Mahnam Saeednia sits on a bench at the train station. Next to her is a package that points a megaphone at her.

Giving freight a voice

Read more Giving freight a voice

Fading boundary between farmers and tigers

Read more Fading boundary between farmers and tigers

Putting the spark back into the grid

Read more Putting the spark back into the grid

Going underground to accelerate the heat transition

Read more Going underground to accelerate the heat transition

Getting to the bottom of sustainable water storage

Read more Getting to the bottom of sustainable water storage

Structures’ true colours shining through with sensor material

Read more Structures’ true colours shining through with sensor material

Radioactive waste: Store for evermore

Read more Radioactive waste: Store for evermore

Solid progress in sustainable concrete

Read more Solid progress in sustainable concrete

Under pressure

Read more Under pressure

Damping waves with 50,000 rubber grass blades

Read more Damping waves with 50,000 rubber grass blades

Drought as the perfect storm for salt intrusion research

Read more Drought as the perfect storm for salt intrusion research

Knit to find the perfect fit

Read more Knit to find the perfect fit

Balancing water, food and energy to drive sustainable development

Read more Balancing water, food and energy to drive sustainable development

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

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

Putting public transport on the right track

Read more Putting public transport on the right track

Keeping our feet dry with the help of technology, nature and people

Read more Keeping our feet dry with the help of technology, nature and people

Putting the urban mobility jigsaw together, piece by piece

Read more Putting the urban mobility jigsaw together, piece by piece

Tracing waves to find phantom plastic

Read more Tracing waves to find phantom plastic

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Stories of Science

 

Our researchers work every day on clever solutions for worldwide challenges,
to change the world and make an impact. Meet our heroes.
Discover their stories.

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Urbanisation and Mobility

| Highlighted story

Mapping minerals with sensor technology

Minerals are of great importance to our modern society. From smartphone to laptop, these elements are everywhere. First they need to be extracted from the earth however, an often environmentally taxing, slow and complex process. But this will change soon, if it’s up to PhD student Feven Desta. Desta researches sensor technologies to look for minerals in an environmentally friendly way.

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Reading time: 11 min

Fading boundary between farmers and tigers

The geothermal energy well at TU Delft campus will soon start heating various buildings on campus and in the city of Delft. But it provides insufficient heat in winter, and excessive heat in summer. Adding underground seasonal storage allows surplus summer heat to be put to good use in winter. Martin Bloemendal and his team develop the means to make integration of such an underground seasonal buffer possible at a large scale.

Reading time: 10 min

Putting the spark back into the grid

At the moment, charging stations are only used to top up the battery of electric cars. But what if, at some future date, they could also be used to feed electricity back to the grid? Buffering power locally in the cars when the power grid is congested would greatly help power providers. Gonçalo Correia, Associate Professor of Transport & Planning, is finding out what it would take to make people use an electric car and participate in the scheme, especially those with lower incomes.

Reading time: 11 min

Going underground to accelerate the heat transition

The geothermal energy well at TU Delft campus will soon start heating various buildings on campus and in the city of Delft. But it provides insufficient heat in winter, and excessive heat in summer. Adding underground seasonal storage allows surplus summer heat to be put to good use in winter. Martin Bloemendal and his team develop the means to make integration of such an underground seasonal buffer possible at a large scale.

Reading time: 11 min

Getting to the bottom of sustainable water storage

Nature-based solutions have become increasingly popular when it comes to finding ways to discharge or store water. How these behave in time is largely unknown, however. Two trial setups at Flood Proof Holland, to be studied over at least ten years, will give hydrologist Thom Bogaard and his team of students and other researchers a better understanding of the long-term effects of nature-based solutions. The outdoor setups will also provide plenty of opportunities for “multidisciplinary cross-pollination”.

Reading time: 7 min

Structures’ true colours shining through with sensor material

Sensor techniques that determine a structure’s health condition are often expensive, complex, energy-intensive, and unreliable for long-time operation. To simplify the process, Assistant Professor Mohammad Fotouhi, specialised in Structural Health Monitoring, is innovating cost-effective coating materials designed to change colour as an early warning system, alerting asset owners well in advance of potential failures. This smart and sustainable technique is already advanced enough to be used, but Fotouhi continues to perfect its sensor function in his quest to convince industries to adopt innovative materials.

Reading time: 4 min

Radioactive waste: Store for evermore

The production of nuclear energy and medical isotopes, along with healthcare applications and scientific research, generates radioactive waste. This waste can be harmful to people and the environment for millennia. Therefore, it is crucial to design safe disposal facilities that can stand the test of time. Assistant Professor of Multiphysics Geomechanics at TU Delft Anne-Catherine Dieudonné is currently investigating the possibilities of disposing radioactive waste in the deep subsurface, using clay samples from geological layers that have never been studied before.

Reading time: 10 min

Mathematics and Open Science as drivers of urban transport systems

Urban transport systems are a complex puzzle of supply and demand interactions, limited resources, and uncertain circumstances. Shadi Sharif Azadeh develops mathematical models and algorithms for last mile delivery services such as electric buses, meal delivery and ride sharing. Her goal is to make these services more efficient – in cost, environmental impact, you name it.

Reading time: 9 minutes

Solid progress in sustainable concrete

Its hardness and solidity make concrete a much-used building material. One of the most important ingredients of concrete is cement. Unfortunately, cement production comes with high levels of harmful CO2 emissions. That is why TU Delft researcher Guang Ye is looking for alternative binders such as pulverised household and building waste to reduce the impact on the environment. Ye and his team of colleagues and students intend to develop the most sustainable concrete in the world.

Reading time: 11 min

Under pressure

The ground beneath our feet is an excellent place to store renewable energy. But before we do, the implications of using underground reservoirs have to be thoroughly researched. If the gas extraction-related earthquakes in Groningen have taught us anything, it is that they must be prevented at all costs. Applied Geophysics & Petrophysics PhD candidates Milad Naderloo and Aukje Veltmeijer are investigating if earthquakes caused by human intervention can be predicted and prevented.

Reading time: 10 min

Damping waves with 50,000 rubber grass blades

Dimitris Dermentzoglou, PhD student in Coastal Engineering, investigates whether salt marshes can serve as a natural solution for coastal protection. It is why he mimics salt marsh vegetation at the TU Delft Waterlab. He hopes his research will yield a more sustainable alternative to the repeated raising of dikes.

Reading time: 7 min

Drought as the perfect storm for salt intrusion research

River water is becoming saltier and that is not good news for our drinking water. To find solutions, researchers are working hard to understand when and how salt intrusion happens. Hydraulic engineering PhD candidate Tess Wegman is fascinated by the behaviour of saltwater and freshwater flows taking place beneath the surface of the water.

Reading time: 7 min

Knit to find the perfect fit

The bearing structure of a building made out of knitted material? Assistant Professor of Parametric Structural Design and Digital Fabrication shows that unusual building structures can be created more efficiently and more sustainably using 3D knitted textiles. She hopes her innovative approach will inspire new generations of designers and engineers to think outside the box.

Reading time: 10 min

Balancing water, food and energy to drive sustainable development

Water, for drinking, sanitation, irrigation and clean energy, plays a crucial role in the transition to a more sustainable world. In the EPIC Africa project, assistant professor in Water & Control Edo Abraham explores how data collection, mathematical models and a closer cooperation between countries and sectors can improve water management and the planning of energy systems. The aim is to achieve an optimal and fairer utilisation of increasingly scarce water and land in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.

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: 10 min

Putting public transport on the right track

For as long as public transport has existed, Dutch people have complained about it. There are leaves on the tracks, trains are overcrowded or buses show up late. Yet our public transport is well organised in many areas, according to researcher Niels van Oort. Especially when observed from an international perspective. But there is enough room for improvement. For example with regard to inclusiveness, communication, reliability, and the integration of public transport with bicycle use and shared mobility. In his Smart Public Transport Lab, Van Oort works with partners from the public transport sector on solutions for a public transport system that is optimized for travellers and society.

Reading time: 10 min

Keeping our feet dry with the help of technology, nature and people

The floods that hit Limburg in 2021 showed that despite a raft of measures the Netherlands remains at risk from rising water. Professor of Hydraulic Engineering Bas Jonkman carries out flood risk assessments in this country and abroad and tries to come up with solutions which, apart from dams and dykes, also involve nature and people.

Reading time: 10 min

Tracing waves to find phantom plastic

Ridding the oceans of plastic waste is a huge undertaking which would be significantly helped if the location of the plastic waste could be ascertained with some accuracy. Wave expert Ton van den Bremer is using waves and satellites to track down the ‘phantom’ plastic that is polluting our oceans.

Reading time: 10 min

The battle of the Amsterdam quayside bulge

The canals and quaysides in historic cities such as Amsterdam, Delft and Utrecht make a pretty picture. In order for these often busy cities to remain safe, the quay walls, some over 300 years old and built on wooden piles, need to be well maintained.

Leestijd: 9 min

A geothermal research well on TU Delft’s premises

Years ago a group of TU Delft students got the idea of realising a geothermal well at the university campus. What at first seemed like a wild plan was set into motion when it became clear the campus grounds were in fact an ideal location. Now, for theme leader Phil Vardon things are almost about to get real. After years of measuring, liaising and researching, detailed preparations to make it a reality are in full flow now. “This geothermal source on our campus will become one of the world’s biggest hotspots for research into geothermal energy.”

Reading time: 7 min

The landslide forecast coming to you from space

Catching the breeze may bring you gold but sail too close to the wind and you’ll miss the boat. Combined with a sailor’s intuition meteorologist Sukanta Basu’s highly detailed wind forecast may well help the Dutch sailing team secure a win at the Olympics this year.

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