This PhD thesis focused on developing advanced modeling and control strategies for a CO₂-based Thermal Compressor Heat Pump (TCHP), a thermally driven system proposed as an energy-efficient alternative to conventional gas boilers. The work first investigated the thermal compressor (TC) through a review of Stirling-type machines, an experimental campaign on a single-stage heat pump, and a finite-volume model that quantified exergy destruction and identified optimal operating conditions. Because this detailed model is too slow for dynamic simulations, several data-driven models were developed to provide fast and reliable predictions. The analysis was then extended to the complete three-stage TCHP cycle, combining experimental measurements with a dynamic FV model and reduced-order recurrent neural network representations of the system. Building on these tools, a model predictive control (MPC) strategy was designed to enhance the overall performance of the TCHP. The approach and its benefits were validated using both component-level and system-level experimental data.
Videoconference available on Teams
Louis Brouyaux will defend publicly his PhD thesis on "Scaling Up Demand Response With Residential Thermal Loads: A Combined Control, Optimization, and Regulatory Perspective" and on the PhD channel .
Nicolas Leclère will defend publicly his PhD thesis on "Orbital propagation around irregular celestial bodies using the harmonic balance method" and on the PhD channel .
Indrajeet Patil will defend publicly his PhD thesis on "Towards a nonsmooth multibody finite element framework for braiding simulation" and on the PhD channel .
