The Division of Energy Conversion of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leuven (K.U.Leuven), has an open grant for a Ph.D. student in the field of electricity generation systems modeling.
General Scope
Given the threat of global warming, the EU has decided to take action, and committed a 20% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 (compared to the level of 1990). On a longer time frame, towards 2050, a zero carbon electricity system might be envisaged. Therefore, future electricity generation systems will face an increasing amount of renewables, often having a non-dispatchable intermittent character.
This will require additional flexibility in future systems, to ensure a secure operation. Centralized large units (nuclear and fossil fired power plants equipped with carbon capture and storage) will remain necessary. Different kinds of storage, such as well known pumped hydro storage, will play an important role, but also new options will emerge, such as the batteries of electric cars, and demand shifting by the use of heat pumps, both requiring the deployment of smart metering.
Grant for a PhD in engineering (4 years) with subject Evolving electricity generation systems
