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Projects: our group is involved in several research projects supported by the industry, research and government agencies

Tech-offer: our team is developing several technologies and solutions ready to be adopted by the industry

Projects

CRYO-POLYGEN DEMONSTRATOR 

Supported by: Surbana Jurong and the National Research Foundation, 2018-2023

Description

  • Development of demonstrator for a Pentageneration System using Liquefied Natural Gas and exploring synergies and research activities in the area of Hydrogen storage and utilization, Cryogenic carbon capture, and Urban farming  

 

Objectives

  • To demonstrate the combined generation of a multi-utilities system in an urban environment

  • To develop a unique living testbed for cold energy innovation research, the Cold Innovation Hub

  • To advance research in the areas of carbon capture, hydrogen and thermal energy storage

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UNDERGROUND LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS (LNG) STORAGE

Supported by: Surbana Jurong and the National Research Foundation, 2018-2023

 

Description

  • Explore cryogenic storage systems for large-to-small scale LNG storage located within underground environment

 

Objectives

  • To develop an underground storage system and understand how the system works at various conditions

  • To develop Cold Energy Capture (CEC) technologies with aims to integrate them with the LNG underground storage

  • Construction of a Pilot Test Facility that incorporates the containment system and Cold Energy Capture (CEC) technology and its relevant application system developed

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GREEN DATA CENTRES THROUGH CRYOGENIC ENERGY SYSTEM

Supported by: Infocomm Media Development Authority, 2017-2020

Description

  • Novel zero-emissions concept of a cryogenic energy system that uses liquid Air or liquid Nitrogen for cooling and power Data Centres

Objectives

  • Investigate the performance of different designs of a cryogenic system for back-up power solutions in Data Centres

  • Design a cooling and power system with zero emissions and PUE < 1.15

  • Development of a unique test bed for a broad exploration of use of cryogens

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APPLICATION OF PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL for IMPROVED EFFICIENCY IN WASTE-to-ENERGY PLANTS

Supported by: National Environmental Agency, 2017-2019

 

Description

  • Traditional steam generation boilers suffer from thermal power fluctuation due to the waste combustion which is characterized by a high variability in net calorific value. This leads to a few technical issues which limit the maximum net electric efficiency of WtE plants: the limits on the maximum steam temperature and the fluctuation in steam production

 

Objectives

  • The proposed technology intends to replace the existing water-wall technology with technology based on PCM

  • To increase the electrical efficiency of WtE plants by developing a modular and cost-effective PCM-wall technology

  • Increase the efficiency of the Waste to Energy plants beyond 34% with a simple retrofitting solution

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SMART MULTI-ENERGY SYSTEMS (SMES): CRYOGENIC ENERGY STORAGE

Supported by: JTC under the Sustainable Energy Research & Technology Development, 2016-2021

 

Description​​

  • As part of the Smart Multi Energy Systems (SMES) project, novel energy storage technologies and energy carriers are being investigated

  • Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) is a novel energy storage technology with proven high reliability, long lifetime (greater than 25 years), high energy density (comparable to Li-Ion batteries) 

 

Objectives

  • Carry out a feasibility study by simulation for the cryogenic energy storage system aimed at identifying the challenges, innovations, and solutions required to achieve high round-trip efficiency

  • Perform techno-economic feasibility analysis for both energy storage use and also for process gases in industrial estates

  • Develop a high-grade cold regenerator for cryogenic energy storage

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WASTE HEAT RECOVERY through ORGANIC RANKINE CYCLE

Supported by the ICER, International Centre for Energy Research in collaboration with TUM, Germany

 

Description​​

  • The project looks into the dynamics and control strategies of ORC subjected to fluctuating thermal power in WHR applications. An emphasis is made on component design to manage the fluctuations (in particular the evaporator)

 

Objectives

  • Modelling, simulation and experimental validation of ORC systems under dynamic conditions

  • Component and control design for safe operation and reduction of off-design inefficiencies

  • Feasibility of direct evaporation to reduce size of system for mobile applications

  • Design “tailored” dynamic behaviour of ORC to achieve the best control strategy. 

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MULTI-INJECTION TURBINE HOUSING 

Supported by the CARES C4T 

 

Description​​

  • The project looks into developing a novel turbocharging concept to improve performance in trucks and heavy duty engines

Objectives

  • ​Design and optimization of the multi-injection turbine housing best configuration

  • Testing on a gas test stand and on-engine testing

Technology Offer

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COLDBOX - SUBZERO ENERGY TEMPERATURE

 

Description

  • The technology utilizes an alternative zero-emission cryogenic energy system that involves liquid Air or liquid Nitrogen or any other suitable cryogen, to provide efficient "green" power and cooling solution for various indoor environments, such as Data Centres, warehouses, factories, buildings, and so on

 

 

Key-unique points

  • Low PUE (lower than 1.2) / Easy retrofitting / To be adopted as fire suppressant / Serve as a redundant systems (cooling and power units) /  Green energy vector (no local emissions) / Decentralized / High energy density / No locality constraints / Reliability, scalability and long life cycle / Low CAPEX 

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CRYOGENIC ENERGY SYSTEM LAYOUT FOR INDOOR ENVIRONMENT COOLING AND POWER

 

Description

  • The technology utilizes an alternative zero-emission cryogenic energy system that involves liquid Air or liquid Nitrogen or any other suitable cryogen, to provide efficient "green" power and cooling solution for various indoor environments, such as Data Centres, warehouses, factories, buildings and so on

 

 

Key-unique points

  • Low PUE (lower than 1.2) / Easy retrofitting / To be adopted as fire suppressant / Serve as a redundant systems (cooling and power units) /  Green energy vector (no local emissions) / Decentralized / High energy density / No locality constraints / Reliability, scalability and long life cycle / Low CAPEX 

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PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL-based WATER WALL

 

Description

  • PCM-based brick is able to store a variable heat flux coming from a high temperature heat source (i.e. incineration chamber) and to release it on demand as a steady heat flux

 

 

Key-unique points

  • The steady heat flux will be used to avoid steam production fluctuation and to increase the temperature of superheated steam over the current corrosion limits of 450°C, without using coated superheaters

  • Increase the efficiency of the Waste to Energy plants beyond 34% with a simple retrofitting solution

CONTACT US

THERMAL ENERGY SYSTEMS LAB

School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 

Nanyang Technological University 

Materials Lab 1 / Block N3.1 - B2b - 02

50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 Singapore

 

For enquiries please contact:

Assoc. Prof. Alessandro Romagnoli 

email: a.romagnoli@ntu.edu.sg

Mr.

Khor Jun Onn

PhD STUDENT

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