HZ and Scalda students work together at Delta Power-Lab in JRCZ

Students from HZ University of Applied Sciences and Scalda are working together in the Delta Power-Lab at the Joint Research Center Zeeland (JRCZ) in Middelburg on a model tidal power plant.

At the JRCZ, two large steel vessels were waiting to be connected. As part of the project "Spelen met Stroom(ing) 2.0," six Scalda students and four HZ students worked together to connect the two vessels in the Delta Power-Lab.

In recent months, the Scalda students have been working on the mechanical engineering realization, while four Engineering students from HZ have designed a motor switching system. Combining their knowledge and skills, the two steel vessels have been connected and a model tidal power plant stands in room RC0.21 in the JRCZ.

Led by the Delta Power lectureship at HZ University of Applied Sciences, the MBO and HBO students are working together in and on the lab. "It is truly a collaboration," says Bob Romboud, researcher and one of the project leaders. "The students are actively thinking and working with us. We are casting existing technology in a new form." This new form involves tidal turbines that can change to pumps within ten seconds. This allows you to pump water away for water safety and/or storage of electricity, and also allow water to flow through the turbine to actually generate electricity. "Such a system does not yet exist anywhere," says HZ student John Harthoorn. "It sounds very simple, but it's very challenging."

Now that the two vessels in the lab are connected, the project is ready for the next phase. In February, HZ and Scalda students will again go to work in the Delta Power Lab to connect the model tidal power plant to electricity. "It's good that there is cooperation between the schools," says HZ student Coenraad de Feijter.