Photo: Jesper Bruun Tenure Track Assistant Professor Bekir Engin Eser and Associate Professor Selin Kara. Facts: The project will develop a multi-enzymatic reaction sequence that can produce dropin biofuel from waste oils and fats, and which has the potential to reduce the use of fossil fuels. Using a light-dependent enzyme found in microalgae, it is possible to decarboxylate fatty acids to hydrocarbons of different lengths. By selecting natural enzyme mutations, the researchers expect to be able to develop enzyme variants that are specific to short, medium or long-chain hydrocarbons to meet different fuel needs. So far, no one has tried to specialise the enzyme to create the product portfolio we want. For this reason, part of this project is to build a mutation library of the enzyme, so that, using different systems, we can make either diesel, petrol or jet-fuel in one process Associate Professor Selin Kara Project title: Light-dependent multi-enzymatic synthesis of biofuels from sustainable resources Financial framework: DKK 3 million, Novo Nordisk Foundation DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION CHANGING OLD INDUSTRIES BY MIMICKING NATURE Associate Professor Selin Kara aims to replicate natural bio-processes for use in the chemical industry This will be a huge achievement for the chemicals industry, as chemical synthesis today is ver DAILY MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION 2020 Thomas Skjødeberg Toftegaard, Head of Department Morten Dam Rasmussen, Deputy Head of Department Jens Kargaard Madsen, Head of Electrical and Computer Engineering Henrik Myhre Jensen, Head of Mechanical Engineering Søren Wandahl, Head of Civil and Architectur 4 CONTENTS Theres no such thing as a gender-correlated job. Six female researchers share their opinion on engineering science 16 52 Time to replace single-rotor wind turbines? New research demonstrates clear advantage of new turbine design. Green technology Completely new, non-invasive, wireles 5 7 44 86 EDITORIAL: FORGING A WORLD FOR EVERYONE PORTRAIT: WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES WITH PRINTED ELECTRONICS IN DENMARK RARE ALGAE ENZYME TO CONVERT COOKING OIL INTO READY-TO-USE BIOFUEL Green technology 8 AARHUS UNIVERSITY OPENS THE WORLDS FIRST CENTRE FOR EAR-EEG Computer engineering 16 FRO Photo: Anders Trærup AU Engineering, Campus Navitas, Aarhus ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 7 Forging a world for everyone Scientists discover the world that exists; engineers create the world that never was. that will help shape a possible future for humankind on Earth. The Hungarian-American aerospace engineer, Theodore von Kármán was born right in the middle Researchers at the Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, are world leaders in unique brain measurement via a special device fitted in the ear like a hearing aid. The technology is called ear-EEG, and it measures extremely small voltage changes on the surface of the skin inside the ear caused Photo: Lars Kruse 10 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 COMPUTER ENGINEERING Aarhus University opens the worlds first centre for ear-EEG Researchers at the Department of Engineering are world leaders in brain measurement via a special device fitted in the ear like a hearing aid. The technology is called ear-EEG, and now the ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 COMPUTER ENGINEERING William Demant Foundation Since its establishment in 1957, the foundation has supported charitable projects and ensured the business activities of the Demant Group. The group is the world leader in hearing health, and includes Oticon and Interacoustics Photos: Lars Kruse Ear-EEG provides a unique opportunity to measure brain activity in our natural environment. ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 COMPUTER ENGINEERING than today. Among other things, Professor Kidmose hopes it will take us a step further towards understanding the human brain. Ear-EEG provides a unique opportunity to measure the brain in our natural environment. And thats why we can begin to delve int WEB EXCLUSIVE Not only batteries can store wind energy. Two master of science in engineering students from Aarhus University are working on a project that, using a huge balloon and tonnes of ordinary soil and water, will make a giant battery for renewable energy. Photo: Lars Kruse Read online MORE WOMEN IN ACADEMIA? Photo: Lars Kruse 18 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 BLOG: How do we get more women in academia? The Inge Lehmann programme is a new talent programme announced in December by the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science. The following essay is the response to the new programme by six female scientists from the Depa ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 doing all this alone. Were working with researchers from all over the world; collaborating across faculties and departments and fields to ensure that the results we achieve are comprehensive and universally relevant. We work in disciplines of engineering that have been domi 20 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 MACHINE INTELLIGENCE 134-YEAR-OLD DANISH FAMILY BUSINESS READY FOR ROBOTS ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 MACHINE INTELLIGENCE 21 22 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 MACHINE INTELLIGENCE I think robots could become an entirely natural part of our workforce. This is what Hanne Hørup, the managing director and co-owner of the 134-yearold family-owned company Jydsk Emblem Fabrik A/S, has to say about the prospect of, finally and with ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 MACHINE INTELLIGENCE 23 Photo: Lars Kruse Hanne Hørup (left) and Xuping Zhang at the company Jydsk Emblem Fabrik A/S located in Malling, Aarhus. The idea is to integrate cooperation between people and robots into production, so that they share their work and cooperate f New researcher at the Department of Engineering: Nicolas Volet Photo: Melissa Bach Kirkeby Yildirim We recently came across a physical phenomenon that, to the best of our knowledge, is totally unexplored. We intend to exploit it to significantly reduce the size, the weight, the cost and the complexity of laser packaging for telecommunication and for instrument 26 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 New AU researcher investigating miniaturized laser technologies with extreme stability Nicolas Volet is a laser expert and a new tenure track assistant professor at the Department of Engineering. He is starting a research project that may have far-reaching consequences ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 The Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, has hired Nicolas Volet to build a new independent research group in Photonics. Nicolas Volet comes with more than ten years of research experience and has contributed to the development of chip-level photonic technologies i WEB EXCLUSIVE STUDY: URBAN NOISE DOES NOT SEEM AS LOUD WHEN WE LOOK AT NATURE Two engineering students from Aarhus University have set out to examine the correlation between what people see and what they hear. Using VR technology, they have discovered that looking at nature seems to dampen our hear Photo: Melissa Bach Kirkeby Yildirim Read online 30 EMNE With a DKK 60 million grant from EU Horizon 2020, a new pan-European project aims at developing a cloudbased collaboration platform to make it simple and easy for small and medium-sized enterprises to incorporate modern computer models in their development and production. The platform will Photo: Ida Jensen Professor Peter Gorm Larsen. 32 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 MACHINE INTELLIGENCE Facts: Cyber-physical systems are collaborative computer-based networks that, via embedded sensors, direct and control physical objects or systems. A robot that reacts to sensor inputs is thus a cyberphysical system. New platform to help SMEs get ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 MACHINE INTELLIGENCE 33 Many companies have not yet fully taken the technology to heart. This project makes this possible, and I hope that many SMEs will find it attractive Professor Peter Gorm Larsen Project title: HUBCAP Financial framework: DKK 60 million, Horizon 202 34 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 MACHINE INTELLIGENCE Photo: Lars Kruse Professor Peter Gorm Larsen is heading the new AU Centre for Digital Twins. Denmarks first Centre for Digital Twins With a donation of more than DKK 12 million from the Poul Due Jensen Foundation, the Department of Engineering a ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 MACHINE INTELLIGENCE 35 Photo: AU Photo Director of the Poul Due Jensen Foundation, Kim Nøhr Skibsted. digital twins, the centre is also one of the worlds first attempts to work critically and academically on the topic in a research context. According to the director of Photo: Ida Jensen Christian Møldrup Legaard. EMNE WEB EXCLUSIVE New centre for digital twins: The idea of being able to design and debug the entire system before you build it is absolutely fantastic 24-year-old computer engineering student Christian Møldrup Legaard builds robots. Small, relatively simple robots with just one purpose: They f Photo: Søren Kjeldgaard DANISH RESEARCH TO MAKE BLACK-AS-COAL METHANOL PRODUCTION 100% GREEN 40 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 GREEN TECHNOLOGY Photos: Lars Kruse Professor Lars Ottosen. Every year, more than 70 million tonnes of methanol are produced in a process based almost exclusively on fossil fuels. A new project with Haldor Topsøe, Aarhus University and others is aiming at making prod ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 GREEN TECHNOLOGY The ultimate goal is a society where nothing goes to waste. Where no fossil fuels are dug out of the ground, and we have an alternative for everything we dig up today. The circular bioeconomy at its best Professor Lars Ottosen Currently, the liquid is usu AU Engineering, Campus Navitas, Aarhus Photo: Maria Randima 42 ENGINEERING DISCIPLINES ENGINEERING DISCIPLINES AT AARHUS UNIVERSITY Biological Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Architectural Engineering Electrical Engineering Computer Engineering Mechanical Engineering Read online 43 Photo: Lars Kruse This technology is still in its infancy, and there are many challenges to overcome, especially printing on unconventional materials such as textiles. However, for this reason there are enormous opportunities for the technology in a vast number of different areas Tenure Track Assis 46 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 World of opportunities with Printed Electronics in Denmark Shweta Agarwala, MSc in engineering from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and PhD in electronics engineering from the National University of Singapore, is a new tenure track assistant professor at t ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 In July 2011, a group of researchers from MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, succeeded in printing photovoltaic cells, or solar cells, on paper. This was a revelation in the field of printed electronics a technology that has existed for more than half a century. S Photo: Lars Kruse Camilla Dalsgaard Bloch-Jensen New bachelor degree programme in Mechanical Engineering opening summer 2020 26-year-old Camilla Dalsgaard BlochJensen thought she was destined to a career in the pharmaceutical industry. But a chat with her mothers friend convinced her otherwise: I knew she was an engineer, but not that she was a m 50 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 BLOG: The social housing sector is the key to achieving climate targets (This opinion piece was published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 12 August 2019. The article was written by Senior Professor of Engineering Søren Wandahl, PhD Student Stina Rask Jensen, ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 51 Is it possible to imagine that we can move away from just referring to renovation as a cost, and rather talk about it as an investment in the environment and in a better indoor climate, lighting conditions and social communities? ghetto of Rosenhøj in Aarhus, which, fr The three-bladed single-rotor wind turbine has become a well-known spot on the horizon. It might not be the most optimal energy-harvesting design however, as research from Durham University and Aarhus University here demonstrates. Photo: Colourbox 54 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 GREEN TECHNOLOGY Computer models show clear advantages in new types of wind turbines Researchers have modelled the fluid dynamics of multi-rotor wind turbines, and how they interact in wind farms. The research demonstrates a clear advantage for a turbine model with fou ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 GREEN TECHNOLOGY 55 The optimum construction is a turbine with four rotors as far apart as possible. The latter results in less downstream turbulence and a faster stabilisation of the wake behind the wind turbines Tenure Track Assistant Professor Mahdi Abkar A turbine wi FREE-FOR-ALL WORLDWIDE SOLAR ENERGY MODEL Photo: Lars Kruse Tenure Track Assistant Professor Marta Victoria 58 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 GREEN TECHNOLOGY Solar cells are currently the worlds most talked-about renewable energy source, and for any future sustainable energy system, it is crucial to know about the performance of photovoltaic systems at local, regional and global levels. Danish researchers h ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 GREEN TECHNOLOGY 59 PV installations will have a huge impact on the energy systems of the future, and planning systems based on models that do not take into account the outages in relation to the norm simply wont work Tenure Track Assistant Professor Marta Victoria Illus WEB EXCLUSIVE You know what its like when you have a teacher who just loves their subject? Someone whos captivating, inspirational and yet empathetic when they talk? Sara does. And more than anything, thats why Sara chose a programme she otherwise hated. Photo: Søren Kjeldgaard Read online 62 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 COMPUTER ENGINEERING Globally, corrosion is an enormous problem. It is estimated that approx. DKK 17 trillion is spent annually on remediating rust problems, amounting to about 3-4 per cent of the GWP. Researchers are now developing a cheap, intelligent, self-powered, Photo: Colourbox Rust is a gargantuan problem in construction worldwide. Health monitoring could potentially lower the astronomical annual remediation costs. 64 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 COMPUTER ENGINEERING Smart, self-powered patches to put an end to DKK 17 trillion bill caused by rust worldwide The cost of corrosion runs to 3-4 per cent of the gross world product (GWP) annually, and therefore there is increasing international focus on monitoring inf ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 COMPUTER ENGINEERING 65 Photo: Michele Ferraris The collapse of the Morandi bridge in Italy. DIGIMON is a great example of mobile and energyefficient modern technology thats at the very front of the technological revolution, and I hope it can play its part in making str Photo: Ida Jensen Photo: Colourbox Corrosion is a very expensive problem throughout the world. ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 COMPUTER ENGINEERING Structural health monitoring is a new and improved way of doing traditional non-destructive testing. It involves the integration of sensors, smart materials, data transmission and processing Jaamac Hassan Hire, industrial PhD student hus University an Associate Professor Menglin Chen, an expert in nanofibers and regenerative cell technology aims to develop a completely new, non-invasive, wireless and safe method of regenerating brain and heart cells. The method uses water-based nanofibers coated with organic photovoltaic nanomaterials to create l Photo: Ida Jensen 72 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 HEALTH Shes injecting solar cells into the body to regenerate brain cells Associate Professor Menglin Chen has received a major grant from the Carlsberg Foundation to develop a completely new method of regenerating brain and heart cells. The method uses water-based nan ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 HEALTH 73 Photo: Ida Jensen Associate Professor Menglin Chen introduces a non-genetic, light-mediated method to locally stimulate cells electrically. If were successful, this will have a major impact on implementing new treatment methods for various brain and heart cond Photo: Lars Kruse UHMWPE MAY SOUND LIKE A BAD COUGH. IT ISNT THOUGH. ACTUALLY ITS AN ULTRA STRONG SUPER MATERIAL TAKING OVER FOR KEVLAR 76 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 ADVANCED MATERIALS Scientists from Aarhus University and the University of Cambridge are the first to measure and set guidelines for bolted joints using the upcoming replacement for Kevlar: the ultra-strong material with the catchy name ultra-high molecular weight poly ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 ADVANCED MATERIALS 77 Photo: Simon Skovsgård Test conducted by Simon Skovsgård on the super material. Its almost impossible to extend and break the fibres, but if you twist or shear the material, it is soft. This combination makes it easy for the material to absorb ener WEB EXCLUSIVE Drug recycling and banapples: Engineering innovation captures Aarhus AU Engineerings new research facility, the Deep Tech Experimental Hub in Skejby, Aarhus, was crammed with engineering students when the invention pitch 2019 kicked off. Photos: Ida Jensen The world is full of problems; an awful lot of them in fact. In a way this is a good thing, because it forces us to think differently and be innovative. Its important to focus on innovation and entrepreneurship, and its fantastic to see the eagerness of the young engineering students. Some of them h 80 EMNE Associate Professor Selin Kara, an expert in biocatalysis and bioprocess development aims to replicate completely natural bioprocesses for use in the chemical industry. The following articles highlight her latest grants for new engineering research projects. Photo: Ida Jensen Sustainable clean production of chemicals could be attained by completely natural processes, Selin Kara explains. 82 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 GREEN TECHNOLOGY She uses mushroom enzyme and light to create green chemicals By combining natures own reactions, Associate Professor Selin Kara aims to develop a fully green and sustainable production process for chemicals. With a total of DKK 6.2 million (EUR 0.8 mi ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 GREEN TECHNOLOGY 83 A completely environmentally friendly production of chemicals. Thats the goal for Associate Professor Selin Kara, Aarhus University, whove received a prestigious Sapere Aude grant of DKK 6.2 million from the Independent Research Fund Denmark. In the pr Photo: Melissa B. Kirkeby Yildirim 86 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 GREEN TECHNOLOGY An unusual, light-dependent enzyme is the focal point of a new research project. A team of engineers will utilize the rare properties of the enzyme in a photo-bio-catalytic continuous flow system to produce drop-in biofuels from waste oils and fats. R Photo: Jesper Bruun Tenure Track Assistant Professor Bekir Engin Eser and Associate Professor Selin Kara. Facts: The project will develop a multi-enzymatic reaction sequence that can produce dropin biofuel from waste oils and fats, and which has the potential to reduce the use of fossil fuels. Usi WEB EXCLUSIVE Protein concentrate extracted from grass via green biorefining at the Department of Engineerings demonstration plant in Foulum, Denmark. The concentrate contains more than 50 per cent crude protein with a reasonable content of essential amino acids and can be used as fodder or process Photo: Zane Hartmane Read online 90 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 MACHINE INTELLIGENCE CURING EPILEPSY WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Photo: Peer Klercke A new ground-breaking treatment method could potentially cure epilepsy. Here, Associate Professor Farshad Moradi. 92 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 MACHINE INTELLIGENCE The Department of Engineering at Aarhus University is part of a new international research team with an EU grant of DKK 60 mill. (EUR 8.5 mill.). The aim is to try to find a cure for epilepsy with a ground-breaking treatment method. With a grant o ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 MACHINE INTELLIGENCE Building such a brain-like chip potentially enables the healing of any damaged brain circuitry in the future, if successful Associate Professor Farshad Moradi Project title: HERMES: Hybrid Enhanced Regenerative Medicine Systems Financial framework: DK 94 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 MACHINE INTELLIGENCE Danish researchers develop artificial intelligence to expose stock-market fraud Aarhus University is heading a project to put an end to stock-exchange fraud and market manipulation. The researchers will use artificial intelligence (AI) to clean up ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 MACHINE INTELLIGENCE 95 Photo: Lars Kruse Stock-market fraud amounts to between USD 10-40 billion a year in the US alone. A reliable, automatic safeguard against market manipulation could be crucial for transparent stock markets Associate Professor Alexandros Iosifidis 96 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 Creating anticlastic architecture using Newtons laws Valentina Beatini, architect from the University of Genoa and PhD from the University of Parma, is a new tenure track assistant professor at the Department of Engineering, Aarhus University. Her research is focused on ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 97 Hypar structures could theoretically be built using high friction masonry alone. Photo: Wikimedia Commons On a small hilltop in north-central Italy, right in the middle of Tuscany, lies a small village. Known as the town of fine towers, the place is famous for its more WEB EXCLUSIVE Focus was on entrepreneurship, the City of Aarhus climate strategy, the latest engineering research, and interdisciplinary collaboration, when the Department of Engineering filled Incubas Pier Venue for 2019s last Science Lunch in December. Science Lunch is an ongoing informal academi Read online Revolutionising the way we manage waste: A Danish researcher is developing a pioneering new technology able to e.g. recover all phosphorus from manure and sludge. Photo: Maria Randima 102 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 GREEN TECHNOLOGY An engineer from Aarhus University has received EU funding for the launch of a new research project, which can have far-reaching and ground-breaking significance for the environment throughout the world. The project promises to completely revolutionis ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 GREEN TECHNOLOGY 103 Photo: Ida Jensen HTL facility at Aarhus University we eventually recover is clean, safe and plant-available, says Patrick Biller. The project, which is called REBOOT, and which is headed by Patrick Biller from the Department of Engineering, Aarhus Photo: Lars Kruse ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 WORK WITH US The Department of Engineering at Aarhus University cooperates with a wide range of organisations and companies on research and development projects. For example, we help large and small businesses to join the Industry 4.0 wave, we establish innovative partnersh WEB EXCLUSIVE Denmark aims to be independent of coal, oil and gas by 2050, and in parallel with increasing electrification of its infrastructure and heating sector, this means that Denmark is facing future multi-billion investments in conversion and expansion of the energy system. A four-year resea Photo: Lars Kruse Read online Imagine a machine that sucks in CO2 from the air at one end and spits out fuel or other useful products from the other. This is the idea behind Associate Professor Nina Locks new project, which has received a generous grant from the Carlsberg Foundation. The concept is to develop an entirely new spo Photo: Ida Jensen 110 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 GREEN TECHNOLOGY Metal-organic sponge to convert CO2 into fuel Associate Professor Nina Lock has received a grant of DKK 4.3 million (EUR 0.6 mill.) from the Carlsberg Foundation to develop an entirely new material which, through electrocatalysis, can transform CO2 in ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 GREEN TECHNOLOGY 111 Photo: Ida Jensen Associate Professor Nina Lock in her research lab at Aarhus University Humanity is facing a huge problem in relation to both climate change and limited carbon-based resources. We need to find other sources of carbon, and if we can Photo: Lars Kruse Did you know, that the safety helmet first came into fashion at workplaces in the aftermath of the first world war? Nothing much has changed since then though. But our new associate professor aims to change that using modern computer technology. 114 ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 New AU researcher aims to make workplaces safer with computer technology Nothing much has changed since the safety helmet came into fashion at workplaces all over the world in the aftermath of the First World War. Associate Professor Jochen Teizer wants to do something ENGINEERING PROFILE 2020 115 Photo: Jochen Teizer Personalized education and training is paramount for optimal safety on workplaces. Here, the training is done virtually. Every cent you invest in safety will earn itself back three times through achieving additional improvements, and thats why I 116 AU Engineering, Campus Navitas, Aarhus Photo: Maria Randima 118 KEY FIGURES KEY FIGURES TOTAL ENG TURNOVER (M DKK) 240.2 250 Based on annual FC3 budget 225 192.6 200 175 154.5 157.2 143 150 119 125 104 90 100 75 75 50 25 0 EXTERNAL FUNDING TOTAL (M DKK) Based on annual FC3 budget 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 118 119 KEY FIGURES ENGINEERING PHD STUDENTS 87 90 80 67 70 71 2017 2018 60 60 52 50 70 45 46 2011 2012 55 40 30 20 10 0 ENROLLED ENGINEERING STUDENTS 2013 2014 2015 2016 4,000 MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ENGINEERING BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ENGINEERING 2019 528 3,500 BACHELOR OF EN WEB EXCLUSIVE There is an increasing global need for a standardized, documentable 3D printing filament of high and stable quality from recycled plastics. Now, were developing exactly that. Photo: Colourbox Read online YK SA 61 TR 8 122 1 G N R . 54 - Profile 2020 was printed with vegetable-based inks on Munken Polar paper at a press certified by the Nordic Ecolabel. The paper is made of wood from FSC-certified forestry and other certified sources. DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING, PROFILE 2020 Produced by: Department of Engineering, February 2020 Editor: Jesper Bruun Design & layout: Astrid Friis Reitzel, AU Research Support and External Relations Photos: Lars Kruse, Melissa B. Kirkeby Yildirim, Ida Jensen, Maria Randima, Jesper Rais, AU Research Su CONTACT Department of Engineering Science and Technology Aarhus University Inge Lehmanns Gade 10 DK-8000 Aarhus C Denmark eng.au.dk