Dynamic modelling of highly-efficient polygeneration systems
Mentor: Javier Dufour Andía
Email: javier.dufour@urjc.es
Phone: (+34) 91 488 81 38
University: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Partner Host Institution: IMDEA Energy - High-Temperature processes Unit - Researchers José González Aguilar and Manuel Romero Álvarez (jose.gonzalez@imdea.org) - 2nd year of applied research compulsory
This research line has been developed together with IMDEA Energy. The second year of applied research in IMDEA Energy is compulsory under this line.
Keywords: Renewable energy and storage integration; Concentration solar power; Solar thermal technologies; Technology assessment

Dynamic modelling of highly-efficient polygeneration systems

Reaching a sustainable energy system requires a growing and necessary decarbonisation. A route to achieve this goal is by increasing the penetration of renewable technologies for heat and electricity generation as well as in transport. This is particularly relevant into industrial processes and systems characterized by high energy consumption, which is essential within a strategy to reduce environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, sustainable integration of renewable energies also needs to be adapted to both the application and the environment.

This line of research addresses new polygeneration power plant designs integrating one or several renewable resources, being concentrating solar energy one of them, and solar heat inindustrial processes (SHIP). For instance, potential applications are hybrid micro gas turbines using concentrating solar energy for combined heat and power generation to fully cover electric and thermal energy demands of a city district or hydrid systems using photovoltaics and solar thermal. Another use is related to large-scale solar fuel production, which would have a major impact on a sustainable future transportation sector.

The energetic behavior of these polygeneration systems under study is analyzed by means of home-made and commercial numerical tools aiming at making time-dependent simulations (dynamic models). To do this, specific modules that describe the behavior of elements that compose the plant must be developed and validated. The ultimate goal is to assess the impact of fluctuations in the renewable resource (solar energy) on the performance of renewable energy systems. Thus, this analysis allows to optimize the sizing of components and detect the need for thermal and / or electrical storage systems and their integration into the system.

Departament: Energy and Chemical Technology, Environmental and Chemical Technology, Mechanical Technology, Analytical Chemistry
Research Group:
More Information: www.giqa.es www.giqa.es/index.php?Section=staff&IdPersona=23
www.energy.imdea.org
http://www.energy.imdea.org/people/researchers/dr-jose-gonzalez "
Relevants projects on the area: SUN-to-LIQUID "Integrated solar-thermochemical synthesis of liquid hydrocarbon fuels" Ref. 654408 (Call H2020-LCE-2015-1-two-stage (Topic LCE-11-2015 - Developing next generation technologies for biofuels and sustainable alternative fuels)).
Relevants publications on the area: 1.- F. Petrakopoulou, J. Sanz-Bermejo, J. Dufour, M. Romero. “Exergetic Analysis of Hybrid Power Plants with Biomass and Photovoltaics Coupled with a Solid-Oxide Electrolysis System”. Energy 94: 304-315 (2016)
2.- AntonioValente, Diego Iribarren, José-Luis Gálvez-Martos, Javier Dufour. “Robust eco-efficiency assessment of hydrogen from biomass gasification as an alternative to conventional hydrogen: A life-cycle study with and without external costs”. Science of the Total Environment 650: 1465–1475 (2019)