Welcome to the Division of Heat and Power Technology! Here you can find primarily information about the research ongoing in the unit. The descriptions of each project can be found by clicking on the project in the menu.
Our research encompasses the analysis and design of critical components and systems linked to thermal and mechanical energy conversion. Strongly technical approaches are taken to harness renewable energy – solar, wind, and biomass – for providing sustainable electricity, heat, cooling, pure water, and other energy services to single households up to entire cities or regions. We also look to renewable energy sources along with improvements in energy efficiency for developing innovations in transportation on roads and in air and space. Much of our research takes place experimentally in world-class laboratory facilities.
Our vision
An equitable, sustainable and resilient low-carbon future
Our mission
To contribute to the development of sustainable societies through research and teaching in heat and power technology.
Key Research Areas
How can a wide variety of non-food biomass resources be employed to provide electricity, heat, and value-added products and energy services in sustainable and cost-effective ways? What technical solutions are possible for the development of advanced thermochemical processes?
Keywords
CO2 utilization, geologic hydrocarbon transport phenomena, CHP (Combined Heat and Power), power-to-gas, anaerobic digestion, MSW (Municipal Waste) incineration, gasification, chemical upgrading, biomass resources/logistics/conversion/upgrading/end use
How can solar and wind resources be most efficiently employed at large scale to provide electricity to cities and industry? What technologies will be critical for matching energy supply to end use, and for enabling zero or negative CO2 emissions?
Keywords
large-scale PV/CSP/wind power plants including energy storage, supercritical CO2 cycles, green hydrogen, electrolyzers, CO2 storage.
How can a multitude of existing and new energy components be interconnected for creating synergies such as reduced primary energy use and lower CO2 emissions? How can advanced computational power be adapted to remake the energy system of cities for the improvement of its inhabitants?
Keywords
solar energy integration in industry, power flow analysis & network optimization, energy storage, demand side management, energy infrastructure for cities, smart cities, distributed energy resource integration, vehicle charging, vehicle to grid.
How can small-scale energy systems be designed to maximize the conversion of locally available renewable energy resources, minimize environmental impact, and serve needs for electricity, heat, cooling, pure water, and other energy products and services in a cost-efficient manner? How can disparate energy conversion components be integrated to form a synergetic whole?
Keywords
membrane distillation, thermal energy storage, energy in industry, electric/hybrid drive train technologies, electrochemical storage, agriculture, prime movers, system integration, off/on grid, small scale.
How can heat transfer be effectively applied in the analysis and design of thermally driven components for high efficiency, favorable environmental performance, and low cost? How can this knowledge lead to advances in related thermal processes with applications in electricity production, thermal energy storage, water purification, and others?
Keywords
CSP receiver design, solar/high temperature materials, hot and cold storage technologies, transport phenomena in MD, system optimization & control.
How do aerodynamics and aeromechanics contribute to next-generation designs of compressors, expanders, and high-performance components? What ramifications will these developments have for power generation, aviation, and space?
Keywords
aerodynamics, aeromechanics, fluid dynamics, structural dynamics, energy for transportation, aeroengines, rocket propulsion, microturbines.
