Project supports Portuguese companies to apply technology … – publico

 
         

                 
                 

 
 

A streamlined program by Pedro Nunes Institute (IPN), based in Coimbra, is to financially support three Portuguese companies that are developing ideas to bring to Earth technology and knowledge developed thinking about space.

the three projects now supported by Small ARTES (Advanced Research Program in Telecommunications systems) focus on space weather to support air navigation, control and prevention of damage to wind power structures and communication between machines and remotely management systems applicable in the distribution of gas and light.

the Small Arts initiative, which has funding of up to 25,000 euros supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) for each project is supporting these companies to June, and will open “soon” applications for three more projects are supported.

According to the coordinator of the Small Arts, Inês Plácido, there is the expectation of the three ideas supported now be “materialized in larger projects with national and international consortia “, in order to design the product to a” pre-operational “.

until June, the three companies will evaluate” the feasibility of the idea, in technical terms and business “in order to try after application to larger programs of ESA, expounded, stressing that the” recycling “of space technology” clearly is growing “, with 14 projects already supported by the IPN within another initiative.

One of the projects of Small ARTS is developed by Deimos Engenharia, a company based in Lisbon, you want to use algorithms that are applied “in the fault simulation systems” on spacecraft in improving control systems and prevention of failures of production units wind power, said Elsa Alexandrian, the Deimos. The application of the algorithms “enables nearly automatic corrective actions,” guaranteeing “the prevention of potential failures, reduce maintenance costs and remote diagnostics” of these wind turbines, said the responsible development and the company’s business.

Already Present Technologies, Coimbra, seeks to apply knowledge of space weather on satellite navigation and positioning system used by aircraft. According to its executive director, Paulo Martins, space weather can create interference “in the satellite signals,” which can be a problem for aviation, in which the dependence on satellite positioning and navigation systems is becoming bigger.

the developing technology allows “help air traffic operators,” issuing an alert in a short time about the possibility of interference with the satellite signal, he said, stressing that the idea is being developed in conjunction with the Bluecover company and the Land Research Center and Space, University of Coimbra.

also within the program is VisionSpace, Matosinhos, which uses the technology ” communications satellite “to be able to apply, for example, in gas distribution companies and electricity, which have” networks that spread to rural areas where it is most difficult equipment make an automatic report, “said Bruno Flavio, the team project.

Applying this technology, the operator may have “more control and reliability”, reducing costs, clarified.