02/2010 - Project PowerFluid successfully completed

The development and realization of energy-self-sufficient functional modules in the fludics is a project, promoted by the Federal Ministry of education and research and attended by the VDI/VDE/IT.

In this project are involved the companies GEMÜ Gebr. Müller Apparatebau GmbH & Co. KG, Grohe AG, SIE Sensorik Industrie-Elektronik GmbH, wbk Institute of Industrial Engineering of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Staiger GmbH & Co. KG. The partners develop an energy-self-sufficient water faucet.

A generator in the cold water input lead generates the energy which is necessary to switch the valve. Solar cells on the armature generate the electric current for the sensor.

Staiger developed the valve technology in this project. The complete valve consists of a cartridge valve with a bistable Spider valve as a pilot valve and a mechanical auxiliary actuator with a permanent magnet.

At the end of the life span of this project we have a prototype which opens and closes the water supply energy-self-sufficient - a battery is not necessary any more.

Picture: Grohe AG