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Abstract The production of alternative renewable fuels is imperative for decarbonising hard-to-electrify sectors. Dimethyl ether (DME) is an aerosol propellant and a low-emission candidate for fossil fuel substitution. The main conventional DME production process is the indirect dehydration of methanol produced from fossil natural gas. This work analyses the direct use of green methanol for …

Continue reading “Published at Chemical Engineering Journal – Methanol to dimethyl ether (DME) assessment toward thermochemical energy storage”

Abstract This research, developed in the framework of the SCARABEUS project, studies the off-design performance of transcritical power cycles running on C2-S2 mixtures in Concentrated Solar Power applications. The objective of this work is to identify optimum operational strategies that maximize net energy production when exposed to variable ambient temperature, with special focus on the …

Continue reading “Published at Applied Thermal Engineering – Principles of operational optimization of CSP plants based on carbon dioxide mixtures”

Abstract This paper proposes and builds the first megawatt thermal (MWth) class particle/supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) fluidized bed heat exchanger system for next generation concentrated solar power (CSP) plant. In this CSP plant, particles were chosen as the heat absorbing medium for solar collectors, and transfered heat to sCO2 through the heat exchanger, and then …

Continue reading “Published at Solar Energy – Design and performance study of the particle/supercritical CO2 fluidized bed heat exchanger system for next generation CSP plant”

Abstract This paper aims to present a numerical study that aims to enhance the thermal efficiency of externally finned solar absorber tubes for use in the solar parabolic trough collector (SPTC). Compared to the internal finned tube, the external finned radiation absorber tube boasts an improved geometry and a simple and straightforward manufacturing process. This …

Continue reading “Published at Applied Thermal Engineering – Optimizing the configuration of external fins of solar receiver tubes for the solar parabolic trough collector”

Abstract: This paper concerns solar-to-thermal energy conversion processes in an open cavity volumetric receiver for a 50-MWth integrated beam-down receiver-storage concentrating solar thermal system. A multiphysical model was developed in a COMSOL Multiphysics 6.1 environment. The model was validated against experimental and modelling data from the literature. The model incorporates specific solar irradiation profiles tailored …

Continue reading “Published at Renewable Energy – Modelling of radiative and convective heat transfer in an open cavity volumetric receiver for a 50-MWth beam-down integrated receiver-storage concentrating solar thermal system”