Unicamp and the global multienergy company TotalEnergies signed, this Wednesday (14), a partnership agreement to develop research in the area of solar energy and batteries worth R$22,9 million.
Lasting three years, the cooperation foresees the execution of six projects, the construction of an electrical energy generation plant using photovoltaic panels, the renovation of research laboratories and the hiring of 33 doctoral, post-doctoral and scientific initiation fellows . It will also involve the work of 14 professors and researchers.
The plan is to build the power generation plant in the HIDS (International Hub for Sustainable Development) area — the smart district under development at Fazenda Argentina, owned by Unicamp, located next to the Barão Geraldo campus.
The agreement was signed on Wednesday night (14) by the dean of Unicamp, professor Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles, and by the company's director of Research and Development, Isabel Waclawek. The ceremony was attended by the director of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in South America, Liviu Nicu, and the Science and Technology Attaché of the Cultural Cooperation and Action Service, Nadège Mézié, both representatives of the Consulate General of France in Brazil.
Founded in 1924 in France, TotalEnergies currently operates in more than 130 countries in the production and sale of energy in the areas of oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity.
The event was organized by professor Marcelo Souza de Castro, director of the Center for Energy and Petroleum Studies (Cepetro) at Unicamp. The project was presented by professor at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering Marcelo Villalva, who will also be the general coordinator of the program.
Among the projects to be developed (See below for details on each of them.), there is advanced modeling and monitoring of photovoltaic plants with so-called “digital twins” — which are a kind of digital clone of a plant. It is also planned to develop devices for detecting and interrupting failures in photovoltaic systems, analyzing energy costs and improving and ranking inverters — devices that transform energy so that it can be used in electrical appliances.
The program will also establish a battery tracking system. According to Professor Hudson Zanin, coordinator of this project, the objective is to map the chain of these batteries, to understand their life cycle, evaluating the mechanisms of their aging, and identify the processes adopted by suppliers in their first life and reuse.
For rector Antonio Meirelles, this agreement is a new demonstration that the University considers innovation and sustainability initiatives to be a priority. “Today we were informed that Unicamp is the first in the country in the ranking in actions for economic growth. Obviously, this has to do with innovation and with agreements and commitments like the one we celebrate today”, he said.
Meirelles recalled that large energy companies are looking for solutions for the energy transition and that this has also occurred in academia. “There is a serious commitment today, at the University, to the issue of sustainability. The environmental agenda and the idea of innovation are a common agenda”, said the rector. “The big challenge today is to transform this into something that really improves people’s quality of life,” he added. “Only in this way will we be able to create a virtuous circle that feeds the process”, he assessed.
The company's Research and Development director, Isabel Waclawek, thanked the ANP (National Petroleum Agency), which created the mechanism to promote research, development and innovation known as the 1% clause. According to her, this mechanism brought the obligation for companies to invest 1% of the gross revenue generated by oil field production in Research and Development projects in Brazil.
In the second half of 2021, the ANP extended the application of the clause to the development of projects in renewable energy and energy transition, with the aim of promoting a low-carbon economy in Brazil and developing local scientific and technological capacity in these sectors. “This was a decision that we greatly commend, as it is part of the effort to ensure that Brazil is a leader in the energy transition,” said the director.
According to the coordinator of Research and Development projects in renewable energy at TotalEnergies, João Gonzaga, the partnership's projects are innovative. “They have the capacity to grow into large enterprises in the long term,” he said. The coordinator stated that the company's goal is to commercialize 100 GW of renewable energy by 2030. To achieve this, it will rely on a partnership with the University. “Science emerges to bring solutions with a direct impact on society”, he states.
According to the coordinator, the decision to sign an agreement with Unicamp was natural. “Unicamp’s potential is very transparent. The University is a reference in terms of research centers. And the project will drive innovation. I always say that research only becomes successful research when it turns into an invoice. That’s when we discover that we have a product that wins the market”, he concludes.
Check out the six partnership projects:
1 - Advanced modeling and monitoring of photovoltaic plants with “digital twins”
The general objective of this project is to develop mathematical models and tools for simulating and monitoring photovoltaic plants with “digital twins”. The tools will make it possible to predict energy generation and losses based on the modeling of degradation phenomena and other factors that influence the performance of photovoltaic systems. The creation of mathematical models and software tools will improve the design and sizing processes of photovoltaic plants, as well as allow monitoring of results and maximizing the efficiency of these systems.
2 - Research of methods and development of a device for detecting and interrupting DC arc faults in photovoltaic systems
In this project, systems based on hardware and software will be researched and developed for detecting electric arcs in photovoltaic systems. Electric arcs are the main causes of fires and material losses in photovoltaic plants. The result of this project will be a device that can be used in new projects or added to existing solar plants and that will increase stability and safety in the operation of photovoltaic plants.
3 - Performance monitoring, anomaly detection and LCOE analysis in photovoltaic plants
The objective of this project is to develop a software tool for monitoring performance and detecting defects and anomalies in photovoltaic solar power plants, in addition to allowing the analysis of the economic return of these systems. The results of this research could improve planning for the operation and maintenance of photovoltaic plants, allowing for cost reduction and maximizing the results of these projects. More broadly, the results will contribute to expanding the participation of solar energy in the Brazilian energy matrix.
4 - Reliability of photovoltaic inverters: thermoelectric modeling, damage assessment and failure prediction
In this project, comprehensive thermoelectric modeling of crucial components such as semiconductor switches and capacitors in DC-AC converters (inverters) used in photovoltaic plants will be developed. The impact of some attributes (for example, input power, DC link voltage, switching frequency, ambient temperature) on the reliability of inverters for photovoltaic solar energy applications will also be analyzed. The results of this project will increase knowledge about the reliability and useful life of photovoltaic inverters.
5 - Research and development of testing, evaluation and classification methodologies for photovoltaic inverters
In this project, test methods will be developed to evaluate the quality of photovoltaic inverters. The ultimate goal is to develop an inverter testing program to create a ranking of equipment, providing valuable information for consumers, designers and investors of solar plants. Considering that the inverter is the equipment in the photovoltaic system with the highest failure rate, it is essential and challenging to have the ability to measure the quality of photovoltaic inverters supplied by different manufacturers, checking whether this equipment meets specifications and whether it has protection and safety features. reliable, if they are capable of operating at high temperatures without presenting power reduction, if they have good thermal management in order to protect the internal semiconductors and if they are immune to humid atmospheres, among other things.
6 - Blockchain platform for the digital battery passport and its respective contribution to unveiling aging mechanisms during the first life and its consequences in the second use
The project aims to resolve some limitations in the literature related to energy storage systems built with second-life batteries. The project will result in: (i) a battery classification system according to risk level, (ii) a system capable of assigning a unique identifier to batteries, (iii) study of batteries in fast charging scenarios, ( iv) proposing new strategies for discharging second-life batteries, transporting and classifying them and (v) developing and validating thermal management techniques for batteries. These strategies will focus on increasing safety and reducing time and cost. The models developed in this project will make it possible to predict the maintenance of second-life batteries, extending their useful life, increasing their safety and reducing environmental impacts.