Doctoral School

Reading date: 12/01/2026

• ADAMO, ANGELA: Contribution to the decarbonisation of energy intensive industries in the path of the European Union objectives. Application to the case study of SEAT
  
  Author: ADAMO, ANGELA
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN SUSTAINABILITY
  Department: University Research Institute for Sustainability Science and Technology (IS.UPC)
  Mode: Article-based thesis
  Deposit date: 18/11/2025
  Reading date: 12/01/2026
  Reading time: 16:00
  Reading place: Sala polivalent, EEBE, Edifici A, Campus Diagonal-Besós
  Thesis director: MARTIN CAÑADAS, MARIA ELENA | DE LA HOZ CASAS, JORGE
  Thesis abstract: The urgent need to address climate change is intensifying global efforts to decarbonize all sectors, especially the industrial sector, which remains one of the most challenging due to its high-temperature demands and complex operations. Among the most promising solutions is electrification through High Temperature Heat Pumps (HTHPs), potentially combined with electric boilers.This thesis assesses the decarbonization potential of HTHPs in industrial cogeneration systems, using a real case study: the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant at SEAT’s automotive factory in Martorell, Spain. Currently powered by natural gas, the plant provides superheated water (SHW) and is a major source of the site’s CO₂ emissions, while facing increasing environmental and regulatory pressure.Unlike prior studies that use simplified or idealized models, this work develops a high-fidelity hybrid thermodynamic model of the CHP system, based on one year of operational data and realistic constraints of electrification technologies. Two modeling approaches were explored—a purely thermodynamic model and a hybrid model integrating empirical data to compensate for sensor inaccuracies. The hybrid model, with lower error margins, was chosen for further analysis.The model includes all major components: gas and steam turbines, post-combustion heat recovery boiler (HRB), absorption chillers, air coolers, and auxiliary boilers, enabling accurate simulation of the plant under real conditions. The technical and economic viability of replacing gas-based heat production with HTHPs and electric boilers was assessed, considering performance limitations (e.g., efficiency loss at high temperatures), availability of low-temperature heat sources, and electricity market dynamics.A key contribution is the evaluation of how current regulatory and market conditions—especially incentives favoring gas-based CHP—impact the competitiveness of electrified solutions. The thesis concludes by analyzing optimal HTHP sizing under various scenarios, considering CO₂ pricing, thermal demand, and plant dynamics.Findings suggest that, although technically feasible, electrification is significantly influenced by regulatory and economic frameworks. The study highlights the importance of detailed modeling, realistic assumptions, and strategic alignment. It also reveals a broader issue: many industrial players lack the data infrastructure and planning needed to implement deep decarbonization. This work provides a replicable methodology and valuable insights for engineers, operators, and policymakers committed to reducing industrial carbon emissions.
  

• RAMIREZ PEREZ, ALEXIS JOHARIV: Comportamiento a flexión y cortante de un tablero continuo de vigas pretensadas con tendones de polímeros reforzados con fibras (FRP)
  
  Author: RAMIREZ PEREZ, ALEXIS JOHARIV
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 22/10/2025
  Reading date: 12/01/2026
  Reading time: 11:00
  Reading place: C1-002
  Thesis director: OLLER IBARS, EVA MARIA | MARI BERNAT, ANTONIO RICARDO
  Thesis abstract: The durability of reinforced concrete structures is mainly compromised by steel corrosion, which generates high maintenance costs and reduces structural safety. Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) represent an alternative of great interest, as they provide high specific strength and are not susceptible to corrosion. However, their application as active reinforcement in continuous prestressed members is still very limited, due to the scarce experimental research on their structural performance and the absence of specific design guidelines.The main objective of this dissertation is to analyze the flexural and shear behavior of a two-span continuous bridge at 1/3 scale, built with precast prestressed girders and a cast in situ reinforced concrete slab, using carbon carbon fiber composite cables “CFCC” tendons as active reinforcement. The research was organized into three phases: (1) characterization of carbon fiber (CFRP) bars, glass fiber (GFRP) bars, and CFCC tendons, with the latter selected for prestressing due to their suitability; (2) a flexural test on span 1, with a concentrated load applied at midspan, to study the global flexural behavior at the serviceability and ultimate limit states; and (3) a shear test on span 2, with a concentrated load applied 1.6 m from the end support, to evaluate shear strength, effectiveness of GFRP stirrups, and the influence of CFCC prestressing. The results were compared with numerical simulations using the CONS program and with the CCCM analytical model adapted to FRP tendons. The experimental tests showed that CFCC tendons reached 62–76% of their ultimate strength without anchorage slip in the flexural test, confirming their reliability as active reinforcement. Failure was governed by shear-off at the girder–slab interface. In shear, failure occurred after a characteristic diagonal cracking pattern and progressive redistribution of stresses between spans, while shear-off failure was avoided through a reinforcement added after the flexural test.The overall contribution of this dissertation lies in providing the first comprehensive experimental, analytical, and numerical evidence on a continuous bridge prestressed with CFCC tendons. The findings strengthen confidence in the use of FRP in concrete structures, and open new research avenues aimed at optimizing transverse reinforcement and moving towards the codification of this technology.
  

Reading date: 14/01/2026

• RODRÍGUEZ ROMERO, CARLOS EDUARDO: Analysis of coupled hydro-mechanical processes in double-structure geomaterials for nuclear waste storage
  
  Author: RODRÍGUEZ ROMERO, CARLOS EDUARDO
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 04/12/2025
  Reading date: pending
  Reading time: pending
  Reading place: pending
  Thesis director: VAUNAT, JEAN | GENS SOLE, ANTONIO
  Thesis abstract: The safe long-term isolation of high-level radioactive waste requires engineered barriers capable of maintaining low permeability and mechanical stability under complex thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) conditions. Among candidate materials, compacted bentonite exhibits a distinctive double-structure behaviour, governed by the coexistence of micro- and macro-porous domains. This thesis focuses on the analysis of coupled hydro-mechanical processes in double-structure geomaterials, with particular attention to bentonite mixtures of blocks and pellets, as used in buffer systems for deep geological repositories. The research first reviews the geomechanical basis of double-structure soils and identifies the experimental evidence supporting their dual-porosity nature. A constitutive THM framework is then developed, extending the existing double-structure formulation to incorporate: (i) the parameter ακ to control microstructural deformation; (ii) a fabric-dependent structuration law to represent the memory and degradation of compression; and (iii) frictional resistance at block–pellet and block–wall interfaces.The model was implemented and calibrated using laboratory and mock-up experiments from the BEACON project, including the MGR22, MGR23, and MGR27 experiments, the EPFL path-dependent tests and the POSIVA test. Numerical simulations successfully reproduced the evolution of swelling pressure, void ratio, dry density, water content and water intake observed experimentally. The results confirmed that friction plays a decisive role in the redistribution of stresses between pellets and blocks, while microstructural evolution governs the long-term homogenisation process. The enhanced formulation captured partial density homogenisation and the persistence of microstructural porosity, in agreement with laboratory observations.Overall, the thesis provides an improved understanding of the coupled hydro-mechanical behaviour of double-structure bentonites and proposes a robust constitutive framework capable of reproducing their key features under repository-relevant conditions. The work highlights the necessity of considering both microstructural evolution and frictional effects in predictive models for bentonite barriers, thus contributing to the reliability of long-term safety assessments of deep geological repositories.
  

Reading date: 15/01/2026

• DEHGHANSOURAKI, DANIAL: Modeling Sediment Transport in Rivers and Reservoirs using an Accelerated Model
  
  Author: DEHGHANSOURAKI, DANIAL
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
  Mode: Article-based thesis
  Deposit date: 04/12/2025
  Reading date: 15/01/2026
  Reading time: 12:00
  Reading place: ETSECCPB Edificio C2 -212 - Sala Conferencias Campus Nord Barcelona
  Thesis director: BLADE CASTELLET, ERNEST | LARESE DE TETTO, ANTONIA
  Thesis abstract: Reservoir sedimentation is a critical, ongoing issue in managing water resources sustainably. While conventional two-dimensional models are computationally efficient, they miss key three-dimensional processes, such as thermal stratification. Three-dimensional models provide a more accurate physical representation but require extensive computational resources, making them impractical for large-scale applications. This research creates a computational framework that combines High-Performance Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and advanced 3D multiphysics simulation to bridge this gap.A two-dimensional hydro-morphodynamic model (R-Iber) was rebuilt for Graphics Processing Units, resulting in computational speed-ups of one to two orders of magnitude. The accelerated model supported training a Deep Neural Network surrogate, enabling a 100,000-run Monte Carlo analysis for robust model calibration and uncertainty quantification. In parallel, a comprehensive three-dimensional multiphysics model was developed in the Kratos framework to simulate the 3D fluid-thermal problem.The integrated approach was used for the Riba-roja reservoir system. It measured how thermal stratification affects sediment trapping efficiency. Results show that combining HPC, AI, and multiphysics modeling leads to practical and actionable methods for sustainable reservoir management.
  

• GIESEN LEÓN, JEREMY JENS: Modeling and Optimization of Timing Interference for Time Critical Systems on Multicore COTS Platforms
  
  Author: GIESEN LEÓN, JEREMY JENS
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
  Department: Department of Computer Architecture (DAC)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 27/11/2025
  Reading date: 15/01/2026
  Reading time: 11:00
  Reading place: C6-E101
  Thesis director: MEZZETTI, ENRICO | CAZORLA ALMEIDA, FRANCISCO JAVIER
  Thesis abstract: Critical Real-Time Embedded Systems (CRTES) underpin automotive, aerospace, medical devices, among others. They must guarantee deterministic, certifiable behavior under worst-case conditions. As functionality grows (sensor fusion, AI, etc), uniprocessors fall short, prompting adoption of COTS multicores. Yet shared resources induce timing interference that threatens predictability and complicates certification, especially in heterogeneous SoCs with crossbars, bridges, and hierarchical memory.This Thesis advances timing predictability on complex multicores through three linked pillars: standardized hardware observability, contention modeling, and system-level optimization. Together they form a coherent, auditable path from low-level measurements to design decisions.First, we introduce unified observability frameworks combining core-local counters with system-level tracing. They correlate hardware events with task phases, reconstruct scheduling and contention across cores and interconnects, and standardize configuration and interpretation across heterogeneous devices. Measurements are attributed to tasks (excluding OS activity), incur bounded overhead, and yield ordered access sequences preserving temporal structure. Along with latency tables for memories and bridges, these artifacts make timing phenomena measurable and calibrate conservative models.Second, we develop contention models grounded in realistic traces. Traditional Access-Count Contention Techniques (ACCT) are overly conservative for parallel crossbars. Sequence-Aware Techniques (SACT) exploit request ordering to prune infeasible overlaps and tighten bounds. We propose ASCOM, a scalable framework balancing accuracy through compositional pairing against contender sequences and segmentation of long traces. We derive explicit upper/lower bounds to quantify margins and add bridge awareness to capture inter-cluster traversals and remote-memory asymmetries. Across single- and multi-crossbar SoCs, sequence-aware analysis yields tighter, trustworthy bounds while remaining tractable on industrial-scale traces.Third, we examine how modeling informs code and data placement across heterogeneous memories. Feasibility considers capacity and compatibility; locality and non-uniform latencies are captured through calibrated SACT. Exploration reveals pronounced sensitivity to placement: with identical workloads and schedules, changing only the mapping can shift contention by over 100% of reference execution time, due to bridge traversals, device asymmetries, and port effects. Architectural factors thus directly shape worst-case interference, elevating placement to a first-order design parameter.An end-to-end workflow operationalizes these ideas. System-level traces are captured on an industrial target hardware. Traces are filtered into ordered access sequences retaining temporal structure and feeding SACT analysis. Empirical campaigns build latency tables for memories and bridges. With these calibrated inputs, the bridge-aware SACT model estimates contention and total delay for alternative placements.Results show robust contention analysis on COTS multicores is feasible when: (i) the right signals are observed with standardized, low-intrusion instrumentation; (ii) models are sequence- and bridge-aware with explicit margins; and (iii) insights drive placement where locality and capacity are addressed coherently. Because ordered sequences, latency tables, and task-scoped metrics come from the deployed hardware, conclusions are auditable and fit safety cases. Combining hardware-aware instrumentation, realistic modeling, and contention-driven mapping, the Thesis provides a practical framework for timing predictability in CRTES and narrows the gap between certification expectations: traceability, explainability, repeatability and the behavior of parallel interconnects and heterogeneous memories in contemporary multicore SoCs.