STFES team
We are a young, dynamic group of researchers, regularly visited by foreign experts. We welcome researchers for short as well as extended stays.
If you think your research can be valuable to our group, please get in touch with us.
Tenured Academic Staff
Michel De Paepe
He graduated as Master of Science in Electromechanical Engineering at Ghent University in 1995. In 1999 he obtained his PhD in Electromechanical Engineering at Ghent University, graduating on 'Steam injected Gas Turbines with Waste Recovery'.
His research is focusing on heat transfer in heat exchangers, two-phase refrigerant flow, electrical drives and thermal energy storage (TES). He is also interested in energy efficiency in buildings and industry by using heat pumps (for domestic applications), fuel cells, ORCs and other small scale energy conversion systems.
Michel De Paepe is president of EnerGhentiC, the interdisciplinary community of Ghent University researchers working on the energy challenge. He is also member of Flanders Make Motion Products core lab MIRO.
T: +32 9 264 32 94
Sebastian Verhelst
Sebastian Verhelst is member of EnerGhentiC.
E: sebastian.verhelst@ugent.be
T: +32 9 264 33 06
Steven Lecompte
Steven Lecompte (°1988) is assistant professor of Thermal Machines in the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture at Ghent University.
He obtained his Master of Science and PhD degrees in Electromechanical Engineering at Ghent University in 2012 and 2016 respectively. His PhD thesis was titled 'Performance evaluation of organic Rankine Cycle architectures: Application to waste heat valorization'.
His research focuses on thermal machines (heat pumps, organic rankine cycles, refrigeration cycles) including thermo-economic optimization, renewable energy integration, multi-phase processes, expanders and compressors.
Between 2016 and 2018 he was recurring visiting researcher at Imperial Collage London, doing research on multi-phase flows. In 2017 he obtained a postdoctoral fellowship of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO).
Steven Lecompte is secretary of the KCORC board, Chairman of Koelplatform and member of EnerGhentiC and Machines & Factories.
T: 09 264 33 91
Wim Beyne
Wim Beyne (°1993) is assistant professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture at Ghent University, specializing in two-phase numerical heat transfer.
He obtained his Master of Science in Electromechanical Engineering at Ghent University in 2016 and completed his PhD in Electromechanical Engineering in 2021, with a thesis titled 'The development of e charging time energy fraction model for latent thermal energy storage heat exchangers'.
His research primarily focused on the numerical modeling of two-phase heat transfer, including both solid-liquid and liquid-gas change phenomena. Since 2024, Wim Beyne has been appointed as an assistant professor, where his work continues to explore phase change processes and their application in thermal energy systems.
Wim Beyne is a member of EnerGhentiC, the interdisciplinary energy community at Ghent University. He is also member of the Flanders Make core lab MIRO, where he collaborates on advanced research in thermal systems and energy efficiency.
T: +32 9 264 32 48
Visiting Professor
Administrative & Supporting Staff
- Annick De Coster - Financieel & administratief verantwoordelijk
- Annie Harri - Secretariaatsmedewerker
- Yves Maenhout - Informaticus systeembeheer
- Tom Robeyn - Onderwijsbegeleider
- Koen Chielens - Technieker
- Frederik Martens - Technieker
- Thomas Blancke - Technieker
- Bart Van Daele - Technieker
