Digital Twin of a Novel Sorption Cooling System Based on Thermochemical Material
KU Leuven is an autonomous university founded in 1425, growing within the Catholic tradition.
With the current rise in cooling demand, a business-as-usual scenario will significantly increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions either through the leakage of synthetic refrigerants or via fossil fuel burned 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, de-coupling cooling from our already-stressed electricity grid. Such heat-driven refrigeration systems need to run off a thermal storage system that is inexpensive, compact, agile, mobile, environmentally benign, and capable of keeping 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, https://iiw.kuleuven.be/onderzoek/fhpcool) at KU Leuven will be responsible for the smart control, integration, and simulation of the CharCool system. The FHP&Cool group, belonging to the Mechanical Engineering Department and located at the KU Leuven campus in Geel, has extensive experience in heat pump and cooling technology and system modeling.
The PhD project will focus on the optimal design and control of the heat-driven cooling system developed in the CharCool project. The main aims of the research activity will be:
1. To define all possible configurations for system integration, including techno-economic assessment.
2. To develop a multi-objective optimization method to size and integrate the storage system.
3. To develop ad hoc control strategies and control algorithms, and a digital twin of the CharCool demonstrator.
4. Dynamic modeling of the system will be developed using open-source tools (e.g., Python/Modelica) and optimization frameworks to support the design and control of the innovative cooling system.
Profile
1. Master's Degree (MEng or MSc degree or equivalent) in a relevant field (mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, energy engineering, or related subjects).
2. Proficient knowledge of English (accepted proficiency tests include TOEFL, IELTS, and Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency; details at KU Leuven Admissions).
3. Experience with programming languages is beneficial (software for the project includes Python, Matlab, Modelica).
4. Willingness to cooperate in an open and multi-disciplinary environment, with a creative mindset and ability to take initiatives.
Offer
We offer a 4-year contract as a PhD student at KU Leuven. The candidate will attain a KU Leuven PhD degree reflecting skills in modeling, design, and validation of new renewable cooling technologies.
Interested?
For more information, please contact Prof. Dr. Alessia Arteconi at +32 14 72 14 68 or via email at alessia.arteconi@kuleuven.be.
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Job Details
Title: Digital Twin of a Novel Sorption Cooling System Based on Thermochemical Material
Application Deadline: 2025-03-02 23:59 (Europe/Brussels)
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