Project Team HELIOS

The highly complementary HELIOS consortium includes five partners from three European countries: 

    • Eindhoven University of Technology (NL) 
    • Thomassen Energy BV A Hanwha Company (NL)
    • Centro Combustione Ambiente S.P.A. (IT)
    • Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. – DLR (DE)
    • Technische Universiteit Delft (NL).


Project information is shared and exchanged between the 5 project partners via monthly WP Leader Board meetings and half-yearly General Assembly (GA) meetings. In general, GA meetings are conducted face-to-face:

GA03 meeting, April 12, 2024:
Hosted by Centro Combustione Ambiente S.P.A. (Italy)

GA02 meeting, September 20-21, 2023:
Hosted by Thomassen Energy BV, A Hanwha Company (Netherlands) 

GA01 meeting, March 14-15, 2023: 
Kickoff meeting, hosted by JU Brussels.

Core Partners

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is a research-driven university of international standing, where excellent research and excellent education go hand in hand. The focus is on a balanced approach towards education, research and valorization of knowledge in the areas of engineering science and technology. TU/e forms part of the network of scientific excellence in the ‘EuroTech Universities – Excellence in Science and Technology’, and has partnerships with universities around the world. 

The aim of the research carried out by group Power and Flow section of the department of Mechanical Engineering, is to support the development of efficient and clean combustion processes in laminar and turbulent flows. The Combustion Technology group is one of the leading research groups in combustion science and technology and it has a long tradition in doing research in close collaboration with industrial partners. Important application areas are internal combustion engines, gasturbines, industrial furnaces, and domestic burners. The group is well-known for the invention of the FGM method, a very efficient and accurate combustion modeling technique, well-recognized in the combustion community worldwide and used by more than 50 groups/industries over the world.

Thomassen Energy B.V. (located in Rheden, the Netherlands) serves markets around the world as subsidiary of Hanwha Power Systems Holdings Corp. We deliver high technology aftermarket service providers for multi-OEM platform gas turbine power plants, and an array of engineered compressors to customers around the world. Our mission is to provide our own technology-enabled solutions that improve operational performance, fuel flexibility and maintenance life cycle costs for the asset owners. Together, we are developing clean energy solutions for future generations! Learn more at www.thomassen.energy and https://www.hanwhapowersystems.com/

German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Institute of Propulsion Technology is the Federal Republic of Germany’s research centre for aeronautics and space. We conduct research and development activities in the fields of aeronautics, space, energy, transport, security and digitalisation. The German Space Agency at DLR plans and implements the national space programme on behalf of the federal government. Two DLR project management agencies oversee funding programmes and support knowledge transfer. 

DLR has strong research capabilities and achieves synergies across different sectors thanks to its broad range of institutes and facilities, the depth of its expertise and the targeted combination of different competences within the organisation and in cooperation with external partners in industry and science. 

The Institute of Propulsion Technology focuses its research on the development and virtualization of high-performance and environmentally friendly aircraft engines and power plant turbines. Research focuses on the evaluation and validation of innovative propulsion concepts such as the use of hydrogen and alternative aviation fuels in gas turbines and aircraft engines, on highly efficient turbo components and on low-emission combustors. 

With the unique test beds operated by the Combustor testing department, the Institute of Propulsion Technology provides internal and first of all external partners the opportunity of testing gas turbine combustion systems for both aero and heavy duty applications under realistic conditions. Most operational parameters can be freely adjusted without the dependency on the operational envelope of the actual engine. 

The department of Engine measurement systems develops and applies laser optical measurement techniques for the aerothermodynamic investigation of aero engine components, development of measurement systems with special design to application demands to achieve best possible measurement accuracy, development of new measurement systems to contribute to the desired progress in turbomachinery research, application of the mobile measurement system in home and on customers site, design and adaptation of test rigs for measurement application. 

Delft university of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

The Process & Energy Department is part of the TU Delft Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Process & Energy conducts world-class research & education focusing on process & energy technologies for sustainable development. The research is conducted from a deep understanding of the underlying physics and is oriented towards industrial applications and societal needs.

Centro Combustione Ambiente Spa (CCA) is an industrial research center fully equipped to perform testing of burners, different products and complete processes mainly related to the energy sector in size scale from 100 kWth up to 45 MWth. 

CCA performs R&D testing activities as independent platform for different industrial Customers in different sectors of application and with the use of different fossils and renewable fuels as well as coal or biomass; liquids as HFO or Biooil and gaseous as Natural Gas, LPG or  H2green, NH3green, and others .

The main  foci are:

Execution of combustion test in industrial scale for different burners and energy conversion systems as well as:

• Burners for Boiler in power and industrial application; Gas Turbine and different   industrial processes
• Gasifiers;
• Micro-turbines; heat exchangers; etc.  
• Audit on field for emission diagnostic or performance test;
• Development and construction of prototypes in the energy conversion sector;  
• Development of dedicated diagnostic devices;

In the 35 years’ experience CCA has been an important partner for the most update combustion technologies development and several smart diagnostic devices.