Research lines
- Concentrating solar power systems engineering.
- High temperature components and applications.
- Production of solar fuels and chemicals.
The specific activities included in the investigations on concentrated solar energy carried out by the IMDEA Energy Institute, are following:
- Solar concentration plants fo high efficiency and integration in urban environments.
- Solar concentrators, heliostats and optical engineering.
- Advanced thermal fluids.
- Solar receivers and reactors.
- Development of techniques for characterisation and simulation of high flows of solar radiation and at high temperatures.
- Integration of solar technologies for thermal, electric and hydrogen production contribution.
- Reduction of metal oxides, solar assisted combustion.
- Production of H2: CH4 decomposition, thermochemical cycles.
- Production of biofuels from biomass.
The specific objectives are considered in the IMDEA Energy Institute in this research line are:
- Catalysts for H2 and advanced biofuels production.
- Production of hihg value-aded materials: graphene and carbon nanotubes.
- Enzymatic tratment and pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass.
- Biorefineries.
- Production of microalgae to obtain biofuels.
- Genetic modification of microorganisms to increase the production of biofuels.
- Production of biofuels from municipal solid waste.
- Storage coupled to renewable sources.
- Sustainable mobility.
The specific objectives in this research line are:
- Materials for high energy density capcitors and advanced batteries.
- Thermochemical storage using ceramic materials and redox systems.
- Design and modelling of electrochemical reactors: flow batteries, metal air batteries and supercapacitors.
- Characterisation and testing of electrochemical energy storage devices at laboratory and pilot plant scales.
- Proactive energy resource management for distribution ne-works and microgrids.
- Integration of renewable and energy storage devices.
The R&D performed in the IMDEA Energy Institute regarding the intelligent management of electrical energy are:
- Management algorithms for distribution networks.
- Power networks and microgrids modelling and stability analysis.
- Design and control of power electronics converters.
- Reliability analysis of power networks with high share of renewables: solar, wind,...
- Techno-economic and feasibility studies for electrical systems.
- Energy saving and efficiency.
- Optimised use of energy resources.
The specific objectives of this research line are:
- Demand management and energy efficiency in buildings, residential and commercial sector.
- Optimisation of energy supply mix.
- Management of energy resources in industrial applications.
- Energy efficiency aplication in vibration test systems.
- Capacitive deionisation for energy efficient water treatment.
- Photochemical valorisation of CO2.
- Study of techniques for CO2 capture and storage.
The specific objectives of this research line are:
- Catalysts for photocatalytic reduction of CO2.
- Analysis of techniques for CO2 capture and storage: life cycle, environmental and techno-economic studies.
- Development of new porous materials
- Multifunctional composite materials
- Adapted devices for their final application
The specific activities of IMDEA Energy within this research line are:
- Synthesis and characterization of advanced materials: porous coordination polymers and inorganic solids with regular and/or hierarchical porosity
- Tuning of the physicochemical properties of materials through the control of their chemical nature (composition, surface chemistry, functionalization, etc.) and textural properties (dimensionality, interconnectivity, specific surface, etc.)
- Material integration into multicomponent systems
- Material shaping. Control of particle size, morphology, thin films, pellets, columns , etc.