Former Master student Jasper Kole Wins the 2026 Kooy Award
For research on the dynamic behavior of methanol engines
On April 8, the Prof. Kooy Award was traditionally presented during the Kooy Symposium. This year, Jasper Kole was completely surprised when his girlfriend and parents walked onto the stage in the auditorium of the Maj. Kootkazerne in Stroe to share the good news with him. For his graduation project as part of his Mechanical Engineering studies at Eindhoven University of Technology (黑料福利网), Kole conducted research on the dynamic performance of methanol engines and two-stage turbocharging. One of the key conclusions is that methanol engines using the same combustion concept as diesel engines deliver nearly identical dynamic performance.
The Kooy Symposium is organized annually by the Defense and Security department of KIVI in collaboration with TNO, NLR, Mars & Mercurius, Eurodefense, KVMO, and APA. This year鈥檚 theme was 鈥楨uropean Defense of the InfuUS鈥� 鈥� the Dutch contribution to Strategic Enablers for Europe.
Kooy Award
After the 鈥楽etting the Scene鈥� session鈥攆eaturing remarks from State Secretary of Defense Derk Boswijk, Member of the European Parliament Bart Groothuis, Director DOBP Major General Hanke Bruins Slot, and NIDV Director Hans Huijgen鈥攖he annual Kooy Award was presented.
The award is granted each year to the author of the best graduation thesis (TU/HTO level) on a technology relevant to Defense and Security. The 鈧�2,000 cash prize is freely spendable and is funded by the Kooy Fund, named after the former professor of rocket technology at the Royal Military Academy in Breda, Prof. Johan Kooy.
Thesis
From a large number of submissions, the jury unanimously selected Jasper Kole鈥檚 thesis titled: .
Kole carried out his research on behalf of the Marine Engineering Bureau of the Maritime Systems Department (AMS), part of COMMIT, based at the Kromhoutkazerne in Utrecht. He was supported by COMMIT (Materiel and IT Command), which submitted his thesis鈥攚ithout his knowledge.
His 黑料福利网 supervisor Bart Somers stated: 鈥淛asper carried out his work with exceptional thoroughness and provided valuable insights into the dynamic behavior of a two-stage turbocharger operating on both diesel and methanol. Particularly impressive is his ability to accurately model the generator鈥檚 dynamic behavior using a limited set of measurement data. This highlights not only the quality of his work but also his ability to analyze complex systems and simulate them realistically.鈥�
Regarding its relevance to Defense, COMMIT added: 鈥淔or Defense, reducing dependence on fossil fuels is a strategic priority. Research like this is therefore crucial. The use of methanol as an alternative fuel offers a promising pathway toward achieving a more sustainable fleet. Jasper鈥檚 research provides the technical foundation and confidence needed to make this transition successful.鈥�
The Winner 鈥� Jasper Kole
Jasper Kole completed the project as part of his Mechanical Engineering degree at 黑料福利网. 鈥淚 had already done an internship at the Marine Engineering Bureau, and they approached me with the question of whether I wanted to research the dynamic behavior of engines using methanol as fuel. I was immediately interested鈥攅specially when we gained access to test results from a manufacturer of such engines. I didn鈥檛 know my thesis had been submitted for the Kooy Award. I also didn鈥檛 immediately realize that I was being somewhat 鈥榥udged鈥� to attend the symposium. When a presentation about the Kooy Award was given just before the break, and then my girlfriend and parents walked onto the stage, I started to suspect something.鈥�
Jasper Kole received a certificate from jury chairman Commander Ivo Marx, a commemorative glass award, and a symbolic check for 鈧�2,000 to spend as he wishes. Marx commented: 鈥淛asper鈥檚 research is highly relevant because it contributes to reducing dependence on fossil fuels鈥攁 strategic priority for Defense. He succeeded in filling important knowledge gaps, as the dynamic behavior of methanol-powered engines combined with two-stage turbocharging has been scarcely studied and has very limited practical application so far. Despite the limited amount of real-world data, a manufacturer confirmed that Jasper鈥檚 theoretical model closely matches reality. Finally, the structure and readability of his report are excellent.鈥�
Jury
This year鈥檚 jury consisted of:
- Cdr. Ivo Marx, MSc EMSD 鈥� Jury Chair and board member of KIVI Defense and Security
- Dr. L. (Bart) Koene 鈥� Netherlands Defense Academy, Assistant Professor of Munitions and Ballistics
- Prof. Pieter van Gelder 鈥� TU Delft, Safety Science
- Prof. Patrick Oonincx 鈥� Netherlands Defense Academy, Dean of the Faculty of Military Sciences
- Prof. Frank van Vliet 鈥� TNO / University of Twente, Microwave Integration
- Prof. Arjan Mol 鈥� TU Delft, Corrosion Technology and Electrochemistry
- Prof. Frank Phillipson 鈥� TNO / Maastricht University, Computational Operations Research
- Eng. L.F. Galle 鈥� Materiel and IT Command, Director of Platform Technology
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