Energy

THEMLab has initiated new collaboration within the framework of an industrial project with the active participation of an industrial partner/manufacturer. The activities span from industrial heat pumps and new working fluids to reversible heat pump/ORC unit and energy management in diverse sectors and technological fields:

• Industry and marine
• Buildings
• Heat pump related technologies

Within this context, applications cover the following topics:

1. Heat pump configurations for either heating or cooling and integrated with other energy systems (renewables, heating equipment, etc.).
2. Waste heat recovery in industry focusing on the low-temperature range (below 200^oC), which shows the highest potential in EU and globally. Promising sectors are food, paper, and chemical industries.
3. Waste heat upgrading and re-use in industrial environment for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing energy efficiency. Focus is also given on the marine sector for decreasing the fuel consumption and reducing thermal pollution.
4. Simulation and optimization of energy systems including renewable energy sources
5. Reversible heat pump/organic Rankine cycle (ORC) for flexible operation under both operating modes.
6. Research on new environmental working fluids with ultra-low GWP for use in heat transformation cycles.
7. Nano-enhanced working fluids (nanorefrigerants) for augmenting heat transfer with the aim to increase the performance (COP).
8. Energy/heat management and process control in complex systems (e.g. buildings, marine environment, etc.).