More information
Description
The Project aims to develop a prototype of an innovative wastewater heat exchanger WWH-REC.
As a result of the Project, the wastewater heat exchanger will reach the technology readiness level TRL7.
The testing of the prototype in the laboratory and the development of proposals will be ensured by the specialists of the Institute of Heat, Gas and Water Technology of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Riga Technical University (hereinafter – RTU BIF SGŪTI).
Within the framework of the Project, knowledge transfer activities will be carried out together with the Norwegian partner Bjørn Naustvik (reg. Nr. 983546234), who will provide the company with consultations and a vision on the integration of the plant into the indoor microclimate infrastructure in Norway.
Summary of project results
The aim of the Project was to develop a prototype of an innovative wastewater heat exchanger WWH-REC, to test it and to study its adaptation possibilities in the existing infrastructure in Latvia and Norway. This Project is the result of long-term research and development (R&D) activities of the founder, director, and author of the idea Kaspars Grīnbergs, where the initial invention of a new product of innovative wastewater heat exchanger of TRL 3 level through the implementation of the project were further developed reaching the TRL 7. The new product contains an innovative technological solution that allows to significantly reduce energy costs for warm water and heating needs, as well as for cooling buildings.
The prototype of the new product developed within the Project is innovative on a global scale (new in the market), and its characteristics can be assessed as with high commercialization level and competitive advantages in comparison with the existing and known solutions on the market.
The wastewater heat exchanger WWH-REC is intended for installation in the objects of public interest, e.g., schools, sports and cultural centres, medical institutions, catering enterprises, libraries, etc., as well as in the apartment buildings and industrial objects, where there is a large amount of wastewater and thermal energy savings are very important.
All the planned project results have been met:
- an innovative wastewater heat exchanger WWH-REC has been developed and tested. A TRL level of the prototype reached the seventh level, where the system has been completed and tested, incl. it has been proven that the developed technology works or differs only minimally from the planned system;
- Consultations and testing of a new product in cooperation with a Norwegian partner and Riga Technical University have been carried out;
Special publicity measures have been carried out through the implementation of the project.
The experimental development and testing of the concept and prototype for the product have been completed. Analytics were also performed to evaluate the technological aspects for the full development of the prototype and their further approbation in commercial use. The system has been completed and tested, incl. it has been proven that the developed technology works or differs only minimally from the planned system. The developed prototype has been completed and tested, incl. it has been proven that the developed technology works or differs only minimally from the planned system. It will take approximately 3 to 5 months for the system to be completed and tested, incl. final testing and validation of the system would be carried out to ensure that it is operational in its final form and under the intended conditions in order to enter in the market of the wastewater heat recovery segment.
Summary of bilateral results
A partnership agreement between Ltd S plus and Norwegian partner Bjørn Naustvik has been concluded and executed. The knowledge transfer activities in cooperation with the Norwegian partner were actively carried out through all project stages. Norwegian partner was strongly involved in developing a graphical representation of the wastewater heat recuperation (WWH-REC) system data, and it provided proposals for integrating WWH-REC graphical data in building microclimate control equipment controllers. In addition, an insight into the principles of operation of indoor microclimate devices in Norway, including a general explanation of the dominant parameters according to which they are regulated, was provided. In the later stage of the project implementation,a solution for integrating the WWH-REC system into the internal microclimate provision infrastructure of buildings, including its integration at the software level into the BMS system, was introduced and prepared.Although the results are not shared, the collaboration produced a better version of the system prototype developed during the project''s implementation.