Professor Tadhg O'Donovan

BA BAI PhD

Role
Chief Scientist
Section
Professional Services
Email
Tadhg O'Donovan

About

Professor Tadhg O’Donovan is the Chief Scientist of Heriot-Watt University and the Deputy Vice Principal with responsibility for Academic Leadership on the Dubai Campus of Heriot-Watt University. He graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering in 2001 and a PhD in 2005. He continued in Trinity College as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and lecturer before joining Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh in 2007 as a lecturer in Mechanical Engineering and became an Associate Professor in 2015 and a Professor in 2019. In January 2018 he was appointed as the Head of the School for Engineering and Physical Sciences at the Dubai Campus and in January 2021 he also took on the role of Head of the Institute of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering.

Research

Professor Tadhg O’Donovan is an established researcher in the area of Green Technology. His research background in thermal science is largely applied to solar energy conversion, systems and storage. His research group focuses on the development of low-cost solar collector technology for domestic hot water systems, phase change thermal storage devices, characterisation of high solar photovoltaics, and the thermal management of Li-Ion batteries. He employs a techno-economic approach to develop renewable energy components and systems in partnership with industry. He has successfully secured more than £4m in research grants as PI and Co-I in my career to date; this includes 4 early-stage Energy Catalyst projects, 4 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), demonstrating his track record of collaborating with and supporting industry partners.

Professor O’Donovan has established Renewable Energy Test Sites on both the Edinburgh and Dubai campuses of Heriot-Watt University; these facilities supported the development and characterisation of solar thermal and solar photovoltaic devices in near ideal conditions (Dubai) and in variable climatic conditions (Edinburgh). The facility also supports the optimisation of renewable energy systems (conversion and storage technology) in the environment.

Publications

Book chapters

1. Moffat, R., and O'Donovan, T. S., 2017, “Temperature and Heat Transfer Measurements,” in R Chhabra (ed.), CRC Handbook of Thermal Engineering. 2 edn, 4.25, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Series, CRC Press.

Refereed articles

Embodied impacts of key materials for UK decarbonised domestic retrofit: Differences between sources of embodied carbon and embodied energy data
Hurst, L. J. & O’Donovan, T. S., 15 Sept 2024, In: Energy and Buildings. 319, 114515.

Fluidisation of Thermochemical Energy Storage Materials: Degradation Assessment
Marie, L. F. & O’Donovan, T. S., 2 Oct 2023, In: Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects. 45, 4, p. 10034-10050 17 p.

Investigation of Particle Breakdown in the Production of Composite Magnesium Chloride and Zeolite Based Thermochemical Energy Storage Materials.
Marie, L. F., Sałek, K. & O’Donovan, T. S., 28 Sept 2023, In: Energy Engineering: Journal of the Association of Energy Engineering. 120, 10, p. 2193-2209 17 p.

Advances in thermochemical energy storage and fluidised beds for domestic heat. Marie, L. F., Landini, S., Bae, D., Francia, V. & O'Donovan, T. S., Sep 2022, In: Journal of Energy Storage. 53, 105242. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Effect of thermal load on performance parameters of solar concentrating photovoltaic: High-efficiency solar cells. Maka, A. O. M. & O'Donovan, T. S., Apr 2022, In: Energy and Built Environment. 3, 2, p. 201-209 9 p. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review.

Design of tunnel drier for the non-centrifugal sugar industry. Raj, S. P., Srinivas, M., Sravya, B., O'Donovan, T. S. & Reddy, K. S., May 2021, In: International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies. 16, 2, p. 407-416 10 p. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Landini, S., and O’Donovan, T. S., 2019, “Li-ion batteries Thermal Management Systems: Literature Review,” Journal of Energy Storage (under review, submitted February 2019).

Ghani, F., and O’Donovan, T. S., 2019, “The impact of degradation on the characterisation of Copper Indium Diselenide (CIS) and micromorphic (µc-Si:H) photovoltaic modules,” Energy (under review, submitted August 2018).

Maka, A. O., and O’Donovan, T. S. 2019, “Analysis of thermal response and electrical characterisation of triple-junction solar cells based on variable solar spectral irradiance and air mass,” Thermal Science and Engineering Progress, (in press).

Maka, A. O., and O'Donovan, T. S., 2019, "Modelling of the thermal behaviour of solar high concentrating photovoltaic receiver," Thermal Science and Engineering Progress, 9, pp. 281-288.

Amber, I., and O'Donovan, T., 2018, "Natural convection induced by the absorption of solar radiation: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 82, pp. 3526-3545.

Ghani, F., Waser, R., O'Donovan, T., Schuetz, P., Zaglio, M., and Wortischek, J., 2018, "Non-linear system identification of a latent heat thermal energy storage system," Applied Thermal Engineering, 134, pp. 585-593.

Theristis, M., Fernández, E. F., Georghiou, G. E., and O'Donovan, T. S., 2018, "Performance of a concentrating photovoltaic monomodule under real operating conditions: Part II–Power rating," Energy Conversion and Management, 156, pp. 329-336.

Waser, R., Ghani, F., Maranda, S., O'Donovan, T., Schuetz, P., Zaglio, M., and Worlitschek, J., 2018, "Fast and experimentally validated model of a latent thermal energy storage device for system level simulations," Applied Energy, 231, pp. 116-126.

Amber, I., and O’Donovan, T., 2017, "A numerical simulation of heat transfer in an enclosure with a nonlinear heat source," Numerical Heat Transfer, Part A: Applications, 71(11), pp. 1081-1093.

Amber, I., and O’Donovan, T., 2017, "Heat transfer in a molten salt filled enclosure absorbing concentrated solar radiation," International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 113, pp. 444-455.

Ghani, F., Fernandez, E. F., Almonacid, F., and O'Donovan, T. S., 2017, "The numerical computation of lumped parameter values using the multi-dimensional Newton-Raphson method for the characterisation of a multi-junction CPV module using the five-parameter approach," Solar Energy, 149, pp. 302-313.

Theristis, M., Fernández, E. F., Sumner, M., and O'Donovan, T. S., 2017, "Multiphysics modelling and experimental validation of high concentration photovoltaic modules," Energy Conversion and Management, 139, pp. 122-134.

Theristis, M., Fernández, E. F., Georghiou, G. E., and O'Donovan, T. S., 2017, "Performance of a concentrating photovoltaic monomodule under real operating conditions: Part I–Outdoor characterisation," Energy conversion and management, 154, pp. 311-321.

Odunsi, A. O., O'Donovan, T. S., and Reay, D. A., 2016, "Temperature stabilisation in Fischer–Tropsch reactors using phase change material (PCM)," Applied Thermal Engineering, 93, pp. 1377-1393.

McGuinn, A., Rylatt, D. I., and O’Donovan, T. S., 2016, "Heat transfer enhancement to an array of synthetic air jets by an induced crossflow," Applied Thermal Engineering, 103, pp. 996-1003.

Theristis, M., Fernández, E. F., Ferrer-Rodríguez, J. P., Stark, C., O’Donovan, T. S., Wiesenfarth, M., Bett, A., and Muller, M., "Energy yield assessment of a high concentration photovoltaic receiver based on simulated spectra from typical meteorological year datasets," Proc. AIP Conference Proceedings, AIP Publishing, p. 090009.

Conference papers published as proceedings

1. Maka, A. O., O’Donovan, T. S., 2017, “Thermal performance modelling of a solar concentrating photovoltaic CPV receiver,” 15th UK Heat Transfer Conference

2. Ghani, F., O'Donovan, T. S., and Zaglio, M., 2017, “Solar thermal technologies for domestic hot water applications: an energy and economic investigation comparing flat plate and evacuated tube type collectors," ISES Solar World Congress, IEA SHC International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry.

3. Ghani, F., O'Donovan, T. S., and Zaglio, M., 2016, “Rapid Calculation of Series and Shunt Resistance Values for a Solar Cell," 32nd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference Munich, Germany.

4. Theristis, M., Stark, C., and O'Donovan, T. S., 2015, “Determination of the cooling requirements for single cell photovoltaic receivers under variable atmospheric parameters,” Proceedings of Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC), IEEE 42nd, IEEE, pp. 1-5.

5. Maka, A. O., O’Donovan, T. S., 2015, “Temperature dependence of energy band gaps in triple junction solar cell,” 14th UK Heat Transfer Conference

6. Amber, I and O’Donovan, T. S., 2014, “Numerical simulation of heat transfer in a directly illuminated solar thermal energy store,” 15th International Heat Transfer Conference, Kyoto, IHTC15-9290

7. Theristis, M. and O’Donovan, T. S., 2014, “An integrated thermal electrical model for single cell photovoltaic receivers under concentration,” 15th International Heat Transfer Conference, Kyoto, IHTC15-9239

8. Rylatt, D. I. and O'Donovan T. S., 2014, “The effects of stroke length and Reynolds number on heat transfer to a ducted confined and semi-confined synthetic air jet,” Journal of Physics, Conference Series, 525 (1), 012012

9. Theristis, M., Mallick, T. K. and O’Donovan, T. S., 2013, “Numerical Investigation of heat transfer within a High Concentration Photovoltaic (HCPV) system,” Eurotherm Seminar 98: Concentrating Solar Energy Systems,

10. Theristis, M., Arnaoutakis, G., Sarmah, N., Mallick, T. K. and O’Donovan, T. S., 2013, “Solar spectrum dependent thermal model for HCPV systems,” 13th UK Heat Transfer Conference, No. 124

11. Theristis, M., Sarmah, N., Mallick, T. K., and O’Donovan, T. S., 2012, “Design and numerical analysis of enhanced cooling techniques for a high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) system,” Proceedings 27th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC).