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The 4th INDY All Partners event took place at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich in Germany, bringing together over 120 military, research, and industrial project partners and representatives of Ministries of Defence. The event, organised by Rheinmetall and TECES, and supported by the University of the Bundeswehr Munich, focused on ensuring the project's successful completion. As the final gathering of partners before the concluding event, this meeting was crucial for consolidating efforts and aligning strategies to achieve the project's objectives.
Key highlights
The three-day event provided a platform for showing significant progress and focusing on remaining project outcomes. The unique military setting and genuine hospitality fostered deeper collaboration, enabled constructive discussions, and provided participants with additional motivation in the final steps before the project's completion.
Day 1
The event began with a welcome from Yasmine Samarani, Rheinmetall Project Solutions, and Prof. Dr Christian Trapp, Director of the Munich Mobility Research Campus at UniBw Munich, who offered participants a glimpse into campus life. Following his introduction, the working package and task leaders provided updates on the project’s progress. The day concluded with a traditional Bavarian BBQ, offering informal networking opportunities in a relaxed atmosphere.
Day 2
The second day was opened with the welcome speech moderated by Prof. Dr Christian Trapp and welcome speeches given by:
▪ Col Matthias HENKELMANN, University of the Bundeswehr
▪ Col Robert ŠIPEC, Si MoD, INDY End-User Advisory Board Chair
▪ Deniz AKITÜRK, CEO, RHEINMETALL Project Solutions
▪ Ngandu MUPANGILAI, European Commission (EC), Project officer
▪ Matej GAJZER, TECES | SiEnE, director, INDY Project Coordinator
Valuable insights into the difference between the design and reality of a military camp
Col. and Afghanistan veteran Marc Lemmermann (RPS) and Captain Philipp Czasch (UNI BW) presented a series of case studies on military camps, offering valuable insights into the difference between the design and reality of a military camp. The presentation was a true eye-opener for all participants, offering valuable insights from the end-user perspective.
Col. Lemmermannn showcased different types of camps with examples from the Afghanistan operation, ranging from large camps housing up to 26,000 personnel to medium-sized camps with 500 soldiers and very small temporary camps with 40 soldiers used in tactical operations. Since Project INDY is researching the effects of new technology on various sizes of camps, this added significant value, making the discussion even more relevant and engaging.
On the other hand, Captain Czasch emphasised the key success factors for the future development of deployable military camps, particularly focusing on interoperability, full operational capability, resilience, and logistical efficiency. Additionally, meeting the end-user needs, as addressed in the INDY project, is a fundamental consideration in these developments.
The newly formed Technical Work Force provided an overview of the challenges and progress updates on the project. The session facilitated meaningful discussions with representatives from various Ministries of Defence, paving the way for a clearer path forward as the project nears its conclusion.
The programme continued with a parallel session between the General Assembly (GA) for INDY members and the end User Advisory Board (EAB) for representatives of MoDs to align their expectations and needs for the future.
Real-time demonstration of testing critical components
In the afternoon, the University of the Bundeswehr Munich (UniBw M) team showcased the microgrid's ability to test components, subsystems, and overall system behaviour, along with smart operating strategies. The university has developed a 200 kW microgrid demonstrator for research and development, incorporating photovoltaic systems, a small wind turbine, Li-FePo and Li-MNC batteries, AEM electrolyzers, hydrogen compression and storage, a hydrogen combined heat and power plant with an internal combustion engine, fuel cell power generators, as well as electric vehicle chargers and a hydrogen refuelling station for buses and trucks. Such technologies are also being researched within the framework of Project INDY, adding further relevance and insight into their potential applications.
The live demonstration offered valuable insights into the energy flow, ramp-up times, efficiency, and controllability of the microgrid. Attendees had the opportunity to observe the real-time demonstration and explore the various components of the microgrid up close.
The day concluded with a gala dinner on campus, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere for the participants to continue their discussions.
Day 3
The final day was dedicated to workshops focused on specific work packages. Participants collaborated effectively to resolve open issues and finalize plans for the project’s final phase. In the closing session, the WP leaders mapped out actions for the remaining months, ensuring all partners are aligned for a successful project completion.
Conclusion
The collaborative atmosphere and constructive dialogue across all sessions helped consolidate the project's next steps, which are on track for completion by January 2025. Given that the priorities and focus of Ministries of Defence (MoDs) are constantly evolving and adapting, such events are particularly beneficial in ensuring that these changes are integrated into the project and its outcomes, guaranteeing the best possible result that is both useful and relevant for the MoDs.
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Great news from the field—the INDY project is well on its way to achieving its goals, paving the way for a resilient, reliable, and efficient microgrid system. The INDY lead partners, ARPA Equipos Móviles de Campaña and Indra, have completed the first demonstration test for the microgrid's functionality. The primary aim of the test was to establish the microgrid's resilience, specifically its ability to adapt to a wide range of situations, including different types of loads and abrupt changes in operating conditions.
Testing simulated various conditions and stresses
The testing comprised several critical evaluations to ensure the microgrid's performance across different scenarios:
- Functional Test: This phase evaluates the microgrid's performance and power quality to ensure it operates effectively under normal conditions.
- Environmental Test: Here, the microgrid's resistance to variations in temperature and humidity was assessed, simulating different environmental conditions it might encounter in real-world scenarios.
- Mechanical Stress Test: This involved assessing the technology's resistance to vibrations and minor impacts, which is crucial for its durability and reliability in dynamic environments.
The functional, environmental, and mechanical stress tests directly contribute to assessing the microgrid's reliability and security. The tests help identify vulnerabilities and inform risk mitigation measures for components critical to the energy supply by simulating various conditions and stresses.
Paving the way for a resilient, reliable, and efficient microgrid system
The results were impressive, with the microgrid successfully withstanding a wide range of operating, climatic, and resistance conditions, surpassing the specified requirements. The successful completion of the first demo test is a testament to all project partners' collaborative efforts and expertise. The INDY project is well on its way to achieving its goals, paving the way for a resilient, reliable, and efficient microgrid system. Congratulations to Indra and the entire team for their outstanding work.
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From 4th to 6th March, 2024, the MINATEC Conference Center in Grenoble, France, hosted the 3rd INDY All Partners Event. Organized by CEA and TECES, this event marked a significant milestone in the collaborative efforts of INDY project partners, aimed at advancing dual-use energy technologies for military applications.
Bringing together over 110 INDY project partners, including beneficiaries, subcontractors and affiliates as well as invited stakeholders, alongside 14 INDY End-User Advisory Board members, representatives from Ministries of Defence (MoD), the event underlined the collective commitment to the Future Energy Independent and Efficient Deployable Military Camps (EEMC) initiative.
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INDY Mission Definition reviewed and approved at 2nd INDY ALL PARTNERS event in Ede, The Netherlands
The 2nd INDY ALL PARTNERS event, titled “Boosting Synergies”, was held from 20th and 22nd September 2023 at the Field Lab Smart Base defence innovation facility in Ede, The Netherlands.
The event brought together more than 80 experts from project partners and Ministries of Defence from participating countries in the project. The gathering offered an invaluable forum for focused discussions on project execution, knowledge sharing, and network-building.
Importantly, the event signalled a crucial milestone: the INDY End-User Advisory Board (EAB) evaluated and approved the INDY project’s Mission Definition, thus harmonising the perspectives of all project partners on forthcoming activities and deliverables, as set out in the INDY Roadmap 2030-2050.
The event was hosted and organised by the Royal Netherlands Army, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and TECES as the INDY project coordinator.
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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Funding Body: European Defence Fund | Call Topic ID: EDF-2021-ENERENV-D-EEMC | Project No: 101103388
