BGU hosted the 2nd Board Meeting of the European project INPATH-TES earlier this week. Around 30 researchers from different countries participated in the meeting, representing the 22 partners in the project.
Last year, BGU received funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 program to create a network of universities and research institutes to implement a joint PhD programme on thermal energy storage (TES) technologies. The goal of such a network is to educate professionals for European research and industry institutions. The consortium includes 14 universities that will implement the joint PhD programme, two research institutions (AIT and PROMES-CNRS), three companies and two small and medium enterprises (Arcelik, Abengoa Research, KIC InnoEnergy, UFP and LAIF). BGU is represented by the Heat Transfer Laboratory (Head – Prof. Gennady Ziskind) of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. This week, the participants discussed the progress achieved including the learning platform, synergy between network members and the status of the PhD programme.
The European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) establishes an energy technology policy for Europe designed to accelerate the development and deployment of cost-effective low carbon technologies. The plan comprises measures relating to planning, implementation, resources and international cooperation in the field of energy technology. Moreover, the EC SET-Plan Education and Training Roadmap is intended to bring about a structural change in the EU educational landscape by enhanced integration and coordination of the business and research environments.
The joint PhD programme on the topic of Thermal Energy Storage focuses on the following technologies:
- High temperature thermal energy storage (HTES).
- Short term storage technologies for load management (which could be thermal energy storage as well as what is commonly referred to as “electrical storage“ technologies).
- Seasonal storage technologies and materials.
