Sam Cooper

Samuel Cooper has worked as a researcher in the Department of Mechanical engineering at the University of Bath since completing a PhD in May 2013.

He is currently employed on the UK Indemand project, a research centre aiming to improve the energy and material efficiency of the industrial sector.

Sam's thesis considered the performance of heat pumps and CHP operating in a range of conditions, focusing primarily on thermodynamic analysis of the technologies. This research required careful consideration of the contexts that different electrical grid mixes provide and the effect that these may have on the relative merits of different heat sources.

Sam’s studies have involved simulation of energy systems at various levels of detail and aggregation in order to assess their interactions. Although most of his work has focused on the analysis of specific systems, he is always keen to understand the bigger picture of the environment and context in which they operate.

Within the UK Indemand project, Sam’s work revolves around several themes:

• analysing the extent to which thermodynamic limits may constrain future industrial systems and identifying potential efficiency opportunities in alternatives
• investigating the potential for new technologies to affect total energy demands
• relating energetic processes to the services which they supply
• considering the potential consequences for the economy and for industrial GHG emissions of the changes to demand which may occur
• studying potential synergies between the intermittency of renewable energy sources and industrial demand.

Research areas

• Sustainable Energy Research Team