Generation, Use, Conversion and Exchange of Thermal Energy

Dear Colleagues,

Heat is either the final product of the energy conversion chain or an energy vector, and its management is a crucial issue in many aspects of everyday life. The first case regards all the ambient conditioning systems, including refrigeration, and many industrial processes that require controlled temperatures. The second category is mostly related to electricity generation, such as all combustion systems, nuclear energy, solar thermal and geothermal power systems, in which the energy is in the form of heat at the source or in an intermediate step of the conversion process.

The current crises related to the containment of emissions and energy resources further the need to increase the efficiency of energy utilization in all sectors. All the processes related to the utilization of thermal energy – including production, conversion, storage and distribution – play a crucial role on the path to reducing emissions and the consumption of primary sources. Official estimates state that there is a huge amount of heat at different temperature levels that is not valorized.

This Special Issue aims to collect research and review articles on the topic of thermal energy utilization in a broader sense. Analyses of technologies and systems involved in the production, conversion and transfer of thermal energy are specifically suitable. Concepts such as cogeneration, tri-generation and waste heat recovery are included. Studies on cooling and refrigeration technologies are welcome. Thermal energy storage techniques, including Carnot batteries, are also suitable topics.

In brief, topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Waste-Heat Recovery applications;
• Thermal energy storage;
• Combined heat and power generation;
• Carnot batteries;
• Renewable heat and low-enthalpy applications;
• Cooling and refrigeration;
• Heat exchangers technologies;
• Modelling and design of heat exchangers;
• Organic Rankine cycles for waste heat recovery.

Dr. Saverio Ottaviano
Dr. Lisa Branchini
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Energies 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 2600 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.

• heat valorization
• heat storage
• waste heat recovery
• heat sources
• heat transfer