Doctoral School

Reading date: 13/07/2026

• BORREGO ORPINELL, GERARD: Modelling and Optimal Energy Management of Battery-Based Energy Storage Systems for Transport and Industrial Applications
  
  Author: BORREGO ORPINELL, GERARD
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Electrical Engineering (DEE)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 16/06/2026
  Reading date: 13/07/2026
  Reading time: 11:00
  Reading place: Aula 28.8 sala Conferències. ETSEIB -UPC
  Thesis director: DÍAZ GONZÁLEZ, FRANCISCO | CAPÓ LLITERAS, MACIÀ
  Thesis abstract: The global transition toward a more sustainable and low-carbon energy system is driving the electrification of transport and the large-scale integration of renewable energy sources. These transformations are essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change, as highlighted by international initiatives such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. In this context, energy storage systems play a key role in improving energy flexibility, enabling renewable integration, and supporting the operation of electrified transport systems.Despite the relevance of energy storage systems, the optimal integration and operation of battery-based energy storage systems remain challenging. Batteries are subject to degradation mechanisms that depend strongly on their operating conditions, while different applications impose significantly different power and energy requirements. For instance, electric vehicles require highly dynamic power responses due to frequent acceleration and regenerative braking events, whereas industrial environments often demand sustained power delivery for extended periods. These differences complicate the design and operation of storage systems and highlight the need for advanced modelling and energy management tools.This thesis aims to develop modeling, experimental, and optimization tools for the optimal integration and energy management of battery-based energy storage systems across different stages of their operational lifecycle. The proposed framework enables the digital representation of battery behaviour within different electrical environments and supports the development of energy management strategies that consider both battery limitations and the specific application operational requirements.To support the validation of these approaches, a flexible and cost-effective experimental test bench for hybrid energy storage systems is developed, enabling real-time evaluation of energy management strategies through a hardware-in-the-loop configuration. The proposed methodologies combine system modeling, simulation tools, and advanced control algorithms for energy management, allowing realistic assessment and experimental validation of different storage configurations.The proposed tools are applied to two representative scenarios. In electric traction applications, hybrid energy storage systems combining batteries and supercapacitors are investigated to handle the highly dynamic power profiles of electric vehicles. An optimized dual-level energy management strategy is developed and experimentally validated, achieving significant reductions in battery degradation while maintaining system efficiency and dynamic performance. In addition, the integration of second-life batteries in industrial environments is explored as a circular economy strategy. A digital twin-based framework and multi-objective energy management approach are proposed to assess the combined operation of second-life batteries and photovoltaic generation, considering both economic and environmental criteria.Overall, this work provides novel experimental platforms, modelling tools, and energy management strategies that facilitate the integration of battery-based energy storage systems across different electrical environments, supporting the deployment of more sustainable and flexible energy systems.
  

• KHALIL, MARWA MOSTAFA ABDELAZIM: Towards the sustainability of earthen heritage conservation: a new decision-making methodology for guiding the adaptive reuse of earthen complexes in desert oases
  
  Author: KHALIL, MARWA MOSTAFA ABDELAZIM
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURAL, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND URBANISM TECHNOLOGY
  Department: Department of Architectural Technology (TA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 11/06/2026
  Reading date: 13/07/2026
  Reading time: 10:00
  Reading place: ETSAB (Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Barcelona) - Planta Baja - Sala de GradosAv. Diagonal, 649-651 - 08028 - Barcelona
  Thesis director: PONS VALLADARES, ORIOL | BOSCH GONZÁLEZ, MONTSERRAT
  Thesis abstract: Recently, adaptive reuse has been gradually considered as a sustainable approach for extending the life of heritage buildings while preserving their authentic values. In earthen heritage contexts, specifically in desert oases, adaptive reuse plays a major role in preventing abandonment and deterioration of earthen buildings. In such contexts, such as Siwa Oasis (Egypt), the building technologies used in these adaptive reuse projects have demonstrated their impact not only on environmental and economic performance but also on the cultural coherence of the reused building and its acceptance by the local community. However, the selection of materials for adaptive reuse projects remains underestimated in decision-making processes. The thesis addresses this research gap by developing a tool that aims to guide stakeholders in selecting the most sustainable building technology to ensure the long-term sustainability of earthen heritage. The proposed decision-making tool combines the MIVES (Integrated Value Model for Sustainability Assessment) methodology with the Delphi structured communication technique. It is composed of a structured requirements tree of cultural, economic, environmental, and social indicators. It combines quantitative performance and qualitative perceptions, translating them into unitless value functions to obtain comparable sustainability indices. The tool was applied to three case studies in Siwa Oasis: Adrere Amellal, Albabenshal, and the Extension of Kenooz Shali ecolodges, which represent earthen residential complexes that have been reused as ecolodges. Three building technology alternatives were selected for evaluation: traditional Karshif, industrial red bricks, and innovative 3D-printed salt blocks. Quantitative indicators were evaluated using literature and international standards, while qualitative indicators were assessed through Delphi processes involving local and expert participants. In the three cases, Karshif achieved the highest global sustainability index due to its strong relationship to Siwan heritage and cultural identity, social acceptance, and environmental advantages. However, the results revealed its economic weaknesses and high maintenance requirements and, consequently, suggested the use of hybrid construction solutions to improve its durability while maintaining its value. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to validate the model's robustness, stability across all cases, and adaptability to stakeholders’ perspectives. Finally, the research contributes to sustainability assessment in earthen heritage conservation by changing the focus from evaluating new functions to selecting suitable building technologies in adaptive reuse projects. The research highlights the influence of material selection and the importance of socio-economic development in the long-term sustainability of reused heritage buildings. The integration of stakeholders in all the development phases of the framework provides a transparent process that can be replicated in similar earthen heritage oases around the world.
  

• ROCUTS PABON, SCHWEITZER: Developing and Piloting an Implementation Framework for Transdisciplinary Undergraduate Collaboration, Without Curricular Change: Mathematics as an Integrating Resource and Game-Based Assessment as a Supporting Tool
  
  Author: ROCUTS PABON, SCHWEITZER
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ENGINEERING, SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
  Department: Institute of Education Sciences (ICE)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 12/06/2026
  Reading date: 13/07/2026
  Reading time: 10:30
  Reading place: Sala de Juntes de la FIB. Edifici B6, planta 1
  Thesis director: ALIER FORMENT, MARC
  Thesis abstract: Transdisciplinary undergraduate education is widely advocated but rarely implemented within rigid university structures. This doctoral thesis addresses this challenge through a three-iteration Educational Design Research (EDR) study (2023–2024) that developed, piloted, and validated a novel ten-step implementation framework for transdisciplinary collaboration, requiring no curricular changes. The intervention coupled an undergraduate systems engineering course with a medicine course around a shared public-health problem using DANE Multipurpose Survey microdata (n ≈ 600,000). It engaged ≈320 students and 46 external evaluators across six disciplines (engineering, medicine, public health, biomedicine, data analytics, and statistics), guided by three theoretical conjectures: epistemic common ground, productive friction, and assessment as integration signal.Student outputs were classified via the M-I-T scheme (Multidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary, Transdisciplinary), with I/T boundaries operationalized as integration into unified explanatory artifacts. The headline findings are an I-level attainment rate of 86.4%, a T-level rate of 32.1%, and a conditional T|I rate of 37.2% (a key indicator that distinguishes learning that goes beyond expectations from the integration of knowledge). Exploratory GBA (Game-Based Assessment, Iteration 3, n=7 teams) yielded +12.4 pp T-level (43.8% vs. 31.4%) and +9.1 pp T|I (43.5% vs. 34.4%), with 19.75% of students generating deep profiles (in applied math and problem solving), used as boundary input rather than as a selection criterion.The principal contribution is the evidence-based framework (Chapter 7; Figure 7.1), traceable to pilot data (Chapters 5–6; Table 7.1), incorporating mathematics as disciplinary bridge and GBA as peripheral diagnostic (Steps 3, 7; "augment, not replace"). Transferable to engineering–medicine pairings on data-rich problems, it includes entry rules, iteration triggers, skips, and adaptations. A decision checklist supports ethical and equitable use of the GBA, and the framework operationalizes practical outcomes through an instructor–GBA hybrid teaming model.
  

Reading date: 14/07/2026

• CUESTA I MOTA, DÍDAC: Desenvolupament de tecnologies electroquímiques per a l’obtenció d’hidrogen en el tractament d’efluents industrials tèxtils
  
  Author: CUESTA I MOTA, DÍDAC
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
  Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 12/05/2026
  Reading date: 14/07/2026
  Reading time: 11:00
  Reading place: Place: INTEXTERUPC, ESEIAAT, TerrassaBuilding TR7. Sala d'ActesC/ Colom 1508222 Terrassa (Barcelona)
  Thesis director: LOPEZ GRIMAU, VICTOR | CANALS CASALS, LLUC
  Thesis abstract: In the current context of climate emergency and water stress, the textile industry faces the challenge of reducing its high water consumption and its greenhouse gas emissions. This thesis investigates the feasibility of an innovative electrochemical system capable of simultaneously performing the purification of complex waste effluents and the production of hydrogen, thus integrating wastewater treatment with the generation of an energy vector without direct CO2 emissions.The study identifies dye effluents with reactive dyes and mercerizing effluents as the most suitable for the integration of a dual system, thanks to their high conductivity and alkalinity. While mercerizing effluents act as an ideal electrolyte for alkaline electrolysis due to their 20% NaOH content, dye effluents contain recalcitrant azoic reactive dyes that cannot be removed by conventional biological methods, but are highly sensitive to electrochemical oxidation.One of the pillars of the thesis is the design and validation of a sandwich-type bi-compartmentalized electrochemical cell with an anion exchange membrane (AEM). This configuration allows separating the waste effluent at the anode from the alkaline electrolyte at the cathode, avoiding hydrogen contamination and improving the energy efficiency of the treatment. Experimental results demonstrate a decolorization efficiency higher than 99% for diverse reactive dyes and hydrogen generation with a purity of 98,7%. The optimal configuration that balances energy efficiency, treatment time, and material cost for the treatment is also determined, with a current density of 150 mA/cm2 and a combination of a Ni cathode and an Ir-Ru/MMO or BDD anode depending on whether the effluent contains NaCl or Na2SO4.Furthermore, a computer model has been developed using the eCherry library (Modelica) that allows predicting the behavior of the system with a maximum error of 5% in the expected decolorization and 2,1% in the working voltage.In conclusion, the work demonstrates that electrochemical treatment is not only an effective solution for the decolorization of dye effluents but also becomes a strategic pathway for the circular economy, allowing the energy recovery of hydrogen through blending in boilers, and opening the door to the reuse of water, salts, and alkali.
  

• RAHMANI, SAMAN: Scalable error-driven adaptive embedded finite element methods for fluid flow simulations
  
  Author: RAHMANI, SAMAN
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
  Department: Barcelona School of Civil Engineering (ETSECCPB)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 09/06/2026
  Reading date: 14/07/2026
  Reading time: 12:00
  Reading place: Sala Zienkiewich (CIMNE) Building C1, UPC - Campus North Gran Capitan S/N 08034 Barcelona
  Thesis director: BAIGES AZNAR, JOAN | PRINCIPE RUBIO, RICARDO JAVIER
  Thesis abstract: Accurate and efficient numerical simulation of fluid flow around complex and moving geometries remains a central challenge in computational fluid dynamics. Traditional domain-fitted mesh approaches require the computational mesh to conform to geometric boundaries, often leading to mesh distortion, costly remeshing, and limited robustness for intricate shapes, thin boundary layers, or large motions. Embedded mesh methods offer an attractive alternative by embedding complex physical domains into simple background meshes, simplifying mesh generation and improving automation and scalability. However, the predominant use of Cartesian background meshes yields uniform spatial accuracy and insufficient resolution in high-error regions, such as boundary layers and strong flow gradients, especially at high Reynolds numbers.This thesis addresses these limitations by developing scalable hybrid strategies that couple embedded formulations with adaptive mesh techniques. Two complementary approaches are employed: the r-method, which improves accuracy through continuous mesh deformation without changing mesh topology, and the h-method, which locally refines or coarsens the mesh based on error indicators. The r-method is first coupled with the embedded finite element method to form the r-EFEM, enabling anisotropic, high-aspect-ratio elements aligned with boundary layers while preserving computational efficiency and parallel scalability. A robust linearization strategy is introduced to efficiently solve the nonlinear mesh optimization problem.To capture localized flow features away from boundary layers, the r-EFEM is further combined with a hierarchical h-refinement strategy with hanging nodes, leading to the proposed r–h EFEM. This hybrid formulation integrates anisotropic boundary-layer resolution via mesh deformation, localized refinement in high-error regions, and geometry-independent discretization within the embedded framework. Hanging-node contributions are incorporated directly into the finite element formulation to preserve conformity and numerical stability, while an error estimator guides adaptive refinement and mesh redistribution.The methods are validated using benchmark problems involving fixed and moving geometries, including high-Reynolds-number flows with thin boundary layers and complex vortex dynamics. The results demonstrate substantial accuracy improvements over standard embedded approaches while maintaining robustness and computational efficiency. In moving-domain simulations, the hybrid framework eliminates remeshing and prevents mesh degradation, enabling stable and scalable transient simulations. This work establishes a unified adaptive framework for accurate embedded finite element simulations in complex and evolving geometries.