Congratulations to NVV (Dutch Flame) Chair Jeroen van Oijen who has been awarded one of the biggest academic grants in the Netherlands to invest in his innovative research. The 1.5 million euro grant, which is part of the NWO-Vici programme, will go towards his work on a pollution-free combustion engine.

Associate Professor Jeroen van Oijen and his team at the department of Mechanical Engineering (TU Eindhoven) will develop a revolutionary combustion engine that converts renewable fuels into clean power. The engine is based on a new technique called the Argon Power Cycle (APC), which uses argon instead of air to burn the fuel. Argon is not only abundant and affordable; but it also results in a much higher efficiency than air. As a bonus, it does not produce harmful nitrogen oxide emissions.

The combustion engine ideally uses hydrogen as a fuel, but also works on biofuels, which means that it can operate during periods when there is no hydrogen available. As the APC engine is closed, the argon doesn’t leave the engine and any CO2 that is produced can be reused, thus making the whole system pollution-free. The APC engine is ideal for use in energy storage. It can convert renewable energy that is stored as hydrogen back into electricity much more efficiently than fuel cells.

Van Oijen is very pleased with the NWO grant. “It allows me and my team to develop the advanced computer models and laser diagnostics that are needed to optimise this sustainable combustion process. And that is great news for the environment!”

Full story here.