An expressed need, from a wide segment of the industrial sector, for the development of new technologies to deal with the problems of unwanted ice formation, was the primary driving force for forming the Innovation Consortium "Nanobionic Freezing Point Depressing Surfaces". Today, the freezing of condensed water on heat pumps, wind turbine blades, refrigeration surfaces, etc. cause decreased function, increases energy consumption/decrease energy yield and necessitates expensive deicing procedures. Consequently, a surface technology that will be capable of eliminating unwanted ice formation and/or decrease the adhesion of formed ice significantly will have the potential to save substantial expenses.
The Innovation Consortium, which has a total budget of DKK 29.4 mio and is funded by DKK 12.5 mio from the Danish Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation, was kicked off in January 2008 and runs until ultimo 2011.
The Consortium is constituted by:
- Gram Commercial A/S
- Gram Equipment A/S
- LuVe S.p.A.
- Mankiewicz Gebr. & Co.
- Nilan A/S
- Vestas Wind Systems A/S
- Roskilde University Center
- iNano / Århus University
- Danish Technological Institute