immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Eidgenössischen Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt

  • Empa is researching climate-friendly concrete

    Empa is researching climate-friendly concrete

    The Swiss National Science Foundation ( SNSF ) is funding a five-year project by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research ( Empa ) to research CO2 binding in cement. As part of the SNSF Advanced Grant, the scientists working with project manager Barbara Lothenbach will receive 2.2 million francs for their research project, according to a press release .

    The grant replaces funds from the European Research Council of the European Commission , to which Swiss researchers currently have no access.

    With the help of the funding, the Empa experts will carry out basic research in the field of CO2 binding in cement together with partners from the Finnish University of Oulu.

    The background to the project called Low Carbon Magnesium-Based Binders is that the cement industry releases large amounts of carbon dioxide. At the same time, concrete is considered a beacon of hope for binding CO2 and thus as a potential reducer of climate-damaging greenhouse gases if it is based on magnesium and not on lime as is usually the case.

    Starting in 2023, the researchers will find out how stable magnesium concrete is in the long term, how it can best be produced on construction sites and how temperature, pH value and other factors affect the molecular level.

  • Wooden floor is designed to absorb sound

    Wooden floor is designed to absorb sound

    According to a press release , researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research ( Empa ) are working on a world first in soundproofing wooden buildings. In particular, it is about reducing footfall noise. The researchers use a physical theory from the 1990s.

    The theory is about so-called acoustic black holes. Parabolic recesses in a material should be able to “swallow” vibrations such as sound. However, this theory has not yet been tested in either timber construction or building acoustics. Stefan Schoenwald, head of Empa’s building acoustics laboratory in Dübendorf, has now carried out precisely such experiments with his team.

    In its experiments, the team has already calculated acoustic spectra on the computer. Then it tested whether the computer model corresponded to reality. In fact, there were only deviations of up to 5 percent, which the researchers explain, among other things, with the natural variation of the wood.

    The researchers now also want to develop a method that can automatically show the best arrangement and shape of the acoustic black holes on any ground size and shape. Then it is necessary to look for industrial partners. During the tests, Empa has already cooperated with the timber construction company Strüby AG in Seewen SZ.

  • Superblocks make cities more livable

    Superblocks make cities more livable

    A study by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research ( Empa ) examined which cities have the potential to be transformed using superblocks. This means of urban planning can counteract increasing heat, noise and air pollution and dwindling green spaces due to climate change or population growth. Urban planning is key, study author Sven Eggimann is quoted in a statement by Empa: “The design and use of street space influences the quality of life of residents and has the potential to significantly improve the urban climate.”

    Barcelona is a model for the formation of superblocks. There, ideally, 3 by 3 blocks and their inner courtyards are combined into a super block. The development traffic is routed around the outside, the inside remains completely car-free. Instead of streets and parking lots, bicycle paths and footpaths, green areas and meeting zones will be created. In addition, heat-reducing measures can be implemented.

    According to Eggimann, the potential of this urban design is so high because streets make up a significant part of the total area in today’s urban areas. In European cities, this is typically between 15 and 25 percent.

    Eggimann calculated the superblock potential of individual cities with values between 1 percent and a third of the streets. Cities such as Mexico City, Madrid and Tokyo showed the greatest potential. However, according to Eggimann’s study, cities whose streets are laid out less grid-like than in Barcelona are also suitable for super blocks: “This offers the opportunity to make urban districts more attractive by putting people and not vehicles at the center.”

  • IWB joins Sympheny

    IWB joins Sympheny

    IWB takes a 30 percent stake in Sympheny . The young company based in Dübendorf has developed software that can compare possible energy solutions for buildings in a matter of seconds. IWB wants to use the knowledge gained from this in its own planning for the climate-friendly conversion of the energy supply.

    “Affordable climate protection requires optimized energy supplies,” IWB introduces a post on LinkedIn about joining Sympheny. According to him, the company for energy, water and telecommunications in the canton of Basel-Stadt wants to support the spin-off of the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute ( Empa ) with the fresh capital in the further development of their software. IWB writes that they are looking forward to working more closely with Sympheny co-founders Andrew Bollinger, Matthias Sulzer, Boran Morvaj and Julien Marquant.

    According to a report on startupticker.ch, the software from the young company, which was only founded in 2020, has already been used in more than 20 major planning projects. Sympheny’s customers include “energy suppliers and general contractors from all over Switzerland,” it says. The energy planning software developed by Sympheny simulates the energy system to be examined with a digital twin. Algorithms and standardized geographic information data (GIS data) can be used to simulate the production, storage and consumption of energy.

  • Empa shows the advantages of high-performance insulating materials

    Empa shows the advantages of high-performance insulating materials

    Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research ( Empa ) have investigated when an investment in costly high-performance insulating materials such as aerogels can be worthwhile for builders. According to a media release , the 25 most expensive cities in Europe, North America and Asia were initially compared. The research team found out that the lucrative area gain through the more expensive aerogels at a square meter price of more than 8000 francs exceeds the additional costs of the thinner insulation variant.

    The reason given is that high-performance insulation achieves the same insulating effect as conventional mineral wool, but only requires half to a quarter of the material used. Against the background of rising real estate prices and dense construction in cities, high-performance insulating materials such as aerogels could promote economical construction. Because the thinner the outer shell of a building, the more space is available inside.

    The economic advantages calculated using an equation could have been shown in the 15 most expensive cities – including the four Swiss cities of Zurich, Geneva, Lugano and Basel with the highest prices per square meter in Europe. Amortization was determined in the 14 most expensive cities in North America and in the ten most expensive cities in Asia. The knowledge could also support future planners when deciding on the appropriate insulation material.

  • Artificial intelligence analyzes CO2 emissions from traffic

    Artificial intelligence analyzes CO2 emissions from traffic

    An analysis method developed at the Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt ( Empa ) can make statements about how the consumption of a country’s vehicle fleet changes from year to year. This new method is based on math and deep learning techniques. According to a communication , it is able to show where politicians and car buyers could start to reduce CO2 emissions.

    Analyzing this has become increasingly difficult in recent years. Because vehicles can no longer be divided into classic segments such as small, medium and luxury classes due to technical innovations. In addition, new vehicles are getting bigger and heavier. In addition, the cubic capacities would decrease, while the efficiency of the engines would get better and better at the same time.

    That is why the Empa Vehicle Drive Systems department describes its analysis technology as an “important breakthrough”: It enables “CO2 emissions to be assessed separately and an accurate automatic vehicle classification to be carried out by analyzing large databases,” explains researcher Naghmeh Niroomand. “This makes it easier to analyze changes in fleets in a country or a large company.” Thanks to this new method, “subjective and expert-based factors” would be eliminated and databases from all over the world would be comparable.

    For Switzerland, the team was able to calculate the average CO2 emissions of newly registered cars. If less heavy vehicles such as SUVs were on Swiss roads, this would be the most effective way of promoting decarbonization, says Niroomand. It would also be helpful to buy vehicles with lower performance in the same vehicle class.

  • Empa achieves record for flexible solar cells

    Empa achieves record for flexible solar cells

    The Empa team from the Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics , headed by Ayodhya N. Tiwari, has set its seventh record for the efficiency of flexible CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide) solar cells. After a record high efficiency of 12.8 percent in 1999, it has now reached 21.38 percent, according to a press release. This new record was confirmed by the independent Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg, Germany.

    The value now measured is already close to the best efficiency of conventional, non-flexible solar cells made of crystalline silicon of 26.7 percent. The highly efficient flexible solar cells are particularly suitable for use on roofs and building facades, for greenhouses, transport vehicles, aircraft and portable electronics. Together with the Niederhasli ZH-based company Flisom , a spin-off from Empa and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ( ETH ), the researchers are developing roll-to-roll production of lightweight, flexible solar modules for such applications.

    These solar cells are produced on a polymer film using a low-temperature evaporation method. The light-absorbing semiconductor material lies on top as a wafer-thin film. Empa researcher Shiro Nishiwaki optimized their composition. In this way he was able to further increase the efficiency. According to the team’s measurements, the increase in photovoltaic output remained stable even after several months.

    Tiwari’s team works closely with the Kovalenko Lab for Functional Inorganic Materials at ETH Zurich. The research and development work was supported by the Federal Office of Energy .

  • Empa-Forschende entwickeln Energiesparriegel für Fenster

    Empa-Forschende entwickeln Energiesparriegel für Fenster

    Forschende der Eidgenössischen Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt (Empa) haben eine neuartige Wärmedämmung für Fenster entwickelt. Laut Medienmitteilung ist der Dämmsteg eine Art Sandwich, mit einer umweltfreundlichen Füllung. Im Inneren befindet sich aus wiederverwerteten PET-Flaschen geformter Schaumstoff mit mikroskopisch kleinen Luftbläschen. Dieser sogenannte gefüllte Energiesparriegel für Fenster hat einen sehr hohen Wärmedämmwert.

    Entwickelt wurde der Riegel von einem Empa-Team um Michel Barbezat und Giovanni Terrasi von der Abteilung Mechanical Systems Engineering zusammen mit Experten des Metallbauunternehmens Hochuli in Wigoltingen TG. Frank Hochuli hat für das Vorhaben eigens die Tochterfirma hochuli advanced gegründet. Hochuli bietet den Dämmsteg unter dem Markenzeichen Alpet an. Verglichen mit heutigen hochwertigen Ausführungen liesse sich die Wärmdämmung, etwa in einem neuen Bürogebäude, durchaus um bis zu einem Fünftel verbessern, wird Frank Hochuli zitiert.

    Das neue Produkt ist von den Empa-Forschenden auf Verschleissfestigkeit bei Dauerbeanspruchung wie auf die Eigenschaften der Wärmedämmung geprüft worden. Eine weitere Prüfung des neuartigen Dämmstegs ist beim Prüfinstitut ift im bayerischen Rosenheim vorgenommen worden. Das ift gilt laut der Medienmitteilung in der Branche seit Jahrzehnten als Referenz. Die Fachleute dort setzten laut der Empa-Mitteilung die Prototypen auch Brandversuchen, Bruchtests und anderen Belastungen aus, wie auf nicht sichtbare Mikrorisse nach 1000-stündiger Lagerung in Öl oder leichter Säure oder nach starkem Zug in Querrichtung.

    Nach Angaben von Frank Hochuli liegen offizielle Zertifizierungen zum Brandverhalten und zur statischen Belastbarkeit vor. Das Attest zur Wärmedämmung steht noch aus.