Digital Twin of a novel sorption cooling system based on thermochemical material

With the current rise in cooling demand, a business-as-usual scenario will significantly increase the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions either through the leakage of synthetic refrigerants or via fossil fuel burnt to power electricity-driven cooling equipment. The EIC Pathfinder project CharCool explores the use of water, a natural and safe refrigerant, in a heat-driven cooling system with the further benefit of de-coupling cooling from our already-stressed electricity grid. Aiming at a well-rounded resilient future-proof solution, such heat-driven refrigeration systems would need to run off a thermal storage system. Set as requirements, such storage systems should be inexpensive, compact, agile, mobile, environmentally benign (their production, operation, and decommissioning), and capable of keeping the energy locked in for a prolonged, ideally, controlled period with low or no losses. The design and control of the novel cooling system will play a crucial role.

The research group Flexible Heat Pumps and Cooling Systems (FHP&Cool) at KU Leuven, will be responsible for the Smart control, integration and simulation of the CharCool system. FHP&Cool group, belonging to the Mechanical Engineering Department and located at the KU Leuven campus in Geel and linked to the research activities in Energyville, has a wide experience in Heat pump and cooling technology and system modelling.

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Project

The PhD project will be focused on the optimal design and control of the heat-driven cooling system developed in the CharCool project. In particular the main aim of the research activity will be:

• To define all possible configurations for system integration, including techno-economic assessment
• To develop a multi-objective optimization method to size and integrate the storage system
• To develop ad hoc control strategies and control algorithms and a digital twin of the CharCool demonstrator

Dynamic modelling of the system under consideration will be developed by means of open source tools (e.g. Python/Modelica) and optimization frameworks will be created to support the design and control of the innovative cooling system.

Profile

•  Master Degree (MEng or MSc degree or equivalent) in a relevant field for the project content (mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, energy engineering or related subjects).
•  Proficient knowledge of English (The English proficiency test scores accepted by KU Leuven are the TOEFL certificate, IELTS certificate, and Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) or C2 Proficiency (CPE) certificate, check on https://www.kuleuven.be/english/admissions/phd/index#requirements)
• Experience with programming languages is considered beneficial (software that can be used in the project: Python, Matlab, Modelica)
• Willingness to cooperate in an open and multi-disciplinary environment, creative mind set and ability to take initiatives

Offer

We offer a 4 year contract as PhD student at KU Leuven. The contract can start after October the 1st 2024 (to be agreed). The candidate will attain a KU Leuven PhD degree reflecting skills in modelling, design and validation of new renewable cooling technologies.

PhD scholarship: https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/en/phd/phd-information

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Alessia Arteconi, tel.: +32 14 72 14 68, mail: alessia.arteconi@kuleuven.be.

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