Projects / Programmes
January 1, 2015
- December 31, 2021
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.13.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Process engineering |
|
| 2.03.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Energy engineering |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T200 |
Technological sciences |
Thermal engineering, applied thermodynamics |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 2.03 |
Engineering and Technology |
Mechanical engineering |
Heat transfer, mass transfer, boiling, thermal diodes, thermal switches, energy supply, renewable energy sources, thermal storage, building envelope, flow meters, measurement uncertainty
Researchers (53)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The Program group will do research and development of systems for supply and use of energy for heating, cooling, air-conditioning and process engineering. An emphasis will be given to renewable energy sources. The goal of research is to increase the energy efficiency and economic competitiveness of systems for supply and use of energy.
The members of the Program group are aware on needs for basic research in the field of heat and mass transfer on micro and macro level. Therefore, part of research will be focused on advanced mechanisms of heat transfer and heat transport. We will do research and develop thermal diodes and thermal switches, which enable the manipulation of the intensity and the direction of the heat flux.
We will continue the research on boiling, which is one of the most efficient and applicable type of heat transfer with phase change. We will study flow instabilities in micro heat exchangers.
Because of diversification of energy sources and the introduction of renewable energy sources, we will continue the exergo-economic optimization of networks and systems in the whole energy supply chain.
We will continue recently started research of alternative cooling technologies with the emphasis on magnetocaloric and electrocaloric cooling. This regards development of energy efficient devices for real applications in domain of conventional cooling technologies. The emphasis will be given to generators of electric and magnetic field, thermal diodes and innovative structures of “caloric” materials.
For decrease of energy consumption in buildings the research will be focused on thermal response with selective and natural building elements, and will represent basis for guidelines on planning of urban areas in cities, which will be adapted to future environment. This will comprise the development of technologies and methods for modelling of systems with natural heating and cooling of buildings with solar energy, with the multipurpose integration into buildings’ envelope. A part of research will be dedicated to analyses on impact of latent and other cooling loads of buildings on the electric consumption and the thermal comfort in buildings.
Because of variability of renewable energy sources the application of thermal storage is necessary. We will do research on reliable and cost effective technologies for renewable energy storage, including the optimization and automation of the whole energy system. The experimental work will provide appropriate answers on the quality of our research activities. Therefore an important role will be given to experimental work on already started research on dynamic integrated influences of flow meters.
Upgraded and optimized will be also the measurement system for the evaluation of the influence of flow pulsations on the measurement accuracy of the flow meter. A part of research in metrology will be dedicated to improvement of already accredited capabilities for gas flow measurements with the moving piston.
Significance for science
Members of the Programme group are aware that efficient use of energy, ecology and optimization of energy processes are becoming more and more important for sustainable development of global economy. The most important are strategic fields of research, for example world’s energy supply. The proposed research programme is structured in the way to achieve the scientific goals which can through the application in practice significantly influence the reduction of primary energy use and reduction of emissions.
Special efforts will be given to research and development of new cooling, heating and processing technologies, which apply natural refrigerant materials, and can use also waste heat. With regard to magnetocaloric and electrocaloric refrigeration all successful research results on the efficiency of active regenerators are of high importance and contribute to domains of heat and mass transfer in magnetic and electric field. This domain of research is relatively new, so the know-how and knowledge requires strong research efforts. Research in the field of development of natural heating and cooling systems will enable multiparametric optimization based on directives that regard near zero energy building (NZEB). Investigation of physiological response of vulnerable groups will enable establishment of interconnected criteria to provide healthy living environment for vulnerable groups. Besides this, investigation in the field of thermal response will contribute to design and renovation of the urban area with the goal to create better external environment and reduce energy use in buildings, which is a necessary basis for a scientific approach when designing neighbourhoods.
With the definition of factors that influence the prediction of costs/benefits of integrated energy systems with energy storage we will introduce basic criteria for validation of energy system connected with the building. Development of the methodology for determination of economy and environment benefits of integrated systems with energy storage for different climate changes will provide the basis for optimal thermo-economic planning of future buildings. Results of the research that will be performed regarding the energy storage will be of great importance for increasing the opportunity regarding the use of renewable energy sources.
Besides others, we will explicitly contribute to development of science with the following activities:
· models of heat and mass transfer in magnetic and electric field;
· development of the advanced measurement system for non-stationary 3D temperature field in the submicron area;
· research results of thermo-hydraulic properties of micro-channel heat exchangers with improved characteristics and decreased flow instability;
· analytical description of non-stationary temperature field at variable temperature of the environment and convective boundary conditions for simple 3D geometry by using Green functions, which is of the main importance when describing the rate of temperature variations and by that, for example determination of the re-crystallization structures of metal alloys by applying TTT diagrams;
· development of exergoeconomic model for optimization of district heating and cooling systems;
· research, development and implementation of thermal diodes and thermal switches;
· development of the new method for calculation of temperature surplus, correlation between the indoor quality and the optimal energy use;
· development of advanced technologies of phase-change material thermal storage, their optimization and automation;
· research and development of measurement systems for investigation of pulsating flow effects of single-phase fluids;
· research and development of multiparametric models of thermal response of buildings with the function of mitigating the microclimate conditions.
Based on numerous international relations and participation in
Significance for the country
Research activities of the Programme group are always focused toward strategic goals of innovative and knowledge-based economy, which enables efficient use of energy and reduction of CO2 emissions, and contributes to better competitiveness and sustainable development of Slovenia. Results of our past research have significantly influenced reliable and efficient energy supply. Therefore the proposed programme is directed to the same goals. Due to the socio-economic and cultural relations within the European environment, Slovenia has to adjust EU requirements and directives also in the field of efficient energy use. Therefore the proposed programme coincides with trends and directives of scientific and technological development of the EU in fields of process and energy engineering.
The programme is also focused on development of advanced heat and mass transfer technologies, which represent the basis of sustainable development in the economy and social responsibility regarding the energy process segment of the global market. Development of the new energy processing products with high-added value and high quality, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly solutions, represents one of the main postulates of the socio-economic and cultural development of Slovenia.
Empirical research results on thermal response of buildings will be applied in urban and architectural planning and renovation of urban areas. Technologies will be developed and transfer of technologies will be established to the Slovenian industry in the field of solar energy. Directives for design of the living environment of vulnerable groups will be generated, by which the existing engineering practices of planning will be upgraded for improving the quality of living. Methods for multidisciplinary validation of energy characteristics of buildings will be transferred and used in educational process and engineering practice. This will enable high quality and economic planning for design and construction of sustainable buildings. For the users of buildings the algorithms will be developed in order to improve competitiveness in holistic approach to the optimal operation of cooling, heating and ventilation in HVAC systems that are connected to the electrical network directly. With development of high-efficient energy storage technologies for Slovenian companies, it will be possible to improve their competitiveness when offering comprehensive service of renewable sources energy supply for buildings. Efficient systems of heating and cooling definitively have important effects on the economic, sustainable and social development of Slovenia.
For the quality production in Slovenian companies it is of high importance to ensure measurement traceability and validation of the measurement equipment. In this way, our research, development and educational collaboration with Slovenian industry is important in different fields of measuring basic-state quantities, and especially flow of single-state fluids.
Development and application of magnetocaloric and/or electrocaloric refrigerator will represent a potential technological breakthrough of Slovenia to the level of most developed countries. With the development of this technology we can enable the Slovenian industry a development of new, high efficient products with high added value. This technology may also indirectly influence the reduction of the energy use as well as the reduction of negative environmental impacts of existing refrigerants.
Developed and optimized systems for district cooling will enable controlled energy supply to buildings, and reduce the use of low-quality and energy inefficient air conditioning devices which influence bad external architectural appearance of buildings. Development of district cooling of the similar extend and in the way as it is established in district heating will enable accessibility to a broader community due to the reduction in the price per unit of cooling capacity. This will
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2015,
interim report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2015,
interim report
