechanics. The research is... Read More
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Solar Energy Laboratory
In the Solar Energy Laboratory, research is conducted on solar thermal energy utilization. Research topics include flat plate solar collectors for heating of air, water and other liquids, concentrating collectors for high temperatures, heat storage, solar water desalination, and systems... Read More
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The Environmental Multi-Phase Flow Laboratory (EMPFL)
Research in The Environmental Multi-Phase Flow Laboratory (EMPFL) is directed towards (environmental) fluid flow and heat transfer problems such as Particle-laden flows: dispersal of (bio-) aerosols in the atmospheric boundary layer, canopy flows and related particle dispersal/capture, erosion and particle... Read More
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The Rechler Cryogenic Cooling Laboratory
The subject of cryogenic cooling (cooling to temperatures below -150oC) is unfamiliar to many, as it is rather specialized and limited to special applications. The last few decades saw an increased interest in this technology, which is now forming the... Read More
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The Shamban Tribology Laboratory
The Tribology Laboratory at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology was founded in 1990. Its main activities include: Fundamental research, both theoretical and experimental, in areas such as contact mechanics, friction, wear, adhesion, lubrication and biotribology. Consulting to industry and... Read More
