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The Heat and Mass Transfer Technology Center (CTTC) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) participated in the Economic COgeneration by Efficiently COncentrated SUNlight (ECOSUN) project to develop a low-cost, concentrated thermal and photovoltaic cogeneration system that increases the system’s electrical efficiency. This was achieved by reducing the absorption temperature of solar radiation and utilising the residual heat obtained from cooling the photovoltaic modules, to meet the thermal needs for heating or cooling through an absorption machine.
The CTTC of the UPC worked on the thermal and fluid dynamic optimisation of the thermal-photovoltaic concentration receiver by numerically simulating the entire device under different geometries and working conditions. This technology is designed for domestic and industrial applications. Potential application cases were studied under various environmental conditions for different regions and countries of use. A first prototype was validated under real operating conditions. The numerical results indicate an increase in the overall heat transfer coefficient of between 25% and 30%.
Consortium, budget and funding
The project also involved the Institute of Electrical Measurement and Sensor Systems of the University of Graz (Austria) and the Solar Energy Research Center of Ankara University. ECOSUN started in February 2020 and ended in January 2023. It had a total budget of €1,281,639 from the European ERA-LEARN programme.
Related Projects
- The Research Group in Smart and Sustainable Resources and Industries (RIIS) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) is developing the ZeroCarbonPave project, which aims to assess the feasibility of incorporating biochar as filler and/or as the fine fraction of granular material in bituminous mixtures, with the objective of reducing the carbon footprint associated with the manufacture and laying of road pavements.
- The Center for Industrial Equipment Design (CDEI-UPC) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) is participating in a cross-border project aimed at promoting the use of advanced digital technologies in viticulture in regions on both sides of the Pyrenees. The initiative seeks to improve specialist training, technical advice and decision-making in vineyard management.
- The Centre for Industrial Equipment Design (CDEI) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), together with the IRI, Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial (CSIC-UPC), is participating in the development of a pre-commercial prototype of an automatic portable sawmill that integrates computer vision, artificial intelligence and computer numerical control to improve productivity, efficiency and safety in local wood processing for the company Envall Coop. S.L.
STOR-HY: More flexible, efficient and resilient hydropower storage for the European electricity grid
The Center for Industrial Diagnostics (CDIF) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) coordinates the European STOR-HY project, which develops digital tools, monitoring systems and advanced models to optimise the operation of pumped-storage hydropower plants and reduce their investment and maintenance costs.
