MODULE DESCRIPTOR
MECH3014 – Thermal Power and the Environment
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MECH3014
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Thermal Power and the Environment
0.5/7.5
September
June
Dr P Aleiferis (37.5 %) Module Coordinator
Dr R Balachandran (62.5 %)
Prerequisites
Students considering registering for this course would normally be expected to have completed an
intermediate course in mechanics of fluids and thermodynamics, e.g. MECH2004.
Course Aims
The course takes the theoretical analyses of the first and second year thermodynamics courses and adds
to them in the following ways:
(i) Thermodynamic plant requires the supply of energy, and the current and likely future sources of energy
are described and discussed.
(ii) The supply of energy for thermodynamic plant is often provided by the combustion of hydrocarbon
fuels. The efficiency of combustion and the presence of pollutants in the exhaust gas are considered and
explained.
(iii) Thermodynamic plant, for instance a power station, is often very complex, and the use of the exergy
method of analysis is described for such applications.
(iv) Steam and gas turbine plant are described in some detail, including blade design aspects, whereas
coverage in earlier years was restricted to descriptions of operating cycles only.
(v) Nuclear power is an important source of energy and basic principles and plant are described.
(vi) Renewables sources of energy, like solar, wind and biomass, are described.
(vii) Aspects of thermodynamics and heat transfer applied to fuel cells are also described.
Method of Instruction
Lecture presentations, Tutorial classes and one laboratory session
Assessment
The course has the following assessment components:

Written Examination (3 hours, 75%)

One Laboratory report (25%) :
Gas turbine laboratory. The characteristics of gas turbine systems are analysed using a GT modelling
software.
To pass this course, students must:

Obtain an overall pass mark of 40% for all sections combined
Resources
There is no single book covering this course. Recommendations for further reading are given in each of
the sections covered.
Additional Information
None
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Content
Details of topics to be covered by Dr R Balachandran
Sources of Energy
Current energy usage: oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear power, hydro. Future energy usage: energy and
economic growth, factors affecting the pattern of future energy usage, modelling the consumption rate of
a source of energy with finite supply. [approx. 2 lectures]
Other Renewable Sources of Energy
Solar energy: incident radiation calculation, orientation of solar collectors, solar collectors, energy balance
for solar collectors. Wind energy: maximum power from wind, designs of wind turbine. Geothermal
power: typical plant design. Biomass: biomass reaction. Economic analysis: investment calculation, future
discounting. [approx. 2 lectures]
Exergy Analysis
Concept of exergy. Exergy method applied to closed systems. Exergy method" applied to steady-flow
systems. Exergy analysis of a power producing plant. Irreversibility: direct determination of irreversibility,
heat transfer across a finite temperature difference. Exergetic efficiency. Exergetic vs isentropic
efficiencies. Exergy method applied to chemical reactions. Rational efficiency. [approx. 2 lectures]
Further Combustion Theory
Combustion stoichiometry. Combustion thermodynamics: constant volume combustion, constant pressure
combustion. Dissociation and rate-controlled reactions: specific reaction rate constant, chain carriers,
equilibrium constants, reaction between a hydrocarbon fuel and air with dissociation. Formation of nitric
oxide. Formation of carbon monoxide. Sources of unburnt hydrocarbons. Reduction of exhaust gas
pollutants: spark ignition engines, compression ignition engines. [approx. 4 lectures]
Fuel Cells
Description of a hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell. Different types of fuel cell. Solid polymer fuel cell. Fuel cell
operating efficiency. Fuel cell voltage. Losses in fuel cells. Provision of fuel. [approx. 2 lectures]
Stirling Cycle Plant
Stirling cycle. Isothermal analysis. Mechanical configurations: alpha, beta and gamma types. Working
fluids. Sealing of working gas. [approx. 1 lecture]
Details of topics to be covered by Dr P Aleiferis
Turbomachinery (steam plant)
Description of steam turbines and their application. Different types of turbines. Impulse and reaction
blades. Velocity and pressure compunding. Conservation of mass, momentum and energy applied to
steam turbines. Euler turbine equation. Velocity triangles. Efficiency, losses.
Turbomachinery (gas plant)
Description of gas turbines and their application. Different types of gas turbines (turbojet, turboprop,
turbofan, turboshaft; propulsion and land power generation). Thermodynamic cycles. Compressor
characteristics, diagrams. Turbine characteristics, diagrams. Component matching for compressor,
combustor, turbine, propelling nozzle. Single-shaft gas turbine; gas generator and free power turbine;
simple aircraft jet engine. Engine performance.
Nuclear power
Atomic model and data. Isotopes. Excited nuclear states. Radioactive decay. Equivalence of mass and
energy. Fission. Nuclear cross sections. Description of reactor types and their components (boiling water,
pressurised water, heavy water, gas-cooled, fast breeder). Fusion.
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General Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
The fundamentals of flow and combustion processes; techniques for calculating and evaluating
combustion performance, emissions and design features; operating cycles of steam and gas turbines as
well as effects engine blade engine geometry; nuclear power and plant requirements; future forms of
energy; costs and environmental factors.
Skills and Attributes
(i) Intellectual
Analysis of complex combustion processes based on fundamental scientific principles considering
performance, emissions and design criteria; appreciation of the attributes and limitations of these analysis
techniques; comparison with other methods of energy generation and their relative merits and
disadvantages; environmental considerations.
(ii) Practical
Use of modelling software to assess the performance of a gas turbine system; appreciation of the
limitations of such models; formal written report on the analysis of outputs from the system model.
(iii) Transferable
Analysis techniques in combustion and pollutant formation may be applied to other flow and combustion
systems; systems level analysis; critical reasoning of the questions surrounding future energy generation;
synthesis of recent technical literature into a concise form.
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