Research Institute for Energy - UMons

The University of Mons' Energy Research Institute conducts research and development in the following fields:

• Smart Cities, including energy use in buildings: zero energy and positive energy buildings, alternative technologies for heat and cold production and their integration into the building, insulating materials, etc.

• Energy storage

• Wind power

• Smart grids

• Photovoltaic technologies

• Geothermal energy

• Materials and processes for energy applications

• Biofuels and combustion

• CO2 capture and sequestration and treatment of gaseous emissions

The Institute has a hundred or so researchers and academics primarily working in science, applied science, and architecture.Our research activities are primarily focused on the development and study of prototypes; the development of simulation tools for equipment performance measurement, construction of prototypes, sizing and design assistance, regulation and process controls, etc.; monitoring of installations; development of benchmark calculation methods; the synthesis and characterization of active materials; and scientific service.

Skills, services and / or productsThe Fundamental and Applied Geology Department (GEFA) at the Faculté Polytechnique of the Université de Mons conducts research in the field of deep and medium-depth geothermal energy. GEFA's skills and research are mainly in the fields of hydrogeology, geophysical exploration, hydrogeochemistry, and the energy potential of very deep aquifers (600 to 5,000 meters, or more). In particular, the department evaluated the deep geothermal energy prospects of Hainaut.The thermodynamics department works on heat pumps (monitoring of installations, scientific support for technological development, simulation tools and performance evaluation tools).The Heat Science and Thermodynamic departments work in the field of solar thermal energy (scientific support for the technological development of solar collectors and thermal energy storage systems, synthesis and characterization of materials for thermal energy storage, prototyping).

References:

• The GEODES project to exploit deep geothermal resources for energy production

• The SOLINOX project to develop a new type of solar thermal collector

• The SOLAUTARK and SOTHERCO projects for inter-seasonal thermal energy storage

• The ERA-Chair RESIZED project to develop autonomous heating systems for an entire neighborhood

• The FLEXIPAC project to measure the impact of heat pump use on the power grid

Biomass-energy

• Industrial CO2 use for microalgae production 

• Microalgae caracterization

• Microalgae use as biofuel and process design

• Gas treatment by adsorption, absorption or catalytic oxidation 

• Synthesis gas use

• Photobioreactors: from 3l to 70l

• Gas-liquid contactors

• Adsorbents beds

• Combustion installations

• Analytical laboratory equipment : FT-IR, HPLC-UV, HPLC-Fluo, UPLC-PDA, GC, micro-GC, GCMS

• Development of new processes

• Enhancement of new process

• Scientific support and expertise

• General study for public policy

• Demonstration projects

• Combustion technologies

• Gas treatment technologies

• Biofuels production unsing microalgae: from microalgae caracterization to process design

• Massart A., Hantson A.-L. “Optimization of the medium composition of the microalga "Dunaliella tertiolecta butcher" in order to combine high cell density and accumulation of lipids for biodiesel production”, 3rd International Symposium on Energy from Biomass and Waste, Venise, Italie, 2010.

• Massart A., Hantson A.-L. “Study of different pretreatments in order to optimize lipid extraction of three strains of microalgae (Chlorophyta)”, Alg'n Chem 2011, Montpellier, France, 2011.

• Massart A., Hantson A.-L. “Optimization of the initial concentration of nitrogen source in the medium in order to increase biomass productivity of two microalgae”, 7th International Conference on Renewable Resources and Biorefineries, Bruges, Belgique, 2011.