News
ICE-HT participate to the Defence Exhibition Athens, DEFEA 2025
The Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences (FORTH/ICE-HT), participated dynamically with two exhibits at the 3rd International Defence and Security Exhibition DEFEA 2025, 6-8 May 2025, at the Metropolitan Expo Exhibition Centre, Hall 1, location 08 of the pavilion of the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation. The booth was visited by the General Secretary for Research and Innovation, Mr. Tasos Gaitanis, where he was briefed by representatives of the Institute and toured the exhibits.
The international Defence Exhibition Athens (DEFEA 2025) is attended by leading Greek and international companies, which present ground, maritime, air and national security defence systems. The exhibition is under the auspices and assistance of the Ministry of National Defence and is organized in cooperation with the Hellenic Defence Material Manufacturers Association (HDMMA).
FOLLOWING THE EXHIBITS
ΕΧΗΙΒΙΤ 1: Τechnology for developing personal protective armor to maximize the performance-to-weight ratio
The Applied Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory of FORTH/ICE-HT, presented a technology for developing personal protective armor to maximize the performance-to-weight ratio [http://thorax.iceht.forth.gr/index.php/en/]. Conventionally, technical fabrics, which offer high strength and protection, are heavy, which limits the mobility and comfort of users when, and if, due to their weight, they are worn. The goal of the new technology, which is currently under development, is the possibility of redesigning commercial protective armors with a feedback loop of their optimization. The differentiation of their molecular fiber orientation to a higher and lower degree than the conventional and their use in interlayer reinforcement of their conventional substrates, as well as the structural information after ballistic and knife tests will be correlated with mechanical properties, through hierarchical multi-scale simulation, in order to indicate the parameters that will allow for an effective redesign.
ΕΧΗΙΒΙΤ 2: Hydrogen energy technologies for power generation and energy storage
The Electrochemical Processes Laboratory showcased hydrogen energy technologies for power generation and energy storage. The lab has designed high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (HTPEMFCs) in pilot size of up to 2 kW, for power and heat generation with superheated steam production. The HTPEMFC cell due to its compact design, low weight (1-2kg/kW) and efficient cooling, is particularly attractive in power generation in unmanned aerial vehicles (DRONES), offering the potential to more than triple the flight time, compared to conventional lithium batteries.
Moreover, during the exhibition, ICE-HT showcased a high-pressure polymer electrolyte type electrolysis reactor, that has the ability to split water into hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂), while simultaneously compressing the gases at high pressure, without the use of a compressor. The reactor is self-fed with water and operates without a high-pressure water pump, achieving significant energy savings for the compression and recirculation of water. Due to its low weight and small dimensions, it can be used in a portable high pressure hydrogen production system. These activities have been funded by a number of European projects focused on materials development. A significant part of the pilot provisions has been funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Greek SOLAR2HYP project
