Innovator of the Year 2023 - employee
Johan Casselgren, assistant professor and researcher in experimental mechanics with a focus on snow and ice, has been awarded the Innovator of the Year 2023 prize.
- It's great fun to be recognized. I have worked at Luleå University of Technology for 18 years more or less and to be praised for the work you do after that time is a receipt that you still contribute. Sometimes it is good to stop and think about what you accomplish and realize that it is actually a part. It is a great honor that several people have thought of me and nominated me for this award," says Johan Casselgren.
Johan has already developed several ideas based on research into snow and ice. His latest invention is a new product that measures ice formation on wind turbine blades. With the help of a camera and AI, icing can be detected earlier and measures can be taken to increase the efficiency of wind turbines by up to 10% during the winter months.
Ice on the blades is a source of major production losses in northern parts of the world and many attempts to measure ice have failed.
- Ice and snow on wind turbine blades is a problem that affects electricity production. I was helping a company investigate ice formation on the blades of wind turbines and we realized quite quickly that with the technology available today, you can see the ice when it has already started to ice. I did some experimentation and realized that with the help of a camera and AI, you can find the ice at an earlier stage than is possible today. But the innovative part is also to link the detection to weather data to be able to build models for predicting ice and snow build-up," says Johan Casselgren.
Jury's motivation
Johan Casselgren has developed a solution to the major problem of icing on wind turbines. By combining camera, AI and weather data, he has not only effectively detected icing on wind turbine blades, but also significantly improved prediction. With up to a 10% increase in efficiency during the winter months, Johan's innovation offers a simple and applicable method to increase green energy production in cold climates. Johan Casselgren's research paves the way for green energy in cold climates, positioning him and Luleå University of Technology as a leading force in sustainable technology. Johan is therefore a worthy winner of the Innovator of the Year award.
Planned electricity production
Johan's invention can be applied to all wind turbines and the company has already started to get customers.
- By being able to detect ice and snow and also predict when ice and snow will build up on the wind turbine blades, electricity production and planned electricity production could be improved. Since electricity is traded the day before it is to be sold, better ice forecasts can make the trade in electricity more stable, this is also what my innovation can contribute to. If we know earlier and more reliably when the ice will come, we can better balance between the different types of power.
Much of Johan's research is about snow and ice, but his research is very broad. It covers everything from wind turbines to self-driving cars.
- The breadth of my research means that I learn new things and get new perspectives from different industries, which means that I can see solutions in one area that, with a little adjustment, can be applied in another. I also get to meet a lot of people who are inspiring and energizing - not least students when I teach. They often have many good questions that make you think, which in turn can open up new ideas, which is great fun," says Johan Casselgren.
The Innovator of the Year is chosen by a jury and the prize is SEK 10,000, funded by Nordea's Norrlandsstiftelse.
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