The Thermal & Energy Laboratory (LTE) allows to carry out applied research projects related to the efficiency of thermal / electrical energy conversion in buildings, the design and optimization of decentralized energy systems.

The facilities of the LTE make it possible to carry out tests on thermal energy conversion equipment (boiler, heat exchangers, ORC machine, heat pump) and to validate research prototypes in the field of organic fluid machine technologies and heat pumps (turbine equipment, compressors, direct evaporation solar collectors, steam generator with organic refrigerant).

Thanks to an approach based on the systemic methodology of optimizing systems that make maximum use of renewable energies and on the development of low-carbon technology solutions, it is possible to provide a significant response to the problem of energy transition in the building sector and industry.

Energy conversion efficiency in sustainable buildings and neighborhoods

With the long-term ambition of improving energy performance in buildings and cities, the Thermal & Energy Laboratory allows to work on the formalization of design concepts for intelligent and advanced thermal networks. This includes research on the optimal integration of building supply subsystems as well as modeling and simulation techniques for these systems in relation to available resources.

Design and development of decentralized energy systems

Thanks to the Thermal & Energy Laboratory it is possible to support industrial and academic projects, in order to test and analyze the performance of organic fluid machines (ORC) and multi-source heat pumps (for heating and/or cooling) in terms of their design and technology. We have efficient tools and methodologies for modeling and simulating thermodynamic components and sub-systems (cogeneration, energy trigeneration, etc.).

Energy system integration and optimization

Researchers at the Thermal & Energy Laboratory develop multi-criteria optimization processes that take into account energy, exergy, economic factors, and the environment. We also create systems-based simulation methodologies for energy systems and industrial processes. Our expertise in monitoring and experimentally validating simplified models of complex systems makes it possible to streamline the energy integration process.

Publications

• Malick Kane and Jérémy Rolle, ”Quantum networks”: a new approach for representing a network and evaluating hydraulic and thermal losses in district heating/cooling systems; The 33rd international conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and environmental impact of energy systems (ECOS2020) At: Osaka (Japan), 29th June 2020, p.1768.
• Simon Rime, Malick Kane and Sarah Wyler, Alternative solutions for the optimal integration of decentralized heat-pumps in district heating/cooling networks; The 33rd international conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and environmental impact of energy systems (ECOS2020) At: Osaka (Japan), 29th June 2020, p.1756.
• Yolaine Adihou, Malick Kane, Julien Ramousse and Bernard Souyri; An exergy-based district heating modeling for optimal thermo-hydraulic flow distribution: application to BlueFactory’s Smart Living Lab neighborhood; The 33rd international conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and environmental impact of energy systems (ECOS2020) At: Osaka (Japan), 29th June 2020, p.1699.
• Other publications