Science – research, development and innovation processes = the way to success
Apart from the cooperation with universities we are also interested in the development of cooperation and reinforcement of links between the corporate sector and research organizations. In solving of the research and development tasks we cooperate especially with the following research organizations:
- UJP Praha a.s., SVÚM a.s.,
- Materiálový a metalurgický výzkum s.r.o. (Material and metallurgical research),
- Výzkumný a zkušební letecký ústav, a.s. (Research and testing avionic institute),
- Ústav aplikované mechaniky Brno, s.r.o. (Institute of applied mechanics in Brno).
An example of the application of science and research is Green Technology
In future the strategy of the group in the area of innovations will apart from the existing production and engineering, be focused especially on Green Technology. This new business trend includes areas of processing of biomass in the biogas stations, its transformation to thermal or electric power up to cleaning of biogas and its use for alternative drives of the cars. In this opportunity CNG Vitall trade mark was newly registered.
The basis of Green Technology consists of traditional Vítkovice areas of production of pressure cylinders and production and assembly of biogas stations, i.e. technologies serving for environmentally friendly production of gas, heat and fuel for motor vehicles These energies are now available either via traditional biogas stations, newly thanks to carriers like pressure vessels and their mutations. Technological development in last years brings about other possibilities of gas storage and transport, consisting in bundles of pressure cylinders and filling stations for CNG-powered vehicles. Those belong to the most progressive products within this technology, whose development is promoted by technicians across all the companies of the group. Technological development of biogas stations focuses especially on the possibilities of use of inputs available in the region both from the agricultural production as well as urban waste. In cooperation with scientific capacities from universities VÍTKOVICE MACHINERY GROUP innovates technology aimed at more efficient use of waste hear from the process of fermentation and its transport. The most common procedures of gas processing include nowadays cogeneration units for production of heat and electric power and subsequent sale of power at subsidized energy price to ČEZ group. As the subsidizing policy is limited as to time, the group focuses on the development of engines and pumps powered by gas, used for irrigation, material transport and the like. Last, but not least, it also includes cleaning of biogas for the purpose of use in standard transport (CNG transport) or in household appliances. The experts currently work on a complex solution of the use of biogas in transport on the following principle: biogas station – waste water treatment plant – CNG filling station.
Interconnection
of the waste water treatment plant, biogas station, cogeneration unit, biogas
cleaning technologies and biomethane filling station composes a whole creating
clean energy from waste. The goal is to provide an integrated complex
technology that will be able to produce a power output from a seemingly
unusable and contaminated input that will serve for further reuse. Actual
pilot project is the extension of biogas station in Pustějov with cleaning and
subsequent compressing in the form of CNG filling station.
CNG usage is a separate chapter within Green Technology with further huge potential of possibilities both on the side of the producers as well as consumers. The solution is beneficial not only for the communal and enterprising sphere, but also for private individuals because compared to traditional approach it is significantly economical and environmentally friendly. Not only in the emission-affected regions CNG is a solution to decrease NOx, CO2, volatile dust and other pollutants originating from transport powered by diesel and gasoline. The savings from operating costs reach 40%. For the companies within the VÍTKOVICE MACHINERY GROUP Green Technology means not only development of component production, but also environmentally friendly and economical operation of the fleet, special handling devices and railway vehicles. By decision of the Chairman of the Board of Directors the entire transport of the Group switched to be driven by CNG.
Within the VÍTKOVICE MACHINERY GROUP four company CNG filling stations are operated and putting of the first big public CNG Vitall filling station in Ruská ulice in Ostrava is scheduled at the end of 2009.
The Green Technology project of VÍTKOVICE MACHINERY GROUP is the ecologization of transport. The company works on project for ecologization of public transport in the CzechRepublic, Slovakia and Poland.
Complex Power Plant Renewal
Within the power engineering field VÍTKOVICE POWER ENGINEERING a.s. provides for complex renewals of power plants.
The project of complex power plant renewal incorporates an entire series of realized research activities regarding for example diagnostics of mills for both power plants, verification of conditions of combustion of lignite, qualification of welding procedures, verification of the results of the mathematical model of the combustion process in the boiler etc.