2014 Yearbook - Universidad ORT Uruguay

54 2014 Yearbook Faculty of Engineering Electricity Generation from Uruguayan Soils and Sediments Using Microbial Fuel Cells This project aims to study, for the first time in Uruguay, an energy generation system based on bacterial activity known as microbial sediment fuel cells. These systems produce electrical energy directly from organic matter present in soils or sediments through bacterial activity. Principal Investigator: Ángela Cabezas, Research Professor of Biotechnology. Funding: Energy Sector Fund of the National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII) Duration: 24 months Immobilization and stabilization of lipases for the synthesis of biodiesel from rapeseed oil The objective of the project is to prepare highly stable and active immobilized lipase derivatives capable of efficiently producing methyl esters, in order to synthesize biodiesel from rapeseed oil. Principal Investigator: Lorena Betancor, Research Professor of Biotechnology. Funding: Energy Sector Fund of the National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII) Duration: 24 months Smart grids and their markets in the presence of renewable energy The objective of this project is to study the impact of renewable energy (which introduces variability into the supply) in conjunction with smart grid technologies that allow demand to be adapted to this variability, as well as the changes in the electricity market resulting from these developments. The project is carried out in collaboration with researchers from the Institute of Electrical Engineering at the University of the Republic. Principal Investigator: Fernando Paganini, Professor of Telecommunications Theory. Funding: National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII) Duration: 18 months Start year: 2015 Process design for obtaining biofuels from microalgae The objective of this project is technological development to optimize the production of biofuels from microalgae, using photoreactors for the process and establishing a process innovation on a national scale. Similar technology has been developed in other countries, but with different strains of microalgae. Its purpose is to evaluate the industrialization potential of this technology. Project Leader: Rodrigo Achigar, Professor of Biotechnology. Funding: National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII) and Alcoholes del Uruguay (Alur) Duration: 12 months Start year: 2015 PROJECTS INITIATED OR APPROVED IN 2014