Energy Production Research Group
Professors Risto Raiko, Antti Oksanen and Hannu Ahlstedt
Focus areas in the research, development and modelling of power plant processes and components are the new energy technologies, especially bioenergy, combustion, gas turbine and combustion engine applications (CHP) as well as energy systems, fluidized bed technology and energy economics in the forestry industry.
In combustion technology solid knowledge of the fundamentals of combustion, fuels, reaction kinetics, mass transfer, mixing and numerical models provide a firm basis for research and product development in the field. Central focus areas in research are numerical modelling and experimental research related to combustion processes and emissions generated by them. The large stock of reactors and good CFD software provide researchers with versatile and effective means for conducting high-quality combustion research.
In refrigeration development challenges include the switching over from old-type refrigerants to new solutions, e.g. developing the use of carbon dioxide as a substitute. Decreasing energy demand is another central challenge. Addressing these challenges is intrinsic also to research activity. Heat pumps are another fast expanding application area offering new possibilities. The Department has long and extensive experience in research on refrigeration engineering and heat pumps. In HVAC-engineering, the main challenge is improving of the energy efficiency of buildings.
