Over the course of the fellowship, MAX4LES carried out a range of technical, scientific, management, training, and dissemination activities to meet its objectives:
Technical and scientific work:
a. Developed and validated high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models to simulate heat transfer and fluid behavior in molten salt–air shell and tube heat exchangers.
b. Analyzed solidification behavior under abnormal operating conditions to identify factors that trigger the onset of molten salt solidification.
c. Established quantitative benchmarks for evaluating two flow configurations and identified the optimal arrangement for enhanced thermal performance.
d. Evaluated trace heating strategies to prevent solidification during abnormal scenarios and demonstrated their contribution to improving system reliability.
Project management
a. Developed a comprehensive project plan and ensured effective project management and coordination.
b. Prepared a data management plan (DMP), in line with EU requirements for open-access and FAIR data principles.
c. Designed a career development plan (CDP) to align research activities with long-term professional goals and skills development.
d. Prepared a dissemination, exploitation, and communication activity plan in line with EU requirements.
Training and collaboration
The project included a secondment at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) with Prof. Camilo Rindt, collaboration with industrial partner Aalborg CSP, and advanced training at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), including:
a. A four-day Teaching Lab course at DTU.
b. A two-week Optimization Methods for Energy System Studies course under the EIT HEI initiative.
c. Danish language training for professional social integration.
Dissemination activities
MAX4LES disseminated its findings widely through peer-reviewed journals and international conferences:
a. One journal article in ASME Journal of Energy Resources and Technology Part A: Sustainable Renewable Energy (IF: 2.4).
b. One publication in the Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Energy Sustainability (ASME ES 2024), Anaheim, USA.
c. One conference oral presentation at the 28th International Conference on Process Integration, Modelling and Optimization for Energy Savings and Pollution Reduction (PRES'25), Port Dickson, Malaysia.
d. One journal article in Energy Conversion and Management, Elsevier (IF: 10.9).
e. Numerical models and datasets supporting the findings are documented in the journal publications and they can be made available upon request to ensure scientific reproducibility while safeguarding future research and potential exploitation opportunities.
Additionally, two papers will be published shortly in peer-reviewed, top international journals targeting researchers in the fields of renewable energy and thermal energy storage. The project activities have been disseminated by social media (e.g. LinkedIn, ResearchGate) and the project website (DTU Orbit). The dissemination strategy of MAX4LES was designed to maximize the visibility, accessibility, and impact of the project’s results across academic, industrial, and policy communities, aligning with the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship objectives and the Horizon Europe principles of open science and societal impact.
