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Belt and Road Advanced Professionals graduated from University-Industry Collaborated Programme of PolyU-XJTU Silk Road International School of Engineering

Senior professionals from 12 countries/regions have benefited from the Belt and Road Advanced Professional Development Programme in Power and Energy run by The Silk Road International School of Engineering (SRISE) for the second consecutive year. The graduation ceremony for the 25 participants staged today on The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) campus was officiated by Mr Matthew CHEUNG Kin-chung, Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The three-year Programme run by SRISE — a joint establishment of PolyU and Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) — in partnership with State Grid Corporation of China (State Grid) and The Hongkong Electric Company, Limited (HK Electric) is the first cross-regional and multi-cultural project of its kind in Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, and the first university-industry collaboration project of SRISE. Over the past two weeks, the 25 professionals in power and energy sector participated in field-trip studies and exchanges in Xi'an, Jinan and Hong Kong. Newly joining the Programme this year were participants from four nations, namely Brazil, Myanmar, Nigeria and Tanzania. The participants include senior executives from enterprises or government agencies, as well as veteran academics and researchers. Other officiating guests at the graduation ceremony today were: Dr Lawrence LI Kwok-chang, Deputy Council Chairman of PolyU; Professor XI Guang, Vice President, Xi'an Jiaotong University; Mr SU Qingmin, Director, Management Centre of Education Affairs, State Grid of China Technology College; and Mr WAN Chi-tin, Managing Director of HK Electric. Mr LIU Zhiming, Deputy Inspector, Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs, Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR,as well as a number of Consulate Generals or representatives from the Belt and Road region, including Malaysia, Russia and Tanzania, were also present. Addressing the ceremony, Mr Matthew CHEUNG Kin-chung, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR, said, "Embedded with 'five areas of connectivity', namely policy co-ordination, financial integration, unimpeded trade, facilities connectivity and people-to-people bonds, the Belt and Road Initiative provides new impetus not only to the global economy, but also sustainable development. I believe that as part of PolyU's Belt and Road Strategic Platform, this Programme echoes well with one of the key focuses of the Initiative on the establishment of energy partnerships. Hong Kong has a unique role to play in this vision. The strengths of Hong Kong's energy sector in system operation, manpower development and project financing are most pertinent." Dr Lawrence LI Kwok-chang, Deputy Council Chairman of PolyU, said, "The Belt and Road Initiative is a powerful engine that not only provides numerous opportunities of development, but also creates a huge demand for professional talents. Obviously, engineers are highly sought after. As PolyU excels in the engineering discipline, we are keen to capitalize on our strengths to support the training of engineers from Chinese Mainland as well as the Belt and Road countries……We need partners in order to do a good job. We are therefore very honoured to have partners from the higher education sector and industry in both Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong to run this professional development programme." Professor XI Guang, Vice President, Xi'an Jiaotong University, said, "Through this Programme, we hope to strengthen the cooperation in technology spectrum among Belt and Road countries/regions, and to introduce a new model for university-enterprise and university-community collaboration. We also aim to implement the work plans under the University Alliance of the Silk Road framework, so as to contribute towards nurturing elite talents with global vision." Mr SU Qingmin, Director, Management Centre of Education Affairs, State Grid of China Technology College, said, "The first workshop run jointly by XJTU, PolyU, HK Electric and State Grid Technology College in April last year has received very good feedback. This year, with great enthusiasm, the four partners have meticulously planned a series of technological lectures, field trips and cultural exchange events in Xi'an, Jinan and Hong Kong. State Grid Technology College has been responsible for the 4-day activities in Jinan. We are very proud to have such opportunity to share with backbone members and elites from the industry, universities and government sector."    Mr WAN Chi-tin, Managing Director of HK Electric said the company has been providing safe and reliable power supply for Hong Kong with a world-class reliability record of over 99.999% for 22 years consecutively. "As Hong Kong is taking steps to become a Smart City, we are keen to enable our customers to use energy smartly. That is why we are investing in infrastructure that promotes the widespread adoption of information and communication technologies.  And in line with the Government's Smart City initiatives, we plan to roll out smart meters for most of our customers over the next 7 years. Through this workshop, we are happy to share with our visitors our unique experiences, " he said. This year's Programme focused on "Ultra High Voltage, Smart Grid and Electricity Infrastructure for Resilient City". The participants had field-trip study at the State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment in Xi'an, as well as various practical training facilities of State Grid in Jinan. In Hong Kong, they visited the System Control Centre and Lamma Power Station of HK Electric, and have exchanges with PolyU academia on Artificial Intelligence for Electricity Supply. The 11-day Programme enabled them to learn about cutting-edge technologies, modern management system and advanced design of the cities' special power supply facilities, and to gain practical knowledge and experiences from veteran academics and professionals from PolyU, XJTU, State Grid and HK Electric.   [From PolyU Media Release] Related News Articles: 張建宗：港成「一帶一路」專才平台 [香港商報 (Hong Kong Commercial Daily)]

PolyU develops unique electrostatically charged nanofiber with enhanced performance in filtering airborne pollutants and viruses

The Department of Mechanical Engineering of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has recently developed an electrostatically charged nanofiber filter with multiple separator layers, which can capture pollutant particles that are below 100 nm in diameter (covering the most common airborne nano-particles and viruses). The novel nanofiber filter demonstrates better performance in terms of breathability, filtration efficiency (10% higher than the conventional electret microfiber filter), and shelf life (up to 90 days). Nano-aerosols of 100 nm and below in diameter exist everywhere in urban environments, and by virtue of their small sizes, can be easily inhaled into human bodies. Most airborne viruses, from influenza to epidemic viruses like Swine Flu or SARS, are also in the size range of 100 nm. It remains a challenging mission for scientists to develop user-friendly air filter or mask for effective capture of nano-particles and to protect people from harmful airborne contaminants and viruses that may affect health. The team led by Ir. Professor Wallace Leung Woon-Fong, Chair Professor of Innovative Products and Technologies, used and tested polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a semi-crystalline thermoplastic commonly used as insulation on electrical wires, to fabricate nanofiber filters. Applying innovative technology in Corona Discharge, the team imparted electrostatic charges onto PVDF nanofiber, to induce electrical interaction with aerosols in close distance and capture the aerosols efficiently. Comparing with other filters made with charged microfibers or uncharged fibers on the market, PolyU’s novel filter have much enhanced filtration efficiency, yet without increasing pressure drop over time (higher pressure drop means a filter facing higher airflow resistance, and thus being less breathable for the mask user or reduced flow rate for a space filter). The PVDF nanofiber has proved to be stably charged, with charging effect staying for almost three months. In prior literatures on charging other nanofibers, the imparted charges usually dissipate within a day. Charged PVDF nanofiber filter In filtration tests for aerosols of various sizes conducted by the PolyU team, the charged PVDF nanofiber filter demonstrated pressure drop of only 5 Pa (Pascal / unit of pressure) and a filtration efficiency of about 54% for the 100 nm particle (i.e. after the air flow through the filter, 54% of the nano-particles of 100 nm in diameter being trapped), compared to 17% of non-charged PVDF nanofiber filter. There was also a 2.7 fold increase in “quality factor” — the ratio of filtration efficiency over pressure drop, or the benefit-to-cost ratio. The higher the quality factor, the better is the filter’s performance taking into account the importance of both filtration and breathability. Professor Leung said as viruses usually carry negative electrostatic charges, they can be captured very effectively by the positively charged PVDF nanofibers. “The filter or face mask applying our innovation would therefore be an ideal defense against virus during an outbreak.” Novel multiple electrostatic separator layers To further strengthen the electrostatic capture performance of the filter, the research team developed the configuration of multiple electrostatic separator layers — distributing the same weight of PVDF nanofibers in a single-layer filter into several filter layers with each layer insulated by a separator, in order to reduce the electrostatic interference among fibers of adjacent layers and increase the filter efficiency by electrostatic force. Filtration tests showed that filtration efficiency of the filters with charged multiple electrostatic separator layers (tests on two, three and four-layer) were 39% to 45% higher than the charged filter without the separator. Quality factor of the filters with charged multiple electrostatic separator layers were 2 to 3.5 times higher than the one without the separator. Stability and durability Charge on filter medium and its related electrostatic effect will dissipate with time. Filter durability test proved that PolyU’s novel electrostatically charged nanofiber filter with multiple separator layers could maintain a persistently high performance for an extended period, and is thus more durable and can store for a longer time. Filtration efficiency tests in humid ambient of 80% relative humidity (Hong Kong’s average annual percentage of humidity is 77.0%) for filters with four electrostatic separator layers (with 1.75 grams of fibers per square meter) showed that the filtration efficiency dropped only marginally after 15 days, and dropped only 1% after 90 days. Potential applications PolyU’s innovation can be widely applied in air filtration, from industrial to personal and household applications. Industrial usage includes dust-free rooms and fossil-fuel power stations. Air filtration can also be used to reduce particulate emission from exhaust of ships and vehicles. Personal and household usage of air filtration includes facemask, air purifier, vacuum cleaner, window filter screen, etc. The electret PVDF nanofiber filter can be used in Western Blot, an analytical technique widely used to detect or extract proteins. In the process, PVDF membrane is often used in transferring proteins separated from the original sample. The PolyU innovation can help greatly enhance the nanofiber mat’s electrostatic force in capturing protein, while maintaining the protein integrity without affecting its organization. The innovation can also be applied to effective release of protein-based drugs. Drugs made in powder form, for example asthma drug, can be captured electrostatically by the charged PVDF nanofiber mat for more effective release and inhalation by users. Other than drugs delivered by inhalation, the innovation can also be applied similarly to drugs for use topically over skin.   [From PolyU Media Release] Related News Articles: 理大研納米口罩 隔絕麻疹流感病毒 [星島日報 (Sing Tao Daily)] 理大研靜電納米口罩 過濾效率高一成 [明報 (Ming Pao Daily News)]

HK innovation to make world rail travel safer

中國日報香港版 (China Daily Hong Kong Edition)

理大獲撥款600萬 研智能鐵路系統

東方日報 (Oriental Daily News)

PolyU provides multi-disciplinary support to the nation’s historic landing on the far side of the Moon

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) proudly supported the nation’s current lunar exploration, Chang’e-4 lunar probe, which successfully performed the historic landing on the far side of the Moon on 3 January 2019. Adopted by Chang’e-4 mission was PolyU’s advanced technologies, namely the design and development of an advanced Camera Pointing System, and an innovative lunar topographic mapping and geomorphological analysis technique in landing site characterisation for the space craft. “PolyU is very honoured to be involved in and to make contributions to the nation’s lunar missions, in particular in this debut landing on the far side of the Moon, the first-ever in the history of mankind,” said Professor Alex WAI, Vice President (Research Development), PolyU. “PolyU attaches great importance to the mission and mobilises multi-disciplinary resources to ensure the deliverables meet the stringent requirements of a space mission.” Landing site characterisation For the first lunar mission in the world to land a space craft on the far side of the Moon, the selection of a safe landing site with scientific value is of paramount importance. Dr Bo WU, Associate Professor of Poly’s Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, has led a team to conduct a research titled “Chang’e-4 Landing Site - Topographic and Geomorphological Characterisation and Analysis” since March 2016. Funded by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), the team amassed a large amount of lunar remote sensing data from multi-sources to create high-precision and high-resolution topographic models for two potential landing regions, one of them is the current Chang’e-4 landing site, the Von Kármán crater inside the South Pole - Aitken basin on the far side of the Moon. Dr Wu and his team studied two landing regions for Chang’e-4 mission, each covering an area of about 1,500 square kilometers, which is 1.4 times of the total area of Hong Kong. They analysed in detail the terrain slopes, terrain occlusions to sun illumination and telecommunication, crater distribution, rock abundance, and geological history of the region. These analyses helped the team to put forward a sound and evidenced-based proposal of possible landing sites. The team gathered information of more than 400,000 craters and over 20,000 boulders in the candidate landing regions. It had also analysed the terrain surface and calculated the gradient of the slopes to identify relatively flat sites for safe landing. Rock abundance of the region had to be considered in detail because boulders can be as large as 35 metres in diameter and can block the way of the rover, whereas small rocks may get into the wheels, hence creating problem in the rover’s movement. “The Chang’e-4 landing site is on the far side of the Moon, without direct radio communication from Earth,” said Dr Wu. “In addition, the terrain surface of the landing region is also very rough with elevation differences up to 16km, which required a nearly perpendicular descent design. These made the mission very challenging.” The study in terrain occlusions to sun illumination and telecommunication is particularly important to ensure good illumination conditions to charge the solar panels on the lander and rover so that the onboard scientific sensors can be functional, and ensure good signal reception and data transmition between the control center on Earth and the lander and rover. After the successful landing of Chang’e-4 on 3 January 2019, the team worked together with the CAST team to immediately locate the precise location of the lander and analysed the terrain occlusions to sun illumination and telecommunication around the lander for better scheduling of action of the lander and rover. Dr Wu is excited to get involved in the project. “When I started my career in surveying, I have never dreamed of taking part in space exploration missions. But all things are possible if we are bold in taking out that one step,” he shared. Camera Pointing System Prof. Kai-leung YUNG, PolyU’s Chair Professor (Precision Engineering) and Associate Head of Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering also leads a team to contribute to the nation’s lunar probe by developing the Camera Pointing System (CPS) jointly with CAST. The CPS weighs 2.8 kg and measures 85 cm (length) by 27 cm (width) and 16 cm (depth). Mounted on the upper part of the lander of Chang’e-4, CPS is capable of moving vertically by 120 degrees and rotating sideway by 350 degrees, under Moon’s gravity (i.e. one sixth of Earth’s gravity). It is deployed for capturing images of the Moon as well as facilitating movement of the lunar rover. The design of the sophisticated CPS is extremely complicated. To withstand the stringent environment and to ensure the proper functioning of the device once landed on the Moon, all electrical parts, signal lines and wirings are installed inside the product shell. A well-designed, complicated, precise interior structure has to be machined to install and protect all wirings properly. Good multi-axis machining know-how and experience is a must to complete this project. The far side of the Moon receives high density of radiation and is exposed to extreme temperatures. The CPS therefore needs to be protected by the product shell with good surface finish and treatment to reflect the radiation and heat. And to avoid corrosion and rusting, the number of assembly parts and joints have to be minimised. As a result, many parts were specially combined to form one single component in the design stage and were machined and fabricated by removing unnecessary materials from one single solid material block. The process is far more complicated and time-consuming and needs high precision machining process design and know-how. The CPS was delicately manufactured in PolyU’s Industrial Centre, a key member in the project that played a pivotal role in producing space instruments to meet the stringent requirements in design and features for space deployment. “I am very proud to be able to take part in the first-ever landing mission for mankind,” said Prof. Yung. “I shall continue to work for the nation’s space explorations.” PolyU’s continuous support and future endeavour The expert teams have been working to support the nation’s lunar missions for years. The CPS developed by Prof. Yung’s team was first adopted by Chang’e-3 launched in 2013. That is the first Hong Kong-made and developed instrument being deployed for the nation’s lunar exploration programme. The functionalities and performance of CPS were proved to have met the stringent requirements as the two sets of CPS operated smoothly as planned after the landing of the space craft. Dr Wu’s team also worked on the topographic mapping and analysis of the landing site of the Chang’e-3 mission in 2013, and made contributions to the strategic planning and selection of the landing site for Chang’e-3. “The ultra-high standard of the research outcomes delivered by PolyU in the space projects confirm our competence in innovation and technologies. PolyU has been consistently delivering our research promise: to translate our research into impactful and practical technological solutions. In the future, PolyU continues to adopt a cross-disciplinary approach and integrate our pool of expertise and resources to develop sophisticated, appropriate and effective solutions for the nation’s space exploration programmes, including Chang’e-5 lunar mission and the nation’s first mission to explore Mars later,” said Prof. Wai.   [From PolyU Media Release] Related News Articles: 理大系統助嫦娥四號 登陸月背 [晴報 (Sky Post)]