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Dr. Nicolas Calvet

Dr. Nicolas Calvet

Bio

Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering


Phone: +971 2 810 9413
E-mail: nicolas.calvet@ku.ac.ae

 

Dr. Nicolas Calvet is an assistant professor at Khalifa University of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 2013.  He is the founder and chair of the Masdar Institute Solar Platform, the first R&D platform in the UAE entirely dedicated to concentrated solar power (CSP) and thermal energy storage (TES).  Finally he is representing the UAE at the SolarPACES Executive Committee, a technology collaborative program from the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Dr. Calvet has a BS in Physics, and a M.S. in Solar Energy from the Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD) in France.  Then he obtained his Ph.D. in Engineering Science (Energy and Environment) in 2010 at the PROMES CNRS Laboratory in France.  In 2011, he joined the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in USA working in the CSP group.  In 2012, he worked at the CIC Energigune Energy Cooperative Research Centre in Spain in the TES group before moving to Abu Dhabi.

Advisor to the following students & staffs:

PhD Students

  • Radia Lahlou (Ph.D.),
  • Kholoud Al Naimi (Ph.D.)

MSc Student

  • Mariam Ahmed Alansaari (M.Sc.)

Alumnis

  • Miguel Diago (Ph.D.),
  • Muna AlQaydi (M.Sc.),
  • Uver Villalobos (M.Sc.),
  • Kholoud Al Naimi (M.Sc.)
  • Miguel Diago (M.Sc.),
  • Vikas Kumar (M.Sc., Co-Advisor),
  • Alberto Crespo Iniesta (M.Sc.)

Postdoctoral Research Fellows

  • Matthieu Martins (2014 – 2016)
  • Thomas Delclos (2014 – 2017)
  • Benjamin Grange (2015 – 2017)
  • Pablo Blanco (2016 – 2017)
  • Antoni Gil (2017)
  • Jean-François Hoffmann (2018 -2019)
  • Abdallah Dindi (2018)
  • Nicolas Lopez Ferber (2019)

Research Engineers

  • Victor G. Perez (2015 – 2017)
  • David Diez Coral (2016 – 2017)
  • Elena Ortiz (2016 – 2017)
  • Jan-Georg Wagenfeld (2016 – 2018)
  • Michael Opolot (2016 – 2017)
  • Alberto Crespo Iniesta (2016 – 2017)
  • Djawed Belasri (2016 – 2019))
  • Tareq Farrah (2019)

Education

  • PhD, Engineering Science — Energy & Environment,

University of Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD) France (2010)

  • MSc, Sciences & Technologies — Solar Energy,

University of Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD) France (2007)

  • BSc, Sciences Physics,

University of Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD) France (2001)

Teaching Areas

Lectures at Masdar Institute (2013 – 2017)

  • MEG 513 “Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes”
  • MEG 625 “Concentrated Solar Power and Thermal Energy Storage”
  • UCC 501 “Sustainable Energy Class”
  • MSE 510 “Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Materials”
  • FDN 457 “Thermal Science I”

Lectures at Khalifa University (2017 -2019)

  • MEEG 480 “Renewable Energy Technologies”
  • MECH 486 “Sustainable Energy”
  • MEEN 607 “Sustainable Energy”

Research Interests

Research Topics:

  • Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Components & Systems
  • Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Materials & Systems
  • Industrial Solid Waste Recycling

 

Recent Research Projects

  • The Masdar Institute Solar Platform (MISP), Sponsor Khalifa University , 2013-now.

First platform in the UAE dedicated to Concentrated Solar Power & Thermal Energy Storage Research & Development.  The objective is to attract local & international collaborations and test sytems or components in harsh desert environment.

  • “ASC-10 Project” (Sponsor: Wahaj Solar (Wahaj Investment LLC, Dubai), Principal Investigator: Dr. Nicolas Calvet, 2019-2020.

Development of a new type of “Beam through” solar concentrator. ASC-10 is a metallic reflectors based Fresnel Lens of 10 meters in diamter that can achieve high flux (1000 suns) and high temperature (1000 °C) with a focal point fixed to the ground.  Applications are numerous: 24/7 off-grid solar power, solar process heat, solar desalination, or solar fuels production, etc.

 

  • “Stirling engine with integrated thermal energy storage” (Sponsor: Azelio AB (Sweden), Principal Investigator: Dr. Nicolas Calvet, 2019-2021.

The objective of this project is to demonstrate Azelio’s thermal energy storage technology in Masdar City (50 kWe 24/7).  The system is using a phase change material (PCM) to store thermal energy as latent heat.  It can be used for renewable energy (PV, wind, or CSP) or as a Carnot Battery for excess grid electricity or in conventional power plants.

Publications

  1. X. Py, N. Calvet, R. Olivès, A. Meffre, P. Echegut, C. Bessada, E. Veron, and S. Ory;“Recycled Material for Sensible Heat Based Thermal Energy Storage to Be Used in Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Plants,”Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, 133(3), 031008 (Jul 25, 2011) (8 pages).https://solarenergyengineering.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/article.aspx?articleID=1456227
  2. S. Guillot, A. Faik, A. Rakhmatullin, J. Lambert, E. Veron, P. Echegut, C. Bessada, N. Calvet, and X. Py;“Corrosion Effects between Molten Salts and Thermal Storage Material for Concentrated Solar Power Plants,”Applied Energy, Vol. 94 (2012) pp. 174–181. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261911008531
  3. J. C. Gomez, N. Calvet, A.K. Starace, and G.C. Glatzmaier;“Ca(NO3)2–NaNO3–KNO3 Molten Salt Mixtures for Direct Thermal Energy Storage Systems in Parabolic Trough Plants,”Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, May 2013, Vol. 135/021017-2. http://solarenergyengineering.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/article.aspx?articleid=1674781
  4. N. Calvet, J.C. Gomez, A. Faik, V. Roddatis, A. Meffre, G.C. Glatzmaier, S. Doppiu, and X. Py;“Compatibility of a Post-industrial Ceramic with Nitrate Molten Salts, for Use as Filler Materials in a Thermocline Storage System,”Applied Energy1016/j.apenergy.2012.12.078 (2013). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261913000056
  5. N. Calvet, X. Py, R. Olivès, J.P. Bedecarrats, J.P. Dumas, and F. Jay;“Enhanced Performances of Macro-encapsulated Phase Change Materials by Intensification of the Internal Effective Thermal Conductivity,”Energy (Volume 55, 15 June 2013, Pages 956–964. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544213002752?via%3Dihub
  6. I. Ortega, N. Calvet, A. Gil, J. Rodríguez-Aseguinolaza, A. Faik, and B. D’Aguanno;“Thermophysical Characterization of a By-product from the Steel Industry to be Used as a Sustainable and Low-cost Thermal Energy Storage Material,”Energy (Volume 89, September 2015, Pages 601–609). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544215007823
  7. A. Meffre, N. Tessier-Doyen, X. Py, M. Huger, and N. Calvet; “Thermo-mechanical Characterization of Inertized Waste Based Thermal Energy Storage Materials and Assessment of their Resistance to Thermal Cycling up to 1000 °C,” Waste and Biomass Valorization (2016) 7: 9.   https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12649-015-9431-y
  8. A. Gutierrez, L. Miró, A. Gil, J. Rodríguez-Aseguinolaza, C. Barreneche, N. Calvet, X. Py, A.I. Fernández, M. Grágeda, S. Ushak, and L. F. Cabeza;“Advances in the Valorization of Waste and By-product Materials as Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Materials,”Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews 59:763-783, June 2016. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032115014549
  9. M. Diago, A. Crespo Iniesta, A. Soum-Glaude, and N. Calvet; “Characterization of Desert Sand to be Used as a High Temperature Thermal Energy Storage Medium in Particle Solar Receiver Technology,” Applied Energy, 216, 15 April 2018, Pages 402-413. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261918302319
  10. N. Høivik, C. Greiner, J. Barragan, A. Crespo Iniesta, G. Skeie, P. Bergan, P. Blanco, and N. Calvet; “Long-term Performance Results from EnergyNest Thermal Energy Storage Technology Tested at the Masdar Institute Solar Platform,” Journal of Energy Storage, Vol. 24 (2019) 100735. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352152X18306480
  11. J. G. Wagenfeld, K. Al Ali, S. Al Mheiri, A. F. Slavens, N. Calvet; “Sustainable Applications Utilizing Sulfur, a By-product from Oil and Gas Industry: A State-of-the-Art Review,” Waste Management, Vol. 95 (2019) 78-89. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X19303769
  12. M. Martins, U. Villalobos, T. Delclos, P. Armstrong, P.G. Bergan, and N. Calvet; “New concentrating solar power facility for testing high temperature concrete thermal energy storage”, Energy Procedia 75, 2144-2149. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610215011182
  13. A. C. Iniesta, M. Diago, T. Delclos, Q. Falcoz, T. Shamim, N. Calvet; “Gravity-fed combined solar receiver/storage system using sand particles as heat collector, heat transfer and thermal energy storage media”, Energy Procedia 69, 802-811. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610215003951
  14. N. Calvet, G. Dejean, L. Unamunzaga, and X. Py; “Waste from metallurgic industry: a sustainable high-temperature thermal energy storage material for concentrated solar power”, ASME 2013 7th International Conference on Energy Sustainability collocated with the ASME 2013 Heat Transfer Summer Conference and the ASME 2013 11th International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology. https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ES/proceedings-abstract/ES2013/55515/V001T03A012/229601
  15. B. Grange, V. Kumar, A. Gil, P.R. Armstrong, D.S. Codd, A. Slocum, and N. Calvet; “Preliminary optical, thermal and structural design of a 100 kWth CSPonD beam-down on-sun demonstration plant”, Energy Procedia 75, 2163-2168 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610215011273
  16. K.M. Al Naimi, T. Delclos, and N. Calvet; “Industrial waste produced in the UAE, valuable high-temperature materials for thermal energy storage applications”, Energy Procedia 75, 2087-2092. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610215011273

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