LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course purpose is to provide students with technical and methodological instruments for analysis, control and management of energy systems, analyzing their behaviour at design and off-design conditions, including dynamic aspects and their impact at both local and global level.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The attendance and active participation at the proposed teaching activities (lessons and exercises) and the individual study will allow the student to:

- know the basic aspects related to fossil fuels and renewable sources;

- know basic concepts and performance parameters of energy systems (efficiencies, useful work, emissions, etc.);

- know the typologies of the main energy systems and their applicative details;

- apply the thermodynamic concepts to the performance calculations;

- know the main technoeconomic aspects of the energy systems;

- identify and analyse the main plant components;

- know the main regulation mechanisms.

PREREQUISITES

Basic knowledge of thermodynamics: I and II principles, internal energy, enthalpy and entropy functions, perfect gas concept, basic transformations.

TEACHING METHODS

The course is composed of: classroom lessons (48 hours) and exercises (12 hours). The exercise hours will be carried out by the teachers with the following approach: summary introduction on the contents related to the classroom lessons and development of exercises (on the blackboard).

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

• Worldwide and Italian energy demand and the energy sources. Machine classifications.
• Fossil (and renewable) fuels; the combustion; stoichiometric air; air excess.
• Thermodynamic aspects: T,S and H,S charts, Carnot's cycle and its efficiency.
• Efficiency parameters: ideal, limit and real cycles; adiabatic and polytropic efficiency; global efficiency and auxiliary impact.
• Steam cycles and related plants: efficiency; methods to increase steam cycle efficiency; regeneration; thermal balance; circuit general aspects; main components. Regulation of steam turbines.
• Wind turbines: basic aspects and Betz's analysis.
• Gas cycles: turbogas technology; ideal, limit and real cycles for the simple layout; ideal cycle efficiency; maximum useful work; efficiency of limit and real cycles. Work-Efficiency chart; heavy-duty and aereoderivative turbines; the main turbogas components; the recuperated cycle (ideal and real) and its performance; intercooled cycle (ideal and real); reheated cycle (ideal and real). Aspects on aeronautic gas turbines.
• Combined cycles: aspects on combined cycle types; the recovery steam generator (one pressure level), the pinch-point and subcooling values; the optimal vaporization pressure for a one pressure level; combined cycle efficiency.
• The internal combustion engines (ICEs): basic aspects and classification; geometry parameters; working cycles for two and four strokes; ideal cycles and their efficiency; comparison between the cycles; limit and real cycles; the indicated cycle; aspects related to the engine/user coupling; the ICE regulation; ICE emissions; supercharging.
• Characteristic curves of the main fluid machines: compressor, turbine, pump (series and parallel pump coupling).
• Hydraulic machines: hydraulic energy, plant types, maximum theoretical power, turbine types, turbine selection (Pelton, Francis and Kaplan turbines).

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All the slides used during the lessons and other teaching materials will be available on aul@web. In general, lesson notes and the aul@web teaching materials are enough for the successful exam preparation.

Students not attending the lessons (although the active participation at the lessons is strongly recommended) are suggested to use the aul@web teaching material. In case of doubts on these documents, please contact the teachers by e-mail: mario.ferrari@unige.it and alessandro.sorce@unige.it.

The following books are suggested as support (the exam can be successfully passed without reading these books):

• O. Acton, C. Caputo, "Macchine a fluido", UTET.
• R. Della Volpe, “Macchine”, Liguori Editore.