TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Integrated Research Institute (IRI)

Advanced Energy Systems for Sustainability (AES) Project

Purpose of the research project

･ To develop and demonstrate advanced energy systems required for reducing worldwide CO₂ emissions by 50%

･ To draw up a grand design for a low carbon society and take the lead in realizing the next generation energy infrastructure for 2015 and beyond

While maintaining nuclear power as the basic energy source, this project aims to establish Advanced Energy Systems for Sustainability (AES) by implementing innovative energy-saving and new energy technologies to avoid global warming and to realize an environment for stable energy use. Therefore, we are building a platform that goes beyond the scope of conventional university research including the participation from industry, government, NPOs and so on. We are working with multiple stakeholders to assess the needs of society and to identify problems requiring solutions, and we are undertaking development and experimental studies within a joint framework.

In a low carbon society, nuclear power provides the base electricity. On this foundation, clusters of highly autonomous regionally integrated new energy systems will be formed, with appropriate scale and intelligence. Distributed networks will be integrated into the overall system to provide electricity, heat and substances (for example, hydrogen) at the community level within specific areas. AES will establish the basic technologies required for building this integrated infrastructure and the technology for implementing it in systems.

Demand/Supply Energy Infrastructure for Next-generation

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Major sub-projects and collaborative corporations

• Optimized Energy System in Next Generation Utilizing Fuel Cell Co-production (Prof. Kazumichi Araki, Prof. Ken Okazaki, Prof. Yohtaro Yamazaki, Assoc. Prof. Takuya Oda / Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.)
• Autonomy Enhanced PV System and its Demonstration (Prof. Kosuke Kurokawa / Nippon Oil Corp.)
• Development of EV (Electric Vehicle) Charging Infrastructure Using Renewable Energy (Prof. Kosuke Kurokawa, Prof. Ryuichi Shimada / Mitsubishi Corp., GS Yuasa Corp., Tostem Housing Institute Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Motors Corp., etc.)
• Energy-saving and Resource-saving of Illumination by Magnetic Energy Regeneration Switch (MERS) (Prof. Ryuichi Shimada / Nippon Steel Corp., etc.)
• Development of High-air-quality Air-conditioning System of Next Generation by Super-energy-saving Technology, and its Demonstration (Prof. Isao Satoh, Prof. Noboru Sue / Tokyo Electric Power Co., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Takasago Thermal Engineering Co., Ltd., etc.)
• Development of Smart-power-network Merging Power Grid and Renewable Energies (Prof. Hirofumi Akagi, Prof. Noboru Sue, Assoc. Prof. Yoshihiko Kataoka / Tokyo Electric Power Co., etc.)
• Marine Biomass Trapping CO₂ and converting to Usable Materials (Prof. Takao Kashiwagi, Assoc. Prof. Takuya Oda / Mie Univ., Kochi Univ., Takenaka Corp., etc.)
• Asia Pacific Sunbelt Development (Prof. Yutaka Tamaura / Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, Mitsubishi Corp., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Cosmo Oil, etc.)

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Research framework

Leader:Takao Kashiwagi, Professor, SRO
Co-leader:Shozo Ishii, Collaborating Faculty (Professor, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Tech)
Co-leader:Makoto Konagai, Collaborating Faculty (Professor, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Tech)
Co-leader:Ryuichi Shimada, Professor, SRO

• Ken Okazaki, Collaborating Faculty (Professor, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Tech)
• Isao Satoh, Collaborating Faculty (Professor, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Tech)
• Yohtaro Yamazaki, Collaborating Faculty (Professor, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Tech)
• Hirofumi Akagi, Collaborating Faculty (Professor, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Tech)
• Akira Hoyano, Collaborating Faculty (Professor, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Tech)
• Yutaka Tamaura, Collaborating Faculty (Professor, Research Center for Carbon Recycling and Energy, Tokyo Tech)
• Daisaburo Hashizume, Collaborating Faculty (Professor, Graduate School of Decision Science and Technology, Tokyo Tech)
• Masaji Kaneshima, Extramural Collaborating Faculty (Professor, College of Science and Technology, Nihon University)
• Kosuke Kurokawa, Professor, SRO & Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Kazumichi Araki, Professor, SRO
• Hidetoshi Nakagami, Professor, SRO
• Kazuhiko Fukutani, Professor, SRO
• Masahito Shiga, Professor, SRO
• Noboru Sue, Professor, SRO
• Takashi Kikuchi, Professor, SRO
• Toru Nagashima, Professor, SRO／Chairman, TEIJIN LIMITED
• Koji Takahashi, Collaborating Faculty (Associate Professor, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Tech)
• Takao Nagasaki, Collaborating Faculty (Associate Professor, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Tech)
• Akitoshi Okino, Collaborating Faculty (Associate Professor, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Tech)
• Yoshiki Nakamura, Collaborating Faculty (Associate Professor, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Tech)
• Yoshihiko Kataoka, Collaborating Faculty (Visiting Associate Professor, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Tech)
• Takuya Oda, Associate Professor, SRO
• Hidetoshi Okayasu, Associate Professor, SRO
• Masakazu Ito, Assistant Professor, SRO
• Jan Wiik, Assistant Professor, SRO
• Shin-ichi Nomura, Assistant Professor, SRO
• Takanori Isobe, Researcher, SRO
• Norihiro Kawasaki, Researcher, SRO

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Major Activities

We are undertaking research to develop and propose models for optimal energy systems for certain areas that will use combinations of renewable energy, next generation co-production, hydrogen production utilizing exhaust heat, and other technologies. Recharging infrastructures equipped with renewable resources for electric vehicles (EV) are also under development including a pilot operation of a shuttle EV between the three campuses of Ookayama, Suzukakedai and Tamachi. In the industrial sector, Nippon Steel Kimitsu Works is conducting experiments in electrical energy saving systems utilizing magnetic energy recovery switches (MERS) which substantially reduce power loss by improving the power factor of power transmission and electrical equipments. Asia-Pacific sunbelt development project is in the planning stage aiming at creating a large scale energy supply system combined with renewable resources in the field of international activities.

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Workshops and other activities to make the research proposal

1. Future Energy Vision Study Group Meetings
   Dates: Held five times between January 4, 2006 and August 2, 2006.
2. Advanced Energy Management (AEM) Study Group Meetings
   Dates: August 8, 2006 (First Conference), August 26, 2006 (Second Conference).
3. Workshop on Advanced Energy Management and its Campus Model
   Date: September 5, 2006
4. Site Visit to Examine Shimizu Corporation's Micropower System
   Date: August 9, 2006
5. Establishment of the AEM Research Promotion Committee
   1st Session held in January 2007. Participation by eight corporations. Sessions held every 1-2 months.
6. Workshop on the Future of Energy Systems as viewed from the Perspective of Exergy
   Date: April 12, 2007
7. Workshop on "Societies getting out of Global Warming and Future Prospect for Electric Power Storage" - A Role of Secondary Batteries and Seeds Innovation -
   Date: September 21, 2007
8. "Advanced Energy Management Workshop" (Jointly hosted by: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, US Department of Energy)
   Date: November 1, 2007
9. Symposium on Low-carbon Society and Japan's Energy Strategy
   Date: January 22, 2008
10. "Advanced Energy Management" Session in the Third International Symposium on Solutions Research
    Date: March 21, 2008
11. 10th Research Promoting Committee of AEM (Advanced Energy Management) Project, accompanied by an invited talk "Energy Strategy of Japan in Consideration of Tohya-ko Summit Meeting"
    1st General Assembly of AES (Advanced Energy Systems for Sustainability) Project
    Date: July 23, 2008
12. 2nd General Assembly of AES (Advanced Energy Systems for Sustainability) Project
    11th Research Promoting Committee AES
    Date: September 11, 2008
13. General Meeting for an Establishment of the Marine Biomass Research Consortium
    Date: October 17, 2008
14. International Workshop for Energy "Future Prospect for Power Electronics - To enhance Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy - "
    Date: October 29 - 30, 2008
15. 3rd General Assembly of AES (Advanced Energy Systems for Sustainability) Project
    12th Research Promoting Committee AES
    Date: December 2, 2008
16. "Energy Project" Session in the Fourth International Symposium on Solutions Research
    Date: February 5, 2009
17. 4th General Assembly of AES(Advanced Energy Systems for Sustainability) Project
    13th Research Promoting Committee AES
    Date: March 9, 2009
18. 2nd General Meeting of the Marine Biomass Research Consortium
    Date: March 24, 2009
19. Kick-off Meeting of Asia-Pacific Sunbelt Development Consortium
    Date: March 27, 2009
20. 1st General Assembly / #1 Project Meeting of Asia-Pacific Sunbelt Development Consortium
    Date: April 16, 2009
21. 2nd General Assembly / #1 Project Meeting of Asia-Pacific Sunbelt Development Consortium
    Date: May 21, 2009
22. 5th General Assembly of AES (Advanced Energy Systems for Sustainability) Project
    14th Research Promoting Committee AES
    Date: May 26, 2009
23. 3rd General Assembly / #1 Project Meeting of Asia-Pacific Sunbelt Development Consortium
    Date: June 11, 2009
24. 3rd General Meeting of the Marine Biomass Research Consortium
    Date: June 26, 2009
25. 4th General Assembly / #1 Project Meeting of Asia-Pacific Sunbelt Development Consortium
    Date: July 29, 2009
26. 5th General Assembly / #1 Project Meeting of Asia-Pacific Sunbelt Development Consortium
    Date: September 8, 2009
27. The First International Symposium for Advanced Energy Systems for Sustainability "Towards the Development of Asia Pacific Sunbelts"
    Date: October 6 - 7, 2009
28. The seminar on "Energy Policies and Concentrating Solar Powar Technologies in China" by Dr.Zhifeng Wang
    Date: October 28, 2009
29. 6th General Assembly / #1 Project Meeting of Asia-Pacific Sunbelt Development Consortium
    Date: December 16, 2009
30. 7th General Assembly / #1 Project Meeting of Asia-Pacific Sunbelt Development Consortium
    Date: January 26, 2010

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