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New Challenges in Thermodynamics

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Thermal Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2026 | Viewed by 492

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28006 Madrid, Spain
Interests: thermodynamics; energy and exergy optimization; solar thermal power plants; energy storage systems; modeling and simulation energy systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28006 Madrid, Spain
Interests: renewable energy; renewable energy technologies; energy engineering; thermal engineering; energy conversion; power generation; engineering thermodynamics; energy efficiency in buildings; solar power plants; cryogenics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28006 Madrid, Spain
Interests: renewable energy; renewable energy technologies; engineering thermodynamics; solar thermal power plants

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: renewable energy; thermodynamics; building physics; HVAC systems; evaporative cooling; energy efficiency in buildings

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Society is undergoing a primary process of decarbonization. Industrial and energy processes based on fossil fuels must be replaced by new technologies and materials that reduce emissions and are economically sustainable.

Thermodynamics is the branch of physics that studies energy exchanges and transformations. Scientific research in this field plays a fundamental role in this decarbonization scenario, as it enables different solutions to be characterized, evaluated, and compared to identify the optimal one.

This challenge involves, on the one hand, developing methods and tools that enable the laws of thermodynamics to be applied to new processes and materials. On the other hand, it is necessary to develop new teaching techniques and methodologies that provide scientists and engineers with the tools they need to face the challenges of the future.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcomed. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Application of thermodynamic laws to new processes;
  • Novel thermodynamics optimization methodologies;
  • Thermodynamics characterization of new materials;
  • Teaching experiences and methodologies on thermal engineering.

Dr. Javier Rodríguez-Martín
Dr. Javier Muñoz Antón
Dr. Susana Sánchez-Orgaz
Prof. Dr. Fernando Varela
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • first law of thermodynamics
  • second law of thermodynamics
  • exergy
  • entropy
  • thermophysical properties
  • teaching
  • energy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 3602 KB  
Article
Performance Evaluation of sCO2–Hydrocarbon Mixtures in SBC-PTES Systems: A Parametric Thermo-Economic Study
by Paul Tafur-Escanta, Luis Garzón-Pérez, Lizbeth Barrera-Cifuentes, Luis Coco-Enriquez and Robert Valencia-Chapi
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(9), 4068; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16094068 - 22 Apr 2026
Viewed by 152
Abstract
The development of efficient and economically viable energy storage technologies is key to the integration of renewable energies. This study evaluates the thermo-economic performance of hydrocarbons as working fluids in PTES systems based on a simple Brayton cycle (SBC). Different hydrocarbon mixtures are [...] Read more.
The development of efficient and economically viable energy storage technologies is key to the integration of renewable energies. This study evaluates the thermo-economic performance of hydrocarbons as working fluids in PTES systems based on a simple Brayton cycle (SBC). Different hydrocarbon mixtures are analyzed to determine their impact on efficiency and costs, identifying optimal operating conditions and combinations that improve system performance and viability. The objective is to identify the optimal candidate and operating conditions for enhanced cost-effectiveness. A multivariable optimization was performed using a validated thermodynamic model, integrated with an economic evaluation framework. Key decision variables included pressure ratios, turbine inlet temperatures, and heat exchanger performance parameters, while several sCO2–hydrocarbon mixtures were evaluated as working fluids. Energy and exergy analyses were coupled with component-level cost correlations to determine round-trip efficiency, specific investment cost, and levelized cost of storage. The findings indicate that the CO2/C2H6 (60/40) mixture provides the best overall performance, achieving a round-trip efficiency of 54.38% and a levelized cost of storage of 137.1 $/MWh, outperforming pure CO2. Fluid selection exerts a substantial influence on both thermodynamic and economic indicators, with performance exhibiting a pronounced dependency on critical temperature, molecular complexity, and operating pressure levels. Sensitivity analyses indicate that improvements in heat exchanger effectiveness and turbomachinery efficiency yield substantial reductions in total system cost. The findings indicate that the appropriate alignment of hydrocarbon properties with system design parameters can significantly enhance the feasibility of PTES, offering a technically viable and economically competitive pathway for large-scale energy storage applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Thermodynamics)
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