果冻传媒

The unfolding energy transition is currently being hampered by emerging problems with capacity shortages in the infrastructures for electric power. Lack of systems integration and, especially, the absence of mechanisms to use decentral energy flexibility for active network management leads to acute stagnation of electrification of energy demand and greening of energy supply.

Longer-term transition-oriented research is needed to complement the sector鈥檚 current focus on short-term problem-oriented solutions. Simulation tooling that provides a rigorous understanding of the (local) electricity networks and the wider electricity system, including prosumers and their energy flexibility, is needed to develop energy coordination mechanisms in and between Urban Positive Energy Districts (UPEDs).

The Positive Energy District Digital Twinning (PEDi-Twins) project is performed by a PostDoc researcher and a Research Software Engineer that will (1) investigate and develop energy coordination mechanisms within and between Urban Positive Energy Districts, (2) develop a model suite for UPED digital twinning, making reuse of (existing and future) models of different research groups easier, and (3) work with key stakeholders on relevant application/validation cases, possibly based on direct knowledge questions from stakeholders, to ensure energy transition impact.

District heating systems need to be further developed to decrease grid losses and exploit synergies, thereby increasing the efficiencies of production units. Moreover, district heating networks are becoming more complex due to, e.g., the variety of renewable generation systems and/or user demand profiles, lower distribution temperatures, the integration of heat storage for peak shaving, the usage of the network for both heating and cooling, and so forth. These next-generation networks (4GDH and 5GDH) are therefore much more difficult to design and, once in the ground, much more difficult to control compared to the conventional networks (3GDH). Therefore, the following project goals are defined.

• You will support decision makers, e.g., local governments, in developing and designing new district heating networks (5GDH).
• You will support the district heating operators in optimizing district heating control strategies (5GDH).

Although solar energy systems (PV and solar thermal) play a large role in the ongoing sustainable energy transition, the current solutions for integrating such systems in the built environment, are not yet well-aligned with the need for decarbonizing heat supply in winter and cooling in summer.

To help address these issues, this postdoc project will develop integrated solutions for energy harvesting, energy storage and energy savings from both a technological and building integration perspective. The project will combine expertise on both solar technologies and sustainable buildings using an integrated design-driven research approach. Instead of just developing energy components or systems only, in this research project, the energy technologies, building design and the buildings鈥� energy demands will be equally addressed leading to functional solutions that can be realized and tested in reality. By linking these competences to a network of industrial partners, we expect to work on practical solutions at medium to high technology readiness level.

The project will involve (i) modeling of 3D solar irradiance distribution in the built environment, (ii) feasibility studies on various solar energy technologies, storage technologies (thermal and electrical), and heating/cooling technologies, (iii) development of conceptual system designs, and (iv)prototyping and explorative testing of selected systems.

Fifty percent of our daily energy usage is in the form of thermal energy.  In view of the energy challenges ahead of us, compact heat storage offers opportunities to bridge the mismatch between supply and demand of energy. Inorganic crystal hydrates have the potential to be used as storage media in heat batteries. Discharge happens via hydration reactions involving a phase transition of the crystal lattice due to water incorporation.  A heat battery consists of a packed bed of millimeter-sized salt hydrate tablets. The challenge is to stabilize beds of these particles as they undergo significant volume changes during (de)hydration cycles and agglomerate.

A hierarchically porous silica (HPS) will developed for stabilizing salt hydrates by sol-gel emulsion methods. You will study the structure and morphology of HPS by multiscale (in-situ) electron microscopy. To understand the impact of the stabilizer on the crystal hydrate, you will investigate the impregnation of the HPS particles and study the hydration/dehydration reactions of these composite particle: the cyclic stability and the (de)hydration kinetics with TGA-DSC and XRD. These newly developed composite particles will be tested in a particle bed representative for a real heat battery. 

Interactive optimization of PCM building integration and dedicated PCM development, including enhancement of PCM conductivity, PCM stabilization and tuning of supercooling will be carried out.

• By simulations we will predict best combinations of conditions, do computational pre-screening of materials/additives/fillers for increased thermal conductivity, get deeper understanding of the crystal structure on molecular scale, assist the experiments for  development of reliable additives and solutions. Simulations will be used to study undercooling process and study solidification triggering methods by doping these systems with different elements.
   
• Experimental work will include measuring heat capacity of PCMs, cyclability and influence of additives on these properties. That would also include test runs in a climate chamber and analysis of water content/decomposition and crystallization behavior. Additional experiments will look at porous supports and encapsulation to keep the PCMs from 鈥渓eaking out鈥� and interacting with the surrounding materials in unintended ways.

INBUILT focuses on below:

• INBUILT aims to develop a fully integrated dynamic bottom-up high-resolution model that can embody key features towards the simulation of Grid Interactive Buildings (GIBs). This model builds on the concept of modularity consisting of multiple components, each of which is composed of additional modules, and allowing for more flexibility in terms of possible system configurations and computational efficiency towards a wide range of scenarios to study different aspects of end-use. It will also incorporate future technological breakthroughs and multiple energy carriers in a detailed manner, such as the inclusion of heat pumps or Electric Vehicles and Demand Response actions, in view of energy transitions envisioning the full electrification of the heating and transport sectors.
   
• Also, the key idea is to develop dynamic clustering based on machine learning techniques to formulate dynamic virtual nodes of GIBs to give momentum and increase further the building-grid integration. Mechanisms on how to aggregate the flexibility of the dynamic clusters shall be investigated. It is important that the modelled flexibility of the cluster can be treated appropriately when matched with the operator needs or the market mechanisms. Of course, by providing flexibility, GIBs participating in the clusters shall be rewarded appropriately and to that end effective disaggregation techniques shall be investigated for efficient rewarding.

The research will be part of the TwinTES project, with the direct link to the ongoing development of MOOI funded project 鈥� TROEF, to develop storage twining models that will integrate stack and system parameters of the complete set of storage units to determine optimal performance based on equivalent SoC / SoH values. The output would be optimal designs for integrated set of (thermal - electricity integrated) storage technologies to be deployed for dedicated hubs. It would also provide a comparison of the role and benefits between storage technology providers and storage service providers (hub entity) via the interaction with the integrated twinning platform. Coupling such storage models along with exploring relevant use-cases associated with the energy hub in the integrated twining platform will ensure high level of conversion efficiency while enlarging hub flexibility in accommodating larger share of renewables.

Are you eager to get involve into the digitalisation process of the energy sector, to develop and implement a digital-twin platform with innovative twining models for designing, developing and optimising the applications of storage systems associated with energy hubs to maximize their value and profitability? Are you eager to extend your research experience by collaborating with various industrial partners, researchers from different research departments of the Eindhoven University of Technology? If so, you will enjoy the position very much.

User behaviour can be a barrier to achieving optimal CO2 reduction potential of the energy transition in the built environment. If not used appropriately, advanced energy systems may not achieve their potential, in some cases leading to increased rather than decreased energy demand for heating and cooling. This in turn can lead to decreased levels of acceptance of these solutions, and thus slow down the energy transition. On the other hand, behaviour change can also harbour significant potential for energy savings, for example in the form of changing conventions of comfort, that is not always tapped into in the design of future solutions.

System engineers have difficulties integrating the dynamics of social change into their designs because they are not trained to anticipate the complex relations between (building) system design and user behaviour. Design support tools, e.g. based on building performance simulation, tend to assume typical or average users as starting point, thereby overlooking the needs of specific subgroups and well-documented phenomena such as the (p)rebound effect. This project will deploy advanced building performance simulations to explore optimization potential in considering (future) energy practices, based on data of actual residents, as well as out-of-the-box scenarios developed using creative methods.

The built environment is a key sector in need of transformation to reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption.

An increasingly accepted notion to decarbonize energy sectors is the so-called 鈥渟ystem of systems鈥� (SoS) approach, in which all energy carriers (e.g. heating, cooling, H2, water etc.) are integrated into one system and in which the electricity carrier serves as the backbone. A 鈥淪oS鈥� approach is especially relevant for buildings and their energy systems鈥� transformation. Yet, transforming our energy systems in the built environment (and beyond) requires much more than technological changes. Technological innovations are intimately interwoven with social questions, for example relating to acceptance and ownership but also to access and justice.

As post doc on the ARRIVE project you will be contributing to knowledge and practice for making the much-needed energy transition in our homes and buildings more responsible, just and inclusive.