New Technologies 

EARTH – Ecological Activity for Refuse Treatment at High-Altitude

EARTH is an innovative example of applied research patented by Ev-K2-CNR and designed in collaboration with the private company Actelios / Falck.  The EARTH system thermally treats waste with an extremely low emissions rate and is intended for use high mountain parks, where the waste produced by trekking and expedition groups, as well as that of the local populations, is difficult to dispose of without dire environmental impacts. The first EARTH prototype was developed and tested in 2006.

Ev-K2-Cnr Progetto Earth 
                                        

OBJECTIVES
Contribute to the protection of remote high altitude environments.  

The specific objectives of the current phase of the EARTH project are:
-    Improve the existing prototype and create a new machine able to generate energy, recuperating heat during waste disposal;
-    Introduce the new prototype on the industrial market.
-    Promote sustainable waste management, providing specific training for local populations where EARTH is installed.

The existing prototype has been designed for use in extreme environments, where the lack of oxygen and absence of electrical power make innovative technological solutions necessary.  The actual system is modular, to facilitate transportation in rough terrain, even by porters (no single piece weighs more than approx. 20 kg).

After preliminary tests in laboratory, the system was tested in July 2006 on Plateau Rosà in Italy at 3,400 m a.s.l. Another prototype has been shipped to Pakistan where it will be installed in the framework of Karakorum Trust project and operated in conjunction with the CKNP clean-up campaigns already being carried out as soon as required authorization is issued.  

Ev-K2-Cnr Progetto Earth  Ev-K2-Cnr Progetto Earth
 

NATUREnergy – New Advanced Turbo Utilisation of Renewable Energy

Ev-K2-CNR's experience with the EARTH technology has given rise to an opportunity for a technological/industrial spin-off, a thermodynamic system that produces electrical energy and heat from biomass combustion.
The project is particularly interesting and innovative for the thermodynamic cycle used, which allows very high efficiencies while using reduced powers. NATUREnergy will also be compact and could be installed wherever biomass disposal is a problem, such as on farms or in public or private parks, where the remains of pruning and woods upkeep would power the system.  The project will be carried out in collaboration with the Bergamo University Center for Territorial Studies, the Bergamo Colli Park (Parco dei Colli) and CNR- Institute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes (IDPA).

OBJECTIVES
The project aims to improve management of biomass waste in protected areas simultaneously creating a renewable energy source.
The specific objective of this initiative is to develop a marketable NATUREnergy prototype able to process a large enough amount of biomass so as to obtain an economic profit. The pilot system will produce 360 kWe/hour, of which 20 kWe will be used for the machine itself. The remaining 340 kWe can be sold for 7,800 hours a year, for an annual total of 2.652.000 kWh.  

Ev-K2-Cnr Pannelli Fotovoltaici in quota  Ev-K2-Cnr Pannelli Fotovoltaici in quota Progetto Earth

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