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The high seas are those marine areas under no State's jurisdiction. So far, all marine renewable energy (RE) activity is being conducted under State's jurisdiction. However, recent advances in technology are raising the prospect of carrying out RE activity on the high seas. Currently, only seabed mining activities in the Area have been regulated. The Area is the seabed and ocean floor beyond the limits of State's jurisdiction. From the legal viewpoint, the main gap is a lack of an international regulatory framework, informed by participatory mechanisms and supported by scientific evidence, for RE activities on the high seas, especially regarding their environmental and social impacts. 
The primary project objective (O) is to provide the scientific community and policymakers with science-informed and indigenous knowledge-based recommendations in support of the development of  RE regulation on the high seas. 
Two specific Os are set to complement the primary O, namely:
O1 To advance the use of systematic consultation processes that facilitates research at the crossroads of marine sciences and law. 
O2 To advance critical knowledge and understanding of environmental pressing issues comparable to the regulation of RE on the high seas, such as deep-sea mining in the Area.
A multistep innovative methodology will be adopted, by integrating marine scientific knowledge, consultative processes, and advanced critical research in the subject matter. A case study (interdisciplinary and participatory) involving marine scientists, indigenous and coastal communities and policy makers will be conducted onboard the Research Vessel KronPrins Haakon at the beginning of the project. The case study outcomes will be analysed through critical legal analysis to build a knowledge base for policy recommendations. 
The project will advance the PI’s career in an international research environment, allowing her to generate independent, high-quality, and reproducible results.




Renewable energy on the high seas – science-informed and indigenous knowledge-based recommendations for regulatory and governance challenges

The Arctic region is witnessing more frequent shipping accidents than ever which require accurate search and rescue operations. The existing communication systems use drones with radio frequency (RF) technology, which has limited bandwidth and cannot offer 4G/5G connectivity due to harsh weather constraints. It further limits the capacity of drones and affects the resolution of images and videos. The current research proposes to design free space optical communication (FSOC) link-based drones that can enhance connectivity between multiple drones and rescue ships as well as the capacity of drones to produce high resolution images and videos. The proposed FSOC-based drones can provide highspeed connectivity than the existing RF technology. The research will collect atmospheric turbulences data from the Arctic region and use it for designing the FSOC link. Furthermore, to enhance the capacity of FSOC-based drones, the research will design advanced multiplexing schemes (Mode Division Multiplexing and Orthogonal Code Division Multiple Access) and to ensure link stability, omnidirectional receiver will be designed. The research will further evaluate the performance of proposed FSOC link under the impact of various atmospheric turbulences. The expected outcomes of this research will lead to the optimisation of FSOC-based drones in expanding search areas and improving communication systems for SAR operations in the Arctic region.

Optimization of Free Space Optical Communication Link based Drones for Search and Rescue Operations in the Arctic Region

Currently, 28.2% of the total EU-28 greenhouse gas emissions come from the power sector, a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, the emphasis of the research in power generation has swung towards assessing highly efficient and greener power cycles. In this reference, the novel supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle (sCO2-BC) is an ideal choice that outstrips other formally well-known power cycles (Brayton & Rankine cycles). In sCO2-BC, the role of the pre-cooler is critical. It serves as a sink to the power cycle and regulates the conditions at the compressor's inlet. The compressor's inlet temperature is intended to be maintained close to the critical temperature of carbon dioxide (CO2) to achieve greater cycle efficiencies. However, exceptionally higher values of the specific heat capacity of CO2 near its critical point (up to 40 times higher than water) require exceedingly high water flow rates on the cold side to achieve the desired exit temperatures of CO2. Consequently, the pre-cooler's pumping power requirements become high enough to deteriorate the cycle's performance. This problem can only be mitigated by exploring new channel geometries with enhanced thermohydraulic characteristics. Therefore, the proposed study plan to characterize the complex thermohydraulic characteristics in the pseudocritical region of CO2 using a multifaceted technique that includes, experimental, numerical, and machine learning techniques. The proposed work will provide a step forward to the success of sCO2-BC technologies that, in turn, will facilitate its integration with the green energy resources (generation-IV nuclear reactors and solar concentrated plants), helping to meet the EU's 2030 climate and energy framework goals of achieving at least 32% share for renewable energy.

Evaluation of thermohydraulic characteristic of printed circuit heat exchangers in pseudocritical region for supercritical CO2 cycle

Det bygde miljøet krever en umiddelbar innføring av ombruksstrategier som adresserer ressursavfalls- og utslippsproblemet. Resirkulering og ombruk begrenses av mangel på prosedyrer for kvalitetsvurdering som reduserer risikoen for industrien. 
Derfor er det nødvendig med en resertifiseringsprosess basert på pålitelig, replikerbar og gjennomførbar tilstandsvurderingsmetodikk for gjenvunnet/innebygd tømmer.
Hovedmålene for prosjektet:
Identifisere settet med ikke-destruktive tester (NDT) som er best egnet for omfattende og effektiv tilstandsvurdering (dvs. tetthet, stivhet, styrke, brannmotstand, defekter, fuktighetsinnhold, fiberretning) i tre som er gjennomførbart for in-situ, samt laboratoriemiljø.
Utvikle prosedyrer for etterbehandling av data fra NDT-er for den høyeste informasjonsverdien og kombinert risiko-/pålitelighet-kvantifisering med en omfattende metadatamal for datalagre.
Testing av den utviklede metodikken på en reell case-studie for adaptiv gjenbruk av en fem-etasjes kontorbygning i tømmer. 
Etablering av sirkularitetskvantifisering basert på det reelle potensialet og LCA-prosedyre for langlivede tømmerprodukter, inkludert risikokvantifisering over flere ombruk og resirkulering/gjenvinning – tømmerkaskade.
Utvikle dokumentasjon og retningslinjer for resertifisering for gjenvunnet tømmer som grunnlag for europeisk standardisering.
Ombruk av eksisterende bygninger eller deres komponenter har i dag det høyeste potensialet for å redusere karbonutslipp fra byggeindustrien og begrense etterspørselen etter nye råvarer. Ti-ReX har som mål å forbedre byggebransjens bærekraft ved å muliggjøre utstrakt gjenbruk av bærende trekonstruksjoner - enten i den opprinnelige bygningen med samme eller endret konfigurasjon, eller i andre bygninger. Treelementer i bygninger kan ha flere formål; for eksempel bærende, stabilisering, brannspredningsforebygging, varme- og lydisolering og estetikk.

TiREX project answers to the Joint Call Forest Value 2, topic on 'Sustainable timber building systems'. Focus is put on enabling reuse and life extension of the timber structures by developing knowledge and tools for condition assessment of reclaimed timber. The main barrier to circular economy of timber industry addressed in TiReX is the organisation of timber strength grading and quality assessment of solid timber around the material raw production in the saw mill industry. TiREX is divided into 5 core work packages focused on laboratory testing (Spain), data processing (WUT), pilot project of adaptive reuse of timber (Norway), environmental analysis (Finland), and dissemination and communication (Latvia). Testing reclaimed timber from north, south and east Europe with non-destructive and destructive methods is the core TiREX activity and includes mechanical and thermal performance. Methods of data processing for replicability, accuracy, uniformity, future standardization, practicality and reliability of results in real settings will be developed and tested. Real timber building adaptive reuse project in Norway will provide field laboratory for verifying theoretical ideas and frameworks. Holistic environmental assessment methodology for circular wood industry will be theoretically developed and showcased on the pilot building. TiREX contributes to the call objectives of increased carbon sequestration, optimal carbon storage, circular use of wood, integration of cascading, as well as addresses circular and recycling wood principles, organisational structure and policies and regulation. TiReX project is focused on generating knowledge and procedures that offer huge potential for emission and waste reduction and thus require fast popularization and adoption within construction industry to be impactful. TiREX has strong transnational cooperation to prepare data sets that span wide range of parameters representative for Europe via sharing knowledge and laboratories.

ForestValue2 JC2023 - Smart condition assessment of Reclaimed Timber for eXtended service life of long-lived wood products

Inline measurement of PVT and thermophysical properties of drilling fluids

Morrow Batteries jobber for å bli verdensledende på produksjon av bærekraftige og kostnadseffektive batterier. I 2024 åpner Morrows første batterifabrikk for prismatiske battericeller i Arendal i Sør-Norge, og Morrow har som mål å produsere 42 GWh battericeller årlig fra 2028. Morrow sin generasjon 2 teknologi retter seg mot koboltfrie batterier basert på høy-spennings LNMO katoder. Denne unike cellekjemien er både mer bærekraftig og billigere enn eksisterende teknologier, i tillegg til at den høye spenningen gir høy energitetthet. Dagens batterielektrolytter er derimot utviklet for batterier med lavere spenning og må derfor tilpasses LNMO kjemien.

NORSE-HV prosjektet er et samarbeid mellom Morrow Batteries og Institutt for Energiteknologi (IFE). Prosjektet skal i hovedsak utvikle nye sammensetninger av batterielektrolytter som er stabile ved høyere spenninger og dermed kan benyttes i Morrows generasjon 2 battericeller. Et vellykket prosjekt vil muliggjøre industrialisering av koboltfrie Li-ion batterier basert på LNMO.

Lithium nickel manganese oxide (LNMO) is a high-voltage battery cathode material whose sustainability and low cost arises due to the elimination of cobalt and reduced use of nickel compared to many current cathode materials. The high voltage applied in LNMO cells can cause the electrolyte solution to break down, reducing the amount of energy the battery can store and shortening its useful lifetime. The NORSE-HV project aims to formulate and test new electrolyte solutions that are more stable towards high voltages, so that the cycle life of LNMO batteries can be extended. Morrow Batteries and the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) will combine their years of experience in battery development and testing to identify new electrolytes for LNMO batteries. Novel electrolyte candidates will be assessed both chemically and electrochemically and battery cell testing will be carried out in various cell formats to ensure industrial feasibility. These innovative electrolytes will then be incorporated into LNMO prismatic cells, to be manufactured at Morrow’s factory in Arendal.

Novel Oxidation-Resistant Stable Electrolytes for High Voltage

Flytende hydrogen (LH2) er en energibærer som i fremtiden kan bli et lav-karbon alternativ til flytende naturgass (LNG) for global transport av energi. Et nytt tank konsept for storskala transport av flytende hydrogen ombord på skip har blitt utviklet av Moss Maritime i samarbeid med SINTEF Energy og SINTEF Industri. Hydrogenmarkedet er i rask utvikling og for å kunne tilby et kommersielt attraktivt konsept for storskala transport og lagring av flytende hydrogen er det ansett som nødvendig å bygge en prototyp  tank for å demonstrere teknologien og konseptet.

I dette prosjektet vil Moss Maritime, i samarbeid med SINTEF Energy, videreutvikle konseptet for lagring og transport av flytende hydrogen til å bli et fleksibelt konsept som også kan skaleres ned til medium og små tanker. Ambisjonen er å utvikle en prototyp tank som er designet for lagring av flytende hydrogen under atmosfærisk trykk, men som også tåler driftstrykk opp mot 8 bar. Dette gjøres for å kunne tilby et fleksibelt konsept som kan benyttes innenfor flere bruksområder, eksempelvis som en drivstoff-tank for skip med fremdriftssystem som bruker hydrogen som drivstoff.

Både tankstrukturen og isolasjonsmaterialer vil bli verifisert og analysert ved omfattende bruk av avanserte numeriske modeller og beregningsverktøy. Likevel vil det være et behov for å kunne demonstrere at teknologien fungerer som den skal ved å bygge en test tank. Derfor er en viktig del av prosjektet også å utvikle et testprogram og testprosedyrer som er tenkt brukt for å demonstrere teknologien i praksis. Det inneværende prosjektet omfatter ikke bygging og testing av prototype tanken, men det skal etableres et budsjett og planer for bygging, transport og testing av en slik tank, som da vil være basis for neste fase av prosjektet som vil ha fokus på bygging og testing av en hydrogentank.

Liquefied hydrogen (LH2) is a promising low-carbon alternative to liquefied natural gas (LNG) for global transport of energy with high energy density and a large degree of flexibility. Ship transport is necessary to realise large-scale LH2 value chains, but no full-scale LH2 carrier ships currently exist. 

Today, about 20% of the global LNG fleet relies on the spherical LNG tank concept from the Norwegian technology company Moss Maritime (MOSS). This tank design has an excellent track record of failure-free operation and has proven to maintain full integrity over their lifetime. MOSS seeks to adapt this concept to transport of LH2 and use its unique position in the LNG market to provide designs for large-scale LH2 carrier ships.

A novel tank concept for large-scale ship transport (~160,000 m3) has successfully been developed to TRL 4 by MOSS, SINTEF Energy Research and SINTEF Industry in the IPN project HyLaSST (RCN grant agreement no: 321591). The FLH2YT project will pave the way for a system prototype demonstration tank (TRL 6). Structural and thermal assessment of the demonstration tank will be conducted, along with the development of a testing scope for the demonstration tank. Preparations for construction of the demonstration tank, including detailed design documentation and cost analysis will be made. The demonstration-scale tank will be designed to hold up to 8 bar pressure and may form the basis for a new product: A flexible, multi-purpose, medium-scale LH2 storage solution.

Flexible Liquid HYdrogen Tank

Maritim- og offshoreindustrien har etterlyst en mer strukturert metode, som utnytter dagens teknologiske potensial, for å registrere og få tilgang til informasjon om fartøyets skrogtilstand. Utviklingen av en digital tvilling for vurdering av fartøyets skrogtilstand er et svar på dette som har flere fordeler.

Tidligere forskningsresultater har vist at droner tillater trygge,  automatiserte og fleksible fjerninspeksjoner. For å gi droneinspeksjoner en ekstra fordel, bør teknologi for å utføre droneinspeksjon mens fartøyet seiler, og muligheten til å automatisk gjøre tykkelsesmålinger, utvikles. Registrering av inspeksjonsdata fra droner til en digital tvilling er et naturlig neste steg. Gitt tilstrekkelig kvalitet på drone-innsamlede data, i tillegg til effektiv registrering av menneskelig innsamlede data, kan både menneskelige og dronebaserte inspeksjoner gi data til en digital tvilling og komplementere hverandre. Dette kan muliggjøre en mer effektiv overvåkning av skrogtilstand og redusere antall ganger mennesker utsettes for farene ved inspeksjon av trange/innestengte rom.

Ved å samle inn relevante skrogdata er det et potensial for å utnytte historisk informasjon fra en mengde fartøyer til å lage en statistisk modell for å forutsi skrogtilstanden. Dette kan tillate estimering av skrogets tilstand basert på operasjonelle forhold et fartøy har vært utsatt for. I kombinasjon med konstruksjonsmodeller kan dette også brukes til å automatisk lage skroginspeksjonsplaner som prioriterer områder med økt risiko for å ha feil.

Prosjektet ledes av DNV, et ledende klassifikasjonsselskap, i samarbeid med rederiene Altera Infrastructure og Klaveness, som er henholdsvis oljetanker- og lasteskipsoperatører i dette prosjektet, ScoutDI, en inspeksjonsdrone-leverandør, og NTNU gjennom Autonomous Robots Lab ved avdeling for kybernetikk.

The project will develop the concept of a digital twin of the hull condition for assessing the structural integrity and compliance of the physical hull. The digital twin is kept up to date with the physical hull over its lifetime by frequently collecting large amounts of data, in non-intrusive ways that do not interrupt business operations. This enables continuous monitoring and compliance assessment. Autonomous drones collect the data instead of humans to improve personnel safety. Automated damage detection and coating breakdown assessment assists the human expert, leading to improved quality of the structural integrity assessment. The project will enable digital twin-based surveys as industrial standard and realize economic and safety benefits as well as reducing environmental footprint due to reduced need for travels. 

The innovation will lead to improved quality and safety of vessel inspection services, in particular: 
1. Hull condition assessment and continuous compliance decision in a 3D digital twin, a multi-data digital representation of the physical hull based on data such as high-precision point clouds, videos, AIS and weather data. The digital twin also holds location-tagged thickness measurements, history of damages and repairs, and data of sister vessels. 
2. High coverage, high-quality, location-tagged data of the hull compartment, collected frequently by autonomous/automated drones with semantic knowledge of the physical structure. Automated data collection ensures standardized data which improves comparison with historical data. Drone-based collection during sailing or between discharge and loading of cargo causes minimal interruption of business operations. 
3. Automated damage detection in point clouds and videos, automated damage probability predictions based on data in the digital twin, and an automatically generated targeted inspection plan for the drones as well when physical inspections are deemed necessary.

Assessment of ship hull Integrity based on a Digital Twin

Trådløs kommunikasjonsrevolusjon i maritim industri

Scandinavian Reach Technologies leder et banebrytende prosjekt for trådløs kommunikasjon i stålkonstruksjoner, som skip. ScanReach fokuserer på å forbedre sitt produkt for trådløs tilkobling om bord (OWC) for å møte de økende kravene fra den maritime industrien, offshore og havvindindustrien, som raskt går over til digitale og IoT-baserte operasjoner for forbedret effektivitet, sikkerhet og motstandsdyktighet.

Innovativ teknologi: Teknologien er designet for å muliggjøre trådløs kommunikasjon i stål-dominerte miljøer, en kjent utfordring i den maritime sektoren. Denne teknologien baserer seg på lavenergi-radio meshnettverksnoder som muilggjør trådløs datatransport gjennom skip, og baner vei for diverse IoT-applikasjoner som sporing av personell og eiendeler, og integrering av miljøsensorer. Med en industri som beveger seg mot digitale tvillinger, maskinlæring og overvåking av energiforbruk i sanntid, utvikler selskapet neste generasjon av avanserte kommunikasjonsnoder. Disse nodene er ment å håndtere større mengder trådløse data, noe som gjør dem passende for de høyteknologiske kravene til moderne skipsfart.

Fordeler over tradisjonelle systemer: Denne innovasjonen skiller seg ut fra tradisjonelle trådløse løsninger som ofte sliter i tette stålrike skipmiljøer og bruk av kabler. Den fjerner behovet for omfattende og kostbar kabling, noe som fører til en forenklet infrastruktur, enklere installasjon og lavere vedlikeholdskostnader.

Fokus på forskning og utvikling: F&U-arbeidet er fokusert på å utvikle et effektivt og pålitelig trådløst system for maritime industrier. Dette inkluderer å identifisere brukbare frekvenser og protokoller for robust kommunikasjon i ståltunge miljøer, og designe kompakt, energieffektivt utstyr. Prosjektet innebærer en kombinasjon av litteraturgjennomgang, datamodellering, eksperimentell prototyping og felttesting.

This project strives to advance wireless communication in large steel structures, such as ships, improving our existing Onboard Wireless Connectivity (OWC) product. This enhancement will bolster Scandinavian Reach Technologies AS market presence and relevance in the competitive shipping industry. The primary need for this innovation arises from the maritime, offshore, and sea wind industries. These industries are transitioning towards digital and IoT-based operational models for efficiency, safety, and resilience. 

Scandinavian Reach Technologies is at the forefront of addressing this need. Its revolutionary technology enables efficient wireless communication within confined steel environments. It eliminates the need for costly and complex cabling based on an innovative, low-power radio mesh networking node that allows wireless data transport to the gateway/edge computer throughout the mesh network. This technology paves the way for various IoT applications, such as tracking personnel and assets, collecting environmental sensor readings, and integrating other third-party sensors.
 
While the company's current mesh nodes are designed for simple sensor data and limited data volumes, the emerging ambitions for Digital Twins, Machine Learning models, and Real-time Energy Consumption monitoring in the industry have created a demand for high-volume wireless data transport to an internet endpoint. To meet this demand, Scandinavian Reach Technologies AS is dedicated to developing next-generation communication nodes capable of handling large amounts of wireless data in complex steel environments to replace signal cabling entirely.

SteelWave High Volume Wireless Communication Platform for Steel Environments (HWC-SE)

Platina, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium og osmium er kjemiske elementer som sammen utgjør platingruppemetallene (PGM). De har lignende fysiske og kjemiske egenskaper, og finnes typisk sammen i utvalgte, sjeldne malmforekomster. Hovedbruken deres er som katalysatorer innen kjemisk industri og utslippskontroll i transportmidler, samt i grønne energisystemer som vann-elektrolyse for hydrogenproduksjon og brenselceller. PGM-ene har alltid vært klassifisert som kritiske råmaterialer (CRM) av EU, på grunn av deres knapphet og avhengigheten av import fra land utenfor Europa. I den siste CRM-vurderingen økte forsyningsrisikoen for alle PGM-ene, og spesielt Ir. Som en del av CRM-strategien oppfordrer EU til økt utvinning av disse verdifulle elementene fra sekundære kilder som end-of-life (EoL)-produkter og avfallsstrømmer. Denne strategien harmonerer også godt med målene for sirkulær økonomi og avfallsfritt samfunn.  

Effektiv og selektiv utvinning av PGM-er, spesielt Ir og Ru, fra forskjellige avfallsstrømmer er utfordrende, hovedsakelig på grunn av deres lave kjemiske reaktivitet. De har en tendens til å danne passive oksidforbindelser hvis de blir utsatt for tradisjonelle metallutvinningsmetoder, hvilket er et ytterligere hindrer for effektiv gjenvinning. Dette prosjektet vil fokusere på optimaliseringen av en innovativ prosess som kan omgå disse utfordringene, og oppnå god effektivitet uten at det går ut over renheten til det resulterende metallet og/eller miljøavtrykket. Prosjektet vil dessuten bidra med økt kunnskap i et felt der det er store usikkerheter når det gjelder beste praksis.  

En av de raskest voksende teknologiene som bruker PGM i dag er produksjon av grønt hydrogen fra vann-elektrolyse. En Proton Exchange Membrane-elektrolysør tilsvarende 1 MW krever omtrent 1,5 kg Ir. Med de ambisiøse planene som foreligger for utvidelse av denne industrien, er gjenvinning av verdifulle PGM-er fra EoL-membranelektrodeanlegg avgjørende.

Platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium and osmium are the elements in the Platinum group metals (PGMs). They have similar physical and chemical properties, generally derived from the same types of ores in which they occur together. Thus they are classified as by-products. Their main use is catalysis, chemical and petroleum industry, autocatalysis, and green energy systems (water electrolysis for hydrogen production and fuel cells). PGMs have always been classified as critical materials by the EU, due to its dependency on imports from third countries. In the last criticality assessment, the supply risk increased mostly for Ir, and the associated economic impact increased significantly for all the PGMs.
To decouple Norway and Europe from unstable suppliers, secondary material streams must be fostered. Moreover, the recovery of these valuable elements from by-products and waste streams is in good harmony with the goals of the Circular Economy towards zero-waste societies.
KAR has recently seen an increase in enquiries for products consisting of Ir and Ru, and capturing and producing pure quality metals. Moreover, 1 MW proton exchange membrane electrolyser requires about 1.5 kg of  Ir. With the ambitious plans of expansion of Hystar, materials efficiency is paramount. Therefore, the recovery of PGMs from EoL membrane electrode assembly is crucial.
An efficient, and selective extraction of PGMs, and especially of Ir and Ru from different ores and wastes is challenging, mainly due to their inertness. They also tend to form oxides, thus preventing from their effective recovery and the subsequent efficiency loss.
The project will focus on the optimization of an innovative method that may circumvent this problem, achieving good extraction efficiencies, without penalizing the purity of the recovered material and/or environmental footprint. Besides, the project will bring more knowledge to a field where there are large uncertainties regarding best practices.

IRIS: Iridium and Ruthenium Recovery from Green Hydrogen Systems

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Midlene fra PETROMAKS2-Stort program petroleum fordelt på år

Midlene fra PETROMAKS2-Stort program petroleum fordelt på fylker

Midlene fra PETROMAKS2-Stort program petroleum fordelt på fagområde

Senior Research Scientist

High voltage wet mateable subsea connectors are often large, heavy and expensive components. Today such connectors are normally installed in systems with voltages up to 12 kV. However, it is of major importance that this voltage level is increased to enhance the power transmission capacity facilitating new subsea developments. The purpose of SUBCONN is to establish the theoretical and experimental knowledge for optimal design of next generation high voltage wet-mate connectors. 
Humidity can enter the connector and can be detrimental to the service performance. Especially attention is paid to the effect of the hydrostatic pressure on the resulting electric and dielectric properties. Novel electrode systems have been developed to obtain uniform electrical field on an insulating surface soaked in a synthetic ester (SE) used for pressure compensation. It is found that partial discharges are measured at relatively low electrical fields (< 1 kV/mm) and are associated with disintegration of the water droplets    independent of the applied hydrostatic pressure. Charge exchange is likely responsible for the measured discharges. Especially high discharges occur for saline water droplets with levels strongly dependent on the hydrostatic pressure. These are likely caused by gas void formation during the discharge and tracking event. 
 Electric surface breakdown has been measured for dry insulation systems soaked in a synthetic ester, but no significant relation to insulation surface roughness have been detected. However, a novel theoretical as well as experimental correlation have been found between electric breakdown strength and surface roughness/plateau pressure for two solid insulation surfaces in contact typically used in power connectors. If an electrical tree bridges the electrode gap in a solid, an electrical breakdown will follow ultimately. It is demonstrated in SUBCONN that tree growth occurs at a lower rate when the silicon rubber is saturated by SE, and that increased hydrostatic pressure suppresses formation and growth of electrical tree channels which results in increased dielectric breakdown strength and reduced partial discharges. The reduction is likely caused by collapsing micro (tree) channels induced by the hydrostatic pressure uniformly exerted on the surfaces of the SiR.
A numerical model of a simplified connector is developed for calculation of electric field stress and temperature distribution at different frequencies, voltages and current loads. A crucial factor for the calculations was to determine experimentally how essential material parameters vary with temperature, frequency, pressure, electric field strength and liquid sorption an use those in the model.
A test setup is built for measuring electrical conductivity and complex permittivity in humid air, or dielectric liquid and at high temperatures and pressure. 
 . The absorption of water and SE is high in SiR, which can change the mechanical and electrical material performance significantly. The absorption of water in PEEK was high and can influence the electrical field distribution during service and hence the design criteria for a full-scale connector.
The liquid and solid electrical insulation is subjected to high pressure and varying temperatures for long periods (3 years). Mapping the compatibility between these materials is of major importance, also for longer periods than what is used in standardized compatibility testing. Both long time   and short time ageing have been performed for selected combinations of solid/liquid insulation materials. Substantial destructive interactions between some of the combinations at high temperature and humid insulating liquid has been assessed. Increased pressure seems not to be of major importance regarding compatibility.
The results obtained in SUBCONN indicate that salt water ingress during connection is most critical for the service lifetime of the power connector. The water vapour diffusion through polymer sealings and corresponding condensation of water droplet in the pressure compensating SE is less critical. High pressure deforms soft polymer sealing materials included in the designs. The materials also absorb SE during service, and the combination of these two effects cause a significant higher dielectric strength. The electrical conductivity is strongly dependent on the temperature and absorbed water vapour, but no effect of the hydrostatic pressure. It is important to include this result in the design of the connectors, and especially during testing and condition assessment where such techniques are often based on application of very low test voltage (VLF). This hypothesis is verified in a numerical model of a power connector. It is also shown that the combination of water vapour and high temperature can have a significant impact on the connector material compatibility, but the hydrostatic pressure seem to have little or no impact.

The demands towards future oil- and gas production at the Norwegian continental shelf and worldwide includes increased recovery and long step-outs. Subsea processing is considered as one of the main issues in achieving these goals. To enable the next gene ration subsea boosting and processing facilities, high power electrical connectors are strongly needed and considered one of the most critical components. This project will obtain essential knowledge and criteria to design the future subsea power connecto rs. Material characterization and numerical simulations as well as development of test methods will provide the foundation for choosing candidate designs and material combinations. In this work, financial support from the Norwegian Research Council is ess ential to establish fruitful co-operation between Norwegian and foreign connector manufacturers, SINTEF Energy Research and NTNU.

High Voltage Subsea Connections

Arbeidsledighet blant unge er en stor bekymring i mange høy-, middels- og lavinntektsland. I følge Den Internasjonale Arbeidsorganisasjonen (ILO) vil 12,6 millioner unge mennesker i løpet av de fire neste årene bli en del av arbeidsstyrken i landene sør for Sahara, der mange av dem ikke kan forvente å finne passende arbeid. Kombinert med demografiske trender for en økende ung populasjon, er det grunnlag for å hevde at situasjonen vil forverre seg i de kommende årene. Den unge delen av befolkningen utgjør en stor ressurs og mulighet for å gi en demografisk avkastning dersom arbeidsledighetsproblemet og problemet knyttet til mangel på jobber blir adressert. 
I mange land sør for Sahara, inkludert Tanzania, er den største bekymringen når det kommer til arbeidsledighet blant nyutdannede, at de mangler tilfredsstillende ferdigheter for å lykkes i jobbmarkedet. Bekymringen knytter seg til lav kvalitet på utdanning og eksisterende utdannelsesmuligheters manglende evne til å forberede studentene på arbeidsmarkedet.  
Vi ønsker å undersøke hvorvidt det er mulig å øke ansettelser av unge (og selvstendig næringsdrivende), ved å forbedre nyutdannedes beredskap til arbeidslivet via et  spesialdesignet program. Programmet vil gjennomføres ved å trene lærere som skal undervise jobbtreningsmoduler til ungdommer under deres siste år på ungdomsskolen. 
En viktig innovasjon i vår tilnærming ligger i kombinasjonen av trening og støtte av lærere, samtidig som vi gir dem nytt undervisningsmaterialet som er designet for  å gi en lettere overgang til jobbmarkedet.

Youth unemployment is a serious concern in many high-, middle- and low-income countries. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 12.6 million young people will enter the workforce in the next four years in Sub-Saharan Africa alone, many of whom are not expected to find proper employment.  Combined with the demographic trends of an increasingly young population, there is reason to expect the problem of youth unemployment to exacerbate in the years to come. A young population also constitutes a tremendous resource and the opportunity to reap a demographic dividend if the problem of unemployment and lack of jobs is addressed. In many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania, nearly two-thirds of the population are below 25 years.
Unemployment among school leavers has been linked to another first-order concern, inadequate job readiness skills; that is, the low quality of education and the inability of schooling to prepare students for the labour market.
We propose to investigate whether it is possible to increase youth (self-)employment by improving adolescent school leavers’ work readiness through a specially designed work readiness program. To this end, we will train official teachers to deliver weekly work training modules to young adolescents during the last school year before graduating from lower secondary school. An important innovation in our approach lies in the combination of training and supporting teachers, while simultaneously providing them with new teaching material designed to improve work readiness. 
We will also contribute to the growing literature on the effectiveness of role model based programs as a means to reduce poverty. Whereas existing aspirational edutainment programs have been tested in isolation from other programs, we will consider the extent to which such programs are able to amplify the effects of a work readiness program targeted at a specific group of people, namely school leaving adolescents.

Work skills for life: a work readiness programme to prepare the transition from secondary school

The primary objective of the project is to contribute to the understanding and improvement of financial inclusion policies and public benefit disbursements.
We use the introduction of mobile banking in India to:
- investigate the behavioral and social barriers to savings
- evaluate how mobile accounts can help to improve the use of public benefits
- study the impact of mobile banking on economic and social outcomes
We started in July 2013 by interviewing bankers, customers and non-customers of the new banking solution. And in October, we started surveying random households in 18 villages of Chhattisgarh. So far, we are confirming the pattern that many accounts are "dormant". They have been opened but they are not used.
We suspect that a lack of clear information to potential users is hurting the diffusion of the new accounts. It is worrisome for instance that several customers are not even aware that they can deposit savings on their accounts. Many of them simply opened an account because they were asked to do so, but do not use it.
By randomly extending access to bank accounts, to unbanked villagers, we have confirmed that simply getting a bank account does not increase people's overall savings. They start saving on the bank account, but they reduce their savings in other assets by a similar amount.
Using an experimental setting that mimics the cash and digital payments of public disbursements, we further find that account use is importantly shaped by behavioral biases, procrastination and inertia in particular. As we show in our first paper, switching away from cash payments and towards account-based public payments will have a dramatic effect on household's finances. According to our estimates, this policy has the potential to double individual savings levels.
Another important finding is about the relationship between the villagers and the new local bankers. We find that bank account use is strongly related to the trust between the clients and the local banker. And furthermore, that trust levels are very difficult to change. This has implications for the design of financial inclusion policies (about the density of the agents' network and the availability of automated machines in particular).
We finally find suggestive evidence of the crowding out of informal savings groups following the introduction of formal banking.

In India, a significant proportion of the households, especially in rural areas, are outside the coverage of the formal banking system. The government of India recognises the importance of access to formal banking and wants the benefits from welfare schem es and from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to be transferred directly on people's accounts. The first step is of course to provide bank account to the people. Our partner Basix is one of the pioneers in introducing mo bile banking in India and already reaches more than 3.5 million people. Together with Basix, we will introduce bank accounts in randomly selected areas and delay entry in control areas. 
This randomized control trial, together with the collection of panel  data, offers a unique opportunity to address two major gaps in research on the financial lives of the poor. First, it allows evaluating the effects of a specific anti-corruption action on the distribution of benefits from welfare schemes and on the respo nse of the beneficiaries. It also allows a study of the interactions between new, formal, and existing informal financial arrangements.
In addition to tackling these gaps in current scientific knowledge, the project will bring answers to important politic al demands. The Government of India needs reliable evidence on how to better disburse the benefits from public schemes.

0 projects

NORGLOBAL2-Norge - global partner

Work skills for life: a work readiness programme to prepare the transition from secondary school

Awarded: NOK 6.0 mill.

Project Period: 2020-2025

Location: Vestland

NORGLOBAL-Norge - Global partner

India: Savings Behaviour and the Introduction of Mobile Banking in India

Awarded: NOK 4.0 mill.

Project Period: 2013-2017

Location: Vestland