Open Access
Development of a water flow and velocity optical fiber sensor for field testing
(Optica Publishing Group, 2022) Rodríguez Rodríguez, Armando; Urroz Unzueta, José Carlos; Diéguez Elizondo, Pedro; Bravo Acha, Mikel; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; López Rodríguez, José Javier; Ingeniería; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniaritza; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren
A water flow and velocity fiber optic sensor system was developed and tested. The sensing head was especially developed and ruggedized to measure velocities at different depths, in order to calculate the discharge in channels.
Open Access
Aluminum coated fiber optic sensor for enhancing flow rate measurement
(SPIE, 2023) Rodríguez Rodríguez, Armando; Urroz Unzueta, José Carlos; Diéguez Elizondo, Pedro; Bravo Acha, Mikel; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; López Rodríguez, José Javier; Ingeniería; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniaritza; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren
A water flow and velocity aluminum-coated Fiber Bragg Grating sensor system for open channels was designed, simulated and tested. The sensing head was designed, ruggedized and customized to measure velocities at different depths, in order to calculate the discharge in open channels. This paper shows, for the first time to our knowledge, the simulation of such kind of fiber sensors in open channels.
Open Access
Experimental study of the performance and emission characteristics of an adapted commercial four-cylinder spark ignition engine running on hydrogen-methane mixtures
(Elsevier, 2014) Diéguez Elizondo, Pedro; Urroz Unzueta, José Carlos; Marcelino Sádaba, Sara; Pérez Ezcurdia, Amaya; Benito Amurrio, Marta; Sáinz Casas, David; Gandía Pascual, Luis; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza
The use of hydrogen/methane mixtures with low methane contents as fuels for internal combustion engines (ICEs) may help to speed up the development of the hydrogen energy market and contribute to the decarbonization of the transportation sector. In this work, a commercial 1.4 L four-cylinder Volkswagen spark-ignition engine previously adapted to operate on pure hydrogen has been fueled with hydrogen/methane mixtures with 5–20 vol.% methane (29.6–66.7 wt.%). An experimental program has been executed by varying the fuel composition, air-to-fuel ratio (λ), spark advance and engine speed. A discussion of the results regarding the engine performance (brake torque, brake mean effective pressure, thermal efficiency) and emissions (nitrogen oxides, CO and unburned hydrocarbons) is presented. The results reveal that λ is the most influential variable on the engine behavior due to its marked effect on the combustion temperature. As far as relatively high values of λ have to be used to prevent knock, the effect on the engine performance is negative. In contrast, the specific emissions of nitrogen oxides decrease due to a reduced formation of thermal NOx. A clear positive effect of reducing the spark advance on the specific NOx emissions has been observed as well. As concerns CO and unburned hydrocarbons (HCs), their specific emissions increase with the methane content of the fuel mixture, as expected. However, they also increase as λ increases in spite of the lower fuel concentration due to a proportionally higher reduction of the power. Finally, the effect of the increase of the engine speed is positive on the CO and HCs emissions but negative on that of NOx due to improved mixing and higher temperature associated to intensified turbulence in the cylinders.
Open Access
Aumento de potencia en un motor comercial de encendido provocado alimentado con hidrógeno: mezclas hidrógeno-metano y combustiones anómalas
(2020) Urroz Unzueta, José Carlos; Diéguez Elizondo, Pedro; Gandía Pascual, Luis; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza
Este trabajo se ha centrado en el aumento de potencia de un motor comercial de encendido provocado alimentado con hidrógeno. La extremadamente baja densidad del hidrógeno conlleva una menor potencia, frente a otros combustibles como la gasolina, por unidad de cilindrada del motor. Con el objetivo de paliar esta deficiencia, el presente trabajo se centra en dos líneas de investigación. En primer lugar, se estudian las mezclas de hidrógeno con metano, compuesto éste de alto contenido energético por unidad de volumen. En segundo lugar, se analizan las combustiones anómalas, problemática inherente a los combustibles, pero muy determinante para el hidrógeno debido a su elevada reactividad química.
Open Access
Comparative performance of coke oven gas, hydrogen and methane in a spark ignition engine
(Elsevier, 2020) Ortiz Imedio, Rafael; Ortiz, A.; Urroz Unzueta, José Carlos; Diéguez Elizondo, Pedro; Gorri, D.; Gandía Pascual, Luis; Ortiz, I.; Ingeniaritza; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Ingeniería
In this study, coke oven gas (COG), a by-product of coke manufacture with a high volumetric percentage of H2 and CH4, has been identified as auxiliary support and promising energy source in stationary internal combustion engines. Engine performance (power and thermal efficiency) and emissions (NOx, CO, CO2 and unburned hydrocarbons) of COG, pure H2 and pure CH4 have been studied on a Volkswagen Polo 1.4 L port-fuel injection spark ignition engine. Experiments have been done at optimal spark advance and wide open throttle, at different speeds (2000–5000 rpm) and various air-fuel ratios (λ) between 1 and 2. The obtained data revealed that COG combines the advantages of pure H2 and pure CH4, widening the λ range of operation from 1 to 2, with very good performance and emissions results comparable to pure gases. Furthermore, it should be highlighted that this approach facilitates the recovery of an industrial waste gas.
Open Access
Optical fiber sensor for water velocity measurement in rivers and channels
(Nature Research, 2024) Rodríguez Rodríguez, Armando; Diéguez Elizondo, Pedro; Urroz Unzueta, José Carlos; Bravo Acha, Mikel; López Rodríguez, José Javier; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoa eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
In this work, optical fiber Bragg grating sensors were used to measure water velocity and examine how it was distributed in open channels. Several types of coatings were incorporated into the design of the sensors to examine their effects on the strain that the fibers experienced as a result of the water flow. Due to their low elastic coefficient, which reduced the hysteresis, the results indicated that the aluminum- and acrylate-coated fibers had the best performance. ANSYS-CFX V2020 R2 software was used to model the strain encountered by the fibers under various flow rates to assess the performance of the FBG sensors. The calculations and actual data exhibited good convergence, demonstrating the accuracy of the FBG sensors in determining water velocity. The study illustrated the usability of the proposal in both scenarios by contrasting its application in rivers and channels.
Open Access
Gaseous fueling of an adapted commercial automotive spark-ignition engine: simplified thermodynamic modeling and experimental study running on hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide and their mixtures
(Elsevier, 2023) Urroz Unzueta, José Carlos; Diéguez Elizondo, Pedro; Arzamendi Manterola, Gurutze; Arana Burgui, Miguel; Gandía Pascual, Luis; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Ciencias; Zientziak; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
In the present work, methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and the binary mixtures 20 % CH4–80 % H2, 80 % CH4–20 % H2, 25 % CO–75 % H2 (by volume) were considered as fuels of a naturally aspirated port-fuel injection four-cylinder Volkswagen 1.4 L spark-ignition (SI) engine. The interest in these fuels lies in the fact that they can be obtained from renewable resources such as the fermentation or gasification of residual biomasses as well as the electrolysis of water with electricity of renewable origin in the case of hydrogen. In addition, they can be used upon relatively easy modifications of the engines, including the retrofitting of existing internal combustion engines. It has been found that the engine gives similar performance regardless the gaseous fuel nature if the air–fuel equivalence ratio (λ) is the same. Maximum brake torque and mean effective pressure values within 45–89 N⋅m and 4.0–8.0 bar, respectively, have been obtained at values of λ between 1 and 2 at full load, engine speed of 2000 rpm and optimum spark-advance. In contrast, the nature of the gaseous fuel had great influence upon the range of λ values at which a fuel (either pure or blend) could be used. Methane and methane-rich mixtures with hydrogen or carbon monoxide allowed operating the engine at close to stoichiometric conditions (i.e. 1 < λ < 1.5) yielding the highest brake torque and mean effective pressure values. On the contrary, hydrogen and hydrogen-rich mixtures with methane or carbon monoxide could be employed only in the very fuel-lean region (i.e. 1.5 < λ < 2). The behavior of carbon monoxide was intermediate between that of methane and hydrogen. The present study extends and complements previous works in which the aforementioned fuels were compared only under stoichiometric conditions in air (λ = 1). In addition, a simple zero-dimensional thermodynamic combustion model has been developed that allows describing qualitatively the trends set by the several fuels. Although the model is useful to understand the influence of the fuels properties on the engine performance, its predictive capability is limited by the simplifications made.
Open Access
Duplex treatments prepared by HiPIMS and sol-gel on biodegradable ZK60 magnesium alloy for biomedical applications
(Elsevier, 2025-09-01) Claver Alba, Adrián; Quintana, Iban; Fernández, Iván; Santiago, José A.; Díaz-Rodríguez, Pablo; Panizo-Laiz, Miguel; Zalakain Iriazabal, Iñaki; Urroz Unzueta, José Carlos; García Lorente, José Antonio; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
The utilization of magnesium-based biomaterials in biomedical applications has grown considerably in recent years due to their favourable biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mechanical properties that closely resemble those of bones. However, the use of Mg-based alloys in aggressive environments, such as human bodily fluids, is hindered by their susceptibility to rapid corrosion, which compromises their mechanical properties. This can lead to infections in the body due to uncontrolled corrosion. In this study, a novel approach was employed to enhance the corrosion resistance of biodegradable ZK60 magnesium alloy and achieve optimal surface properties that can potentially enhance its antibacterial performance, hardness, and toughness. This approach involved the application of duplex treatments consisting of TiN doped with Cu coatings deposited via high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) followed by a Sol-gel top layer. The study systematically investigated the surface properties (wettability, roughness, and morphology), hardness, toughness and adhesion of the coatings to the substrate. To assess the corrosion resistance, mass change and hydrogen evolution of the samples, they were immersed in Hanks Balanced Salts Solution. Electrochemical tests were conducted to estimate the corrosion behavior of the samples. The in-vitro corrosion tests results demonstrated that the duplex treatments enhanced the corrosion resistance of the uncoated magnesium alloy samples. The duplex treatments exhibited suitable properties, including high corrosion resistance, hardness, toughness and adequate values of wettability and porosity-roughness. Therefore, they can be considered a promising option for use in biodegradable magnesium implants.
Open Access
Conversion of a commercial gasoline vehicle to run bi-fuel (hydrogen-gasoline)
(Elsevier, 2012) Sáinz Casas, David; Diéguez Elizondo, Pedro; Sopena Serna, Carlos; Urroz Unzueta, José Carlos; Gandía Pascual, Luis; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza
Bi-fuel internal combustion engine vehicles allowing the operation with gasoline or diesel and hydrogen have great potential for speeding up the introduction of hydrogen in the transport sector. This would also contribute to alleviate the problem of urban air pollution. In this work, the modifications carried out to convert a Volkswagen Polo 1.4 into a bi-fuel (hydrogen-gasoline) car are described. Changes included the incorporation of a storage system based on compressed hydrogen, a machined intake manifold with a low-pressure accumulator where the hydrogen injectors were assembled, a new electronic control unit managing operation on hydrogen and an electrical junction box to control the change from a fuel to another. Change of fuel is very simple and does not require stopping the car. Road tests with hydrogen fuel gave a maximum speed of 125 km/h and an estimated consumption of 1 kg of hydrogen per 100 km at an average speed of 90 km/h. Vehicle conversion to bi-fuel operation is technically feasible and cheap.
Open Access
Hydrogen gas-grilling in meat: impact on odor profile and contents of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds
(MDPI, 2024) Beriain Apesteguía, María José; Gómez Bastida, Inmaculada; García Murillo, Susana; Urroz Unzueta, José Carlos; Diéguez Elizondo, Pedro; Ibáñez Moya, Francisco C.; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD; Ciencias; Zientziak
The effect of fuel (hydrogen vs. butane) on the formation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was evaluated for grilled horse meat (very low-fat and low-fat) cooking vertically. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze PAHs and VOCs. An electronic nose was used to evaluate the odor profile. Total high-molecular-weight PAHs ranged from 19.59 to 28.65 µg/kg with butane and from 1.83 to 1.61 µg/kg with hydrogen. Conversely, total low-molecular-weight PAHs went from 184.41 to 286.03 µg/kg with butane and from 36.88 to 41.63 µg/kg with hydrogen. Aldehydes and alkanes were the predominant family in a total of 59 VOCs. Hydrogen gas-grilling reduced significantly (p < 0.05) the generation of VOCs related to lipid oxidation. The odor profile was not modified significantly despite the change of PAHs and VOCs. The findings indicate that hydrogen is a viable alternative to butane for grilling horse meat. Hydrogen gas-grilling may be regarded as a safe cooking procedure of meat from a PAH contamination point and perhaps sustainable environmentally compared to a conventional technique. The present study provides the basis for the use of hydrogen gas in grilled meat.