IIT Roorkee, IIT Delhi And ARES (FBK) Jointly Execute ITPAR Project Titled “STAR”

2024-04-24 04:30:13 Education

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16th July 2019, New Delhi: Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (IITR), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD), and Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) from Trento, Italy, with its research team ARES (Applied Research on Energy Systems), are jointly executing an international collaborative research project titled ? Sustainable Technologies for distributed level Application and energy support to Rural development (STAR)?. Under India-Trento Programme for Advanced Research (ITPAR), sponsored by Department of Science & Technology, New Delhi and University of Trento, Povo, Italy. IIT Roorkee is the coordinating Institute from the Indian side. Recently DST has sanctioned Rs. 160 lakh for the project titled Star-II and Autonomous Province of Trento through the international programme of University of Trento, shall also provide additional funding.

This project was initiated under ITPAR-III scheme in the year 2015 and STAR-I was completed in the year 2018. The second phase of the project has been started on March 31, 2019. The primary objective of this project is to identify, design and propose an innovative solution for energy and environmental sustainability in rural villages of India, thus, promoting a way for development and improvement in lifestyle conditions.

Initially, for the implementation of the objectives of the project, the rural site for the execution of the project was finalized (CMD Inter College, Chudiyala Village, 30 km from Roorkee on Saharanpur road). All the metrological data (wind, DNI, precipitation etc.) were collected and a detailed analysis of all the data was carried out. Under STAR-I, solar thermal heating/cooling equipment viz. solar dishes (CST panels), adsorption chiller, solar cooking system, plate heat exchanger (PHE), were procured and installed at site. First, the solar heating system has been developed by using parabolic dish technology to generate the required energy for various applications like cooking, hay processing and adsorption chiller (currently operating on biomass gasifier system).

Under the ongoing STAR-II project the objective is to create autonomous energy system using DC microgrid based on solar PV. It will also include cleaning robots for solar PV and dish systems as well. The PV electricity shall also be available for lighting, fans and RO system. Further, a solar evaporator shall also be developed to reduce the use of bagasse in jaggery industries causing the problem of smog in northern India during winter season. For the preservation of perishable food products a solar cold room shall be installed at the site.

?This collaborative project with FBK, Italy is of great importance in today?s day and age where people of the rural areas in northern India are facing several problems in their livelihood especially in cooking, cooling, food preservation etc. We at IITR, are excited by this opportunity to serve our people and help solve their problems? said Prof. Ajit K. Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee.

?The STAR projects represent in one the effort and aim to find optimal energy systems for rural communities of India. By FBK we have supported the collaboration with competences on the modelling and engineering of such solutions. With IITR and IITD, we have established a positive collaboration, supported by several mobility programmes and visits between the teams, both in India and in Italy.? Luigi Crema, Head, ARES, FBK, Trento.

About Fondazione Bruno Kessler

Top Research Institute in Italy, ranked at the 1st place for scientific excellence within 3 different subject areas (ICT, History and Sociology) and for the economic and social impact according to the quality of research ANVUR evaluation for the period 2010-2014.

Fondazione Bruno Kessler is a research non-profit public interest entity.

Being the result of a history that is more than half a century old, through 2 scientific hubs, 7 research centres, 410 researchers, 2 specialized libraries, 7 laboratories, FBK aims to results of excellence in science and technology with particular emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches and to the applicative dimension. ARES is the research unit working on hydrogen technologies, on batteries, on concentrated solar power, with the aim to support the energy transition through flexible systems, using competences on modelling, engineering, system integration and evaluation of energy scenarios.

About IIT Roorkee

IIT Roorkee is an institute of national importance imparting higher education in engineering, sciences, management, architecture and planning, and humanities and social sciences. Since its establishment in 1847, the Institute has played a vital role in providing technical manpower and know-how to the country. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019, the institute has been ranked 3rd among the IITs. IIT Roorkee is an institution with pioneering contribution in the field of education, training, research and development, advisory services in various fields including hydro, hydrology, water resources, geology, earthquake, renewable energy and environmental management advisory and has world class laboratories related to hydropower and water sector.