News and events

Presentation of the capacities of the MCIA Research Center and the AMBER high voltage testing laboratory in collaboration with the company SBI CONNECTORS. Identification of innovation opportunities and collaborative technology transference in the railway sector.

The MCIA Center presented his technology portfolio and specific proposals for R+D to the companies of FGC, Optimus and SBI, all of them members of the rail cluster Railgrup.

Energy saving trough intelligent monitoring, case study.                                                                                       .
+ [only in catalan]

The MCIA Center has attended in the 2016 the 6^th edition of the Knowledge Fair in Berga, Barcelona. The Knowledge Fair has the goal to spread the knowledge about the ongoing research projects related with science and technology promoted by the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya and the Universitat de Barcelona. The aim is to rise the interest of the youth about the research, awakening the scientific vocations and demonstrating that the science is suitable for all. In this year's edition MCIA presented a touch interface for electric car control.

+

The MCIA Center has parcticipated in the technical seminars and international business meetings in SMAGUA 2016,the most important event of the water industry in the Iberian Peninsula. 
+

The company Elebia Autohooks, the Technological Center Eurecat-CTM, and the research groups of the Technical University of Catalonia, Center of Design Equipment (CDEI-UPC) and the MCIA center, works towards the development of a novel automatic hook for cranes through a National R+D framework. 
+  +  +  +

The DEPURGAN project aims to bring to the market an efficient pig manure treatment process, with an initial investment 4 times lower compared to other solutions and operation costs being also very competitive. It base its innovative character in the use of an optimized electrocoagulation reactor, that allows nitrogen abatement, while producing as residues a solid fraction that poses great calorific potential as biomass.

Magmolib project seeks to develop a modelica library of detailed magnetic effects in rotating machinery for the European Cleansky initiative. The project, supervised by DLR, Institute of System Dynamics and Control has reached the expected impact, and represents a novel tool for aeronautical motor design ready to be integrated in the industrial procedures.

MCIA Innovation Electronnics has participated in the design and development of the power converter as well as its functional testing and validation. The results of the project include an engine-converter performance over 90%, a maximum torque of 90Nm and a mechanical power of 12kw, and speeds up to 80 km/h.

The VEUREE project appears in the first number of the new ecomotion magazine. You can read the full article here. 

The center MCIA has participated in the development of two tools to assist in the design and management and operation of energy in different areas, focusing on tertiary sector buildings. The project was developed within the INNPACTO call from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. 

+ Full Article [only in spanish]

The MCIA team responsible of the developments of the European project Magmolib, presents in the Munich headquarters of the German Aerospace Center the current project status. The good progress of the project allowed to open new lines of work.

Mr. Juan Antonio Ortega participates in the keynotes speakers sessions during the celebration of the Ist International Conference on Electrical and Information Technologies, ICEIT 2015, in Marrakech. Mr. Juan Antonio Ortega presented the MCIA Center scientific experience around advanced signal processing and artificial intelligent tools for robust industrial diagnosis systems.

 The UPC Technology Center (CIT-UPC) formalized its affiliation to the Cluster for Motorcycle Technology Advancement trough the MCIA Center Innovation Electronics.

Clear the stage of development and assembly by MCIA the power equipment specified in PulsedPower2 collaborative project with Fraunhofer IGB.

The team behind the European project Magmolib meets the Topic Manager, Mr. Martin Khun of the German Aerospace Center, Institute of System Dynamics and Control. During the follow-up meeting results achieved so far and good progress was checked thereof were reviewed.

Analysis and design of fault tolerant axial flux permanent magnet synchronous motors.

Supervisors:

Jordi Roger Riba Ruiz and Luis Romeral Martínez

Jury:

President: Abelardo Martínez Iturbe (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Secretary: Santiago Bogarra Rodriguez (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, UPC)

Vocal: Victor Martin Riera-Guasp (Universitat Politècnica de Valéncia, UPV)

Technical work of implementing the project MoNiPro progressing as planned implementation schedule, as it was found in follow-up meeting which took place on Friday 16 January, at the facilities of the building GAIA UPC and in which participate representatives of La Farga, CTM and MCIA-UPC.

+info

As a result of the good relations between members of the FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences, Kapfenberg, Austria, and the MCIA Center, were held days of work led by Mr. Raúl Estrada and Mr. Antoni Vázquez García Espinosa seeking held collaborative projects and strategies.

"We connect innovation" is part of the programming "Terrassa in orbit", a set of actions by Orbital 40 intended to spread, give visibility, promote the R+D activity in Terrassa and bring closer the agents in this ambit. 

The Dr. Fabio Andrade and the PhD candidate Konstantinos Kampouropoulos, have been awarded with the “Best Presentation Recognition” for the technical competences shown during the presentation of the papers “Study of Large-signal Stability of an Inverter-based Generator Using a Lyapunov Function”, and “Optimal Control of Energy Hub System by the use of SQP Algorithm and Energy Prediction” respectively.

In the framework of the international project Iberoeka called VEUREE, a new high-performance electric vehicle is designed, with the participation of MCIA researchers, together with researchers from Manresa Technology Centre. The new vehicle dispenses with the traditional mechanical train and work with a motor in each wheel and fault tolerant technology, allowing driving to the garage when the car has a fault in any phase of the motor or electronic converter that controls it. The vehicle will be ready in 2015 and will be built by the Mexican company TC Technologies.

The PhD Antoine Picot, Associate Professor at the INP Toulouse, carries out its second stay at MCIA working around monitoring and diagnosis of mechatronic systems based on signal processing and artificial intelligence techniques.

The MONIPRO project, founded under the EEA Grants CDTI framework, aims to increase the energy efficiency capabilities of La Farga Rod company, thereby reducing CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. It is planned to develop a new software-based system to predict the quality of the final product, providing reaction time to avoid production losses and its associated energy costs.

The researcher Sandra Milena Gutierrez Tellez, from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, perform the presentation sessions of activities between the research group EM&D and MCIA about electric mobility, Smart grids and modeling and control and diagnosis of electric machines. This work sessions are intended to serve to detect the common research activities between entities and analyze possible ways of scientific and technological collaboration.

Professor René de Jesús Romero Troncoso, from the Universiad de Guanajuato and Director of HSP Digital Research Center, has visited MCIA Research Center in a collaborative framework between both entities around diagnosis methodologies applied to mechatronic systems.

Mr. Onur Missir, under an Erasmus Teaching Mobility Agreement, has carried out an 8-hour seminar in regard with Electrical Machines and Drives Systems, especially in the topics of winding, air-gap permeance and electromagnetic force. During the stay Mr. Onur has participated in teaching methods exchange and open discussion sessions with the MCIA Research Center experts in Design and Analysis of Electrical Machines.

MCIA staff attend last 10 of September to a presentation in CDIT facilities, where were showed the selected projects in the second edition of the Environment and Climate Change platform funded by the EEA Grants. It was showed 101 innovative projects related with environment, energy efficiency, renewable energy and climate change. These projects have involved up to 110 Spanish companies.

Fault Diagnosis and Fault Tolerant Control of Multiphase Voltage Source Converters For Application in Traction Drives

Supervisors: Juan Manuel Moreno Eguilaz

Jury:

President: Sergio Busquets Monge (Technical University of Catalonia, Spain)
Secretary: Eduardo Ramon Galvan Diez (University of Sevile, Spain)
Member: Julio César Urresty Betancourt ( ALSTOM WIND- Barcelona)

+

Fault Tolerant vector control of five-phase permanent magnet motors

Supervisors: Dr. Luis Romeral Martínez

Jury:
President: Antoni Garcia Espinosa (Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, España)
Secretary: Julio César Urresty Betancourt ( ALSTOM WIND- Barcelona)
Member: Suresh Perinpanayagam (Cranfield University, College Road, UK)

+

The student Juan Antonio Franco, from Tecnológico de Monterrey University, Campus Queretaro, Mexico, completes her master's project in Manufacturing Systems (MMS), after her six months stay in the MCIA Research Center.

Ampeer Team was born with the objective of participating in such challenge, using the experience gained in the previous edition with the design of BRUC 01.

The team made up by future engineers and designers from ELISAVA and ETSEIB, Ampeer, has developed the project «Bruc Electric Motorbike», which was presented on the 1^st July at the School of Industrial Engineering of Barcelona.

The Barcelona Smart Moto Challenge has the purpose of promoting the academic development in technology. The participants have conceptualized, designed, created, and built an electric motorbike for two people, specially aimed for students.

Eleven university teams from Barcelona, Madrid, Girona, Cuenca (Ecuador), Wroclaw (Poland) and Moscou (Russia) will present prototypes that will have to overcome different static and dynamic tests.

You can see a presentation of BRUC 2.0 in the following link:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=532145140241536

After the finalization of the MOSYCOUSIS project, the resulting prototypes and technological contributions receive the media attention.

+ [only in Spanish]

The aim of this conference is to disseminate knowledge and technological innovation that is being generated on campus.

Currently, more than 400 researchers in addition to technical support for research projects work on the Campus of the UPC in Terrassa. Moreover, around 150 PhD students from more than 20 countries around the world work on the Campus of the UPC in Terrassa. This great source of talent and knowledge is distributed in 38 research groups, 2 departments, 22 departmental sections, the textile institute and the Catalan Plastic Center.

The agenda of this day conference includes various presentations given by staff renowned researcher who has his place of work in the UPC's Terrassa Campus, sessions and poster presentations by young researchers who are already a future promise thanks to the research carried out.

The agenda of this conference includes different presentations, given by researchers of the UPC's Terrassa Campus, as well as oral sessions and poster presentations by young researchers who are a future promise thanks to the high quality research that is taking place.

At the end of the ceremony, Mr. Jordi Ballart, Mayor of Terrassa and Mr. Antoni Girò, Rector of the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) visit the laboratories of the MCIA Center.

Contributions on corona onset voltage calculation for EHV and UHV substation connectors

Supervisors: Dr. Luis Romeral Martínez and Dr. Jordi Roger Riba Ruiz

Jurado:

President:  Andrea Cavallini (Università degli studi di Bologna, Italy)
Secretary: Joan Gabriel Bergas Jane (Technical University of Catalonia, Spain)
Member:    Saïd Lalaouna (SBI Connectors, Spain)

+

The MCIA Center that has participated in the project CENIT VERDE during the past four years, has presented the final results: electric traction chains, monitoring and control equipment and vehicle recharge management, during the closing ceremony held at the SEAT Technical Centre. The Secretary of State of Research, Development and Innovation, Ms. Carmen Vela, attended the event to observe the developments.

The AMBER laboratory of High Voltage equipment used in Energy Transmission systems is visited by the Infraestructure’s Vicerector, Mr. Josep Bosch Espelta, the Rector’s delegate in the Terrassa’s Campus, Mr. Francesc Astals, and the Endesa Catalonia’s Director, Mr. Josep Maria Rovira.

AMBER is a Research Center focused on Innovation, Development and Validation of High Voltage equipment used in Energy Transmission systems. AMBER belongs to the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), and is administrated by the MCIA research group.

The professor Raúl Estrada presents the research and technologic transference activities carried out in his research Center, mainly related with the electric vehicle developments. An open discussion takes place in order to plan the collaborations between institutions.

The PHD candidates, Mr. Fabio Andrade and Mr. Harold Saavedra, attend to the 4^th IEEE International Conference on Power Engineering, Energy and Electrical Drives, held in Istanbul, in order to present their works “New Mathematical Model of an Inverter-Based Generator for Stability Studies of Microgrid Systems” and “Magnet shape Influence on the Performance of AFPMM in a Torus Configuration” respectively.