bio

You can download my CV clicking onto the PDF icon in the upper right corner of this page, or just browse through the shortened version in here!

General Information

Full Name Jan Špale
Languages fluent in Czech & English, intermediate in Russian & Python :-)

Education

  • 2025
    PhD.
    FME CTU in Prague, Czech Republic
    • Summa cum laude,
    • Doctoral studies in Energy & Process Engineering,
    • dissertation thesis on [Small-scale vapour expansion machines for distributed energy systems](https://dspace.cvut.cz/handle/10467/121885)

Experience

  • 2017-now
    Researcher in Energy systems in Buildings
    CTU UCEEB, Czech Republic
    • Research in waste heat recovery systems, distributed energy systems, combined heat and power and thermal energy storage
    • leading a team of Industrial Thermal Energy Systems [(INTENS)](https://www.uceeb.cz/en/intens-en/)
  • 2025-now
    Assistant Professor, Energy and Process Engineering
    CTU FME, Czech Republic
    • Teaching courses in Energy systems, Applied Thermodynamics, Distributed energy systems
    • Supervision of bachelor and master theses
  • 2023-2024
    Fulbright Visiting Researcher
    Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
    • Research in the field of high temperature heat pumps
    • Thermodynamic modelling in Python in industrial HVAC systems

Academic Interests

  • Distributed energy systems for industrial applications
    • CHP systems
    • Industrial heat pumps
    • Thermal energy storage
    • Waste heat recovery
  • Small-scale turbomachinery for distributed energy systems
    • Supersonic high speed ORC expanders
    • Non-ideal compressible fluid flow in turbomachinery
    • Additive manufacturing for turbomachinery

Professional associations and communities

  • Knowledge Center on Organic Rankine Cycle technology (KCORC)
    • member of the Editorial committee
  • International Energy Agency (IEA) - Energy Storage Technology Collaboration Program
    • Alternate delegate of the Czech Republic in the executive committee
    • Member of the Task 36 - Carnot Batteries
  • Board of European Students of Technology (BEST) Prague
    • former President of the local group (2017-2018)
    • main organizer of Summer Course (2017) on Engineering Psychology
  • Fulbright Commission CZ
    • an active alumnus of the Fulbright program

Other Interests

  • Hobbies
    • cycling (road, XC MTB)
    • hiking
    • extreme metal music
    • reading
    • playing video games
    • travelling the world
    • photography
  • Random trivia
    • huge fan of internet culture and memes
    • likes dark cynic humor
    • usually wears black
    • happily married