reading time: min

The science and “alchemy” of making sustainable steels

Maria Santofimia Navarro is world famous for her work on advanced high strength steels. Together with her team at TU Delft’s Faculty of Mechanical Maritime and Materials Engineering (3mE), Santofimia combines fundamental theoretical research, advanced simulation techniques and high-resolution experiments to explain how the structure of steel at the microscopic level has a huge influence on the physical properties of the material. With this new knowledge about the microstructure of materials, Santofimia is designing “greener”, more sustainable types of steel.

reading time: 5 min

Climate neuroscience for aviation

There is a knowledge gap when it comes to how non-CO2 emissions of aviation affect global warming. Jin Maruhashi modeled the global transport patterns of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and then used a neuroscience machine learning algorithm to find patterns in these data. It landed him the award for Best Climate Action Paper of the TU Delft.

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read time: 4 min

Hydrogen leads the way to a climate neutral Europe without energy poverty

Energy is a driver of economic activity, personal development, and social participation in civic life. That is why, for professor of Smart Energy Systems Zofia Lukszo, the energy transition is about much more than reducing CO2 emissions. ‘Our future energy system should not only be sustainable, but also inclusive – dependable, available and affordable for everyone.’

Reading time: 7 min

Thick as a brick? How small cracks can cause big problems

Will those cracked walls hold up? Is it safe to walk on that quay? To find the answer to these questions assistant professor of Applied Mechanics Rita Esposito studies brick masonry, often using actual pieces of damaged houses and centuries-old bridges.

reading time: 5 min

Pushing the boundaries of microscopy to understand cells better

Kristin Grußmayer pushes the boundaries of microscopy with new techniques to study the exact location of molecules, and to make extremely fast 3D images of the cell. Her research group will take a look at the early stage of Huntington’s disease on a very small scale, now possible thanks to these advanced microscopy methods: “One of the biggest challenges in the super resolution field is how to work with living cells while making sure they stay happy.”

Robotic support improves rehabilitation

Floating wind turbines change everything

In order to become climate neutral by 2050, the share of renewable energy generated at sea will need to increase significantly. Floating wind turbines, solar panels and tidal power plants will play a crucial role in this.

reading time: 10 min

Synthetic data for a clean digital future

The synthetic data of Lydia Chen makes our digital future better and cleaner: more privacy for users, and more utility for organisations.

reading time: 4, 5 min

With each other, for each other

Building more homes without rethinking the way we live together will not solve the fundamental issues with the housing crisis. Besides more quality homes for lower and middle incomes, we also need housing solutions that are sustainable, foster strong social connections and are affordable.

reading time: 6 min

Understanding the world through sound

reading time: 5 min

Circular area development: pioneering on a large scale

“We are pioneering on a large scale. Political backing, local support, time and physical space are essential if a circular area development is to have any chance of success”, explains professor Ellen van Bueren. Within the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for Sustainability, she has been leading the research project ‘Circular area development Binckhorst – The Hague’. She collaborates with the province of Zuid-Holland, and regional businesses and universities to accelerate the circular economy. Her goal is to draw up a set of scientifically based do's and don'ts for a circular area development by the end of this year.

Reading time: 3 min

Surgery for all

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Reading time: 8 minutes

Rekenen aan gigantische aspluimen

The Filipino volcano Taal is restless and spitting lava, ash and steam into the air. Volcanologists fear that a new and bigger eruption is imminent. Ten years ago, Europe was under the spell of an enormous ash cloud, following the eruption on the Eyjafjalla Glacier in Iceland. The cloud brought air traffic to a complete standstill and entailed significant costs. Guangliang Fu and Sha Lu, researched how such an ash plume behaves and how you can predict where it will go.

reading time: 6 min

The next phase in aircraft design

Reading time: 4 minutes

Cheap and environmental friendly silicon chips printed on paper

Scientists at TU Delft have succeeded in printing a silicon chip on paper rather than on the usual plastic. It is cheaper, environment friendly and brings new applications a step closer. Such applications would include displays on a carton of milk showing the best-before date.

Reading time: 3 min

Flying in a V

The lorry pulls up very slowly, en route from the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering to Schiphol. The cargo on board is precious: the 3-meter-wide flying scale model of the revolutionary Flying-V aircraft. Chief engineer Malcom Brown: “The Flying V will use far less energy thanks to its aerodynamic V-shape.”

Collection Climate Action

reading time: 6 min

A golden age for earth observation

Reading time: 2, 5 min

How the shipping industry can make the festive season more sustainable

Reading Time: 4 min

Up in the clouds

Reading time: 7 min

Using chemistry to close the CO2 cycle

Reading Time: 3 min

Floating homes for the Philippines

Reading time: 4 minutes

Measuring water quality with a smartphone in Myanmar

Reading time: 4 min

Not a band-aid but a feeder solution for our coasts

Reading time: 3 min

Bringing silent aviation closer

Reading time: 3 min

20.000 weather stations in Africa

Reading time: 3 min

Mapping minerals with sensor technology

Reading time: 7 min

Sustainability is a verb

reading time: min

From the plane into the train

reading time: 5 min

Sand on the horizon

reading time: min

The science and “alchemy” of making sustainable steels

reading time: 5 min

Climate neuroscience for aviation

reading time: 6 min

An additional wind turbine out of thin air

reading time: 5 min

How do you make an open and paved urban space climate-proof?

reading time: 6 min

Attractive public transport starts with a good design of the station

reading time: 4 min

The importance of Open Science for the maritime industry

reading time: 4 min

A safe and just algorithm? Start with a systems perspective

reading time: 4 min

Ringing the changes for a circular construction sector

reading time: 10 min

Balancing water, food and energy to drive sustainable development

read time: 4 min

Hydrogen leads the way to a climate neutral Europe without energy poverty

reading time: 4 min

When frustration leads to inspiration for Open Science

reading time: 8 min

Thick as a brick? How small cracks can cause big problems

leestijd: 7 min

When Open Source and Open Science go hand-in-hand

reading time: 2 min

From sheep’s wool to spatial fabric

reading time: 3 min

Urban food production on the right track

reading time: 2, 5 min

Urban transformation as an act of preservation

reading time: 6 min

The women on a mission to reduce space debris

reading time: 2, 5 min

How to redesign insulated glass units for disassembly

reading time: 6 min

Medical experts and engineers speak each other’s language in Delft

reading time: 6 min

The Future Ground: Planning cities for an uncertain future
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