The Recycling of Waste Heat
Through the Application
of Nanofluidic Channels:
Advances in the Conversion of
Thermal to Electrical Energy
TRANSLATE is a €3.4 million EU-funded research project that aims to develop a new nanofluidic platform technology to effectively convert waste heat to electricity.
This technology has the potential to improve the energy efficiency of many devices and systems, and provide a radically new zero-emission power source.
Watch our video series below to learn more about TRANSLATE
The problem of waste heat and TRANSLATE's solution
The TRANSLATE Device: How Does It Work?
TRANSLATE's Ionic Thermocell
Tackling climate change requires a radical shift in how we produce and consume energy, away from fossil fuel burning and towards clean, renewable sources of energy. Yet every day, it’s estimated that 70% of all the energy produced from sources such as power generators, factories, and homes is lost in the form of heat, which evaporates away into the atmosphere.
This wasted heat is one of the largest sources of clean and inexpensive energies available, and yet it is currently untapped.
TRANSLATE is a multidisciplinary collaboration between partners across Europe including University College Cork (Ireland), Technische Universität Darmstadt (Germany), University of Latvia (Latvia), Cidete Ingenieros Sociedad limitada (Tenerife, Spain) and UCC Academy (Ireland).






The consortium has expertise across a range of disciplines including nanofluidics, materials science, electrochemistry and energy storage.

Our Latest News

Insight and Impact: Final TRANSLATE General Assembly in Cork
The TRANSLATE project held its final General Assembly at University College Cork, bringing together researchers from Ireland, Latvia, and Germany to celebrate four years of EU-funded collaboration in nanofluidic energy materials. The two-day event featured partner updates, candid feedback sessions, and reflections from PhD researchers.

Powering the Future: A Q&A with Rupa Ranjani Palanisamy on Green Energy, Resilience, and Supercapatteries
Rupa Ranjani Palanisamy, PhD researcher in the EU-funded TRANSLATE project, is pioneering dual-function electrodes that can both convert and store energy. In this interview, she shares her journey from India to Ireland, the challenges she’s faced in the lab, her drive for sustainable materials, and her vision for a battery-powered future that’s greener, faster, and ethically grounded.

Innovation in Waste Heat Recovery: Prof. Steffen Hardt’s Story in TRANSLATE
Discover how Professor Steffen Hardt and the TRANSLATE team are advancing waste heat recovery through groundbreaking nanoscale fluid dynamics. Featured on Deepsync, this story highlights the challenges, breakthroughs, and cross-border collaboration driving cleaner, more efficient energy solutions.