The patented sustainable energy principle is part of a major research project – Future autonomous green port: development of a new prototype container handling method and system, which ran for 4 years (2018-2022). The authors of the patent idea: scientific project leader Prof. Dr. Arūnas Andziulis, Prof. Dr. Rimantas Didžiokas, Prof. Dr. Jolanta Janutėnienė, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mindaugas Kurmis, and the scientist Žydrūnas Lukošius (Faculty of Marine Technologies and Natural Sciences at KU). The project has been implemented by a total of 13 scientists and researchers, and the students, who took part in the project activities, have gained exceptional experience.
“During the project implementation in Klaipėda port company Klaipėdos Smeltė, AB, measurements of the actual container handling process were carried out: speeds, accelerations, and other performance indicators of moving containers were measured. The results of the measurements have led to the idea of converting the impact energy generated during the lowering of the load onto the vehicle into compressed-air-energy. Scientific discussions have led to the principle of pneumatic system for compressing and storing air in certain containers and then using it,” says Prof. Dr. J. Janutėnienė.
KU team that carried out the research project submitted the application to the European Patent Office at the end of 2021, the evaluation process took almost 2 years, and the certificate was obtained in spring this year. The Office’s experts, who evaluated the application, concluded that the scientific idea is genuine.
Exceptional value and wide range of applications
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“Klaipeda University team’s research and unique approach to fostering and promoting sustainable energy, which has never been applied anywhere else in the world, is valuable not only to our academic community, but to Lithuania as a whole and even to marine cargo handling companies around the world. The scientific ideas of meritorious academics and practitioners need to reach the market, as this would contribute to the achievement of the green economy goals,” KU Rector Prof. Dr. Artūras Razbadauskas appreciates the merits of the team. |
Professor Dr. Rimantas Didžiokas says that the patented principle of extracting and storing compressed-air-energy is of particular relevance to companies in two fields.
“This scientific invention could be used by stevedoring companies that specifically handle containers. We have them in Klaipėda. Another important aspect to take advantage of the patented principle is the trolleys that transport the containers. They need to be slightly redesigned and adapted. In this context, other potential users of the patent could be the manufacturers of these trolleys. We will offer our scientific ideas to companies in the above areas and they will assess whether it is worth investing in and developing such a vehicle,” says Prof. Dr. R. Didžiokas.
According to the authors of the invention, the compressed-air-energy stored can be used for a wide range of applications, such as in vehicles that use compressed air, or in the braking systems of the same vehicles, to lift something, or for other tasks.
| “Such recognition of the invention by the European Patent Office once again confirms the scientific potential of KU in the field of technological sciences and the relevance of the research conducted. The invention applied in sea freight companies and beyond will ensure the sustainable storage and use of energy, and can contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the National Energy Independence Strategy (NENS) approved in 2024 as well as the European Union’s aim to be climate-neutral by 2050. I believe that this invention will significantly contribute to the activities of the Center of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Research for Coastal Sustainable Development by KU, which is being established at KU, one of the main tasks of which is to develop solutions for the decarbonization of maritime transport and the improvement of energy efficiency,” says Assoc. Prof. Dr. Laura Šaltytė-Vaisiauskė, Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation at KU. | .jpg) |
Other achievements of the research project
Prof. Dr. Arūnas Andziulis, leader of scientific project – Future autonomous green port: development of a new prototype container handling method and system, says that the patented principle for compressed-air-energy extraction and storage is only one of the project’s achievements. It has resulted in a large number of important scientific publications that have been cited worldwide.
“We’ve written about 10 scientific papers and done a lot of research. These scientific publications are cited in a wide range of reputable scientific journals around the world. We have received data from the Research Council of Lithuania (RCL) that one of the articles – Deep reinforcement learning based optimization of automated guided vehicle time and energy consumption in a container terminal – has been published in Alexandria engineering journal and in 2023 was among the top 10 most frequently cited articles in the world,” Prof. Dr. A. Andziulis, scientific project leader, celebrates the achievements.
The EU patent for the scientific invention – Pneumo-mechanical device that converts the kinetic energy of the impact of a load into the potential compressed-air-energy – provides protection for 20 years in 17 EU countries. According to the authors of the invention, this is crucial for bringing the invention to the market – intellectual property protection gives a scientific idea a distinctive character making it easier to attract investment.
