CEET VSB-TUO Celebrates Victory in Applied Research for 2022

Is it possible to prove that people whose chimneys emit thick and acrid smoke have burned waste or other inappropriate fuels in their boilers?
Researchers at the Research Energy Center answered this question affirmatively by developing the SEMAFOR method.
The team of experts from the Research Energy Center (VEC), part of CEET, created a method that enables the identification of the combustion of inappropriate fuels in households using the technique called SEMAFOR.
This innovative method has become a critical tool for detecting whether prohibited materials have been added to combustion devices, which can result in significant emissions of harmful substances.

A key element of their success was an extensive experimental campaign involving more than 70 combustion tests and the analysis of nearly 100 ash samples.
The team studied and compared almost twenty different materials, including traditional fuels such as wood and coal, as well as materials not intended for combustion, like textiles, plastics, and flooring materials.
The fuels were burned successively in five combustion devices representing four basic types of hot-water boilers (updraft, downdraft, gasification, and automatic) and one wood-burning stove. The solid combustion residues, or ashes, were then subjected to detailed analysis and description.

The results of these tests made it possible to develop the SEMAFOR method, which simply categorizes results into three colors based on the measurement of seven limit indicators (Pb, Cu, Zn, Cl, Sb, Sn, Ti) found in ash.
This straightforward and user-friendly method allows for the rapid identification of the burning of inappropriate fuels.

However, the award at the Ceremonial Scientific Council is not only about the research itself.
An important part of the achievement was the collaboration between the center and the company ENSYTRA s.r.o., which serves as a model example of linking scientific knowledge with industrial practice.
Through the granting of a license for this methodology, the way was opened for possible commercial use of the results even before full certification and approval, thus making industrial application a realistic opportunity.

The Award for the Best Applied Research Result of 2022, presented to the VEC representatives by Rector Prof. Václav Snášel, was an important recognition of the successful cooperation between the research center and industrial partners.
This success is a reward not only for excellent research but also for the efforts related to the transfer of knowledge into the industrial sector, bringing tangible benefits to everyday life.

Zdeněk Neufinger, MBA, Deputy Director of VEC CEET VSB-TUO, played a key role in this process by connecting science and business, facilitating knowledge transfer, and optimizing the center’s commercial activities.

Thus, the award is not only a celebration of science but also clear proof that connecting scientific research with industrial practice can have significant positive impacts on society as a whole.

Text: Ing. Zuzana Wrbková, Mgr. Kateřina Navrkalová, MBA
Photo: VSB-TUO