Sustainable Energy Research Group
Gruppo di Ricerca SERG
Serg Group (English version)
SERG is an acronym of Sustainable Energy Research Group. This group traces back its roots to Prof. Sergio Stecco, founder in 1983 of the Dipartimento di Energetica at University of Firenze.
The SERG group works on optimization of energy systems, with a special attention to the development of renewables, in the light of realizing a sustainable use of natural resources.
To this end exergy analysis is applied extensively, both for design and analysis of energy systems, and to guarantee that they are correctly controlled adapting to variable external conditions (load, environment,...). This appears to be a key issue in complex energy systems, often dealing with diffuse, low-intensity resources: the system share of capital costs is increased, with respect to conventional energy systems; and in many cases - a typical one is solar energy and its thermodynamic conversion - the system and components operate most of the time under off-design, so that it is important that capability of self-adaptation is included in order to guarantee a satisfactory level of performance.
Thermodynamcs and exergy are typically coupled to thermoeconomics, exergoeconomics and LCA; moreover, components are treated in detail including their off-design performance (heat exchangers, condensers, turbines, expanders,...).
In order to validate the results of the system and component models, the SERG researchers apply advanced experimental methods (pressure, velocity, temperature, flow rates, ..:) often developing and using new experimental techniques.
The validated models are used to propose improvements at system and component level.