Overview

modeling of renewable energy systems

The next generation of energy production and storage systems, including renewable energy, electrochemical conversion, and thermal storage, is complex and expensive to develop and prototype. One way to overcome this costly process is to assess the feasibility of these systems by modeling them thermodynamically and thermo- or exergo-economically. This approach decreases the complexity of analyses, identifies the trends, and shows a path to further improvement.

alternative fuel production

Our research includes the investigation of alternative fuel production. A significant portion of the fuel is used in transportation. One path to produce alternative fuels utilizes natural gas, biomass, combustion products, etc. using novel energy conversion systems, such as non-thermal plasma. After the conversion, the produced fuels are not a pollutant and can be used in the current infrastructure.

zero-energy buildings/districts

Renewable and sustainable energy can be incorporated into buildings to reduce to 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

• 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 €.
• TÜBİTAK ARDEB 1001 Project (222M243), Consultant, “Optimization of Transition Strategies to Next Generation Clean Energy Technologies with Multistage Random Programming”, 2023-2026.
• 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.
• 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.
• EU Horizon 2020 (Grant Agreement ID: 856619), Researcher, “SolarTwins: Solar Twinning to Create Solar Research Twins”, 2020-2022, 800K €.
• EU Horizon 2020 (Grant Agreement ID: 823802), Researcher (in 2021) and Country Coordinator (in 2022 and 2023), “SFERA III – Solar Facilities for the European Research Area – Third Phase”, 2019-2022, 9.1M €.
• 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.
• Campus Research Fund (BAP-16-YG-3), Principal Investigator, “Modeling of CO₂ dissociation using solar pond”, 2016-2018, 44K TL.
• TÜBİTAK MAG Project (105M244), Researcher, “Güneş enerjisi destekli zeolit iklimlendirme sistemi / Solar assisted air conditioning system with zeolite”, 2006-2009: 1-236, 192K TL.

Collaborations

• ODTÜ-GÜNAM – Center for Solar Energy and Applications
• REDAR – Renewable Energy Design and Applications Research, METU NCC
• SEG – Sustainable Energy Group, METU Mechanical Engineering Dept.

Graduate Students

current graduate students in Mechanical Engineering program

• Gül Nihal Asena Gürbüz, started in Fall 2022, Supervisor
• Fırat Cihan Doğan, started in Fall 2022, Supervisor
• Tunahan Başer, started in Fall 2021, Supervisor
• Zahra Medghalchi, started in Fall 2021, Supervisor

current graduate students in Earth System Science program

• Kamer Mehmet Şenbahar, started in Fall 2022, Principle Supervisor
• Deniz Özçelikyürek, started in Fall 2022, Principle Supervisor, Co-Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şiir Kılkış

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)