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Inspired by Nature: Solar, thermal and geothermal energy enhance power outputs

Francesca Moloney, 26, is interested in renewable energy because “I love the great outdoors.” “I know renewable energy is the future to protect the beauty that surrounds us,” she says.

Francesca was born in Massachusetts but grew up in upstate New York. She has a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Florida Gulf Coast University and started working on a doctorate in mechanical engineering at USF in 2014.

Her research has focused on creating a hybrid system with solar thermal and geothermal energy with thermal energy storage while using innovative thermodynamic cycle configurations to enhance power output. At USF, “Most of the time, research never goes as expected. It is an adventure, but a rewarding one,” she said. She found that a low temperature source, such as geothermal energy, can be effectively integrated into a power cycle operating from a higher temperature source, such as solar thermal energy. Thermal energy storage extends the availability of a high temperature source to convert power in a more efficient power cycle at a higher capacity rather than relying on only geothermal energy and a lower efficiency and lower work output cycle.

Now in the final stages of her doctoral research, Francesca has already accepted a position as a distribution engineer in Fort Myers at Enercon, a company specializing in energy design and planning projects. She ultimately would like to help expand renewable energy to enhance efficiency and implementation.

At USF, “I enjoyed collaborating on various research projects with my colleagues at CERC. Everyone is very bright and comes from a different background, which was exciting to work with. I learned very much from them.

“I also had the opportunity to share my work at middle and high schools and teach students about graduate school,” she added. “It was amazing working with these motivated students and helping them to think about the future in terms of energy usage and their personal career and education goals.

She added: “What motivates me is that although my research cannot make us rely solely on renewable energy, it is one piece of the puzzle in reducing and eliminating global carbon dioxide emissions. I believe we can achieve net zero emissions, and I want to be part of that transformation.”