research

Overview

modeling of renewable energy systems

The development of the next generation of renewable energy generation and storage systems, including concentrated solar thermal systems, poses significant challenges in terms of complexity and cost. However, a cost-effective strategy to address this issue is to evaluate the feasibility of these systems through thermodynamic and thermo- or exergo-economic modeling. Adopting this approach reduces the complexity of analyses, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of system performance. Moreover, such modeling enables the identification of trends and provides insights into potential areas for further improvement. Thus, thermodynamic and thermo- or exergo-economic modeling offers a valuable tool for streamlining the development and optimization of these advanced energy systems.

thermal energy storage systems

Thermal energy storage (TES) systems play a crucial role in addressing the intermittency of renewable energy sources and enhancing energy efficiency in various applications. Packed bed systems have garnered significant attention among the different TES technologies due to their versatility and effectiveness in storing and releasing thermal energy. Packed bed TES systems utilize solid or liquid storage materials, such as rocks, ceramics, or phase change materials, to store thermal energy for later use. These systems offer advantages such as high thermal conductivity, relatively low cost, and the ability to operate at high temperatures, making them suitable for a wide range of applications, including solar thermal power plants, industrial processes, and building heating and cooling systems. The design and optimization of packed bed TES systems involve addressing complex challenges related to heat transfer, thermal stability, and material selection. Researchers and engineers continuously explore innovative approaches to enhance the performance and scalability of packed bed TES systems, aiming to contribute to the widespread adoption of sustainable energy solutions. This research aims to provide a comprehensive modeling and experimental understanding of packed bed TES systems, including their working principles, current advancements, challenges, and potential applications. By gaining a deeper understanding of these systems, we can further unlock their potential in advancing the integration of renewable energy and improving overall energy sustainability.

solar fuel production

Solar fuel production utilizing concentrated solar energy has emerged as a promising solution for sustainable energy generation. This approach involves utilizing concentrated sunlight to drive chemical reactions that convert solar energy into storable fuels, such as hydrogen or synthetic hydrocarbons. Concentrated solar technologies enable the efficient capture and utilization of sunlight for these fuel production processes. Solar fuel production offers a renewable and carbon-neutral alternative to conventional fossil fuels by harnessing the power of concentrated solar energy. This technology has the potential to contribute significantly to the transition towards a clean and sustainable energy future.

zero/positive-energy buildings/districts

Renewable and sustainable energy can be incorporated into buildings to reduce or eliminate the buildings’ or districts’ dependence on the external power grid. This is called islanding, and islanding can be established for a single building, a district, or a community. Solutions for islanding are unique to the location as demand characteristics and renewable energy resources depend on the location and time. Another complexity of the solution is due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy, so storage systems should also be incorporated for islanding. Islanding can play an important role in areas with blackouts or off-grid urban areas.

Funded Projects

  1. Interreg NEXT MED (Reference No: A_T_2.1_0213), Institutional PI of the Associated Partner, “GREENOLIVE: Green Mediterranean through Solar Driven Decarbonization of Industries”, (Project accepted, waiting for the agreement).
  2. EU Horizon Europe Hop-on Facility (Grant Agreement IDs Hop-on: 101217336, Main Project: 101084182), Institutional PI-Researcher-Work Package Leader, “HybridPlus: Advanced HYBRID solar plant with PCM storage solutions in sCO2 cycles”, 2022-2026, 2.94M € for main project, 571.725 € for hop-on (Project accepted, waiting for the grant agreement amendment).
  3. EU Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement ID: 101172945), Institutional PI-Work Package Leader, “SunFusion: Advanced Sustainable Biofuels Production from Purified Microalgae and Oleaginous Yeasts via Integrated Solar Hydrothermal Liquefaction”, 2025-2028, 3M €.
  4. EU Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement ID: 101131982), Institutional PI-Researcher, “SOLARIZE: Bringing EU-SOLARIS ERIC to its Zenith”, 2024-2027, 4.47M €.
  5. EU Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement ID: 101147257), Institutional PI-Researcher-Work Package Leader, “FLUWS: Flexible Upcycled Waste Material based Sensible Thermal Energy Storage for CSP”, 2024-2027, 2.24M €.
  6. EU Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement ID: 101104058), Researcher, “LEGOFIT: Adaptable technological solutions based on early design actions for the construction and renovation of Energy Positive Homes”, 2023-2027, 7.41M €.
  7. EU Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement ID: 101086110), Researcher-Task Leader, “SolarHub: A Greek-Turkish Solar Energy Excellence Hub to Advance the European Green Deal”, 2023-2026, 4.856M €.
  8. TÜBİTAK ARDEB 2215 COST Action Support Project (123M335) for “NETPORE-Network on Porous Semiconductors and Oxides-CA20126”, Consultant, “Design of sea urchin-like aluminum oxide nanoporous spheres (DECALON’s) to improve thermal energy storage capacity of phase change materials”, 2023-2025.
  9. TÜBİTAK ARDEB 1001 Project (222M243), Consultant, “Optimization of Transition Strategies to Next Generation Clean Energy Technologies with Multistage Random Programming”, 2023-2026.
  10. ERA-NET Project / TÜBİTAK International Multi-Cooperation Project (122N780), Researcher, “Auto characterization of PEDs for digital references towards iterative process optimisation (PED-ACT)“, 2022-2025.
  11. Campus Research Fund (GAP-302-2022-10932), Principal Investigator, “Modeling and Techno-economic Analysis of a Hybrid Renewable Energy Power Plant”, 2022-2023, 28K TL.
  12. EU Horizon 2020 (Grant Agreement ID: 856619), Researcher, “SolarTwins: Solar Twinning to Create Solar Research Twins”, 2020-2023, 800K €.
  13. EU Horizon 2020 (Grant Agreement ID: 823802), Researcher (in 2021) and Institutional PI (in 2022 and 2023), “SFERA III – Solar Facilities for the European Research Area – Third Phase”, 2019-2023, 9.1M €.
  14. Campus Research Fund (BAP-FEN-18-D-8), Principal Investigator, “Estimation of Solar Irradiation at a Tilted Surface at METU NCC”, 2018-2021, 32K TL.
  15. Campus Research Fund (BAP-16-YG-3), Principal Investigator, “Modeling of CO2 dissociation using solar pond”, 2016-2018, 44K TL.
  16. TÜBİTAK MAG Project (105M244), Researcher, “Güneş enerjisi destekli zeolit iklimlendirme sistemi / Solar assisted air conditioning system with zeolite”, 2006-2009: 1-236, 192K TL.

Graduate Students

current graduate students in Mechanical Engineering program

  • Umut Güçlü, PhD Student, Supervisor
  • Zahra Medghalchi, PhD Student, Supervisor
  • Gül Nihal Asena Gürbüz, PhD Student, Supervisor
  • Levent Güner, PhD Student, Supervisor
  • Yasin Ataberk Demir, MSc Student, Supervisor
  • Ekin Baran Özer, MSc Student, Supervisor
  • Abdul Rehman Mustafa, MSc Student, Supervisor

alumni from Mechanical Engineering program

  1. Gül Nihal Asena Gürbüz Dinçer, “Numerical Investigation of Radial-Flow Packed-Bed Thermal Energy Storage Systems: Effects of Particle Size, Layer Ratio and Aspect Ratio”, MSc in Mechanical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye – Supervisor (graduated in September 2025)
  2. Levent Güner, “Nanotextured Solar Selective Metallic Surfaces for Parabolic Trough Collector Receivers”, MSc in Mechanical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye – Principle Supervisor, Co-Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Dr. Alperen Günay (Bilkent University) (graduated in January 2025)
  3. Zahra Medghalchi, “Novel PSO-GA Complex Nonlinear Optimization of Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems: PV-Wind-PTC Integration with Energy Storage Systems”, MSc in Mechanical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye – Supervisor (graduated in June 2024)
  4. Yavuz Yılmaz, “Optimal Sizing of Hybrid Microgrids with Consideration of Global Warming Effects: A MARS and GRG Approach”, MSc in Mechanical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara Türkiye – Principle Supervisor, Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Wilhelm Weber (graduated in April 2024)

alumni from Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems program

  1. Muhammed Haseeb Rasool, “Sizing Energy System with Hybrid Energy Storage under Net Metering Considering Grid Stability”, Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Güzelyurt, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey – Co-Supervisor, Principle Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Dr. Canraş Batunlu (graduated in July 2022)
  2. Syed Mohammad Meesam Raza, “Demand Side Management using Setpoint Control and PV Systems”, Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Güzelyurt, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey – Co-Supervisor, Principle Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Fahrioğlu (graduated in September 2021)
  3. Deniz Gören, “Long-Term Energy Yield Estimation of a Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant in METU NCC”, Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Güzelyurt, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey – Co-Supervisor, Principle Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Fahrioğlu (graduated in January 2021)
  4. Alfred Ejiro Abukubu, “Development of a Screening Tool to Assess the Feasibility of Solar-to-Steam Application for the Purpose of Enhanced Oil Recovery”, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Güzelyurt, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey – Principle Supervisor, Co-Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emre Artun (graduated in September 2020)
  5. Genco Kavas, “Estimation of Diffuse Solar Irradiation and Its Effects on PV Power Plant Production at METU NCC”, Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Güzelyurt, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey – Supervisor (graduated in August 2019)
  6. Erim Gürer, “Effects of Ambient Temperature and Drive Cycle on Electric Vehicle Charging Using Photovoltaic Systems”, Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Güzelyurt, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey – Principle Supervisor, Co-Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Dr. Tuğçe Yüksel Bediz (graduated in August 2019)
  7. Pelin Güven, “Experimental and Numerical Analysis of a Salt Gradient Solar Pond”, Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Güzelyurt, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey – Principle Supervisor, Co-Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Dr. Mehdi Torkmahalleh (graduated in September 2018)
  8. Çağlan Sevinç, “Determination of Optimal Off-Design Conditions by Pareto-Front Optimization Method for Solar-Driven Organic Rankine Cycles”, Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Güzelyurt, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey – Supervisor, transferred from Dr. Eray Uzgören (graduated in January 2018)
  9. Loiy Al-Ghussain, “Effects of Short and Long Term Storage Systems on Size Determination of Renewable Energy Systems in Micro-Grids”, Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Güzelyurt, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey – Principle Supervisor, Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Derek K. Baker (graduated in June 2017)
  10. Fahad Haneef, “Wind Resource Characterization and Utilization via Wind Turbines at METU-NCC”, Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Güzelyurt, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey – Supervisor (graduated in June 2017)
  11. Humayun Ahmed, “Modeling and Design of a Non-Thermal Plasma Reactor for CO2 Dissociation”, Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Güzelyurt, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey – Supervisor (graduated in January 2017)
  12. S. M. Sajed Sadati, “Assessment of Renewable Energy Based Micro-Grids for Small Communities”, Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Güzelyurt, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey – Supervisor (graduated in July 2016)
  13. Kemal Masera, “Thermodynamic Analysis of Plasma-Assisted Reforming of Methane”, Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Güzelyurt, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey – Supervisor (graduated in June 2016)
  14. Okoye Chiemeka Onyeka, “A Two Stage Feasibility Approach for Solar Chimney Power Plant Design”, Sustainable Environment and Energy Systems, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Güzelyurt, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey – Supervisor (graduated in January 2016)