TU Delft aims at being its 'interactive partner', committed to answering its multifaceted demands and initiating changes to benefit people in the future.

Students design the means of transport for the future

03 December 2006 - Delft University of Technology TU Delft, together with the municipality of The Hague, is challenging school pupils to think about sustainable transport. A bicycle made of reeds or a car fuelled by honey, everything is possible in the quest for a clean environment. Coached by teachers and students from TU Delft, the pupils will be helped, step by step, to develop their creative ideas.

YES!Delft stimulates innovative technostarters

03 December 2006 - Delft University of Technology The Municipality of Delft, TU Delft and State Secretary Van Gennip of Economic Affairs, will launch a new initiative called YES!Delft, which will stimulate and support new and innovative technostarters. Young Entrepreneurs Society Delft consists of a Business Club and an Incubator.

Hydrogen storage can be improved

03 December 2006 - Delft University of Technology The storage of hydrogen in fuel cell powered cars can probably be greatly improved by increasing the working temperature of the fuel cell. With the use of magnesium powder, the storage of hydrogen can take place more efficiently and safely and at a higher temperature. This is the conclusion of Gijs Schimmel, who will defend his PhD thesis at TU Delft.

Hydrogen storage can be improved

03 December 2006 - Delft University of Technology The storage of hydrogen in fuel cell powered cars can probably be greatly improved by increasing the working temperature of the fuel cell. With the use of magnesium powder, the storage of hydrogen can take place more efficiently and safely and at a higher temperature. This is the conclusion of Gijs Schimmel, who will defend his PhD thesis at TU Delft.

Student researches whether armour was really bullit-proof

02 December 2006 - Delft University of Technology TU Delft awarded the ‘Young Wild Ideas Award’ to Sylvia Leever, for her idea of researching whether antique body armour was really ‘bullet-proof’. She received the prize for her inventive way of discovering whether old body armour would have withstood bullets. The Legermuseum (Military Museum) in Delft has shown great interest in her work, which should be complete by the summer of next year.

New aircraft material based upon clay, nylon and glass

02 December 2006 - Delft University of Technology A combination of minute particles of clay, nylon and glass fibres has produced a new material with potential uses in such areas as aircraft construction. This discovery has been made by researcher Daniël Vlasveld.

TU Delft sheds light on behaviour of cancerous cells

02 December 2006 - Delft University of Technology Thanks to imaging and analysis techniques used by researchers at TU Delft, an international group of scientists has been able to gain more insight into the behaviour of cancerous cells.

Electronic cabinet of curiosities

01 December 2006 - Delft University of Technology In the early stages of their work, industrial designers make much use of personal collections of images, publications and objects to stimulate ideas and to fuel discussions with colleagues. These items form a sort of cabinet of curiosities. For his PhD research at Delft University of Technology, Ianus Keller has developed an electronic version of such a cabinet.

Even eradicated polio virus must be managed properly

01 December 2006 - Delft University of Technology Despite the fact that the natural poliomyelitis virus has almost been eradicated, the reappearance of contagious forms of the disease cannot be ruled out. One scenario for this is the dangerous mutation of a weakened form of the virus from polio vaccine. According to mathematician Radboud Duintjer Tebbens, it is therefore essential that a good strategy be put in place to respond to any new outbreak.

Delft Micro-electronics and Nano-technology Strengthened

01 December 2006 - Delft University of Technology Within the framework of a new research strategy, TU Delft is going to strengthen its research spear points ‘Nanotechnology’ ‘ICT’ and ‘Mechatronics and Microsystems.’

The future belongs to cars that glide on a magnetic lane

30 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology High school design competition: fuTUre Design Delft, In the future, vehicles will be powered by means of electrical induction magnets. This is the vision of the future according to Maurits Kroese, winner of the fuTUre Design Delft design competition. During the final day of this design competition for Dutch high school students (VWO and HAVO), Kroese presented his IMP (Induction Magnet Propelled vehicle), a vehicle that glides in a magnetic lane and, owing to its aerodynamic design, has a low wind-resistance. Kroese's design won him a holiday by air.

Nanochemical technology: a new field for Delft’s chemists

30 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology The chemical engineers at Delft University of Technology are entering the new discipline of nanochemical technology. Building upon their solid background in chemical and process engineering, they want to build a bridge between the new fundamental concepts involved in nanotechnology and the process technology needed to turn them into practical applications. A recruitment campaign for three new academic chairs begins this week in Dutch and international journals.

Research institutes present new driving simulator

30 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology TRAIL, the Netherlands Research School for Transport, Infrastructure and Logistics at Delft University of Technology, is to present a new and improved driving research simulator in conjunction with the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research and the national Institute for Road Safety Research.

Delft mathematician simplifies the search for oil

29 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology Mathematical research at Delft University of Technology is making it easier to look for oil. Yogi Ahmad Erlangga has developed a method of calculation which enables computers to solve a crucial equation much faster. In the past, this stumped oil company computers.

New innovation-oriented research programme photonic devices approved by Economic Affairs

29 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology The Innovation-Oriented Research Programme ‘Photonic Devices’, an initiative of Professor Joseph Braat of the Imaging Science & Technology Department of the Applied Sciences Faculty, has been approved by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. It is the second programme to be granted funds by the ministry this year. Previously the ‘Self Healing Materials’ IOP of Professor Sybrand van der Zwaag of the Aerospace Engineering Faculty, also based in Delft, received ministerial support.

Internet services design still in its infancy

29 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology Internet services offered by Dutch companies are poorly designed. Coordination with other sales channels, like the good, old-fashioned ‘shop’, leaves a lot to be desired. Luuk Simons, researcher at TU Delft, has devised a method to change all this.

New research puts killer La Palma tsunami at distant future

28 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology The volcanic island of La Palma in the Canaries is much more stable than is generally assumed, Dutch scientists working at the TU Delft have found. The southwestern flank of the island isn’t likely to fall into the sea (potentially causing a tsunami) for at least another 10,000 years, professor Jan Nieuwenhuis states in the September edition of the university’s science magazine Delft Integraal.

Delft researcher makes concrete stronger

28 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology Concrete is highly resistant to compressive stress but is considerably weaker when subjected to tensile stress. DUT researcher Ivan Marković has developed an innovative type of fibre concrete which overcomes this problem by using steel fibres of various lengths.

Delft-designed heat shield a boon for spacecraft

28 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology The ceramic heat shields used on craft like the Space Shuttle require huge amounts of maintenance. In theory, this makes water-cooled metal shields a better option. In 2007 the European Space Agency will be testing just such a shield, developed in Delft.

Doctoral research reveals: hub-and-spoke more efficient than point-to-point in current situation

27 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology The latest generation of hub terminals backed up by a transport system providing perfect support comes out top in this doctoral study. Unfortunately it remains difficult at the moment to run this kind of system at a profit. In order for the latest generation of hub terminals to be used optimally, rail freight transport needs a chain director.

Delft University helps prevent damage to monuments

27 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology Research at Delft University of Technology has shown that the combination of salt and fluctuations in relative humidity has a disastrous effect on the masonry and plasterwork of historic buildings. But that damage may be preventable by adding so-called crystallisation inhibitors.

Like a snail through the intestinal canal

27 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology The medical device currently used for intestinal research, the colonsope, causes patients great discomfort. At TU Delft, an alternative method has been developed, inspired by the way in which snails move. Researcher Dimitra Dodou received her PhD degree from TU Delft based on this research subject.

Combination of processes results in cleaner petrol

26 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology The combination of two ‘old’ chemical processes enables the production of cleaner petrol on an economically interesting basis. This methods are Fluid Catalytic Cracking and Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis.

Delft nanotransistor in Nature

26 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology Researcher Pablo Jarillo-Herrero of the Delft University of Technology has produced a superconductor nanotransistor using a carbon nanotube. The research is not only important for its fundamental knowledge about carbon nanotubes and the further improvement of transistors, but also opens the possibility of testing an entire series of physics theories experimentally.

Delft University helps prevent damage to monuments

26 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology Research at Delft University of Technology has shown that the combination of salt and fluctuations in relative humidity has a disastrous effect on the masonry and plasterwork of historic buildings. But that damage may be preventable by adding so-called crystallisation inhibitors.

Cheaper and simpler keyhole surgery

25 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology Endoscopic surgery brings many advantages for patients but is very difficult for the surgeon. Working at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam, Joris Jaspers has developed two instruments which make this approach easier and also cheaper than with existing surgical robotics.

First images of flowing nano ripples

25 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology TU Delft Researchers have shed new light on the formation of nanoscale surface features, such as nano ripples. These features are important because they could be useful as templates for growing other nanostructures. The scientific journal Physical Review Letters published an article this week on the research in Delft.

Launch of new P2P technology for television

25 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology The Workshop on Technical and Legal Aspects of Peer-to-Peer Television is being held in Amsterdam and deals with a revolutionary manner of distributing TV programmes via the Internet. The new peer-to-peer Tribler system, based on open-source software, will be launched in the course of this workshop.

New Dutch invention: Varibel, the glasses that hear

24 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology A new and elegant hearing aid in the form of a pair of glasses was unveiled. These hearing-glasses are called 'Varibel' and offer older people the chance to stay active longer, free from the aesthetically unpleasing and technologically limited traditional hearing aids. TU Delft originally developed the hearing-glasses. Varibel developed these glasses into a consumer product in partnership with Philips, Frame Holland, the design agencies MMID and Verhoeven, and others. In mid-April, Varibel will be available to purchase at Beter Horen audio shops.

BIOPOP: Young researchers stir up debate

24 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology Last weekend close to 3,000 people attended the second annual BIOPOP event on the Markt in Delft, where they experienced the biotechnology of the future. About 50 young European researchers, including those from TU Delft, stood before the public armed with DNA from kiwis, cow cells and their own mucus. Using these DNA samples, the researchers engaged the public in discussions about the benefits and risks of DNA databanks, genetically modified food and gene therapy.

Researching the behavioural patterns of people when using revolving doors

24 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology TU Delft Civil Engineering student Ramon Landman will record the behavioural patterns of people when using a revolving door. While enacting various possible user scenarios, 80 test subjects will use a revolving door that has been set up in a lab. The results, which Landman will compile tomorrow, will serve as the basis for a 'simulation tool' for revolving doors. TU Delft, in partnership with revolving door manufacturer Boom Edam Group Holding, is aiming to develop the 'Entrance of the Future'.

Interactive helpdesk benefits the disabled

23 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology If helpdesk personnel can view and click on the callers' screens, the callers problems will be solved faster and more efficiently. By helping disabled people and the elderly use their computers in this way, they can lead more independent lives. These are research findings of Joyce Beumer, who on April 25 received her PhD degree based on this research subject.

Obedient plastic: Chair, moulds to you!

23 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology An airplane wing that changes shape during flight, a section of the floor that on command changes shape and becomes a chair, and a surfboard that adapts to the desires of the user. These are the research ideas that have been rewarded with a ‘Young Wild Ideas Award’. The Delft Centre for Materials regularly gives this award to students who come up with the most innovative ideas in the field of materials research. During a ceremony on April 25, the students will each receive 10,000 euro, to be used for trying to make their research ideas a reality.

Delft scientist Gijsbert Korevaar on concentrated solar power on New Energy TV

23 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology The Delft scientist Gijsbert Korevaar was interviewed by internet channel New Energy TV on 'concentrated solar power'.

A product in itself is not interesting

22 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology Inaugural address Prof. Cees de Bont, An industrial designer's skills are crucial for also developing successful products in the future. They are pre-eminently suited to integrate relevant knowledge from the various disciplines. As society becomes more complex, and with advances in technology, this is no sinecure.

Producing bio-ethanol from agricultural waste a step closer

22 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology Research conducted by Delft University of Technology has brought the efficient production of the environmentally-friendly fuel bio-ethanol a great deal closer to fruition. The work of Delft researcher Marko Kuyper was an important factor in this. His research in recent years has greatly improved the conversion of certain sugars from agricultural waste to ethanol. Kuyper received his PhD degree for his research into the subject.

Biological motors sort molecules one by one on a chip

22 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology Researchers from Delft University of Technology’s Kavli Institute of Nanoscience have discovered how to use the motors of biological cells in extremely small channels on a chip. Based on this, they built a transport system that uses electrical charges to direct the molecules individually. To demonstrate this, the Delft researchers sorted the individual molecules according to their color. Professor Hess of the University of Florida has called the Delft discovery 'the first traffic control system in biomolecular motor nanotechnology'.

TU Delft students test a new antenna for satellites

21 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology During a parabolic flight, a team of four Delft students tested for the first time an antenna they developed for micro-satellites. During the test flight, the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering's Cessna Citation II made 10 parabolic manoeuvres. During these manoeuvres, there was approximately a 12 second period of weightlessness inside the airplane that was comparable to the weightlessness experienced in space.

Delft water-purification method promises radical improvement

21 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology TU Delft has discovered a method that within a few years will drastically change the way in which we purify water. TU Delft, in partnership with DHV engineering bureau, has developed a compact and environmentally-friendly purification method, in which aerobic bacteria quickly form sinkable granules. An important part of the project's success was the work of TU Delft researcher Merle de Kreuk, who will receive her PHD degree based on this research subject.

Delft University of Technology discovers how to control nanowires

21 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology Jorden van Dam, researcher at the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, has succeeded in largely controlling the transportation of electrons in semiconductor nanowires. Van Dam moreover discovered how to observe a divergent type of supercurrent in these wires. Nanowires have superior electronic properties which in time could improve the quality of our electronics. Van Dam will receive his PhD degree at Delft University of Technology based on this research.

New broadband wireless communication technologies developed for commercial applications

20 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology The novel low-noise amplifier for ultrabroadband communications designed in CMOS technology won the ‘Best Student Paper Award’ at the 2006 IEEE RFIC Symposium in San Francisco. The awarded paper, titled “A 1.2V Reactive-Feedback 3.1-10.6GHz Ultrawideband Low-Noise Amplifier in 0.13μm CMOS”, is co-authored by PhD student Michael Reiha, M.Sc. and Prof. dr. John Long of the Electronics Research Laboratory/DIMES, in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science at TU Delft. This year’s symposium exhibited over 125 papers from top research centres, 70 of which were eligible for the award.

Dutch physicists get a grip on the spin of a single electron

20 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology Researchers of the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at Delft University of Technology and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter have succeeded for the first time in the world in controlling the spin of a single electron in a nanostructure. They are able to rotate the spin to every possible direction and to record it accordingly.

A silent, exhaust fumes-free scooter

20 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology A scooter that does not make noise nor emit harmful exhaust fumes, this was the research result of Crijn Bouman's graduation project. Bouman, an Industrial Design Engineering student at TU Delft, developed a working prototype of the ‘FHybrid’ scooter, which can be powered by hydrogen. Bouman will present his scooter to the media.

The longer the DNA molecule, the faster it moves

19 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology In extremely small, liquid-filled channels, long DNA molecules flow faster than shorter ones. This observation could lead to new methods for sorting and separating biomolecules, like DNA, by length. TU Delft and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter, published these research results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Wind turbines on apartment buildings a promising option

18 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology The built environment can also benefit from (small) wind turbines, according to TU Delft researcher Sander Mertens. On September 5, Mertens obtained his PhD degree based on this research subject.

New research puts killer La Palma tsunami at distant future

16 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology The volcanic island of La Palma in the Canaries is much more stable than is generally assumed, Dutch scientists working at the TU Delft have found. The southwestern flank of the island isn’t likely to fall into the sea (potentially causing a tsunami) for at least another 10,000 years, professor Jan Nieuwenhuis states in the September edition of the university’s science magazine Delft Integraal.

Like a snail through the intestinal canal

15 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology The medical device currently used for intestinal research, the colonsope, causes patients great discomfort. At TU Delft, an alternative method has been developed, inspired by the way in which snails move. Researcher Dimitra Dodou received her PhD degree from TU Delft based on this research subject.

New research puts killer La Palma tsunami at distant future

14 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology The volcanic island of La Palma in the Canaries is much more stable than is generally assumed, Dutch scientists working at the TU Delft have found. The southwestern flank of the island isn’t likely to fall into the sea (potentially causing a tsunami) for at least another 10,000 years, professor Jan Nieuwenhuis states in the September edition of the university’s science magazine Delft Integraal.

Internet services design still in its infancy

13 November 2006 - Delft University of Technology Internet services offered by Dutch companies are poorly designed. Coordination with other sales channels, like the good, old-fashioned ‘shop’, leaves a lot to be desired. Luuk Simons, researcher at TU Delft, has devised a method to change all this.

First images of flowing nano ripples

20 April 2006 - Delft University of Technology Delft University of Technology researchers have shed new light on the formation of nanoscale surface features, such as nano ripples. These features are important because they could be useful as templates for growing other nanostructures.

Delft-designed heat shield a boon for spacecraft

23 December 2005 - Delft University of Technology The ceramic heat shields used on craft like the Space Shuttle require huge amounts of maintenance. That is far less of a problem for metal heat shields. Those currently in development, however, are unable to withstand such high temperatures as their ceramic equivalents. But using water to cool the metal could change that.

Loss of sulphur atom reduces activity of catalyst

16 March 2005 - Delft University of Technology Chemical catalysts used to produce clean fuels gradually become less active. Dutch researcher Bas Vogelaar believes that the loss of sulphur atoms might be an important cause of this. He investigated hydroprocessing catalysts which remove sulphur compounds from petrol and diesel.

EC Recycling Demands too simplistic ?

03 December 2004 - Delft University of Technology The European Union is becoming increasingly strict in its rules governing recycling in the automobile branch, but there seems to be little or no theoretical foundation for these rules, says Antoinette van Schaik in her PhD thesis on car recycling.

Sandia polymer electrolyte membrane brings goal of a high temperature PEM fuel cell closer

28 November 2004 - Delft University of Technology A new type of polymer electrolyte membrane is being developed by researchers at the Department of Energy’s Sandia National Laboratories to help bring the goal of a micro fuel cell closer to realization using diverse fuels like glucose, methanol, and hydrogen.