Francesco Maria Crespi

Francesco Maria Crespi serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Energy Engineering at the University of Seville, leading the Thermal Machines and Engines Research Group. His expertise centers on renewable thermal energy systems with emphasis on concentrated solar power (CSP) plants utilizing supercritical carbon dioxide and CO₂-based mixtures for enhanced efficiency and cost reduction.

Professor Crespi's research spans thermal engineering, power generation, and energy storage, specifically targeting operational optimization of transcritical cycles, turbine design for alternative working fluids, and techno-economic viability of next-generation solar thermal systems. His work bridges fundamental thermodynamics with industrial implementation challenges in decarbonizing process heat and electricity generation.

Recent publications (2020-2025) reveal a clear progression toward practical application of CO₂ mixtures in CSP plants, with increasing sophistication in cycle configuration analysis, component-level design, and holistic system optimization. Key trends include integration of compressed air energy storage, development of air-cooled condenser strategies, and evaluation of novel working fluid blends for improved temperature matching.

His active research portfolio includes:

• EU Projects: StreamSTEP (GA-101178351), ASTERIx-CAESar (GA-101122231), ISOP (GA-101073266), Scarabeus (SI-1900/10/2019), REMIND (H2020-823948)
• Industry Contracts: UP-FLEXH (PI-2578/37/2025), SOEL pilot plant (PI-2579/37/2025), biomass integration (ES-2365/45/2023), and gas turbine analysis software (PI-2397/45/2023)

The Thermal Machines and Engines Research Group provides a collaborative environment for advancing thermal energy conversion technologies, with strong industry engagement evidenced by multiple active contracts addressing industrial heat decarbonization, green hydrogen production, and steam turbine reliability analysis.