Integrated steam production design and control using physics-based non-linear MPC as system integrator

Employer

University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Description

At the division of Applied Mechanics and Energy Conversion (TME) of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KU Leuven, the Thermal Systems Simulation (The SySi) Team aims to sustainably use resources through integration and optimisation of thermal systems performance in the built and industrial environment, including other energy vectors. System integration is key and we leverage profound domain knowledge with advanced modelling and optimization techniques to get there. Their scientific expertise can mainly be found in: (1) physics-based modelling and simulation, (2) integrated optimal control and design (co-design); (3) field tests and real-life demonstrations to verify and validate models and methods as a proof-of-concept. Starting from domain knowledge is key. Research topics (most of them investigated in the frame of PhD research) include among others: data-enriched physics-based modelling, Model Predictive Control (MPC), Building (and District) Optimization Testing Framework (B(D)OPTEST), collective concepts for clusters of buildings, multi-sectorial integration, thermal networks (THERNET) for heating and cooling, flexibility through Demand Response (DR) in multi energy vector systems, including uncertainties towards robust design and robust control. The SySi Team, led by prof. Lieve Helsen, has gained significant expertise and international recognition in the field of system integration for performance optimisation of thermal systems. White-box MPC in large buildings is being commercialised through the start-up BUILTWINS. Today, The SySi Team consists of 1 professor, 1 innovation manager, 2 post-doctoral researchers and 3 PhD students. In Fall 2026 the group will be extended with 2 researchers. The research has very close links and is integrated within EnergyVille, a research collaboration between KU Leuven, VITO, imec and UHasselt on sustainable energy and intelligent energy systems.

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