Technologies

Applicable for any engineering simulation,such as electromagnetic simulation, stress analysis, flow dynamics simulation, reliability simulation and many more. The software works as a non-intrusive solution, therefore it does not modify the simulation process. It considers the complex solver to be a black box. This allows the software to be used for various engineering applications. The code automatically adapts to the problem hence it makes the simulation process efficient and robust.

All results are presented with GUI, which offers a range of unique tools. The software provides all commonly known standard plots, standard sensitivity analysis, and standard histograms. Apart from the standard tools, incremental plots are provided. These plots allow insight into the physics of the problem. The additional insight provides total increment plots which give a direction of a stable improvement. For a further statistical understanding of the problem, there are partial histograms which help to visualize the statistical impact of various parameters. The software extended a standard sensitivity analysis in order to provide sensitivity to the expected value. This helps engineers to understand how to improve product design.

Domains

• Automotive
• Aerospace
• Space
• Marine
• Transportation
• Power generation
• Defense
• Electronics
• Construction
• Manufacturing – Mobile
• Manufacturing – Industrial

Calomel (mercurous chloride) is a tetragonal crystal material transparent from visible (0.38µm) up to far infrared region (17µm) and exhibits a very strong birefringence (Δn=+0.683). These two parameters make it a great candidate for infrared optics as polarizers, polarizing beamsplitters, Savart plates, AO cells, etc. Calomel IR components find a place in every application requiring a high degree of IR polarization, like spectroscopy, astronomy, optical laboratories, R&D institutions, chemical industry, etc.

The company is globally the first to develop a technique of preparing single crystals of mercurous halides. Our greatest progress has been made in the area of single crystals of mercurous chloride – CALOMEL Hg2Cl2 – and its functional elements.

Domains

Calomel has a large potential to be used also as an acousto-optical modulator or a deflector. Its high AO figure of merit and extremely low velocity of acoustic waves are the key parameters for the AOTF. Currently used AO units on the market are limited by the transparency of material used up to the limit of 5µm. Calomel, as a material transparent up to 17µm, brings a new opportunity for the acoustic frequency modulated filters, especially targeting interesting spectral areas around 10µm.

Benefits

• Ultra-broadband spectral range from VIS to TIR/LWIR (0.38-17µm)
• Very high indices of refraction and birefringence 
• Extraordinary high values for acousto-optical figures of merit M2
• Extremely low velocity of elastic wave propagation (347 m/s)
• The highest birefringence on the market – four times higher than calcite and positive (Δn=+0,683)
• High extinction ratio
• High resistance to power lasers

PSI from satellite-borne radar sensors is nowadays a well established technique with a wide range of scientific and commercial applications in multiple thematic domains including ground slow motion (landslides) and subsidence monitoring, infrastructure and dam embankments deformations detection and monitoring. By measuring phase differences, using a multitemporal series of satellite SAR imagery, ground or object displacements are identified in the radar beam line-of-sight for coherent targets (called persistent scatterers).

The product provides displacement (or motion velocity) maps of targeted areas in semi-continuous mode – for a set of coherent points covering the area with varying density. Displacements are quantified in mm, annual motion velocity in mm/year unit. In addition, history of displacement is provided for each detected coherent point as a graph showing how displacement evolved over the monitored period. Results are accompanied by several additional attributes related to quality (standard deviation, coherence) and additional characteristics (cumulative displacement, severity classes etc.).

The company has gained extensive expertise in InSAR application over the course of the last years by implementation of several R&D and operational projects, both at national and international level, targeting monitoring of infrastructure and customers from infrastructure management institutions. SAR analysts and satellite processing experts are using state-of-the-art PSI algorithms and software tools.

Domains

Infrastructure risk monitoring.

Benefits

In comparison to prevailing measurements technologies and tools,  PSI technology provides the following benefits:

• Cost-effectiveness: multiple sites can be monitored in the monitoring system, hundreds to thousands of measurements (coherent points) are usually provided
• Distant-based measurement: avoiding need of physical access to (restricted, dangerous, inaccessible) areas
• (Semi-)continuous spatial coverage by results: providing means to reliably capture real spatial patterns of displacements and quantify the displacement severity
• Operational monitoring: retrospective analysis, continuous monitoring (nowcasting)

In addition, innovative means of results visualizations can be provided by implementation of web-based tools or by incorporation of results into customers ICT systems using dedicated transfer formats and protocols.

The major innovative feature is a controlled deployment without the need of a damping system (no latching shock), which decreases the number of mechanical parts and the complexity of the mechanism. It can be used for synchronized deployment of solar arrays.

Domains

The mechanism could be used mainly for space applications for deployment of large booms, antennas and solar arrays. In non-space it can be used in sectors where non-return movements are needed (e.g. places with limited access), in areas such as construction engineering, geological research and others.

Acquired know-how applies in production of precision parts, specific processes regarding surface preparation, application of PVD gold layer without need of any additional protective layer with very low emissivity values.

Domains

The mechanical parts and mechanisms can be used mainly for cryogenics, optics and also for space applications where high performance together with low emissivity requirements are needed.

A group of experts led by a system architect with a specialization in human-system integration in extreme environments uses methods within given context use: 

• Cognitive and Physical Function Analysis (including resources, roles).
• Human-System Integration Analysis (what actions should be performed by human and artificial systems).
• Definition of Concepts of Operations and relations in boundary scenarios to mitigate risks and enhance efficiency of the system prior or during its design process. Development of high level system architecture.

The resulting information product provides decision makers with  a summary of prioritized components/values of a socio-technical or human-machine system that are driving forces for defining effective design requirements. The information product is provided in a form of an interactive mental model of the system with emphasis on the humans in the loop. Model consists of states and recommendations for directions to be taken, as well as for simulations and modeling. The product is of a qualitative expert-driven recommendation roadmap character.

The system recommendation roadmap is applicable in extreme environment habitats, brownfields, traditional terrestrial building architecture, urban architecture, architecture in extreme environments, aerospace architecture and systems that include human, human-system integration in vehicle cockpits and cabins, human-system interfaces with focus on error mitigation, reliability enhancement, risk mitigation, human-system interaction optimization form physical and cognitive ergonomics perspective. The main goal is efficient and harmonious co-existence of human and artificial agents within a given context.

Domains

• Civil Engineering
• Building Architecture
• Urban Design
• Industrial Processes Optimization
• Brownfields Recovery, Reconstruction, Rebuilding
• Space Systems Architecture
• Cockpit and Cabin Human-system Integration
• Human-System process separation and delegation
• Systems Automation
• Planetary Systems Infrastructure
• Space Mission Architecture
• Variable Gravity Environment Systems
• Sustainable Development
• Automotive Industry
• Aviation Industry
• Outreach and Education

Benefits

The innovative aspect is in transfer of the space systems and design methodologies in terrestrial systems to enhance their performance from the perspective of human-system co-existence.

An uncured thermosetting resin matrix significantly influences many different composite properties. Therefore, the detection of the uncured thermosetting resin matrix is a necessity of quality control. This matrix can be detected by use of various methods, e.g. temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC), infrared spectroscopy and numerous mechanical methods including dynamic mechanical analysis. These methods are typically used together with pre-production trials on samples cured under various thermal and pressure conditions to determine the optimum cure cycle settings. However, these commonly used methods using robust devices are costly, labor intensive and time-consuming.

The Czech research center has developed and patented a unique portable online measuring system for resin curing monitoring based on impedance spectroscopy method with self-adapting frequency of the measurement. The measuring system is composed of the main measuring unit, in-house-developed dielectric sensors and platinum resistance temperature sensors. The system is capable of an automatic change of the measurement frequency (in real time) with respect to the actual molecular structure of the thermosetting resin during curing. The gathered impedance data provide on-line information about the curing process and display the actual state of the resin curing process. Therefore, the curing process is controlled and the operators have the information needed to determine when the resin system reaches the point of minimum viscosity, gelation, vitrification and full cure. The special design of the sensors enables it to monitor the pure resin of composites (with glass or even with conductive carbon fibers).

Benefits

Compared to commonly used devices for resin curing monitoring, the developed measuring system has the following advantages and innovation:

• Significantly higher sensitivity of monitoring of resin curing thanks to self-adapting frequency of the system.
• Smaller dimensions (150 x 60 x 40 mm) – the system is portable.
• The system is suitable for the analysis of hard post-cure resins and composites.

Compared to the standard commercial products, the new encapsulating material will provide the following advantages:

• Higher adhesion to metallic substrate (to eliminate loss of adhesion to metallic substrate during thermal cycling).
• Lower thermal expansion coefficient (to eliminate internal stress generation and loss of adhesion to metallic substrate during thermal cycling).
• Higher thermal conductivity (to dissipate heat generated by the electrical parts to avoid the electronic devices overheating and their failure during operation).

Domains

The most promising non-space applications are the electronic and aerospace industries. The material is suitable to be used as potting and encapsulating material superseding conventional casting resins.

The most outstanding difference from the common X-ray imaging detectors is the ability of Medipix/Timepix chips measuring X-ray wavelength. This is a major step forward in X-ray imaging since the knowledge of the X-ray spectrum gives a tool to identify different materials in the sample based on their “trace”. It can be described as the difference between taking a black and white versus a color photo of a stained-glass window in a church. Both images reveal the structure, however only the color photo gives a full information about used glass types as some of the glass plates may have the same gray level in the black and white photo. That closely applies for the X-ray imaging. Measuring the wavelength allows a use of so-called k-edge imaging technique that would otherwise be possible only with synchrotron accelerators that emit monochromatic tuneable X-ray spectrum. The new detecting technology makes it possible to use regular (polychromatic) X-ray tubes, have the whole system compact and orders of magnitude cheaper. An example of this technique is the application in art inspection that was developed by start-up InsightART.

Domains

• Science centres
• Nuclear power plants
• Industry (QA departments)
• Non-destructive testing
• X-ray imaging
• Biological and preclinical research

Domains

Those benefits can be applied in automotive, aircraft and rolling stock industries, nuclear power plants or medical facilities. Even more reliable software, however, will have to be engaged in autonomous car systems. Another advantageous non-space application is in securing national cybersecurity of national ICT backbone networks.

Benefits

The safety-critical software development using this expertise will provide the following commercial advantage:

• Much higher reliability of the software (failure is not an option).
• System robustness.
• Higher work intensity during software functionalities definition is balanced by 100% reliability of the system.
• Smooth integration to current client´s systems.

The success consists of a combination of three technologies (stereo camera, radar and LIDAR), while LIDAR provides the product with the best results. The principle of LIDAR is the measurement of the time between transmitting and receiving a sweep pulse. The heart of LIDAR is a device that quickly and accurately measures the time from sending the laser pulse to receiving its reflection. The technical challenge is that everything is based on the use of the speed of light.

To measure the time of light speed presents a significant technology challenge. The above-mentioned space technology can meet those requirements. The above figure is a LIDAR block diagram for application in traffic and smart cities. The device can monitor the obstacles in front of the moving vehicle in real-time, to identify the nature of the obstacle (size, speed and direction of movement) and allow the vehicle to react safely in appropriate time. In the core of the device is the “precision time measuring device”. It is a critical block whose parameters depend on the accuracy, speed and operating range of the entire LIDAR. The function of this “green block” can be precisely achieved by applying the above-mentioned space MPET.

Benefits

• Mass production of big quantities at a low cost
• Technology tested in space
• Several ground applications

For both the scientific and commercial communities, there is an opportunity to access high-performance computing systems and a wide range of training sessions aimed at acquiring the knowledge necessary for efficient use of supercomputing infrastructure. Furthermore, the research center invests in the future by educating the next generation of experts in utilizing supercomputers for solving computationally demanding problems in basic research as well as in applied sciences.

The expanding operational capability acquired a huge amount of data volume from space by modern Earth observation (EO) missions led by the European Space Agency (ESA), in order to launch the Thematic Exploitation Platform (TEP) initiative (in 2014). In the first phase, the overall goal of the TEP program was to develop and implement a number of thematically oriented platforms, virtual environments facilitating the search for data acquired by Earth observation.  These platforms provide user communities not only with access to the mass data archives of EO missions, but also with the information and communication technology necessary for their effective processing, analysis, and visualization. Currently, the TEP program includes the Coastal, Forestry, Geohazards, Hydrology, Polar (polar areas), Food Security (food cultivation sustainability) and Urban (population) platforms. The research center is actively involved specifically in the Urban Thematic Exploitation Platform (Urban TEP).

The general TEP idea follows the principle of bringing users to the data and analytics tools. The fundamental objective of the Urban TEP is to provide an open and participatory workplace where any interested (both expert or non-expert) user can find end-to-end and ready-to-use solutions (data and tools) to extract unique information and indicators required for urban management and sustainability. Thematic applications include, for example, generation of cloud-free mosaics of the Earth’s surface to provide a consistent view of the built environment, tracing global urbanization, regional land-use dynamics, and the deployment of processing functionalities for the derivation of orthomosaics and digital surface models from drone data.

In the next phase, the Urban TEP activities will focus on a systematic enhancement and streamlining of the platform capabilities and product/service functionalities to meet the requirements of a fully operational and sustainable platform.

Domains

• Earth observation
• Cloud computing
• High-performance computing systems
• Big Data
• Supercomputing

The company offers consultations in solving technical issues related to undesirable behavior of a machinery or related to structure failures. The company helps customers to identify critical areas of their designs and to propose design modifications leading to the desirable design improvement and cost reduction.

Domains

• Thermal design and analysis
• Structural evaluation of end-user components
• Aerodynamics, aeroelasticity, acoustics
• Additive Layer Manufacturing

Benefits

• Concept proved industrial feasibility
• Hybrid design provides high material efficiency
• Design methodology shows excellent agreement with test data
• Demonstration on a design and manufacturing of S/C component with mechanical testing and FEM model correlation

The adhesive is a one component encapsulated and/or latent form of epoxy based syntactic foam system modified by tailor designed nano-structures.  Formulated for robotic application in space industry (satellites assembly) and/or aerospace industry, where low weight and low temperature curing regime is preferable.

Domains

• Space
• Aerospace
• Defense
• Automotive
• Construction

The adhesive is a two component epoxy based system modified by tailor designed nanostructures and contains a non-toxic blowing agent. Curable by amines. Initially designed as high performance, low density and low cost adhesive for space industry, in particular for binding insulation foams to aluminum alloy honeycomb plates used in assembly of upper stage cryogenic tanks for liquid propellants for launchers.

Domains

• Space
• Aerospace
• Defense
• Automotive
• Construction