For the 41st PhD cycle at the University of Naples Federico II, the EFESTO Group has been awarded three Industrial PhD scholarships, funded under the Regione Campania Industrial and Innovative PhD call and by TVP Solar, the group’s industrial partner.
Grants funded by the Campania Region
The first project, coordinated by the Department of Industrial Engineering, focuses on the design and optimization of high-vacuum multilayer insulated pipelines (HV-MLI) for efficient thermal energy transfer. The PhD programme includes a period of international research abroad and a period spent at the TRESOL/TVP Solar company in Avellino.
The second project, developed at the Department of Physics, aims to create advanced selective solar absorbers for vacuum flat panels using cermet coatings and high-entropy alloys. As with the previous funding, this programme also includes a period of research abroad and a period at TRESOL/TVP Solar in Avellino.
Grants funded by TVP Solar
This third Industrial PhD will focus on the measurement and development of high-vacuum flat plate collectors (HVFPC), with a stronger interaction with TRESOL across design, testing and validation. During the first phase, the candidate will develop an energy model validated through laboratory and field measurements to evaluate efficiency and heat losses. The subsequent phases will either address the creation of a digital twin of the solar field to optimize control strategies or focus on R&D activities to enhance panel efficiency and durability.
These scholarships further strengthen the collaboration between academia, research centers, and industry in developing innovative solutions for solar energy conversion, transport, and storage.