The Organisation
The Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering – DIME of the University of Genoa includes the “Thermochemical Power Group” TPG (www.tpg.unige.it), founded in 1998. Its mission is to carry out theoretical and experimental research in the field of advanced energy systems. Since 2004, the TPG hosts the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre on Fuel Cell Systems (UTC), with the aim to investigate solutions and technologies for fuel cell stationary power generations. Since 2017, DIME hosts the Fincantieri joint laboratory (HI-SEA) for activities related to clean energy storage and propulsion in the marine environment, namely on boats and ships. The main fields of research of TPG are: development and testing of advanced technologies for sustainable energy systems; dynamic performance modelling of energy systems; thermoeconomic analysis; monitoring and diagnostic techniques for energy systems; high temperature fuel cell technology (SOFC); hydrogen and fuel cell based energy storage and generation (PEM); energy harvesting solutions based on Tesla bladeless machinery; numerical and experimental investigation on burners and combustion systems for boiler, furnace and gas turbine applications; CO2 separation cycles. Original software resources are: WECoMP – Web Economic Cogeneration Modular Program for the design and optimisation of CHP networks; WTEMP – Web ThermoEconomic Modular Program, for thermoeconomic analysis and development of energy systems; TRANSEO – Matlab-based tool for dynamic simulation and control system development.
The TPG has twenty-year experience in participating and coordinating National and International Projects with participation to more than 40 EU funded project from FP5 to HORIZON EUROPE.
TPG is also active in Cooperative Actions by Research and Education and it is chairing an UNESCO UNITWIN Initiative on clean and sustainable energy (https://unitwin.unesco.unige.it/ ).
The Role in THUNDER
Supporting the design of the TES system also looking at State of Charge monitoring/estimation techniques and further exploitation opportunities of the TES Assets (E.g. Power-to-heat applications)