Working day at the university of applied sciences UCLL
On December 8, 2023, the GreenTech transnational meeting took place in Belgium, at the university of applied sciences UCLL in the province of Limburg.
Peter Van Hout welcomed all the project team to Hasselt, a lovely city, especially at this Christmas time.
After an important administrative and financial point, all morning was dedicated to the progress of each module, the contents finalization and the next testing sessions with students.
These annual work meetings are essential for the project progress and results. Moreover, it maintains team cohesion and they are an opportunity to review the overall progress of the project. It was discussion and decision time, especially regarding the MOOC :
• Shooting videos with the provider will take place in February and scripts for each training module must be finalized before. Since November, all the team was welcome to give their opinion and make remarks or disagreements to video scripts sent by the provider.
• The team also worked on specific scripts, the introductory module and the first part of the MOOC “Environmental frame”.
These first modules are very important to understand the objective of the project and must reflect the next training module contents.
The introduction must make people future learners to follow the courses.
The part “Environmental frame” is divided in three different part :
– One to have the keys to understanding climate change and why we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
– The second to better understand the consequences and the need to implement changes
– And the third part which presents a multi-faceted approach and action levers
With Peter as guide, the beginning of the afternoon was dedicated to a campus tour in UCLL.
Campus is very spacious and welcoming. Along the tour, we noticed that several corridors walls were beautifully painted or covered with posters. Some of them seemed rather humorous !
An ingenious prototype was exhibited outside : a mobile solar energy production device.
Our visit to the several E-labs was very interesting. Practical work sessions are organized with small groups of 2 students. They must be able to fulfill the assignment by their own, supported by lector. These sessions last two or three hours, with several sessions weekly.
The lab Pneumatics is dedicated to compressed air, with control valves, actuators, pneumatic cylinders and motors, compressors, and tubing.
At the lab Electricity Basics, students work on measuring devices for voltage, or home and industrial installations. Different scientific notions are mobilized as current and power, or single and three phase systems. Safety is part of the training.
Practical work sessions on automatization and PLC programming take place at the lab SMC.
Into another lab, students study welding techniques, traditional, and TIG.
In lab Power Electronics, they handle different equipment like invertors and oscilloscopes as measuring tools. They work on motion control, frequency drives, power quality, and PV simulation.
We visited three other spaces very well equipped, the lab Motors , the lab Energy, and the lab chemistry.
In lab Energy, practical work sessions are, for example, dedicated to Microgrid , Smart Metering, and Smart Grid analysis, and battery and PV systems study. Students work on Energy management systems, lead-acid and Li-ion, Hydrogen Electrolyser and Fuel cell, Lighting, and e-mobility.
E-labs doors are covered with very beautiful scientific photographs. A great source of inspiration for IUT rooms and offices !
We closed this very productive working day by a guided tour of the town of Hasselt. And we had a very pleasant time at the Christmas Market.
All the team would like to thank Peter for his warm welcome, the perfect organization of the meeting, and the nice guided tour of Hasselt !
