Pictures of the Future

The Magazine for Research and Innovation | Spring 2010

www.siemens.com/pof

Molecular Detectives

Targeting pathogens and pollu- tants with new technologies

Open Innovation Building Greener Cities

Cost-effective, collaborative roads to knowledge Far-sighted technologies for buildings and urban infrastructures Pictures of the Future Pictures of the Future | Editorial Contents

nna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, Executive Di- the company has created the European Arector of the United Nations Human Green City Index (p. 17), which compares Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), environmental friendliness and associated summed up a crucial trend of our time measures in the continent’s 30 most im- when she said, “2007 was the year in portant cities. The Scandinavian cities of which Homo sapiens became Homo ur- Copenhagen (p. 20), Stockholm, and Oslo banus.” That year marked the first time in (p. 22) top the list, while the eastern Euro- history that the number of city dwellers pean city of Vilnius (p. 31) got very good surpassed the number of people living in marks for its air quality and buildings. rural regions — and the urbanization process But conurbations outside Europe and is far from over. In Asia alone, the popula- China are also doing pioneering work to tion of major cities is expected to grow by create sustainable cities for their citizens — 80 percent by 2030, from 1.6 billion today in many cases with help from Siemens. For to almost 2.7 billion. China already has 175 example, for many years we have been cities with over a million inhabitants, and supporting the city-state of Singapore’s ef- every year settlements accommodating an forts to become a world-class “green” city

Green Cities Molecular Open Innovation A Hallmark of Sustainability Detectives 112 Scenario 2040 160 Scenario 2020 184 Scenario 2020 Dr. Heinrich Hiesinger is CEO of additional 13 million are literally shooting (p. 44). Our input includes help with a cen- Master of the hanging gardens Happy forever... Unlimited wisdom 114 Trends 162 Trends 186 Trends: Tapping new worlds of ideas the Industry Sector and a member out of the ground. ter of expertise for urban development and Urban nature Targeting the nano frontier 189 Interview: Prof. Dr. Frank Piller of the Managing Board of Siemens AG. The slogan of the EXPO 2010 world fair efficient solutions for treating wastewater 117 European Green City Index 65 Interview: Dr. Charles M. Lieber An expert discusses the in Shanghai — “Better City, Better Life” — is and drinking water. Here, we also plan to Ranking environmental compatibility A Harvard scientist explores the con- value of open innovation thus very appropriate. Only sustainable ur- inaugurate a pilot plant that uses electrical 120 Copenhagen vergence of nanoelectronics and cells 190 Soft Tissues Revealed ban development can ensure that tomor- fields to desalinate saltwater in a highly ef- Europe’s greenest city 166 Identifying Invisible Invaders Phase-contrast X-ray imaging row’s cities will remain decent places to ficient process — and consumes less than 122 Oslo and Trondheim When the 2009 H1N1 virus struck, 192 All Charged Up Green milestones Siemens scientists pinpointed the Integrating electric cars into the grid live. From May to October 2010, 240 coun- half the energy required by the best con- 124 Madrid organism’s unique identity 195 Collaboration with Denmark’s DTU tries, cities, and international organizations ventional methods. An alcázar of sustainability 168 Image Fusion Pollutants in the crosshairs will demonstrate energy-efficient and envi- In South Africa, Siemens is playing a key 126 Lisbon: Sun, wind, and a tram The combination of CT and PET 196 Russia: Innovative Ideas ronmentally friendly urban solutions to role in modernizing the infrastructure in 128 South Africa supports early detection of cancer Developing technologies with partners Preparing for kickoff 170 Infrared Spectroscopy 199 Facts and Forecasts EXPO’s expected 70 million visitors. No time for the soccer World Cup (p. 28). The 130 Vilnius: Baroque pearl in a green ring IR light can be used to detect the quality How open innovation affects success other company can offer as broad a spec- projects in which we are participating in- 132 Yekaterinburg: Nyet to waste of coal and the characteristics of cells 100 Technology-to-Business Centers trum of such solutions as Siemens. clude communication technology for traf- 133 Paris: Fast tracks, bright lights 172 Environmental Sensing Amazing ideas from young companies Siemens has received orders worth over fic and safety systems, turbines for the 134 Facts and Forecasts Siemens is developing systems 104 Tongji-University in Shanghai €1 billion in connection with EXPO 2010. power supply, and thousands of LEDs for Green cities: A growing market designed to download satellite data China’s model future 135 Interview: Paul Pelosi 174 Cell-Based Sensing 105 Nanotechnology Around 90 percent of this sum is based on the 350-meter-long arch that rises high The president of San Francisco’s Innovative sensors can discover danger- 106 Nuclear Fusion: Here comes the sun environmental technology. The orders in- above the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Dur- Commission on the Environment ous substances quickly and on the spot 108 Saudi Arabia’s Newest University clude 50,000 energy-saving light-emitting ban. The latter example demonstrates that 36 Interview: Daniel Libeskind 177 Facts and Forecasts An oasis of education diodes (LEDs) on the EXPO grounds, new “enhanced energy efficiency does not con- A star architect on livable cities Detecting water-based threats 109 Energy Research in the U.S. 37 Masdar and Abu Dhabi 178 Tunnel Security CO ’s future underground economy metro lines and parking guidance systems, flict with a beautiful form of architecture,” 2 A desert full of contrasts RFIDs and thermal imaging identify 111 C02 Separation: plus intelligent building technology for as star architect Daniel Libeskind reminds 138 China risky vehicles before they enter tunnels Winning scrubbing agent buildings inside and outside the exhibition us (p. 36). Megacities come of age grounds. Siemens also helped to build the His claim is also supported by many of 142 Interview: Oscar Niemeyer Waigaoqiao power plant, which covers al- the outstanding pavilions at EXPO 2010 in Brazil’s legendary architect on creating the conditions for human dignity most one third of Shanghai’s electricity re- Shanghai. The Theme Pavilion, the EXPO 144 Singapore Sections quirements and is one of the world’s most Center, the Culture Center, as well as the Green testbed Cover: Swinging into tomorrow’s efficient power plants (p. 38). gigantic China Pavilion, all have one thing 146 CO2 Recycling 184 Short Takes 158 Lord Nicholas Stern world — an arch as tall as a 30-story This issue of Pictures of the Future docu- in common: Thanks to ultramodern build- Turning carbon into cash News from Siemens Labs The author of the Stern Report building stretches over the Moses ments how ultramodern solutions for sus- ing technology from Siemens, they con- 149 Vertical Farms 186 Interview: Amory Lovins on climate protection Growing food where it’s needed The founder of the Rocky Moun- 180 Drier Dishes with Zeolite Mabhida Stadium in Durban. Shining tainable urban development are being im- sume up to 25 percent less energy than 151 Energy Management tain Institute on energy Saving energy in the kitchen brightly, thanks to 15,000 LEDs from plemented all over the world (pp. 12-55). conventional buildings, while their operat- A holistic approach to buildings 188 Solar Thermal Power 181 Green Finance Osram, it symbolizes the new South For example, in conjunction with Tongji ing costs are cut by up to 50 percent. After 152 Organic Light Emitting Diodes What Solel means for Siemens Investing in climate protection Africa and demonstrates the multi- University in Shanghai, Siemens develops the world fair is over, these buildings will Walls of light 157 Prof. Dennis Meadows 182 Delphi Study 2030 154 LED Streetlights faceted possibilities associated with “eco-city models” (p. 104) that will enable remain a hallmark of sustainability that will Is “Sustainable Development” The value of digital data Putting Regensburg in the right light an Oxymoron? 114 Feedback/Preview energy-efficient urban design. urban growth and environmental protec- symbolize the significance of Shanghai and tion to go hand in hand in China. In Europe, China.

2 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 3 Open Innovation | Scenario 2020

Highlights

86 Tapping New Worlds of Ideas Partnerships are important for companies striving to use the latest results of fundamental and applied research. In addition, firms have recently started to exploit other open innovation methods. Pages 86, 89.

92 All Charged Up The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is one of Siemens’ most important partner universi- ties. Priorities of a joint research agenda include ways of integrat- ing electric vehicles into tomor- row’s power grids and new solutions for drinking water processing. Pages 92, 95.

104 China’s Model Future Every year, 13 million Chinese move from rural regions into cities. Shanghai’s Tongji University and Siemens are working together to develop Eco-City models that link environmental protection to urban growth.

108 An Oasis of Education Siemens has co-founded an in- dustrial collaboration program at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia.

109 Underground Economy Working with international re- search partners, Siemens is study- Brazil 2020: A Brazilian ing how CO2 can be separated and company develops complex commercially exploited. solutions for corporate Unlimited Wisdom Pages 109, 111. customers all over the world. In its operations it elcome to Open Innovative! I’m Diego, flown to Brazil — partly because this country I can only nod at this point, but Diego has The concept of open innovation was first combines the advantages Wthe Managing Director.” A taxi has just has always fascinated me. already started to tell me about his company: conceived about 20 years ago. Today it’s an deposited me at the gates of a slightly dilapi- I don’t know what I expected the headquar- “Open Innovative provides companies in every essential aspect of the work being done in of a gigantic global knowl- dated beach house, and I can hardly believe ters of a global market leader to look like, but sector with research partnerships and develop- 2020research laboratories all over the world. Open edge network with those of my eyes. I’m a recent graduate of an interdisci- this beach house is a disappointment. Nor did I ment solutions of every kind — but of course Innovative is a company that specializes in virtual space. That saves plinary program in IT and engineering in Bre- imagine I would be meeting a man dressed in a you already know that. To achieve our aims, all development projects of all kinds. Managing men, Germany, and not long ago I applied for a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, but there we need are some smart employees, storage director Diego is showing Johannes Quistorp time and money and mini- job with the global market leader in the area of he is, slap-slapping his way toward me. Am I space, and computing power in the cloud — in how the company performs even the most mizes risk. A look at IT spe- open innovation (OI) in the city of Niterói in really in the right place? I did check the address other words, in virtual space.” I begin to blush. complex tasks with the help of its knowledge Brazil. To my amazement, I immediately got on the card several times, didn’t I? — But I’m It seems as if my new boss is reading my mind. network and the Internet. cialist Johannes Quistorp’s the job. Even in this virtual age it’s still good brought back to the here and now when the Diego leads me to a wing of the villa and first day on the job. form to show up in person for a job, so I’ve man calls out, “You must be Johannes, right?” places his palm against a security panel. The

84 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 85 Open Innovation | Scenario 2020 | Trends As Siemens strengthens its portfolio for the long term with some 1,000 cooperative projects a year, the com- pany and its partners at universities around the world gain insights from each other’s fields of expertise. door opens and we enter a room with a round work from an online database of products and Meanwhile, in the healthcare sector, Siemens table standing in the center. “This is our show- processing techniques. This is where we also is working with partners to develop new types of room,” explains Diego. He presses a button, store information about the customer’s re- phase-contrast X-ray systems that can render a which causes a three-dimensional hologram to quirements. In the case of eco-cities, this infor- large variety of soft tissues in minute detail — an rise up out of the table. The hologram shows a mation includes 3D models of individual infra- improvement that makes diagnoses more precise strange structure that seems to be a confused structure elements, including prices, the (see p. 90). tangle of connected points and lines. “This is weather parameters of various regions, and At Siemens Corporate Technology (CT) a our trump card,” Diego tells me proudly. “It’s the green requirements that must be fulfilled specialized department focuses on the vital in- our gigantic knowledge network. Each of these by construction materials. Using this informa- terface between the company and its universi- tens of thousands of points stands for an ama- tion, our researchers can build up true-to-life ty collaborators. The department coordinates the teur inventor, a scientist or a complete re- models of everything in virtual space within a work carried out with partners, including activ- search institute that has registered on our In- few weeks, test it, and optimize it.” ity parameters. “Together with our strategic ternet platform and will make its knowledge It’s clear to me how enthusiastic Diego is project partners, we want to move innovations available upon request. The countless lines about these processes. “A particular highlight forward,” explains Department Head Dr. Natascha show how all of these points are communicat- of this project was the infrastructure we creat- Eckert. “Our principal task in that regard is to work ing with one another. The center of the struc- ed for the eco-cities,” he continues. “We had to with the Siemens Sectors and Corporate Tech- ture is our company, because this is where all integrate large and small power plants, renew- nology to constantly identify new opportunities the communications ultimately meet.” able energies, electric automobiles, storage and forms of collaboration with universities.” “What’s actually new about that?” I interject. devices for heat and cold, smart buildings, and “Internet service providers have been applying thousands of electric meters. Then we had to The University as Partner. Siemens thus this principle for years.” Diego nods in agree- simulate consumer behavior in the region and forges links worldwide with top universities, ment. “You’re right, but our services go far be- connect the system up with further new solu- for example by entering into strategic partner- yond those offered by other OI providers. We tions that we had developed in secondary proj- ships with them. The aim is to pursue research don’t just help our customers to find individual ects.” together, encourage talent, and establish net- solutions for various small problems. We also He points to parts of the hologram. “For ex- works. With this in mind, Siemens has set up offer them the option of having us develop ample, major research institutes in Russia con- so-called “Centers of Knowledge Interchange” complete solutions of every kind for them.” He tributed their latest synthesis gas turbines, and (CKIs) on the campuses of a number of univer- makes a steering movement and a camera a U.S. university had just developed a highly sities (see Pictures of the Future, Fall 2006, that’s hidden somewhere obviously interprets efficient method of CO2 separation for this p. 66). “Each CKI is supervised by a Siemens- it correctly, as the hologram of a virtual labora- type of turbine. A brilliant architect from paid key account manager at the university,” tory immediately appears. “I’ll show you a cur- Madagascar suggested to us how we could use says Eckert. “This person coordinates coopera- rent example,” says Diego. “The United Nations captured greenhouse gas to boost harvests in tive work locally, identifies partners, organizes has commissioned us to take models of eco- the agricultural areas he had built into his workshops, and nominates students for cities — in other words, plans for sustainable green high-rises. As you see, these are all very Siemens programs for scholars.” Siemens cur- urban development with customized infra- complex aspects that we have to optimize Tapping New Worlds of Ideas rently operates eight CKIs, which are located at structures — and to transfer them to virtual through the interaction of our worldwide ex- Munich Technical University, Berlin Technical space in a way that is true to life. Then we have perts. To make sure all these interactions pro- University, and the RWTH Aachen in Germany; to harmonize their individual elements, such ceed smoothly and that creativity and produc- Potentially, game- enry Ford was a technology pioneer. He in question involves the latest findings in basic at DTU in Copenhagen; at Tsinghua University as transportation, water supply, and building tivity go hand in hand, we need our changing innovations Hfounded one of the most successful auto- or applied research. in Beijing and Tongji University in Shanghai; as technology, with one another down to the administrators. And that’s exactly the job we mobile companies and was the first to introduce And naturally, this is true of Siemens as well as in the U.S. at the Massachusetts Insti- smallest detail and optimize their efficiency. want you to do. As part of a virtual team, you are everywhere. They assembly line production, which revolutionized well. Every year the company enters into over tute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, and the Urban growth and environmental protection can of course do your work on any computer are hidden in the minds manufacturing industries. Despite his capacity for 1,000 cooperative projects with universities, University of California, Berkeley. should go hand in hand.” anywhere in the world.” of employees and cus- invention, though, Ford was for the most part un- research institutes, and industrial partners in an CKIs reflect the technologies and markets that Diego once again makes a hand movement Diego notices that I can hardly wait to start able to develop his ideas alone. effort to strengthen its portfolio of innovations have a promising future for Siemens,” says that resembles turning a page in a book, and my new job, and he decides to slow down my tomers and in projects at And he recognized this. One of his most fa- for the long term. Eckert. In addition to its expertise in renewable the hologram shows some new details. “As enthusiasm just a bit. “We’re going to start you universities and research mous statements, in fact, was an assertion that In the Energy Sector, for example, Siemens is energies research, DTU, for example, is also with every commission, the customer sent us off on an easy project. A hospital operator is “coming together is a beginning; keeping together developing the technology for carbon dioxide cap- engaged in research with Siemens focused on detailed requirements, including the maxi- looking for a university to work with on a pilot institutes. Tapping these is progress; working together is success.” He took ture in power plants, and is striving to make it membrane technologies for water treatment (see mum costs for materials and operation. We fed project involving knowledge databases for car- sources is something his idea for the assembly line, for instance, ready for commercial use in collaboration with p. 95). Munich Technical University contributes these figures into our knowledge network — diovascular diseases. So we’re going to launch employers are doing to from the conveyor belt used in Chicago slaugh- energy suppliers in Germany and Finland and its expertise in the field of health care technol- including the amount of the award that will be an ideas competition in which universities can terhouses, which required each worker to perform well-known research institutes in the Netherlands ogy for the development of phase-contrast X-ray granted for the best solutions. At that point we submit their concepts to our network. You’re an ever increasing ex- only a few tasks. Ford expanded on this idea for (see p. 111). systems. And scientists at the prestigious Tongji opened up a virtual laboratory on the Internet, going to coordinate that project.” tent. As they do so, they his own purposes, and the rest, as they say, is his- At the same time, Siemens is testing the in- University in Shanghai are working with Siemens as we do for every one of our projects. De- Diego then adds with a smile, “But first, as are opening the doors of tory. tegration of electric cars into the power grid with on the development of “eco-city” models. It is pending on the complexity of the order and your new boss I have to find out if you know Today “working together” is still an effective several companies, as well as Denmark Techni- hoped that these models will help to reconcile the knowledge they can contribute, individual how to surf.” I look at him in amazement. He their labs, exchanging way to accelerate the development of new tech- cal University (DTU) in Copenhagen. Here, the ob- the extraordinarily rapid growth of Chinese Open Innovators who have registered with us laughs and points to the wall at the other end ideas with external part- nologies. And this is especially true for compa- jective is to get electric cars hooked up to sock- cities with environmental protection needs (see can then log into these virtual labs, no matter of the room. “I don’t mean surfing the Inter- nies whose business success depends on inno- ets as soon as possible so they can be used as a p. 104). where they are located. Our innovators can get net!” he exclaims. “Grab a surfboard — we’re ners, and creating a vations. Such companies often have to rely on the storage medium for fluctuating quantities of wind- Of course, these cooperative projects bene- the virtual components they need for their off to the beach!” Sebastian Webel world of synergies. expertise of others, particularly when the work generated electric power (see p. 92). fit not just Siemens but also its partners. Scien-

86 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 87 Open Innovation | Trends

tists working on CKI projects benefit from ex- scribe their problem on an e-broker website, such working platform to take part in a vote arranged explains Prof. Piller. Nevertheless, he believes that the sixth time since 2001 that Siemens has been Lackner hopes to pursue open innovation posure to issues of practical interest to industry, as NineSigma or yet2com, and offer a cash reward by Japanese noodle maker Acecook to determine companies will never expose all their expertise among MAKE’s top finalists. Lackner is now methods further within Siemens as well, because thus allowing them to go beyond purely academic for the best solution. And that solution can come which flavors consumers like most. In much the to outsiders, in part because of the issue of patent considering organizing new idea competitions at they provide a vehicle for discussing future research. What is more, it’s not at uncommon for from a large IT company in India or from an am- same way, fans of automaker Fiat had a chance protection. In his opinion, OI will therefore only Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH, Osram, trends with large numbers of employees and to young scientists at partner institutions to find jobs ateur developer in Germany. Approximately half to contribute design ideas for the new Fiat 500. supplement the classic approach of in-house de- and at universities. Colleges could submit pro- also identify the best ideas. Another two-month at Siemens later on. of the problems are successfully solved in this way. Consumer goods manufacturer Procter & velopment instead of replacing it. posals for research projects, and the one with the idea competition is therefore set to start in mid So it’s not surprising that large companies like Gamble plans to put special emphasis on cus- OI specialist Lackner is planning to bring about most promising concept would then be award- April, and will be dedicated to the topic of sus- The Internet as Research Platform. In addi- BASF, Novartis, and Nestlé are likewise using this tomer input through crowdsourcing. Over the even greater integration of the various open in- ed a partnership with Siemens. tainability. Says Lackner: “No matter how differ- tion to cooperative projects, there is another way method of finding solutions. long term, the company intends to generate half novation tools at Siemens. The success that “Whereas idea competitions identify the best ent the individual OI methods may be, they have for companies such as Siemens to broaden their In addition, Siemens has developed its own of all new products by means of customer feed- Siemens has so far enjoyed with OI makes him new ideas, which are later implemented, e-bro- one thing in common. They complement tradi- research horizons: a paradigm known as “open tool to foster networking among employees back. “With crowdsourcing, companies can take confident. In February 2010 the company was kers locate solutions that already exist,” says Lack- tional research and development by integrating innovation” (OI). “In contrast to a classic research within the company. “When it comes to the the needs of customers into account more ranked second for its knowledge management ner. “This is especially useful in the case of com- the creativity and expertise of many people partnership with a framework agreement, in this process of finding solutions, our internal Siemens quickly and react rapidly to dynamic market con- and its OI activities in the European Most Admired plex technical problems relevant to the Siemens into the innovation process. They therefore case the developer searching for a solution calls tool, which is called TechnoWeb, more or less cor- ditions. That leads in some cases to a huge com- Knowledge Enterprises (MAKE) study by inter- Sectors that work with power plants, industrial broaden the R&D horizon in a relatively simple for bids via the Internet and thereby integrates responds to the e-broker principle,” says Lackn- petitive advantage,” says Rudzinski. national market research firm Teleos. This marks facilities, and medical devices.” way.” Sebastian Webel

Open Road to Innovation

| Interview

What is open innovation? Who practices open innovation? Piller: “OI” represents a completely new Piller: Often it’s companies that lack a large way to organize the innovation process. In- corporation’s development capacity. But big stead of a company relying exclusively on its companies have discovered OI too. Hewlett Open innovation makes it relatively easy for own R&D capabilities, it calls upon the assis- Packard (HP), for example, runs its own OI developers to enhance their potential for innova- tance of external problem-solvers and inte- platform on the web — the “Idea Lab.” With its external problem-solvers, and sometimes foreign tion. Osram, for example, used an ideas competition Siemens lighting subsidiary Osram has also grates them into the innovation process. As a “Emotionalize your Light” idea competition, ones, into its innovation process,” explains Prof. to garner over 600 proposals for lighting solutions, gained experience in the OI field. In 2009 Osram result, developers use the outside world to Osram generated new design ideas for lamps Frank Piller, an innovation management expert as was the case with this chromatic ball. set up its “LED — Emotionalize your Light” idea enhance their potential for innovation. In this and created a best practice in Germany. But at RWTH Aachen (see p. 89), a prestigious tech- competition. The competition gave profession- way, companies acquire expertise and solu- even if used internally, OI can represent a nical university in northwestern Germany. This al designers and amateurs alike an opportunity tions without huge expenditures. This applies great opportunity, especially for companies strategy of open innovation is already being im- er. “Put simply, it works like an Internet forum in to submit, inspect, and discuss their lighting ideas to B2B as well as to consumer products. Com- that operate worldwide and have lots of in- plemented in various ways by many different which any registered employee can post a spe- online. The overall goal was to identify practical panies use OI to ensure that their products house expertise — like Siemens. In this case companies — including Siemens. cific problem. Whether it’s a complex technical and affordable lighting solutions that are easy for Prof. Frank Piller, 40, has meet the needs of customers, thereby lower- there aren’t any problems with confidentiality One type of open innovation is known as the matter or just a question about how to use Mi- users to operate and install. Prizes were award- held the Chair in Technol- ing the risk of flops. They specifically ask what or patents because everything stays within the “innovation jam.” Web-based, and usually in- crosoft Word — every user can see and answer ed for the best ideas. ogy and Innovation Man- customers want, or they might even actively company. Researchers from a wide variety of house, these moderated discussions with hun- these questions. That speeds up the work routines Entries included a floating scallop lamp that agement at RWTH Aachen, include them in the development of a product departments who might otherwise never dreds or even thousands of participants are de- of individual users an awful lot.” provides relaxing hues of light in the bathtub, and — for instance with traditional idea competi- meet can use OI to pool their knowledge and signed to find and evaluate new ideas. “Toward the “chromatic ball” (see images above), which Germany, since 2007. Prof. tions. quite easily create synergy effects. At present, the end of 2009 we set up a jam, where we asked The Customer as Development Partner. The uses acceleration sensors to change the color of Piller received his doctor- only a few companies are making use of this our employees in what ways future IT and com- most widespread method of open innovation, its light when rotated. “More than 600 ideas were ate in business administra- Doesn’t OI endanger the intellectual OI potential in a systematic way. munications technologies such as cloud com- however, is called “crowdsourcing.” “In this case, submitted during the competition, and most of tion in Würzburg and led property rights of the developer? puting could change the way Siemens does busi- companies outsource their inventiveness, as it them are technically feasible,” says Lackner, the Customer Driven Value Piller: OI operates within the existing patent- Can OI replace the traditional in-house ness,” says CT researcher Dr. Thomas Lackner, who were, by getting customers actively involved in who is confident that Osram will implement one Creation research group at ing process as long as the rules of the proce- approach to development? is responsible for open innovation issues at th e innovation process th rough networking or more of these ideas in the not-too-distant fu- Munich’s Technical Univer- dure are properly defined, such as with non- Piller: No, OI will complement the traditional Siemens. “Thanks to roughly 1,000 contributions platforms or idea competitions, for example,” says ture. sity. Until his appointment disclosure agreements or waivers of rights. But approach by offering very efficient develop- from those who took part, we were able to de- Caroline Rudzinski from Management Zentrum Despite these successful scenarios, many companies aren’t the only ones to have these ment alternatives. It will probably take several velop some initial concepts for responding to Witten (MZW), which has been dealing with the companies are still reluctant to open up their in- in Aachen, he was a Re- concerns. Today most amateur inventors are years before it becomes firmly embedded in these evolving trends.” subject of collective intelligence for some time novation processes, because they fear a loss of search Fellow at the Sloan glad to be actively involved in the develop- innovation processes. It’s the same as with Siemens is making use of OI methods in re- now and is analyzing the use of open innovation intellectual property or worry that it may not be School of Management at ment of a product, in exchange for waiving many new approaches to management — search as well. When faced with particularly tricky in th e business market. possible to patent OI products. “But OI takes place the Massachusetts Insti- rights. But over time, they will become more they’re discussed with great enthusiasm and problems, Siemens researchers sometimes turn The list of companies now using crowd- entirely within the existing patenting process if tute of Technology in assertive, and a company will then have to al- then not implemented on a broad basis for to “e-brokers,” who team up with external prob- sourcing is long. In 2008, for example, approx - the rules are defined properly — such as with a Boston, Massachusetts. low them to enjoy a share in the success of a five or ten years. lem-solvers. In such cases, developers publicly de- imately 4,000 people used a dedicated net- non-disclosure agreement or a waiver of rights,” product. Interview by Sebastian Webel

88 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 89 Open Innovation | Phase-Contrast X-Ray Imaging Franz Pfeiffer (left, above) uses a new radiography technique to create images with greater detail than conventional X-ray systems allow — as the photos of a fish and a Kinder surprise egg show (right). particle accelerator and that from a conventional tional —and in this instance exactly known — grating the interferometer into an X-ray sys- X-ray source is similar to the difference be- phase shift. This is what makes it possible for the tem. The demands placed on the components tween laser light and an incandescent light phase information contained in the X-rays to be pose special challenges. Medical imaging re- bulb. The waves of light emitted by a laser oscillate deciphered by means of the third grating. Like the quires the use of high-energy X-rays, so the exactly in time with one another — that is, they first grating, the third one consists of silicon and gratings’ slits have to be finer than those in are perfectly in phase. In similar fashion, the X- gold. To measure wave intensity, this grating is Pfeiffer’s system — in this case, no more than ray light from a synchrotron is almost completely moved relative to the second grating, and a de- 2.5 micrometers across. Similarly, the gaps be- synchronous. By contrast, the X-ray sources tector records the signals. The measured values tween the gratings, X-ray source, and detector used in hospitals produce too much interference, because they radiate a spectrum of wavelengths in all directions. This is why the scientific world In 2004, experts declared that phase-contrast imaging declared in 2004 that phase-contrast imaging was was impossible — but Pfeiffer proved them wrong. impossible with conventional X-ray sources. But scientists hadn’t reckoned with physicist Franz Pfeiffer, Professor of Biomedical Physics at are compared to measurements made without could be freely modified in Pfeiffer’s original the TUM. Back in 2004, Prof. Pfeiffer was re- the object. The difference between the two is the setup. In the new system, all these compo- searching at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzer- phase contrast, and it is visible in the image as nents will have to fit into less space. land, where he went on to publish his revolu- levels of gray. The detectors will also have to be adapted to tionary findings in 2006. Pfeiffer also used syn- In 2006, shortly after Pfeiffer had published the new specifications. As with a digital camera, chrotron radiation for his initial research, but in his image of a fish, he started working with the images from the new X-ray system are conjunction with a Talbot-Lau interferometer, a Siemens. His initial encounter occurred at a trade made up of pixels. The more radiation and the piece of equipment primarily found in atomic fair for X-ray systems. Siemens researchers, in- greater the number of pixels, the better the im- physics rather than X-ray physics. His ground- cluding Dr. Eckhard Hempel, at that time with the age quality. In the interest of patients, however, breaking idea was to also use the interferometer company’s Healthcare Sector, immediately rec- radiation dosage must be minimized. Finding the

Gratings for sharper images

Grating Object Grating Grating Detector Soft Tissues Revealed 1 2 3 X-ray source They’re used every day in hospitals, but X-ray images don’t really offer the kind of detail needed to deter- mine the size and structure of a tumor. With a new technique called “phase-contrast X-ray imaging,” however, this may be about to change.

n experienced radiographer can read much An X-ray image of the head, for example, will whether X-rays penetrate anatomy or not, phase- with a normal X-ray tube. His first phase-contrast ognized the potential of Pfeiffer’s development. optimal combination here is the job of re- Amore from the gray tones of an X-ray image clearly reveal the bones of the skull, which ab- contrast imaging measures the effect that pass- images showed a fish at an unprecedented The remaining partners came on board in 2008, searchers led by Prof. Gisela Anton of the Uni- than can a lay person. But it can be difficult for sorb a lot of radiation, but not much of the brain, ing through bodily tissue has on their phase — level of precision. the year the project was launched. “Integrating versity of Erlangen-Nürnberg. They aim to improve even a trained eye to determine the exact size which shows up as just a uniform patch of gray. in other words, how much the (X-ray) waveform Pfeiffer’s Talbot-Lau interferometer consists of phase-contrast X-ray imaging in a conventional the detector and the parameters of the grating and structure of a tumor. This information, With higher soft tissue contrast, however, indi- is shifted with respect to its original position. The three gratings made of silicon. These look like X-ray system for human diagnostics was a radi- structure so that the best image can be achieved however, is vital for selecting the right treatment. vidual areas can be clearly distinguished, including same principle makes air bubbles visible in wa- small plates with slits cut into them at intervals cal idea — and it still is,” says Hempel. “But we with the least possible radiation exposure. In a joint project established in 2008 with the sup- any tissue abnormalities — such as a tumor. The ter, for instance, due to the different refractive of only a few micrometers. The first grating’s slits succeeded in showing that it works. And that’s The project is scheduled for completion in port of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education technique could therefore reveal the size and po- indices of the two media. This phase shift is very are filled with gold. It is placed between the X- why we won in the BMBF Innovation Competition 2012, but that won’t be the end of the research. and Research (BMBF), researchers from Siemens, sition of a lesion at an early stage, enabling doc- revealing because it varies depending on the ray source and the object under examination, and for the Advancement of Medical Technology.” Unlike absorption radiography, which can draw the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, the Institute tors to determine the right treatment, including nature of the tissue through which the radiation its job is to make the chaotic radiation emitted on many years of experience, the field of phase- of Technology in Karlsruhe, and the Technical Uni- the precise dosage of radiation therapy. The same is refracted. This effect is very small, though, and by the X-ray source as synchronous as possible. Low Radiation. The project’s goal is an instru- contrast X-ray imaging is largely unexplored. versity of Munich (TUM) are now investigating applies to mammograms. Here, too, the new tech- must be amplified. The gold absorbs the X-rays, while silicon lets ment that will seamlessly integrate into every- “That’s what’s so fascinating,” says Anton. “There’s a promising new imaging method known as nique could improve the contrast of blurry images However, until recently this was impossible them pass through, resulting in a large number day hospital procedures. To do that, it must be so much to investigate.” For her and the other sci- “phase-contrast X-ray imaging.” of breast tissue. with conventional X-ray systems. The first ap- of quasi-coherent X-ray waves. When these no larger than a conventional system and must entists, the biggest motivation is knowing the Unlike conventional radiography, which is This improved performance is based on the proaches to this problem emerged over 20 years waves strike tissue, they alter their phase. The sec- not exceed the time or cost of today’s examina- benefit that this new technique will bring to doc- based on the absorption of X-rays, this technique fact that phase-contrast imaging not only meas- ago and involved the use of special crystal optics. ond grating consists purely of silicon. Its job is to tions. With this in mind, the Karlsruhe Institute tors and patients alike. For as soon as phase-con- could reveal various types of soft tissue such as ures X-ray absorption, but also shifts in the The method only works with monochromatic recombine the individual partial waves — a of Technology is enhancing the gratings, and trast imaging works in clinical practice — and muscles and tendons, all in high contrast. Con- phase of the waves. Like visible light, X-rays can radiation, however, like that generated by an process known to specialists as interference. the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg is improv- none of the partners sees any reason to doubt ventional radiography exploits the fact that be regarded as both particles and waves. Where- expensive synchrotron source. The difference At the same time, the part of the radiation that ing the detectors. Siemens researchers, mean- this — it will likely open up a host of new diag- bone and tissue absorb X-rays to differing degrees. as pure absorption-based radiography records between the radiation produced by this type of passes through the silicon undergoes an addi- while, are working with Pfeiffer’s team on inte- nostic possibilities. Helen Sedlmeier

90 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 91 Open Innovation | Electric Vehicles There’s still a long road ahead before electric cars like the eRuf Stormster (below) can recharge on wind-generated electricity. Siemens and Danish company Lithium Balance are helping the vision become a reality (right). safely? And how is everyone to be billed? Two the charging time. That’s why Holthusen’s ing the software infrastructure for linking de- major cooperative projects in Denmark and the team of researchers is developing 120 kW centralized components, the Eurisco develop- Harz are seeking answers to these questions technology, which reduces the charging time ment firm, and energy suppliers Dong Energy with the help of Siemens experts. to just a few minutes. However, with charging and Østkraft. The latter are mainly interested One project is headquartered at the Risø re- currents of up to 300 amperes and 400 volts of in practical solutions for feeding wind power search center at the Technical University of alternating current (a.c.), the load is equivalent into the net; Østkraft is also organizing a field Denmark (DTU), not far from the famous to powering nearly 20 households. test on Bornholm. With wind energy continu- Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde. The center “Heat generation during recharging with ing to expand worldwide, Holthusen and his houses wind turbines, solar photovoltaic sys- a.c. is one of the biggest challenges at the mo- colleagues believe all the technologies they’re tems, a transformer station, and a vanadium- ment,” explains Holthusen, who is testing working on have good chances of market suc- ion liquid battery the size of a shipping con- charge controllers that would be installed in cess. In the Outside Car area alone, they esti- tainer. Here, the energy consumers are electric heating units in the center’s office buildings, hybrid cars, and several small batteries that Siemens researchers are working on a 120 kW system simulate additional vehicles. The research cen- for recharging electric vehicles in just a few minutes. ter thus has a miniature power grid that can be used to test the interaction between various components. vehicles as well as those that would be part of mate that global demand for electronic com- Risø is home to Denmark’s EDISON (“Electri- charging stations. Onboard controllers offer ponents capable of expanding the power grid cal vehicles in a Distributed and Integrated the benefit of not having to be integrated into and charging infrastructure will total over ten market using Sustainable energy and Open the power pump, which reduces infrastructure billion euros by 2020. Networks) project, the world’s first major effort costs. Such controllers also ensure that each The German government is funding the ex- for bringing a pool of vehicles to power out- vehicle optimally controls the charging process pansion of electric mobility in eight regions. In lets. Practical testing will begin in 2011 on the in line with its battery’s requirements. External Munich, Siemens is participating in a pilot proj- island of Bornholm. “We’re focusing mostly on controllers, on the other hand, are better at ect with BMW and the local municipal utility the question of how electric vehicles can be dissipating heat, thus enabling higher charg- (SWM). Here, BMW plans to expand its trial charged quickly, safely, and efficiently,” says ing currents. fleet of “Mini-E” electric vehicles to at least 40, All Charged Up Major cooperative projects are paving the way for the launch of electric vehicles. Experts from industry and universities are creating the technological basis for link- ing vehicles to the power grid. In fact, field tests are now under way, especially in Denmark and Germany. One key objective is to use electric cars as energy storage units that can compensate for fluctuations in wind power.

s recently as five years ago, the idea that large portion of their electricity from renew- ilege. And the problem could get worse, since Sven Holthusen, who is responsible for the No one knows which charging technology Siemens is providing technology for the next- Ahundreds of thousands of electric cars able sources, especially wind. In Denmark, the the share of electricity generated by wind pow- EDISON project at Siemens’ Energy Sector. will gain the upper hand. That’s why Siemens generation charging infrastructure — includ- could be on the road in Europe by 2020 was figure is 20 percent; in the Harz, wind, biogas er is increasing in both the Harz and Denmark. Holthusen and his colleagues analyze, for ex- is developing different technologies in parallel ing fast charging — and SWM is supplying considered a futuristic scenario. Hardly anyone and solar facilities cover 50 percent of energy The latter hopes to have around 50 percent of ample, how a vehicle can be recharged at dif- in its Inside Car and Outside Car electric mobil- “green” electricity. Siemens has also launched believed that the idea of driving with electricity needs. As a result, both regions often face the its average electricity demand covered by wind ferent types of charging stations or how a ity teams. The teams develop and test compo- a project in Berlin in which electric vehicles are could be implemented so quickly, and on such same problem: too much wind energy. by 2025. large number of batteries can be recharged si- nents for vehicles and grid technologies. being used on a daily basis as company cars. a grand scale. Times have changed, however, When strong wind causes turbines to really Electric vehicles could help solve the prob- multaneously. Holthusen is also looking at direct current The project includes six electric smart models and work on readying electric cars for everyday get moving, they can actually meet more than lem by acting as a virtual surplus electricity Holthusen knows that electric cars will be- (DC), since it allows batteries to be charged provided by Daimler, which can “fill up” at 20 use is proceeding at full speed. At the same 100 percent of each region’s electricity de- storage system. Specifically, thousands of elec- come truly attractive to consumers only when without a controller. “However, DC is more charging stations at the main Siemens loca- time, some components of their energy source mand. To prevent the grid from overloading, tric cars would recharge their batteries when they can travel long distances and be dangerous, mainly because of the arcing that tions in Berlin. Siemens has its own medium — the power grid — are being completely re- wind facilities in Harz are shut down — much winds are strong, primarily at night. Converse- recharged within a few minutes. Electric cars occurs in the event of a short circuit. Common- and low-voltage network here, which can defined (see Pictures of the Future, Fall 2009, to the annoyance of their operators. Danish ly, during periods of calm, they could resupply these days are normally charged at an 11 kilo- ly used AC fuses cannot be used for protection charge or discharge the cars. p. 44). Two European regions in particular are energy suppliers, however, are legally required the grid at higher prices. It’s a great idea — but watt (kW) outlet. A typical battery with a 25- in such a situation.” Holthusen is thus working leading the way to the future of electric mobil- to use the excess wind power, which they pass can it work? For example, how can electric cars kilowatt-hour (kWh) storage capacity thus on new, safe approaches for DC supply. Fast Charging. The Harz.EE-Mobility project ity — Denmark and Germany’s Harz region in on to their European neighbors. What’s more, and the power grid communicate reliably? takes more than two hours to fully recharge. Along with the DTU and Siemens, EDISON has 15 partners. They include several research the country’s middle. Both already obtain a they have to pay transmission fees for the priv- How can vehicles be recharged quickly and Increasing the charging power would lower project partners include IBM, which is develop- institutes and universities, public utilities, pow-

92 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 93 Open Innovation | Electric Vehicles | Drinking Water Dr. Dieter Wegener, CTO of Siemens Industry Solutions (left), and experts at the Danish Technical University discuss how endocrine disruptors in water can be neutralized. er grid operator E.ON Avacon, Deutsche Bahn, with many companies — including RWE, EDF, ous charging at the Magdeburg railway station Siemens, and mobile radio company Voda- Better Place, BMW, Daimler, Renault, Toyota, parking garage. Deutsche Bahn, which oper- fone. Together, these partners are paving the Honda, and Ford — on international ISO/IEC ates car-sharing fleets, is very interested in the way for future electric mobility in the Harz re- standardization of a communication protocol. results. gion. The project seeks to identify ways of Such a protocol would make it possible for making recharging convenient, intelligent, and power pumps and vehicles from all automak- Intelligent Grid. “When you include all the reliable. The partners have already installed ers to exchange data via the pump’s cable or a wind turbines, biogas and solar energy facili- the first power pumps not only in the Harz but wireless link. The protocol is to include a sys- ties, small power plants, and cars, our project also in Copenhagen, Denmark, where vehicles tem for multi-stage vehicle authentication, will link around 2,000 electrical units,” says Heuer. “There’s never been a project that big before.” With the help of communication solu- Without coordination, the simultaneous recharging of tions that align supply and demand, it may many vehicles could overload local grids. even be possible to increase the share of eco- friendly electricity involved to more than 50- percent by adding locally-produced energy from the EDISON project also recharge. EDI- which would prevent misuse and electricity from renewable sources. That energy would SON and Harz.EE-Mobility thus complement theft. Heuer also serves as a consultant in vari- then no longer have to be exported. “With such one another and share results. Whereas the ous standardization bodies. a large number of electricity producers and EDISON partners focus mainly on power elec- Vodafone is involved in the Harz.EE-Mobili- consumers involved, it isn’t practical to estab- tronics and fast charging technology, the Harz ty project because charging at various stations lish an overriding control center like the tradi- project is concentrating on the charging resembles cell phone roaming between differ- tional ones used in centralized networks and Taking Aim at Pollutants process and vehicle-grid communication. ent wireless providers. Given that the future major power plants,” says Heuer. In other “The most important thing for users is that billing process might therefore be similar, words, nothing will work without intelligent charging should be fast and simple,” says Dr. Vodafone is contributing its experience with communication technologies and predictive al- Before long, oxidation systems will be used to destroy pesticides, hormones, and Jörg Heuer, who is responsible for the Harz movement profiles. After all, it’s relatively easy gorithms. Researchers are particularly interest- project at Siemens Corporate Technology. to find out where a cell phone is and where it ed in how the grid will behave when electric antibiotics in drinking water. To this end, Siemens experts are developing efficient, Achieving this goal will require automatic com- goes when it’s on. “In our project, we want to cars link up and disconnect. To this end, proj- energy-saving solutions in collaboration with researchers at the DTU in Copenhagen.

o one really knows how dangerous they treatment steps with activated carbon are partnerships. Several years ago, Siemens set Nare. They flow with waste water out of required to remove extra chemicals and by- up a CKI program (Center of Knowledge Inter- plastics factories, or pass into sewage pipes products. change) to foster such relationships, which are when toilets are flushed. The intractable chemi- Experts from Siemens Water Technologies based on a common framework agreement cals in question even survive bacteria in in Günzburg, Germany, are now developing a with the universities in question (p. 86). The sewage treatment plants. They are called “en- much more efficient and economical system. To DTU, which has been a leader in the develop- docrine disruptors,” and these long-lived com- achieve their goals, they are working with spe- ment of environmental technology for many pounds are suspected of having an effect on cialists at the Technical University of Denmark years, has been a CKI university since 2006. the hormonal systems of humans. They in- (DTU) in Copenhagen. Chemist Henrik Rasmus “With the CKI program, we try to achieve clude plant pesticides, active agents in birth Andersen’s team has been researching AOP loyal, long-term cooperation giving rise to control pills, and chemicals from the synthetic units for years and has developed first-rate an- many individual joint research projects,” says resins industry. Some of them can cause can- alytical procedures for detecting mere micro- Dr. Dieter Wegener, chief technology officer of At the Risø research center, scientists from the cer, while others are believed to cause male grams of endocrine disruptors or antibiotics in Siemens Industry Solutions. For a long time, Technical University of Denmark and Siemens are fish to turn into female fish. water. The team is now working with Siemens companies in the industrial sector were cau- munication between the vehicle and power testing how electric cars, power grids, and renewable ect staff are developing mathematical rules Because they cannot be destroyed with on a new reaction chamber that will be more tious when it came to working with external pump. Europe now has a standardized connec- energy generation systems can operate in harmony. that use the principles of probability theory to conventional biological sewage treatment efficient than comparable systems. Because partners; they were worried about the effects tor that includes not only a charging cable ca- predict when, where, and how many vehicles technology, they accumulate in the environ- radicals are extremely short-lived, the flows in of transferring knowledge to outsiders. pable of handling up to 44 kW but also a data- will require electricity. ment. To get rid of them, heavier weaponry is the system — the fluid dynamics — have a Siemens has liberated itself from this fear. “If exchange channel. The power pump uses a study the extent to which movement profiles To make recharging easier, the project con- needed: hydrogen peroxide or ozone, for ex- considerable influence on the cleansing effect you want to make big advances in develop- communication protocol to determine when a of electric vehicles can reveal information sortium includes experts in user-friendliness. ample, which form aggressive radicals and of the chamber. The geometry of the chamber ment and you’re aiming for radical innovations, vehicle is ready for charging. Conversely, the about potential demand for electricity at “Drivers will have to choose between a maxi- thereby decompose the contaminant mole- must therefore be designed accordingly. Ulti- you have to rely on the expertise of universi- pump tells the vehicle how much charging places like park-and-ride lots or parking mum of only three or four charging modes,” cules into harmless constituents. There are cur- mately, the objective is to optimize the system ties,” says Wegener. In addition to technical ex- power it can provide. garages,” says Heuer. “The grid needs to be ca- Heuer says. In fact, two modes — “Charge at rently only a few reference systems on the as a whole, so that the best result can be pertise, another key to success is personal rap- An additional communication channel for pable of reacting should demand rapidly in- Maximum Speed” and “Charge at Minimum market that are designed to attack endocrine achieved while using only small amounts of port. This can be cultivated in the CKIs, which automated payment or the transfer of other crease at any of these locations.” In 2010, Cost” — might be all that’s necessary. Use of disruptors with oxygen. chemicals and energy. are designed to last many years. vehicle data can also be activated. “If a large some 30 Audi A2 models retrofitted as electric the charge pump will be automatically billed The technology that decomposes these “First, we met with experts at Siemens to number of vehicles recharge simultaneously in vehicles will hit the road in Harz and surround- via cell phone. Harz.EE-Mobility will reach molecules is called “Advanced Oxidation Reliable Partners. It is no coincidence that discuss which fields of technology we can best a parking garage, we could have a local over- ing regions and cities that are also participat- cruising speed in 2011. That’s when the last of Process” (AOP). It uses ultraviolet lamps for the Germans and the Danes have chosen to cooperate in,” says Henrik Søndergaard from load,” says Heuer. “That’s why vehicles need to ing in the project. Project staff will use the cars the test’s electric cars will hit the road to radical formation. Although contaminants are work together on this project. The DTU is one the DTU, who oversees the cooperative proj- be able to communicate and coordinate their to act out various scenarios. For example, they demonstrate that recharging is as easy as fill- effectively decomposed, the process uses a of eight outstanding international universities ects at the university as CKI manager. “That re- requirements.” Siemens is therefore working will simulate peak demand during simultane- ing up today. Tim Schröder great deal of power. In addition, elaborate post- with which Siemens maintains close research sulted in projects like AOP systems technology,

94 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 95 Open Innovation | CT Russia | CT Russia CT Russia’s cooperative projects with universities set the tone for innovations, such as development of a nanostructured bismuth telluride coating for frictionless bearings. and the EDISON project, which is studying how Power cables made of nanostructured alu- their energy costs. For example, thermoelec- electric cars can interact with the power grid” minum composites could one day replace ca- tric power generators could use not only the (p. 92). In another example, experts from In- bles made of pure aluminum. The new cables waste heat from gas turbines or steel mills, but dustry Solutions and Siemens Corporate Tech- would have the same electrical properties also from the processors in computers or auto- nology have worked with the DTU and Berlin’s while being thinner, thus saving material and mobile engines and batteries — the latter Technical University to develop the “Eco Care costs, in particular when compared to expen- could, for example, supply power for cooling Matrix” — a new assessment methodology that sive copper cables. TISNCM researchers pro- and for information, navigation, and entertain- identifies the economic and ecological value of duce the new material using a specially hard- ment electronics. Devices equipped with this green products and solutions. ened planetary mill. Aluminum and C60 are technology could also help to reduce the use For water technology experts at Siemens, milled in an argon atmosphere to the size of of gases in refrigerators and freezers that are the CKI partnerships have many benefits. “We nanoparticles, with the powders combining harmful to the climate — and quite incidental- can fall back on experts that we don’t have in- during the process to form the new material. ly to also reduce associated noise, because the side the company,” says Klaus Andre, a research Blank expects that the development of alu- technology is silent. The researchers have al- director in Günzburg. “We also meet young sci- minum material with fullerenes specifically for ready reached a key milestone. “We have im- entists who could work for Siemens after their use in superconducting cables will soon be proved the thermoelectric ‘goodness factor’ by studies.” With regard to AOP development, one completed. Such cables could provide benefits 20 percent with our nanostructured bismuth shouldn’t forget that DTU has expensive analyt- in magnetic resonance imaging systems and telluride,” says Saraev, “and that is currently ical equipment, such as mass spectrometers. compact motors, for example. tops worldwide.” “Endocrine disruptors have been the subject of detailed study for about ten years — particularly since the technology became available to detect these substances relatively quickly and easily,” says Andre’s colleague Cosima Sichel, a process engineer. The U.S. — especially California — Germany and the EU are promising markets for AOP tech- nology, because awareness of the issue is al- ready widespread. “Hormones and antibiotics are mostly expelled by human beings and end up in the water,” says Sichel. In the case of an- tibiotics, it is thought that they can lead to the development of resistant infectious germs. And hormonally-active substances are consumed by human beings in drinking water. At present, ecotoxicologists do not yet know exactly what effects that may have. Prudence would therefore dictate that endocrine disruptors should be re- Siemens researchers are moved from drinking water. working with partners in The AOP system that is currently being de- Building Networks of Innovative Ideas veloped with the DTU for market launch within Russia to develop new three years is expected to solve this dilemma. It technologies. On tap are is suitable for drinking water purification at wa- nanoparticles in an he city of Troitsk near Moscow has an ex- improve the hardness and strength of alloys In a nearby lab, Siemens and TISNCM re- A Cushion of Air. Meanwhile in Moscow, ter works. In the chemical and pharmaceutical Tciting past. It was one of the science centers while retaining their very good electrical and searchers are working on the refinement of about 30 kilometers away, Siemens is involved industry, it can process contaminated effluents aluminum metal matrix whose existence the Soviet Union wanted to con- thermal properties.” materials, but this time the subject is so-called in another partnership. There, a CT team head- before they are discharged into the primary that improve the hardness ceal. The research conducted here in nuclear en- One to one-and-a-half percent by weight of thermoelectric components. These are electri- ed by Dr. Viacheslav Schuchkin is working with waste water stream. And in the microelectron- and strength of alloys, gineering and materials research was top-notch. fullerenes, as these new particles are known, is cally conductive substances that can either Dr. Alexander Vikulov from the Institute of Me- ics industry, it can produce ultra-pure water to The city’s Technological Institute for Superhard enough to obtain the material properties that generate an electric voltage and from that an chanics at Lomonosov Moscow State Universi- clean sensitive components. refinements in thermo- and Novel Carbon Materials (TISNCM) has since Blank is seeking. Fullerenes are molecules that electric current when a temperature difference ty on turbomachines mounted on air bearings Systems of different sizes will be used, de- electric components that attained official status. It continues to be a contain 60 carbon atoms (C60) and resemble is established at two locations, or generate that can replace conventional high-mainte- pending on the application. A simple system world leader — but today it is part of a worldwide soccer balls. What makes them so suitable for thermal energy when a voltage is applied. The nance oil bearings in small turbines and com- for drinking water purification will supply about hold the promise of network that also includes Siemens. novel materials is their high mechanical scientists have combined the thermoelectric pressors. Turbomachines rotating at speeds of 200 cubic meters of water per hour. It is still dif- generating electricity from One of the most important areas of re- strength at a low weight. reference material bismuth telluride with up to 180,000 revolutions per minute can be ficult to estimate the size of the future market, waste heat, and software search in Troitsk is the development of materi- “The new nanostructured aluminum com- fullerenes. “We think that we will be able to used for such things as gasoline or diesel en- says Andre. “The AOP systems will be used on a als that are expected to make power genera- posites are almost three times as hard as nor- generate a power output of about 50 watts gines or in the oil industry for the treatment of large scale as soon as they are mandated by that learns as it monitors tion and transmission more efficient. mal composites but substantially lighter in from a 10 cm x 10 cm thermoelectric device wastewater with compressed air. law.” There are few such regulations in effect production. “Materials research in nanotechnology is very weight,” says Siemens Corporate Technology with a temperature difference of 100 degrees To produce maintenance-free bearings, the now, Andre adds. But the potential is huge. In attractive from a financial point of view,” says (CT) project manager Dr. Denis Saraev. This su- Celsius,” says Saraev. researchers designed extremely thin Teflon- Germany alone, there are around 10,000 Professor Vladimir Blank, head of the TISNCM. permetal composite is particularly well suited Such a development would enable many coated lamellae. “At roughly 15,000 revolu- sewage treatment plants and over 6,000 water “For example, we are incorporating carbon for enhancing the performance of compres- types of devices to generate electricity from tions per minute, the lamellae reach the speed supply companies. Tim Schröder nanoparticles in an aluminum-metal matrix to sors, turbochargers, and motors. their waste heat, thus substantially reducing at which they lift off from the rotor’s axle by

96 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 97 Open Innovation | CT Russia | Facts and Forecasts

several thousandths of a millimeter,” says complete as possible and thus environmentally All available data are input once into the Schuchkin. “An extremely thin cushion of air friendly. To address this problem, Polikhov and learning system. For a metals plant, for exam- forms between the bearing and the lamellae, Professor Sergey Gubin from the MEPhI are ple, this would comprise data on hundreds of thus allowing the turbine to run with essential- working on a simulation of the gas turbine production parameters such as temperature, Open Innovation as a Success Factor ly zero resistance. At that point it is mainte- combustion process that incorporates critical pressure, quantity, and material composition, nance-free.” In order to accomplish this, the re- parameters such as gas flow rates, gas mixture as well as the optimal combination of these searchers had to compute not only the optimal ratios, combustion chamber pressures, and data. The system not only autonomously mon- lamella size, but also the best angle of deflec- combustion speed. Such simulations allow re- itors production and detects impending faults, but can intervene to prevent them. Learning systems can be universally de- Researchers are developing technologies designed to ployed. They have been in use since 2008 to or years, companies have been working closely with aim is to increase this figure to 50 percent. By 2006, pro- work of experts and can command substantial fees of boost the efficiency of IGCC power plants by about 15%. monitor the gearboxes of Siemens wind power Fexternal partners. For example, through joint projects ductivity at R&D had improved by around 60 percent and anything up to $1 million for taking on a specific research plants and the level of St. Petersburg’s Neva with universities, they gain access to the latest findings the product success rate had doubled. At the same time, problem. River. Such systems can be used to provide from pure and applied research, which can be used by investment in R&D had fallen from 5.8 to 3.4 percent of A prime example of this is the U.S. open innovation tion and the ideal arrangement of the lamel- searchers to derive a burner design that is opti- continuous tracking of river levels and early their internal research and development organizations. sales. company InnoCentive and its online platform InnoCentive lae. In the future, it should be possible to apply mized for a specific gas mixture. Successful warning in the event of danger. Open Innovation (OI), however, goes one step further and Alongside its managers, researchers, and develop- Challenge. The company was launched in 2001 and now this development to larger turbines as well. tests of a mixed-gas burner in a real combus- An example is the “Urban Flood” project, an integrates external problem-solvers into the innovation ment engineers, a company’s most important source of mobilizes over 180,000 challenge-solvers worldwide. To Siemens Corporate Technology Russia is tion chamber have already been carried out. international research study funded by the Eu- process – a methodology that is also taking place at ideas is its own customers. This is the finding of a study date, this community has been able to solve 400 of the also active in the field of integrated gasifica- ropean Commission to increase the reliability Siemens (p. 86). In this case, a company’s R&D depart- conducted by Grant Thornton International. Almost half some 900 challenges posed by 150 companies around tion combined cycle (IGCC) power plants (see Intelligent Operating System. Siemens of dams and dikes. “We want to improve the ment is no longer its only source of innovation; cus- of all respondents in the Asia Pacific region said customers the world. Forrester Research investigated the financial p. 109). For instance, a team of CT researchers maintains successful research partnerships quality of forecasts and further improve the tomers, suppliers, other companies, and online communi- were an important source of innovation, compared to 40 impact of this technique in a study based on SCA, a ties also play a part in the development process. percent in Western Europe, and 35 percent in the U.S. Swedish hygiene group. According to its findings, queries As global competition intensifies, development and Moreover, a significant proportion of respondents world- to the expert InnoCentive network generated average product cycles become shorter and shorter, thus driving wide identified open innovation as successful and a strat- yields of 74 percent and paid back the initial investment in up the risks of innovation and thereby the associated egy that they will continue to adopt. At 35 percent, agree- under three months. costs. One of the prime objectives of OI is thus to cut the ment with this claim was highest in Western Europe, Nevertheless, a lot of companies are still uneasy with time it takes to introduce new products and services — compared to 30 percent in North America, the original OI when it comes to intellectual property rights. The 550 and to thoroughly canvass customer opinion in order to home of open innovation. experts surveyed in the international Delphi Study 2030 slash the number of products that flop. One OI pioneer, U.S. company Threadless, develops all (“The Future Prospects and Viability of Information and IBM and consumer goods corporation Procter & Gam- of its products on the basis of customer suggestions. In Communication Technology and the Media”) identify an ble (P&G) were among the first enterprises to open their fact, the Threadless community generates around 1,000 inadequate culture of innovation and data-protection is- innovation processes several years ago. P&G, for example, ideas a week. If a T-shirt design is actually printed, the cre- sues as the biggest hurdles to OI in the corporate world. operates its own “Connect + Develop” website, where cus- ator of the design receives $2,000. And if an Internet sur- At the same time, the majority of respondents said that OI tomers can submit ideas and help to solve concrete prob- vey demonstrates that a T-shirt is particularly popular, its as a new R&D paradigm would greatly increase in signifi- lems. This process led to the creation of the “Swiffer” designer can earn up to $20,000. cance by 2024 at the latest and enhance the efficiency of duster, for example. In 2004, 35 percent of new products Another type of OI is to commission an external serv- innovation processes. from P&G resulted from external sources. The company’s ice provider. Such companies have built up a global net- Nikola Wohllaib Andrey Bartenev (center) shows Martin Gitsels, head of CT Russia, experiments with a gas burner (left). headed by Dr. Stepan Polikhov is hoping to use Researchers are also working on maintenance-free monitoring of rivers and lakes so that we can Worldwide bearings and fault analysis software. a new turbine technology to increase the effi- increase people’s security even during periods Origins of the Best Ideas Asia / Pacific Companies’ Opinions of Open Innovation ciency of IGCC plants with carbon capture from of extended, heavy rains,” explains Corporate North America today’s 30 percent to between 40 and 45 per- Technology’s Lang. The study will examine an- Percentage of companies surveyed Western Europe By region: percentage of companies surveyed cent. Researchers at the Moscow Engineering with Russian institutions in St. Petersburg as nual precipitation and wind over the Gulf of 41 33 Customers We have successfully applied 48 the concept and will continue 34 Physics Institute (MEPhI) are providing sub- well as in Moscow. At the St. Petersburg State Finland with a view to providing early warning. 35 30 stantial support. Synthesis gas — a mixture of Polytechnical University, CT researcher Bern- Intelligent warning systems will also be used 40 to do so. 35 35 16 Heads of business units carbon monoxide and hydrogen — is used as hard Lang is working with Professor Dimitrii Ar- to protect London and Amsterdam. 43 Have never heard of it. 15 35 19 the fuel. seniev and Professor Vyacheslav Potekhin — “Since the establishment of Siemens Corpo- 28 14 33 14 “The goal is to reduce carbon dioxide emis- both specialists in distributed intelligent sys- rate Technology in Russia in 2005, collabora- Employees Never considered it — our own 31 intellectual property is too 11 33 14 sions of such turbines burning a gas mixture to tems — to develop new software solutions. tion between Siemens and top Russian univer- 34 valuable to share. 16 the level of power plants fired with natural The goal of this collaboration is to develop self- sities has had many successes,” says Dr. Martin 33 13 In-house R&D team 30 Explored the concept but can’t 11 gas, while reducing the costs of CO2 capture,” managing learning software that monitors the Gitsels, head of CT Russia. “They range from 34 benefit from it. 14 34 14 says Polikhov. Coal-fired power plants operation of production plants. The software is solutions for shortening development times 27 11 CEO Open Innovation is too compli- 24 cated or expensive for us to 13 equipped with this technology would then be being designed to automatically recognize and for gas-insulated high-voltage switches to 28 9 as clean as natural gas-fired power plants. The report failures before they occur. It should also smart software for monitoring wind turbines. I 28 adopt. 10 26 Worldwide 8 Business partners and suppliers Appointed internal specialists technical challenges are substantial, however. monitor the quality of each production step, am convinced that the skills of our Russian 31 to work on open innovation Asia / Pacific 8 21 8 Synthesis gas contains large amounts of hy- continuously checking against data provided partners will enable us to soon develop addi- 28 strategy. North America 8 17 Western Europe 6 drogen, which causes flashback, flickering, or by a planning system to ensure that production tional innovations in areas such as coal gasifi- Sales Applied it in the past without 17 success and will not consider 8 13 5 spontaneous ignition, all of which make it is always in line with orders, the supply chain cation, high-speed turbines, and the integrat- 22 again. 4 Source: Grant Thornton, EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit) Unit) EIU (Economist Intelligence Grant Thornton, Source: more difficult to achieve combustion that is as and current market prices. ed factory.” Harald Hassenmüller Unit) EIU (Economist Intelligence Grant Thornton, Source:

98 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 99 Open Innovation | Siemens TTB Ahmed Shuja (above) and Praveen Medis (center) have developed the world’s brightest LED source (left). Rated at 15,000 lumens, it not only outshines metal halide lamps, but uses 60 percent less energy. a height of 18 to 30 feet, resulting in an ideal silicon panels. With this in mind, five former the technology.” Simply put, Banyan’s concept 30 foot candles on the work surface. “To put graduate students of the University of Califor- is to replace expensive silicon cell material with that in perspective,” says Progressive Cooling nia at Berkeley and Stanford University have for - economical optics. Ghosh explains that while Senior Scientist Dr. Praveen Medis, “a 100-Watt med Banyan Energy, a company whose patent- many other companies have attempted to incandescent bulb typically produces 1,200 lu- ed technology and proprietary intellectual adapt clumsy magnification systems to PV pan- mens. So what we are saying is that we have property promise to reduce the area of silicon els, Banyan’s “aggregated total internal reflec- packed the equivalent of twelve100-watt bulbs photovoltaic material in a standard module by tion” concept uses a sheet of optical elements into a flat one-square-inch device, making it 90 percent while producing the same amount that is only 1 cm thick. the brightest LED source in the world.” of power as a conventional module. What’s “The energy falling on the optics is aggre- In addition, the device cuts energy demand more, the inventors calculate that the cost of gated and delivered to a focal area, which is by 60 percent compared to conventional metal production facilities for such modules will be where the photovoltaic material is located. The halide lamps, and, thanks to the fact that it can 75 percent lower than for today’s facilities. key is that the collection process is performed be addressed wirelessly and dimmed from zero Funded by an investor group led by Sie - by the optical layer rather than by the silicon to 100 percent, its power demand can be re- mens, the company has been selected by the cells,” says Ghosh. duced by an additional 20 to 25 percent in re- sponse to changing lighting requirements. Reduced maintenance costs are another The brightest LED source worldwide, the device packs the major advantage. While metal halide lights equivalent of twelve 100-watt bulbs on one square inch. typically last 12 to 18 months, Progressive Cooling’s device is rated to last five years and has been designed to screw into an existing U.S. Department of Energy for a technology Since the technology can be integrated into mount. “That’s a key feature,” says Shuja, “be- development subcontract and is already work- the standard dimensions of current PV panels, cause changing high-bay lights at a height of ing with the U.S. National Renewable Energy it offers numerous downstream advantages, 18 feet requires a scissor jack and two experi- Laboratory. “Siemens TTB not only invested in including identical shipping, handling, installa- enced workers.” Plans call for Progressive Cool- us from the start,” says Banyan CEO Shondip tion, and cleaning requirements. But perhaps ing to begin seeding the market with its mer- Ghosh, “they really drove the process and did its greatest advantage is that it reduces the cury-free LED product this year. the due diligence.” Adds Ayman Fawaz, PhD, capital expenditure of manufacturing the pan- Director of Venture Technology at TTB Berke- els themselves. Today, such panels are covered Banyan: Focus on the Sun. Probably the ley, “We are helping Banyan demonstrate that with silicon wafers. The wafers are sliced from biggest barrier facing widespread implementa- their technology is viable. The next step will be ingots and then processed and mounted. “To tion of photovoltaic energy is the high cost of to see if Siemens’ solar organization will adopt build a conventional fabrication facility with a

From Concepts to Companies

Siemens’ Technology-to-Business Centers are providing support to a range of young companies. On tap are energy-stingy LEDs capable of outshining metal halide lamps, PV panels that use one tenth the silicon of conventional models, battery-powered vehicle detection systems that last ten years, and an ultra-efficient transmission.

ight emitting diodes (LEDs) have a reputa- streets and airport runways. “In the U.S. alone Originally developed at the University of Ltion for running cool. Touch one and all there are about 100 million so-called ‘high-bay’ Cincinnati to reduce the cooling requirements you’ll feel is a serene glow. But just try and fixtures in commercial buildings and about 60 for microchips on miniature satellites and sub- pack dozens of them together in a tight space million bulb changes per year,” explains Pro- sequently adapted to server farms (see Pic- and they’ll get so hot that they can burn out gressive Cooling CTO and founder Dr. Ahmed tures of the Future Spring 2008, page 22), Pro- within seconds. Now, however, Progressive Shuja. gressive Cooling’s concept has been “re-vec t- Cooling, a startup company funded by Sie - The technology that allows tightly-packed ored to the LED market to take advantage of mens’ Berkeley, California-based Technology- LEDs to keep their cool is a patented micro the fact that a totally integrated LED fixture to-Business Center (TTB), has developed a so- thermal management engine that contains will have significant competitive advantage in lution that makes it possible to pack over 80 of some 60 million vertically-etched uniform the commercial illumination market over tradi- the brightest white LEDs onto a one-square- pores per square centimeter on a flat silicon tional metal halide bulbs,” says Shuja. inch circuit board. The result: A light source substrate. The technology allows capillary Based on Osram’s newest Oslon LED, which significantly brighter yet far more energy effi- force to efficiently channel heat away from can be driven to produce up to 200 lumens, cient than the metal halide or sodium lamps diodes and into a halo of fins that surround Progressive Cooling’s new device delivers some now used to light factories, warehouses, Progressive Cooling’s light source. 15,000 lumens over an 80-degree angle from

100 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 101 Open Innovation | Siemens TTB Banyan CEO Shondip Gosh measures the Prof. Andrew Frank (left) and Jörg Ferchau have efficiency (left) and response to different angles developed a continuous variable transmission (right) of an optically-based photovoltaic module based on a patented chain. Using only 60 parts, in a device that duplicates sunlight. the transmission is ideal for electric motors. computer outfitted with a radio receiver and ing installed in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “This transmitter, relays speed, traffic volume and will be a very advanced adaptive signal system density information via the Internet or Ether- that will use an algorithm called SCOOT to opti- net to a centralized location. The data can be mize traffic performance around the city’s new used by highway authorities to optimize road- stadium,” says Haoui. “With SCOOT, our sen- way planning and performance through signal sors collect data at each intersection and feed optimization, ramp metering or road pricing. In it to a Siemens centralized system that creates the near future it may also be used to provide a web of optimized traffic lights. If a city were real-time information for maps and automo- to replace all its traditional time-of-day signal tive navigation systems. timing with such a system, it could expect a 20 Unlike inductive loops that are stretched to 30 percent improvement in traffic flow effi- across roads, either on the surface or in the ciency and a corresponding reduction in vehi- pavement and which are prone to break at the cle-caused emissions.” weakest point in a line, Sensys wireless sensors are point devices that are buried beneath the EDI: More Power for Hybrid Vehicles. Prof. road surface, are weatherproof, sterile, and Andy Frank’s laboratory in Dixon, California maintenance free. looks a lot like the kind of place you’d take your In view of the fact that Sensys vehicle de- car for a tune up. But the people who are driv- tection systems are very cost effective when ing in for service are not looking for spark compared with inductive loops, governments plugs or an oil change, but rather to get an en- around the world are installing the systems. tire industry on the road. Otherwise known as Caltrans, the California Department of Trans- “the father of the plug-in hybrid electric vehi- gigawatt worth of annual production capacity, cult to access,” explains CEO Amine Haoui, portation, has deployed 800 Sensys traffic cle” (see Pictures of the Future, Spring 2008, Working closely with Siemens’ Technology- will cost one third less than a motor and a con- you would have to spend about $1.2 billion,” PhD. Adds Sensys Vice President for Marketing monitoring stations on California freeways. page 22) Frank, who is Director of Hybrid Vehi- to-Business Center in Berkeley and with Sie - ventional transmission in hybrids and electric says Ghosh. “But with our system you can Floyd Williams, “In terms of low power sensing And in Melbourne, Australia, a 75-km stretch cle Research at the University of California- mens’ Drive Technologies Division, EDI has vehicles.” shrink your plant size for the ingot, wafer and and battery life, I don’t think there is another of freeway has been equipped with groups of Davis and founder of Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. steadily harmonized its transmission to be- Although applicable to the automotive cell steps by a factor of ten. As a result, a gi- application anywhere that comes close to the sensors at 500-meter intervals. The sen- (EDI), has put together a test vehicle whose come an integral part of a drivetrain for hybrid market, EDI’s technology is initially being fo- gawatt facility would now cost only about what we have achieved.” sors are used to control ramp meters and lane fuel economy is 80 percent better than that of and electric vehicles that can be easily scaled cused on the needs of the light- medium- and $300 million. So we can significantly reduce The key to such extended battery life is, in speed gantries. “The local transportation au- a comparable conventional vehicle. It is also up or down in size depending on a manufac- heavy-duty hybrid commercial vehicle market, the capex for manufacturing, which means principle, disarmingly straightforward. Most of thority has shown that the system reduces the capable of operating all-electrically for about turer’s requirements. which includes everything from delivery that for every dollar such a company invests, the sensor circuitry is technically asleep 99 per- number of accidents, increases safety and im- 70 km without using any liquid fuel. “As a re- “We expect that our collective research will trucks and airport shuttle vans to hybrid buses they can build four times the production ca- cent of the time. But each time a vehicle pass- proves freeway throughput by about 30 per- sult,” says Frank, “with gasoline priced at result in a Siemens electric motor and EDI con- and excavators. “Our CVT is rated at 220 kW, pacity as they otherwise would.” es, thus disturbing the earth’s magnetic field, cent. So it is a dramatic improvement, espe- roughly $3.00 per gallon and electricity at tinuous variable transmission that can be sold which makes it one of the biggest around. But Banyan is particularly interested in entering the sensor wakes up, wirelessly transmits a cially when you consider the total cost of a about 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, a typical user as one, integrated package,” says EDI CEO Jo- it can easily be scaled up to 1,000 kW,” says the market for large field installations that are packet of information to an access device, and multi-lane freeway,” says Haoui. would pay about 75 cents per gallon-equiva- erg Ferchau. “We estimate that our package Frank. Arthur F. Pease designed for tracking the sun – an application goes back to sleep. Two sensors are embedded Siemens, which provided Sensys’ first lent when operating our vehicle electrically.” that maximizes the yield from its unique op- in each lane, and over eight sensor-equipped source of finance through the TTB, is now inte- Behind EDI’s results is a continuously vari- tics. “Installations that track the sun produce lanes can communicate with the same access grating the company’s wireless sensor with its able transmission (CVT) protected by multiple about 25 percent more energy than static in- point. Typically mounted on a lighting mast, family of traffic light controllers. The first such patents that is smaller, lighter, and consider- TTB China: Affordable LEDs stallations,” says Ghosh. “This more than off- the access device, which includes a mini Linux combined controller-sensor system is now be- ably more efficient – 96 percent – than any sets the added cost of tracking systems. What’s other CVT or automatic transmission. Part of more,” he adds, “the growth rate in large field the reason for this is that EDI’s CVT uses only Most consumers are comfortable with the look and feel of incandescent bulbs, but would like them installations is twice the rate of the rest of in- 60 parts, compared to up to 2000 parts in a to consume much less power. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) placed inside a conventionally-shaped dustry.” The world market for solar panels is now conventional 7 to 8 speed transmission; the bulb could offer a solution. With a view to eventually providing an affordable product along these at five gigawatts per year and rising rapidly. other is that it is based on a patented chain lines for the vast Chinese market, Siemens’ Technology-to-Business Center (TTB) in Shanghai has ex- from a European partner that transfers power tended its “outside-in-innovation” strategy to include potential suppliers. Traditionally, outside tech- Sensys: A Startup Hits the Road Running. with extreme efficiency from the motor (be it nologies are spun in to Siemens business units. The new idea is to spin-in external technologies to Two of the hard facts of modern life are that electric or conventional) to the rest of the drive suppliers. “By doing this, we believe we can overcome any technology gaps while leveraging the traffic congestion is rising but road capacity is train. cost-innovation strength of local suppliers to accelerate the launch of a Siemens product with the not. In order to make the best of this situation, “An average automatic or manual transmis- right performance at the right price,” explains Shih-Ping Liou, who heads TTB China. Concretely, TTB Sensys, a mature startup with close ties to Sie - sion will have five to seven speeds,” says Frank. China is working with Siemens’ Osram lighting subsidiary’s procurement and R&D organizations to mens, which is headquartered in Berkeley, Cal- “But ours has an infinite number of gearing ra- create a consumer LED product in China that can be made for about 25 percent less than Osram’s ifornia, has developed a unique magnetic sen- tios.” He explains that this is particularly impor- current offering. “To help Osram accomplish this, TTB scrutinized the technology of five short-listed sor technology that helps road authorities tant for hybrid vehicles “because electric mo- suppliers. Specifically, we looked at the connections between what Siemens wants to achieve and continuously and reliably detect traffic levels in tors are designed to operate at high torques what the short-listed suppliers can offer,” says Liou. “We then looked for external technologies and real time. and speeds. But by adding a transmission, you worked with Osram’s R&D people in the Asia-Pacific region to come up with new design options to At the heart of the company’s sensor is the expand the torque-speed range, meaning that balance performance with cost.” The next step, he says, “will be to optimize the new designs and ability to extend the lifespan of three AA bat- the motor can operate at maximum efficiency spin the final blueprints to the selected supplier.” teries to ten years. “That is essential, because across a much wider spectrum of load condi- once the device is in the pavement, it is diffi- Thanks to an advanced sleep mode, Sensys traffic detection devices work for ten years on three AA batteries. tions.”

102 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 103 Open Innovation | Eco-City Models Prof. Wu Zhiqiang uses a model of the Shanghai | Energy Generation and Nanotechnology Expo site to explain to his students how tailored infrastructures can dramatically improve a city’s sustainability. The Fruits of Collaboration A university-industrial collaborative project has found that sheet silicate nanoparticles in a generator’s insulation can improve power plant performance.

irtually any improvement that enhances the power, they must be made thicker. However, as of sheet silicates just one nanometer thick into Vefficiency of a power plant is good for busi- there is no additional space available within the the insulation. These were developed in coop- ness and the environment. That is particularly generator housing, this means that the layer of eration with the University of Freiburg. Be- true when it comes to optimizing the perform- insulation coating the copper bars must be made cause of their huge surface area in relation to ance of downstream generators, which are re- thinner. This, in turn, means that the insulation their volume, these nanoparticles offer greater sponsible for converting the rotational energy must provide much better protection against dis- resistance to erosion channels. “Laboratory of a plant’s turbines into electrical power. To this ruptive discharges — which is precisely the aim tests show that the nanoparticles improve re- end, in 2007 Siemens teamed up with the Uni- of NanoIso. By developing new insulation ma- sistance against partial discharges by as much China’s Model Future versities of Bayreuth, Freiburg, and Dortmund terials containing nanoparticles, it is possible to as a factor of ten,” explains Dr. Peter Gröppel from as well as with industry partners Infineon Tech- make the insulation thinner and thereby increase Siemens Corporate Technology. nologies AG, cable manufacturer Leoni AG, the efficiency of existing generators. As good as all of this sounds, hurdles still re- China’s cities are bursting at the seams — to the detriment of the environment. and Nanoresins AG, a supplier of nanoparticles. main. Scientists in Freiburg are investigating pos- The joint project, which has the support of Greater Resistance to Erosion. The rotation sible interactions between the nanoparticles and Shanghai’s Tongji University and Siemens are working together to develop Eco-City Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and of the rotor inside the generator results in po- the plastic insulating material. Researchers Models that link environmental protection measures to urban growth. Research, is known as “Nanotechnology in tential differences of as much as 27,000 volts from the University of Dortmund are testing the

ooking down at the city of Shanghai from quirements of both a growing urban popula- works. “With its virtually unique worldwide ex- Lan upper floor of Tongji University’s Sci- tion and environmental protection. This espe- pertise in technological infrastructures, ence Building gives you a good idea of what cially applies to new cities in China, which are Siemens is the ideal partner for us in the Eco- urbanization is all about. The campus is sur- literally springing up from the ground to ac- City project,” Wu explains. Siemens also bene- rounded by countless gray concrete structures commodate the 13 million people moving into fits from the partnership, as Dr. Meng huddled together. Giant excavation pits bring urban areas each year.” Fanchen, General Manager of Siemens in to mind the houses that were torn down be- Shanghai, points out. “When we provide Pro- cause they were too small to accommodate Individual lifelines. With this in mind, in fessor Wu’s team with technological support, the masses streaming into the city. This dreary 2002 Wu launched the Eco-City Model project, we also learn a great deal about the future re- area could definitely use a little sunlight, but which aims to develop complete infrastructure quirements of the Chinese market and how to even when the sun shines you can’t see it be- models for individual districts and entire cities. prepare for them.” cause of the smog. The view from the top of These models must provide answers to a cru- The next step in the partnership will be to Normally, discharges in a power plant generator the building also includes the Yangpu District, cial question. How can we meet huge urban develop Eco-City Model master plans that help destroy layers of its insulation. Incorporating which has 18,000 residents per square kilome- energy demands, improve efficiency and quali- to make new entities such as satellite cities as Insulation Systems for Innovative Electrical nanoparticles in the insulator (cross-section, right) service life of the new insulation. And a team in ter — the highest population density in Shang- ty of life, and at the same time dramatically re- self-sufficient, environmentally neutral and- Applications” — or NanoIso for short. improves its resistance by a factor of ten. Bayreuth, Germany is looking at how best to hai. By comparison, Berlin’s population density duce urban energy consumption, and thus pleasant to live in as possible. The master plans The basic idea behind the project is simple. process the nanoparticles. Meanwhile, Siemens is only one fifth of that. emissions, from the levels common in large will include intelligent building management When an existing power plant is being retrofit- between the copper bars of the stator wind- is responsible for collating all this new infor- “Urbanization is a great challenge for Chi- cities today? “Each city has its own specific systems and the use of renewable energy ted with more powerful turbines, it would also ings. This can cause the air to ionize, leading mation. The ultimate aim is to develop an in- na,” says Professor Wu Zhiqiang, Assistant Pres- needs,” says Wu. “For example, requirements sources such as wind, solar, and hydro power, make good technological sense to install a to partial discharges in the form of small light- sulation material that meets the full range of in- ident of Tongji University and head of the Uni- vary on the basis of different climate condi- depending on the region. Efficient water treat- larger generator — were it not for the complexity ning flashes that destroy the insulation. The dustrial requirements, including that of being versity’s College of Architecture and Urban tions throughout our huge country.” ment facilities and extensive public transport and cost of this procedure. However, there is an result is so-called erosion channels, which eat quick and easy to manufacture. The next step to- Planning (CAUP). “In the last 30 years alone, In the first phase of the project, Wu ana- systems — areas where Siemens already offers alternative. By swapping the electrical conduc- through the material and can lead to shorting. ward a more efficient generator will be to install the proportion of the population living in Chi- lyzed the needs of different types of cities. solutions — will also be part of the picture. At tors inside the generator for ones that can car- The current method of preventing this is to in- copper conductors fitted with the new insulation. na’s cities has risen from 19 percent to about Since 2007 he has been studying how these the same time, the models need to be cost-ef- ry more current, the generator’s output can be corporate mica in the plastic insulation mate- The resulting generator will be provided by 50 percent, which corresponds to 400 million needs can be addressed with technology, ficient and, even more importantly, repro- increased without having to replace the entire rial. Tiny scales of this mineral — some five power company RWE. In the future, when one people moving into urban areas.” The resulting which is why he’s brought Siemens in as a ducible. What Tongji and Siemens want is installation. Even so, this solution is not without micrometers thick and several millimeters in of RWE’s power plants needs to be upgraded, the increase in demand for housing, energy, and partner. This is not the first time Siemens has clear: to ensure that these models, which are complications. A generator consists of a rotor and length — block the path of the erosion chan- generator will be fitted with the new technolo- industrial products has made China the world’s worked with Tongji University. Shanghai col- already eagerly awaited by urban planners and a stator. The rotor is a current-carrying bar nels, so that it takes longer for them to reach gy instead of being replaced at great expense. biggest producer of CO2 emissions today. lege, which has around 55,000 students, is government officials, are ready as soon as pos- magnet that is turned by the turbine; the stator the metal. But because of the mica, the layer “We don’t know exactly which power plant this “And the urbanization process has only just one of eight Siemens Centers of Knowledge In- sible. This can’t be done overnight, but it’s ex- consists of coils made of copper bars, which sur- of insulation has to be several centimeters will be,” Gröppel explains. But he’s confident that begun,” says Wu, who expects China’s urban terchange (CKI) around the world. Siemens tremely important. China has already shown round the rotor. The rotational movement of the thick — valuable space that could be occupied in a few years the knowledge gained from this population to double over the next 30 years. has entered into strategic partnerships with that it appreciates the work Wu is doing. He rotor induces an electrical voltage in the stator, by thicker copper windings. joint research project should be helping to “We’re therefore going to need completely new CKIs in order to conduct joint research, pro- has been appointed Chief Planner for Expo which causes an electric current to flow. In addition to mica, researchers on the make power plants operate more energy-effi- infrastructure concepts that address the re- mote talented individuals, and establish net- 2010 in Shanghai. Sebastian Webel If the copper bars in the coils are to carry more NanoIso project have also incorporated particles ciently. Helen Sedlmeier

104 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 105 Open Innovation | Nuclear Fusion Researchers are experimenting with a fusion reactor known as a tokamak to revolutionize energy generation. The resulting knowledge has already yielded improved materials for turbine blades. power plants by 2050. Is this too late to help re- ferent energy scenarios as possible,” he says. “Due perconductors, and from techniques for the duce global CO2 emissions? Hasinger doesn’t think to the increasing importance of renewable en- precise management of magnetic fields. so. “The transformation of our energy generation ergies, they will have to be very flexible, which Prof. Hubertus von Dewitz from CT has great systems will be one of the biggest tasks of the means that many components will be subject to expectations regarding fusion research. “Take the century,” he says. “All the scenarios for the de- cyclical changes in thermal load. We now have Apollo space project,” he says. “Putting a man on velopment of energy consumption, the availability to take a closer look at the technological and fi- the moon took us a big step forward. Through of fossil fuels, and the necessary reduction of nancial costs this will entail.” massive investments in microelectronics, for harmful greenhouse gas emissions show that far Siemens is also interested in work being example, space travel created the basis for today’s greater efforts will be required in the second half done with superconducting magnets for fusion communications technology. The development of the century than in the period up to 2050. If reactors. When such magnets are cooled to of fusion energy is a far bigger task than the moon we manage to exploit fusion power by mid-cen- very low temperatures, they consume almost no flight. It should be energetically promoted, if only tury, it will come at just the right time to make electricity and can generate very powerful mag- to achieve such technological leaps.” German a big difference.” netic fields. Siemens Healthcare therefore uses Chancellor Angela Merkel also believes it’s worth- them in many of its magnetic resonance tomo- while to invest in nuclear fusion and is seeking Hot Synergies. Because fusion power in- graphs to improve image resolution. Medical tech- to foster international collaboration. Merkel, volves technologies from a broad spectrum of nology could benefit from research in high-tem- who is a physicist herself, visited the IPP site in fields, industrial companies are monitoring as- perature superconductors, which consume much Greifswald in early February to learn about the sociated research efforts with great interest. less energy for cooling than conventional su- current state of research. Christine Rüth One of these efforts is the search for suitable materials for the fusion reactor wall. Although a magnetic field keeps the hot plasma at a safe distance, the “cooler” outer areas of the plasma What’s the Status of Fusion Research? are channeled toward the reactor floor in order to clean it. Researchers estimate that certain plasma states could cause the temperature of The National Ignition Facility in Livermore, California, the world’s largest laser, was dedicated in the wall interior to rise to over 2,000 degrees 2009. Since then, measurements, including calibration and laser focusing, have been conducted. Celsius, which few substances are capable of This summer (2010), the facility will begin experiments. For a few billionths of a second, the laser withstanding. In addition, the huge amount of will generate a flash of 500 terawatts — over 100 times the output of all power plants worldwide — heat generated by the deceleration of neu- concentrated on a BB-sized droplet of hydrogen fuel. The flash will compress the droplet to such an trons from a fusion reaction must not impair extent that it will create a plasma in which a fusion reaction will occur. Researchers hope that in the mechanical stability of the reactor shell. about two years they will achieve their first fusion reaction in which more energy is generated than Siemens’ Energy Sector is looking for heat- is pumped in by lasers. However, to operate a fusion power plant they will have to develop lasers resistant materials for its turbine blades, which that flash five to ten times per second instead of once every few hours, as is currently the case. Here Comes the Sun are covered with ceramic insulation material that Meanwhile, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is being built in allows them to operate reliably even at 1,300 Cadarache in southern France. The facility, which is scheduled to enter service in 2018, is based on degrees Celsius. Although such blades are far from the most advanced type of fusion reactor, which is known as a tokamak. The plasma generated in By 2030, researchers expect to build a fusion reactor demonstration plant that reaching their melting point at that temperature, this ring-shaped reactor is enveloped by powerful magnetic fields. The plasma is heated up by the produces more energy than it consumes. If successful, fusion power will provide a their rapid rotation causes centrifugal forces to electricity induced by a magnetic field, as well as by powerful microwave systems and high-energy affect them as heat levels rise. Over time, these particles. In the late 1990s the European JET tokamak used this technology to regain over 60 percent nearly inexhaustible and CO2-free source of energy. Related developments in materials forces can cause blades to actually stretch. of the energy expended. It is hoped that ITER will be the first fusion reactor to generate more energy research are driving improvements in many Siemens technologies. On the other hand, because the efficiency of than it consumes — with a target of ten times the energy input, or around 500 megawatts. By 2026 a gas and steam turbine power plant increases this complex experiment will have progressed so far that researchers will be able to test their theory. by about one percentage point for every 100 de- This will be followed around 2030 by the construction of the first demonstration power plant. uclear fusion is pure solar energy. Deep with- such an extent that all of the material can either power, they eventually realized that the plasma gree Celsius rise in temperature, engineers are in a star, the atomic nuclei of light elements be recycled or disposed of. is extremely unstable and reacts negatively to constantly investigating technologies that make N Blanket fuse, generating vast amounts of energy in the All fusion power plant concepts are based on even minimal disruptions. According to Prof. higher temperatures possible, explains Dr. Ste- Magnetic windings process. For a long time now, scientists have want- fusing the hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tri- Günther Hasinger, Director of the Max Planck In- fan Lampenscherf, who researches heat-resistant ed to use such fusion power here on earth, be- tium. The tritium, a rare substance, is produced stitute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Garching near materials at Siemens Corporate Technology Electricity delivery to grid cause it promises to provide us with a virtually by bombarding widely available lithium with fast Munich, Germany, this problem has now been (CT). Such an increase in efficiency would enable inexhaustible source of clean energy. The raw ma- neutrons that are created during the fusion re- overcome. “Plasma physics has come a long way a 400 megawatt power plant to save one million terials (water and lithium) for fusion power are actions. Deuterium is produced from water. The in the past few decades through bigger experi- euros in fuel costs per year. The tungsten alloys available in practically unlimited amounts. Fusion plan is not without its problems, however. Be- ments, for one thing, but also because super- that are being developed for fusion reactors could, Heating D, T, He energy does not emit CO2 into the atmosphere cause atomic nuclei have a positive charge and computers can simulate plasma processes,” he for example, allow the turbines to work reliably Electric drive and — unlike nuclear fission plants, which split repel one another, they have to collide with one says. “I think most of the difficulties have been at up to 1,800 degrees Celsius. T Turbine heavy atomic nuclei — fusion does not produce another very quickly for fusion to take place. solved and the focus is now on creating optimal CT is working with IPP and the Technical Uni- D, T Generator highly radioactive waste that remains hazardous The difficulty is to heat a gas to a temperature reactor designs and operating scenarios.” versity of Munich to identify such dual-use tech- D = Deuterium He for thousands of years. The interior walls of a of more than 100 million degrees Celsius and to The goal is to have two large-scale facilities nologies and analyze their cost-effectiveness. Dr. T = Tritium D fusion reactor become only slightly radioactive keep the resulting hot plasma compacted long generate more energy than is fed into them (see Thomas Hamacher from IPP is also interested in Li = Lithium He = Helium Li, D after being bombarded by fast particles. After enough. Whereas researchers in the 1970s were box). If the reactors are a success, these exper- this research. “We have to design fusion power about 100 years, the radiation level declines to still optimistic about the prospects of fusion iments will lead to the construction of commercial plants in such a way that they fit into as many dif-

106 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 107 Open Innovation | Saudi Arabia | CO Separation A Clean Energy Systems pilot plant near Bakersfield, 2 California burns fossil fuels without emitting carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Siemens has developed a gas turbine suitable for use with this technology. An Oasis of Education

Through King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia intends to secure its future as a high-tech research venue. Siemens has co-founded an industrial collaboration program at KAUST to spur research throughout the region.

Research at KAUST is providing new insights that will promote the development of green technologies n September 2009 the world gained another — with help from Siemens. tensify its 75-year involvement in Saudi Arabia, Ielite university when King Abdullah Universi- which covers the Industry, Energy, and Health- ty of Science and Technology (KAUST) opened its care Sectors. doors to graduate students 80 kilometers north lutions for green technologies,” said Prof. Her- Siemens is already taking part in many in- of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Covering 36 square kilo- mann Requardt, Chief Technology Officer and CEO frastructure projects in Saudi Arabia, for exam- meters along the Red Sea, the rambling univer- of Siemens Healthcare, at the signing ceremony ple, and almost all of the hospitals in the coun- Underground Economy sity campus provides students with ideal learn- for a partnership agreement. Siemens is one of try use Siemens equipment. The company is cur- ing conditions, including state-of-the-art labs for the founding members of the KAUST Industrial rently planning to build a state-of-the-art pow- 11 courses of study. Researchers at the univer- Collaboration Program (KICP), which will in the er plant with an output of 900 megawatts. The Developing economical technologies for separating the carbon dioxide produced by sity can use one of the world’s fastest super- future promote industrial research partnerships plant will be equipped with flue-gas desulfur- computers — the Shaheen, which operates at 222 in the region and worldwide. Like Siemens, the ization technology and will treat around 880,000 coal-fired power plants from other gases is a burning issue. Working with international teraflops per second. Students live in fully air-con- other KICP members, such as Boeing and Gen- cubic meters of drinking water per day for the research partners, Siemens is now studying how CO2 can be safely exploited. ditioned dorms that include cafeterias, shops, and eral Electric, have operated in Saudi Arabia for cities of Jeddah, Mecca, and Taif. Siemens also sports facilities. many years. In addition to KICP, KAUST is also in- offers training programs to many young Saudis KAUST, which still has room for more students, volved in various projects conducted by a research and helps the government prepare young women orth of Los Angeles, near Bakersfield, Cali- other exhaust gases into the atmosphere. It is tutes three quarters of the air does not have to initially began its operations with approximate- network that consists of renowned universities for skilled professions. Nfornia, is a pilot plant full of rocket tech- one of the first zero-emission plants in the be passed through the combustion process, ly 70 professors, who had previously worked at such as Stanford in California, Cambridge in the Young people who wish to study at KAUST can nology. Rudi Beichel, the space pioneer with world — and the largest of its kind. The com- and only oxygen, hydrogen, and hydrocarbons various universities and research institutes UK, and the Technical University of Munich in Ger- apply after obtaining a bachelor’s or comparable German roots who helped the U.S. to reach the pany’s innovative technology has piqued the such as methane are burned in the combustion around the world. Around 2,000 graduate and many. degree. The tuition fees of about $60,000 per year moon, worked there on the development of interest of Siemens. “We worked on similar chamber. The flue gas produced by this postgraduate students will soon begin to conduct correspond to those of other elite universities. rocket engines for a long time. He was nearly ideas in the 1990s,” says Frank Bevc, Director process is composed mainly of carbon dioxide their research projects under the supervision of Strong Commitment. The new university However, a foundation established by the king 80 years old — an age at which most of his col- of Technology Policy and Research Programs at and water vapor. a staff of 220 professors. The young scientists provides its industrial partners with access to of Saudi Arabia provides scholarships for many leagues had retired — when he accepted a Siemens Energy in Orlando, Florida. “We were Pilot plants built by power producers Vat- come from all over the world, and only 15 per- the research being conducted on its campus. students, including some from abroad. The Sau- new challenge and set out to develop a fossil- impressed by how Clean Energy Systems has tenfall and E.ON in the Lusatia region of east- cent of the openings for students are reserved for “Siemens will regularly take part in workshops di royal house has invested about $12.5 billion fuel power plant that generates electricity with implemented its ideas.” ern Germany and in Ratcliff, UK, respectively, Saudi nationals. KAUST is also the first educational and conferences that address topics that our in the new university, and regards this as an practically zero emissions. The central innovation from CES is its “di- have also recently begun burning coal with institution in Saudi Arabia at which men and researchers are working on,” announced Erich important step toward making the country less In 1993, six years before his death at 86, rect oxyfuel process.” Whereas natural gas re- oxygen, but in these cases the flue gas is recir- women are permitted to work together. Kaeser, CEO of Siemens Middle East. Further dependent on oil. Other Arab countries have tak- Beichel established the Clean Energy Systems quires little pretreatment, coal, coke, and bio- culated into the combustion process to in-

The academic programs offered by the new benefits from the partnership between en a similar approach, with the huge Education (CES) company. Today the company’s work is mass must first be converted into a gas and crease the level of CO2 and to control the tem- university include Environmental Science and En- Siemens and KAUST include a continuous ex- City in Qatar, for example, offering an academ- bearing fruit. CES has developed a combustion then cleansed of sulfur or ammonia com- perature (see Pictures of the Future, Spring gineering, Material Science and Engineering, Bio- change of information between the faculty ic program in cooperation with several U.S. uni- chamber that can burn an extremely wide vari- pounds. The resulting gas is then fed into a 2008, p. 36). CES, on the other hand, uses wa- science, and Applied Mathematics and Compu- members, access to research programs, and versities, while the famous Sorbonne Universi- ety of fuels for a 50-megawatt (MW) test pow- combustion chamber where pure oxygen ter for cooling, as well as higher pressure, tational Sciences. “KAUST offers exactly those sub- contact to the best young scientists in the re- ty in Paris has established a branch facility in the er plant. What makes this plant special is the rather than air is used for combustion. The ad- which in turn results in higher efficiency for jects that will help us to develop sustainable so- gion. In this way, Siemens plans to further in- Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Katrin Nikolaus fact that it emits no carbon dioxide (CO2) or vantage of this is that the nitrogen that consti- electricity generation. In the CES plant, a heat

108 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 109 Siemens and E.ON are testing a scrubbing Open Innovation | CO2 Separation | CO2 Separation technique for CO2 separation at the CCS pilot facility near Hanau. Their goal is to integrate the technique into power plant processes. exchanger is used to cool the hot flue gas after cent with gasified coal. These are modest Center for Knowledge Interchange (CKI). CKIs The latter is particularly advantageous because it has passed through the turbine. The water numbers compared to the efficiency of a mod- are special universities with which the compa- it requires only the retrofitting of existing pow- vapor condenses out of the flue gas as it cools, ern coal-fired power plant, which without car- ny has signed close framework and research er plants, and is thus an attractive option for plant leaving behind the CO2, which can then be bon dioxide separation, is over 40 percent. contracts. Chemical Engineering Professor T. operators. Because Siemens already has a labo- drawn off. In this way, more than 99 percent However, Siemens hopes to exceed these val- Alan Hatton and Howard Herzog, an MIT spe- ratory facility and extensive experience in flue gas of the carbon dioxide can be prevented from ues with its next generation of turbines, which cialist in carbon dioxide sequestration, told scrubbing operations, the company is a sought- entering the atmosphere. are scheduled to be introduced in 2015. The Siemens about a method by which CO2 can be after partner when it comes to cooperation CES’s 50 MW plant is too small to generate new turbines should have an efficiency of removed from a flue gas stream at a potentially projects for optimizing CO2 capture systems. electricity commercially, according to Keith roughly 50 percent for natural gas and 40 per- low energy cost, which makes the technique Pronske, President and CEO of CES. “But the cent for coal. extremely economical. A cooperation project E.ON and Siemens: A Perfect Match. A CCS plant is already industrially attractive to any- on the topic commenced in 2008. pilot facility has been operating in Block 5 of one who has natural gas available as a fuel and Carbon Dioxide Laundry. This isn’t the only The basic idea behind this partnership can the Staudinger hard-coal power plant near needs carbon dioxide for the extraction of gas approach to the separation of carbon dioxide be summed up as follows: Most separation Hanau just west of Frankfurt, Germany since or oil from the ground,” says Pronske. He that Siemens is pursuing. In addition to the methods remove carbon dioxide from flue gas September 2009. E.ON will be testing a new points out that liquefied carbon dioxide from oxyfuel method, the company is pressing for- by using special scrubbing liquids, which are CO2 scrubbing technology there in cooperation such a plant can be pumped into oil-bearing ward with development of so-called IGCC (in- later heated. The process is effective, but it is with Siemens until the end of 2010. layers of rock to increase pressure and extract tegrated gasification combined cycle) plants. also very energy-intensive. Hatton’s idea is to “Siemens’ experience in this area is twofold,” oil from old wells. These installations use entrained flow bed pass the flue gas through special salts rather says E.ON’s Head of Research, Bernhard Fischer. What is it about CES’s technology that in- “It’s got the required engineering and power plant trigues Siemens? “The company’s innovative combustion chamber is an excellent comple- The CES process can capture 99 percent of the carbon ment to our turbine expertise,” says Bevc. dioxide produced in the plant.

than scrubbing agents. Unlike known scrub- bing agents, the salts have a melting point of

less than 100 degrees Celsius. They absorb CO2 in the liquid state and release it again when they are induced by an electromagnetic field to change to a semicrystalline solid state. “This could reduce the energy consumption associated with carbon dioxide separation by 50 or even 75 percent,” says Hatton’s research partner, Dr. Thomas Hammer of Siemens Cor- porate Technology (CT) in Erlangen, Germany.

Siemens is working with experts at MIT on methods for scrubbing CO2 out of plower plant flue gas. “However,” he adds, “with this brand new method, we can’t expect a commercial applica- Scrubbing Agent is a Winner tion for at least ten years.” The quantities with Working closely with CES, and with financial gasification and scrubbing processes to sepa- which the MIT and Siemens researchers are support from the U.S. Department of Energy, rate greenhouse gases from fuel gas prior to working in the laboratory are modest at the A new scrubbing agent now being tested by Siemens will soon be used to separate in 2006 Engineers from Siemens Energy in combustion (pre-combustion carbon capture). moment. “No more than a thimblefull,” says carbon dioxide from power plant flue gases, thereby setting the stage for safe seques- Florida began development of a 200 MW pow- IGCC technology is now so mature that it can Hatton. er plant based on combustion with oxygen. be deployed on an industrial scale. Siemens is tration. Based on the use of amino acid salts, which are biodegradable, reusable, non

Siemens is contributing an innovative gas tur- also currently working to develop an efficient CO2 Goes Underground. If carbon dioxide toxic and non flammable, the technique uses less power than competing systems. bine design to the project. and environmentally-friendly post-combustion separation is successful, the gas will still need The gas turbine must be able to withstand a carbon capture process based on amino acid to be disposed of permanently. CES, for exam- hot and moist environment that is normally salts, which can even be retrofitted to meet the ple, has already found one way to do this. The hen it comes to scrubbing carbon dioxide poses a dilemma in a situation where demand for construction expertise as well as valuable knowl- the domain of steam turbines. The dense gas requirements of existing fossil-fueled power fact that it could be easily reconfigured to suit W(CO2) from power plant flue gas emissions, energy is rising, thus putting pressure on utilities edge in the field of process development for the stream has a pressure of 15 bars, a tempera- plants (see p. 111). the company’s needs is not the only reason amino acid salt is the powder of choice. Its use to respond quickly by burning more coal. chemical industry.” As an energy supply company, ture of roughly 1,200 degrees Celsius, and is “Despite our internal development work, that CES purchased the Bakersfield power enables the capture of more than 90 percent of Power plant operators will therefore need to E.ON is a specialist in the planning and operation comprised of 80 percent water vapor and 20 we are always on the lookout for partners such plant. The plant is also strategically located CO2 . As a result, the scrubbing agent is currently build facilities that emit low levels of CO2. Indeed, of fossil fuel-fired power plants. “Our work with percent CO2. as Clean Energy Systems that can help us to over rock strata that can hold billions of tons of being tested at a pilot facility near Hanau, Ger- the EU has stipulated that CCS systems must be Siemens is perfect for successfully refining CCS A vintage Siemens SGT 900 gas turbine has further advance our CO2 separation technolo- trapped CO2. That’s enough to store centuries many. The tests are being conducted by Siemens ready to enter service by 2020. With this in mid, techniques and integrating them into the pow- been specially adapted for such conditions, gies,” says Robert Shannon of Siemens Energy worth of the CO2 produced each year by the in cooperation with the E.ON power company as three avenues offer hope for a solution: coal gasi- er plant process,” says Fischer. and the efforts of its developers are paying off in Florida. “We’re also interested in experimen- planned 200 MW power plant. Another option one of several cooperative projects involving car- fication, oxygen combustion (oxyfuel tech- Siemens initially developed its new CO2 in the form of high efficiency. Because the tal, potentially revolutionary research ap- is to sell the separated CO2 — for example, to bon capture and storage (CCS). nique), and the separation of CO2 from flue gas scrubbing technique in a laboratory facility at the temperature of the stream entering the tur- proaches.” the operators of depleted oil fields in the sur- Experts predict that without CCS it will be al- after combustion (see Pictures of the Future, Höchst Industrial Park near Frankfurt am Main. bine is very high for such a moist, high-pres- Siemens found one such development at rounding area, who would pump the CO2 deep most impossible to achieve the 20 percent CO2 Spring 2008, p.36). In principle, the method — a common one for sure environment, the plant’s efficiency is over the Massachusetts Institute of Technology below the surface to increase oil extraction reduction target set by the European Union for Siemens’ CCS development activities are fo- treating gas in the chemical industry — in-

40 percent with natural gas and over 30 per- (MIT), which has been chosen by Siemens as a rates. Hubertus Breuer 2020 (relative to the base year 1990). This goal cusing on coal gasification and CO2 separation. volves exposing CO2 to an aqueous scrubbing

110 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 111 Open Innovation | CO2 Separation

agent that binds to the gas. To this end, Siemens In addition to being easily biodegradable, they €40, it will pay off for power plant operators to The project offers Siemens the opportunity to equipped the Staudinger power plant with a 35- are not flammable or toxic. What’s more, the salts separate, transport, and store CO2. Conven- operate its scrubbing system on a commercial meter-high absorber tower through which a do not require high temperatures for CO2 capture, tional monoethanolamine-based CCS techniques scale at the 565 MW plant, initially by treating portion of the flue gas is passed. and once the desorption process is completed, lead to an efficiency loss of 11 percent at an 800- about half of the flue gas produced there. The In Brief The tower is packed with structured metal that nearly all of the dissolved salt can be reintroduced megawatt hard-coal plant; the comparative fig- partnership with Siemens will also enable Fortum is exposed to the detergent solution and the gas into the cycle. ure with the Siemens method is only nine per- and TVO to implement one of Europe’s biggest in a process that captures more than 90 percent “Amino acid salts are ideal CO2 capture cent. CCS projects. Specifically, the two plant opera- of the CO2 present in the flue gas. The CO2-sat- agents,” says Dr. Tobias Jockenhövel, who is re- tors plan to retrofit their facility and test the trans- urated solution is then steam-heated in a 20 me- sponsible for the project at Siemens in Erlangen. Ideal for Finland. State-of-the-art power port and storage of CO2 in the North Sea together ter-tall desorber tower until the CO2 once again CO2 scrubbing with amino acid salts consumes plants burn coal at an efficiency of 47 percent. with other companies (see box). Companies have to respond flexibly to the PEOPLE: emerges as a gas. Two things are essential here: less energy than other CCS techniques. “We were “It is therefore already possible to use our tech- needs of today’s dynamic market. In addition to Open innovation at Siemens: a scrubbing agent that is as environmentally able to lower our energy requirement from four nology to operate power plants with low CO2 Separating CO2 from Gas Plant Emissions. creating research partnerships, they have to en- Dr. Thomas Lackner, CT friendly as possible and a cleaning process that gigajoules to 2.7 gigajoules per ton of CO2, which emissions at an efficiency of 38 percent,” says Natural gas is a much more climate-friendly gage in open innovation — i.e. open their labs [email protected] uses as little energy as possible. Conventional led to a significant cost reduction,” Jockenhöv- Fischer. That figure corresponds to the average fuel than coal, which is why combined-cycle and share their knowledge with the outside Siemens research partnerships: chemical absorption methods utilize mo- el reports. efficiency of existing coal-fired plants in Eu- power plants enjoy great popularity. Neverthe- world. This results in global synergies that bring Dr. Natascha Eckert, CT noethanolamine (MEA). Siemens’ technique, With prices ranging from €10 to €20 per ton rope. less, these plants also produce CO2, albeit to a cost benefits, improvements in innovation, and [email protected] on the other hand, employs environmentally- of CO2, pollution rights are still relatively inex- The current goal, however, is to further im- lesser degree. Siemens is therefore studying other competitive advantages. (p. 86, 89) Phase-contrast imaging: friendly amino acid salts in an aqueous solution. pensive; but with costs expected to rise above prove the chemical properties of the scrubbing ways to adapt its scrubbing technique to com- Dr. Georg Wittmann, Healthcare bined-cycle facilities on behalf of Norway’s Major cooperation projects are paving the way [email protected] Statkraft power company. for electric vehicles. A major focus here is linking EDISON — electric car project: But there’s a catch: Combined-cycle power vehicles with the power grid. Key players in Den- Sven Holthusen, Energy plants produce oxygen-rich flue gas, which attacks mark and the Harz region of Germany are striving [email protected] every kind of detergent. “In view of this, we have to plug electric cars into power sockets so that Harz.EE mobility: modified our technology and now know that it the cars can serve as storage units for offsetting Jörg Heuer, CT we can also achieve good efficiencies at com- wind power fluctuations. (p. 92) [email protected] bined-cycle facilities,” says Jockenhövel. “Efficiency AOP water treatment: losses in our lab tests are well below eight per- Founded in 2005, CT Russia quickly made a Klaus Andre, Industry cent.” name for itself in the fields of materials science, [email protected]

The process for CO2 separation with amino energy conversion, and software engineering. CT Russia: acid salts is fairly advanced, but both the scrub- Much of this success is due to the many research Dr. Martin Gitsels, CT bing substance and the process as a whole partnerships that CT has formed with some [email protected] To ensure optimal operation, technicians must need to be further refined if they are to be em- leading Russian research institutes and univer- TTB Berkeley:

continually measure parameters such as the CO2 and ployed on a commercial scale. Such a large-scale sities. (p. 96) Stefan Heuser, CT

SO2 content of flue gas (left, center), as well as flue application is the goal of a partnership launched [email protected] Is There Enough Storage Capacity? gas volume flows (right). by Siemens with the TNO research institute in the The Siemens Technology-to-Business Centers TTB Shanghai: Netherlands in the summer of 2009. (TTB) provide funding and expert advice to start- Shih-Ping Liou, CT By studying scrubbing techniques that use di- up companies. The most popular ventures are [email protected]

European coal-fired power plants emit around 880 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour of electricity agent and the efficiency of the scrubbing process. verse chemical substances, TNO has discovered projects involving technologies that save energy Eco-City Models: produced (see Pictures of the Future, Spring 2008, p.34). That leads to annual emissions of 350 mil- At present, the test facility near Hanau can that amino acid salts offer a particularly prom- and improve our quality of life. (p. 100) Wei Li, CT: [email protected]

lion tons in Germany alone. The earth and the sea are the biggest natural storehouses of CO2, so it process one ton of carbon dioxide per day, ising option. TNO’s contribution to the partner- Nano particles in insulation materials:

makes sense to use them to store the gas. To date, the most extensive attempt to store CO2 beneath which is one ten-thousandth the volume of ship is its knowledge of amino acid salts other Saving energy and improving our quality of life Dr. Peter Gröppel, CT the ocean floor is being made by Norway’s Statoil at the Sleipner gas platform off the country’s south flue gas produced in Block 5. Plans call for the than those tested by Siemens. Since 2008 TNO is the goal of a partnership with Tongji University [email protected]

coast. Here, CO2 is liquefied and pressed via a pipeline into a layer of sandstone 800 meters deep. technique to advance by 2011 to a point where has been operating a pilot facility at a coal-fired in Shanghai. Siemens is working with Tongji to Nuclear fusion and other university projects:

The porous stone absorbs CO2 like a sponge, and the hard rock layers above serve as a cap. After ten Siemens will be able to build a large demon- power plant in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The develop Eco City Models that will enable urban Prof. Dr. Hubertus von Dewitz, CT

years of observation and the storage of around ten million tons of CO2, researchers have concluded stration facility that will begin operating in plant is similar in size to the one in Hanau. growth and environmental protection to proceed [email protected] that the gas has been securely retained. Another storage option is offered by underground reservoirs 2015 and be able to separate the CO2 produced “Siemens is an ideal partner, and our cooper- hand in hand in the future. (p. 104) KAUST University: such as empty oil and gas reservoirs, layers of coal whose mining is unprofitable, and extremely by an entire power plant block. ation has been very successful,” says René Peters, Jörg Drescher, CC Saudi Arabia deep rock layers through which saltwater flows. Since 2008, a group led by the German Research Power plant operators in Finland are also im- who manages CCS projects at TNO. “TNO provides Energy generation by means of nuclear fusion [email protected]

Center for Geosciences in Potsdam has pumped some 60,000 tons of CO2 into porous sandstone 700 pressed by Siemens’ CCS technology, which will its expertise in chemicals technology, while would be sustainable and conserve resources. Energy partnerships in the U.S.: meters below the ground in Ketzin in the German state of Brandenburg. The project’s scientists have be used at the Meri Pori power station in the west- Siemens is contributing the knowledge it has While working on fusion power plants, scientists Frank Bevc, Energy closely monitored how the gas has spread throughout the rock layers. However, there are still ques- ern part of the country. In October 2009 the gained from its development and implementation are also developing technologies — in areas such [email protected]

tions regarding several aspects of CO2 storage. For example, the cost estimates for transporting the plant’s operators — Fortum and Teollisuuden of power plant processes,” Jockenhövel adds. as materials research — that will enable other in- CO2 storage: gas and storing it underground range from 40 to several hundred euros per ton. It’s also not clear Voima (TVO) — selected Siemens Energy from Siemens now plans to improve the processes in dustries to progress. (p. 106) Dr. Tobias Jockenhövel, Energy how much capacity is available underground. Currently known capacity in Germany would be filled among ten companies to build a CCS demon- cooperation with its Dutch partner. The next step [email protected] in 40 to 130 years, according to estimates made by the Federal Environment Agency. Still, it’s likely stration facility by 2015. will involve testing the refined processes at the Coal-fired power plants will remain the key to that sufficient capacity is available worldwide. According to Statoil, the rock formation under the “Siemens’ technology seemed particularly Staudinger plant. In the mid term, Siemens electricity production for the foreseeable future, Prof. Frank Piller: [email protected]

Sleipner platform is several hundred kilometers long, 150 km wide, and 250 meters thick, and could promising to us,” says project manager Mikko plans to build a demo facility for a power plant although their CO2 emissions will have to be cut.

hold 600 billion tons of CO2. That alone would be sufficient to store the CO2 produced by all Euro- Iso-Tryykäri, “especially because it’s environ- block by 2014. This could provide conclusive ev- Together with international research partners, LINKS: pean power plants currently on line from now untill the end of their lifespans. mentally friendly and has already been tested at idence that some powders can scrub flue gas clean. Siemens is looking at ways of separating and us- Website of Prof. Frank Piller:

a power plant.” Jeanne Rubner ing CO2 for commercial use. (p. 109, 111) www.open-innovation.com

112 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 Pictures of the Future | Spring 2010 113 www.siemens.com/pof

Publisher: Siemens AG Corporate Communications (CC) and Corporate Technology (CT) Wittelsbacherplatz 2, 80333 Munich For the publisher: Dr. Ulrich Eberl (CC), Arthur F. Pease (CT) [email protected] (Tel. +49 89 636 33246) [email protected] (Tel. +49 89 636 48824)

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