Bollen.jpg

Floating Pavilion back on RDM

The Floating Pavilion was moved to its final location in the Dokhaven on Tuesday, 4 October, 2022.

The Pavilion was created at RDM in 2010 as an example of climate-proof building and has served as an exhibition and event location in the Rijnhaven for the past few years.

Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences is renting the pavilion from Gemeente Rotterdam for the next few years. At RDM, it will be given a new use as the college’s educational and event location. The Floating Pavilion will become part of the energy transition lab for innovative hydrogen applications in the Dokhaven.

large_Bollen.jpg

medium_Bollen.jpg

small_Bollen.jpg

thumbnail_Bollen.jpg

Events

Ontwerp zonder titel.png

Energy out of the rivers

Do you know that little gurgle in your shower drain? There is energy in it. Because at RDM, that energy alone has created a surprising collaboration between students, an entrepreneur on RDM and a company from the Achterhoek in the east of the Netherlands.

## The entrepreneurs

Menno Broers, technical director of Kolkkracht, explains: “We are from the Achterhoek and are developing a special turbine that you can use in rivers with a low gradient. But to do this as efficiently as possible, we need to test. The turbine generates a churn and converts that into energy. We are testing different types of models of blades, vanes and turbine shapes. They brought in Sowande Boksteen, of the RDM start-up Amela Process Optimization, to calculate the models of the turbine. Boksteen, formerly a teacher, engaged students because he knows from experience that students can come up with fresh ideas.

## The students

This project was immediately embraced by the Centre of Excellence of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, with students Jeroen Bozon, Joost Diks, Gijs van Wijk and Sebas Knierim throwing themselves wholeheartedly into the experiment. Jeroen: “Really great. We could have never imagined that we would be working on swirl turbines! We measure with rpm and wattage how much energy there is in a swirl. Like in a river at a dam.” Joost adds; “The test setup still vibrated at first and we couldn’t measure optimally, as it wasn’t stable enough. Then we came up with something, took stuff and put it together at RDM. It worked!”

## The calculator and predictor

“Sowande Boksteen is our computational marvel,” Menno continues. “He calculates all the models and then we try to predict what the setups will generate. In the Aqualab on RDM, the water can flow through the test setup. Then we check that the prediction is correct with the observation and measurements we make. And then we adjust the model of weather. In this way we can test on a small scale and refine the mathematical model that Boksteen has built. Sowande smiles modestly, “Yes, this is how you innovate. This is an innovation that is important for energy transition, and it’s nice to contribute to that.”

## Future dream

Managing Director Paul Munters dares to dream; “We came up with these turbines for small-scale projects. You can put these turbines anywhere. We have a lot of rivers in the Netherlands where there is a difference in height. Especially in the East, in Gelderland in Overijssel, Brabant and Limburg. Rainwater starts in the Alps and runs through the Netherlands. We can all place turbines there and connect them to the grid.”

## RDM

Student Gijs: “RDM is interesting. We are in the right field, that’s for sure! Menno agrees enthusiastically: “When I walk around here, I feel it sizzle. Everywhere I look, in every corner, I see something happening!” The students have since successfully completed their project, and Kolkkracht and AMELA Process Optimization have achieved even more promising results.

medium_Kolkkracht test by Mickpunt-0110.jpg

small_Kolkkracht test by Mickpunt-0110.jpg

thumbnail_Kolkkracht test by Mickpunt-0110.jpg

Kolkkracht test by Mickpunt-0110.jpg

Collaboration

Energy out of from rivers

230124-170428EF-_V3A1065-scaled.jpeg

Hyperloop in Rotterdam in 2030

In 2050, we’ll live in a world where distance no longer matters. A world where everything is within reach. In which you travel from Rotterdam to Berlin in 1 hour and 40 minutes, with no stops in between. And all without CO2 emissions. The mission of the recently established Hardt Hyperloop in the Rotterdam Makers District is ambitious, but serious steps have already been taken. We spoke with Tim Houter, co-founder of Hardt Hyperloop and entrepreneur in Rotterdam Makers District.

## The hyperloop
Hardt Hyperloop is making great strides. Since 2017, the start-up founded from TU Delft has been developing a hyperloop system for Europe. But what exactly is a hyperloop? Tim explains it clearly: “With the hyperloop, people and goods can be transported by a vacuum train in a low air pressure tube. The means of transport is magnetically powered. That way it provides lightning-fast and completely CO2-free transport. Eventually, the hyperloop will allow you to travel throughout Europe as if it were one big, interconnected region. In a fraction of the time and energy consumption it takes now.”

## Freight transport
Not only would the hyperloop have great advantages for transporting people, but it also offers a solution to the growth in transportation that is coming. This is currently estimated at 2.5 times more freight transport by 2050. Initiatives like the hyperloop are desperately needed to meet this demand. This is also the opinion of Dirk Koppenol, Strategist at SmartPort, the knowledge hub in the port of Rotterdam: “This kind of radical innovator is crucial to the innovative power of the port of Rotterdam, both now and in the future. Parties like Hardt Hyperloop are an inspiration for the future.”

## From idea to implementation
If it’s up to the ambitious Hardt Hyperloop, the hyperloop network should be all over Europe by 2050. The enormous amount of passion the company is putting into it will certainly not be lacking. In five years, the team grew from four founders to a company of almost fifty people. From an idea with which they want to change the world, to a technology that is proven to work and is being successfully tested. And all from the Rotterdam Makers District, which consists of the areas RDM Rotterdam and Merwe-Vierhavens (M4H). With a test facility in the Future Mobility Park in M4H and their own experience centre, the first real hyperloop is getting closer and closer. How did this adventure begin?

## SpaceX pod competition
While studying at TU Delft, Tim was part of the Formula Student Team Delft, a team that designs and builds electric race cars. It was there that Tim got to know the other founders. “While we were competing in the race car competition, Elon Musk came up with his hyperloop idea. We at once said to each other: this could change the world. When the SpaceX pod competition was announced shortly thereafter, we knew we wanted to win this competition. Because of our experience building electric race cars, we were able to achieve high-quality technological results in a really short time. We won the competition and that was a wonderful boost for Hardt Hyperloop to start building further successes.”

## Make it happen
And those successes have recently been built from Rotterdam, as Hardt Hyperloop has been based in the Rotterdam Makers District since the end of 2022. “We were looking for a place in the Delft region from which we could not only work, but also make it happen. With the slogan ‘Make it happen’, Rotterdam seemed a great fit for us. Just get to work and fix it. We felt the click. Additionally, we noticed a great willingness from Rotterdam to cooperate with us and make our initiative big here.”

## Future Mobility Park
Another place where you can experience hyperloop technology is around the corner at the Future Mobility Park. Here there is a test rig about thirty meters long. “Thanks to the test rig, we can show the whole concept of the technology. This makes a massive impact because it allows us to show that the technology really works. And that with the hyperloop we are thus a lot further than just an idea here. It is of course super convenient that this is right around the corner. We also work together with Platform Zero. They are practically next door to our building. Together we want to put Rotterdam even more on the map for companies that play a key role in the energy transition.”

## Diversity and interaction
This kind of collaboration between different parties in the Rotterdam Makers District is the strength of the area. Saskia Mureau of the Port of Rotterdam Authority also sees this. “The diversity and type of innovation within the Rotterdam Makers District is enormous. The ambition is extremely high and the interaction between the various organizations ensures that they really move forward. Hardt Hyperloop is an inspiring example in this. They show vision and guts. This also ties in very well with what we as a port want to project.”

## The next step
What are those steps? If it’s up to Tim, we can try out the first real section of hyperloop in Rotterdam in 2030. Exactly where and how that will happen is still a surprise for now. “We have a lot of support from the Dutch government. The European Commission also pledged a large investment last year. We are getting support on increased levels. From local to regional and from national to global. The cooperation with the municipality of Rotterdam is an especially important one in this. Rotterdam can start the rollout. Everyone in the world who wants to see how the hyperloop works will come here to try it out. That’s how we put the Rotterdam Makers District on the map.”

_Photography: Eric Fecken_

230124-172604EF-_V3A1148.JPG

230124-164203EF-_V3A0949.JPG

230124-170928EF-_V3A1076.JPG

230124-171841EF-_V3A1138.JPG

230124-165130EF-_V3A1011.JPG

large_230124-170428EF-_V3A1065-scaled.jpeg

medium_230124-170428EF-_V3A1065-scaled.jpeg

small_230124-170428EF-_V3A1065-scaled.jpeg

thumbnail_230124-170428EF-_V3A1065-scaled.jpeg

Energy

Other news

Hyperloop in Rotterdam in 2030

Energy out of from rivers