CIRCE Foundation

Organisation name

CIRCE –Centre of Research for Energy Resources and Consumption

Department(s)/Unit(s)

Electrical Division

Natural Resources Division

Thermal Division

Energy Efficiency and Technology Transfer Division

Location

C/ María de Luna, 3, 50018 Zaragoza (Spain)

Total number of employees 

150 employees (eq. 130 full-time)

Mission

CIRCE´s vision embraces a commitment to energy efficiency based on the assessment of energy resources for generation, transportation and distribution as well as the rational use of energy.

Objectives (max. 5 lines)

• R&D&I, Research, development and innovation for the energy sector.
• Efficiency, planning, energy saving and other electrical and thermal studies.

Laboratories/Facilities

CO-FIRING LABORATORY

ELECTRICAL METROLOGY LABORATORY (LME)

RENEWABLE ENERGIES INTEGRATION LABORATORY

WIND TURBINE TEST DURING VOLTAGE DIPS LABORATORY (MEGHA)

ELECTRICAL PROTECTION SYSTEMS LABORATORY

OXI-FIRING LABORATORY

CIRCULATING FLUIDIZED BEDS LABORATORY

Technology expertise

• Control systems and grid connection of renewable energies.
• Impact of renewable generation in the quality of electricity supply. Simulation of electric power systems and stability studies of the grid.
• Analysis of energy resources: hardware development and development of algorithms for characterization of wind systems.
• Study of the electric power system, new algorithms for power protection, automation of the process of setting protections, study and optimization of type positions in electrical substations ...
• Electric vehicle: analysis and optimization of the energy management system; studies of wireless battery charging systems (ICPT).
• Energy Resource Assessment: Analysis of energy costs and environmental evaluation of forest and agricultural resources for energy uses; Assessment the global exergy resources: raw materials and water.
• Electricity production: monitoring and simulation of power heaters and exchange equipments; simulation of gas turbine cycles; combustion and biomass cocombustion; desalination and reuse of water combined with electricity production; information systems for thermal plants; renewable energy generation; integration and optimization of renewables energies; new technologies for CO2 capture and storage: oxicombustion and carbonation-calcination cycles
• Energy saving and efficiency: analysis, design and development of technologies for energy exploitation of renewable energy; advice to SMEs and residential sector on the use and integration of renewable energy on a small scale; studies of energy efficiency improvement in industrial, service and building sectors; feasibility analysis and design of cogeneration plants

Main research topics

1.   Measuring and testing in wind and solar farms.

2.   Assessment of wind and solar resources.

3.   Analysis of the impact of wind generation on the grid.

4.    Connecting renewable energies to weak grids.

5.    Study of electrical protections.

6.   Technological update of wind turbines and storage systems.

7.    Improvement of power quality and weak grid security.

8.    Optimal dimensioning of electrical generation systems with multiple renewable sources.

9.    Technological innovation of electrical substations.

10.  Electric Vehicle: Energy Management System.

11.  Electric Vehicle: Wireless Loading System.

12.  Measuring and testing of electrical supply quality and parameters monitoring in overhead power lines (MV and HV).

13.  LCA – Life Cycle Assessment of Processes and Products

14.  Eco-efficiency and energy efficiency

15.  Energy Efficiency in Buildings

16.  Biomass co-firing and technologies for the clean use of coal (clean coal technologies)

17.  Reduction and Capture of CO2 Emissions

18.  Modeling and Simulation

19.  Integration of water and energy. Polygeneration

20.  Exergetic analysis of natural resources and industrial ecology

21.  Biomass: Exploitation and Evaluation of Resources