Analysing Energy Systems (ENGR90029)

AIMS

This subject forms one of the core units in the Masters of Energy Systems and the overall aims are to introduce the students to the tools and skills needed to analyse energy systems. To accomplish this overall aim, the subject introduces material and energy balances used in energy system calculations, and introduces and applies the Laws of Thermodynamics to simple energy systems.

This subject, together with ENGR90028 Introduction to Energy Systems, ENGR90030 Non-Renewable Energy, SCIE90014 Renewable Energy and ENGR90032 Energy Supply and Value Chains provide the core technical content for the Masters of Energy Systems.

The ability to analyse existing or new proposed energy systems is essential in assessing the merits and economics of our energy supply. This subject gives the students the opportunity to learn and apply these fundamental tools and skills with relevant and realistic energy systems.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics include:

• Thermodynamic properties
• Equations of state
• The conservation of energy in and around energy processing systems
• Evaluation of enthalpy changes with and without phase change
• Simplified energy balances for batch, steady-state and adiabatic systems
• Estimation of heats of combustion
• Simultaneous material and energy balances
• Entropy, the Second Law of Thermodynamics and Carnot’s principle
• Simple thermodynamic cycles
• Exercises in process optimisation and the solution of ill-defined process problems.