OBJECTIVES

(Research in thermal engines and renewable energy)

The purpose of the group is to acquire and develop a basic knowledge of the processes that take place in the energy conversion in certain real devices of extraordinary practical importance: thermal motors, renewable energies related to thermochemical processes (biofuels, biomass and solar energy thermal), and hydrogen as fuel for the future.

Therefore, it is intended to combine the basic and fundamental knowledge of energy conversion (combustion, turbulence, fluid movement) with practical implementation on real machines (mechanical resistance, vibrations, noise, reliability).

The group has extensive experience in the combustion aspects of diesel and gasoline engines, having developed calculation models to predict performance and polluting emissions. Likewise, experimental facilities for measuring and characterizing the relevant processes have been developed: formation of fuel jets, gasification of solid fuels, combustion of gaseous mixtures. Other aspects are those related to biofuels, solar energy, or the generation and use of hydrogen as fuel.

The group collaborates continuously and regularly with other research groups, among which we can mention: Fluid Mechanics and Ventilation Group of the UVA, the Chair of Renewable Energies of the UVA, the Department of Thermal Engines and Machines of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (CMT Group), with which there have been CICYT-type research projects in the last 15 years, and the equivalent group of the Universidad e Castilla-La Mancha. Through CIDAUT, there are scientific collaborations with groups of public research organizations such as the CSIC (Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemicals) or INTA.

RESEARCH LINES

• Thermofluidomechanical and combustion processes in thermal engines

• New fuels and thermochemical processes associated with renewable energy