Power Generation Systems

On completion of the course, you will learn to:

• Recognise and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals and laws governing energy conversion
• Debate issues related to the performance of conventional power-generation plants
• Propose appropriate technologies for improving energy-utilisation efficiency of power-generation plants
• Assess the need of a particular industrial/commercial site for a CHP system, identify the appropriate systems and undertake design, sizing and economic analyses
• Critically review technologies employed for fuel-cell systems and advances in their applications
• Continue to advance their knowledge and assimilate new future technologies.

Overview

World electricity demand and generation. Fuels. Environmental impacts.

Steam Power Plants

Thermodynamic principles. Fuels. Steam power generation cycles.

Gas Turbine and Combined-cycle Power Plants

Gas turbine engines and performance. Gas turbine cycles. Combined-cycle power plants.

Diesel- and Gas-engine Power Plants

Diesel engines. Fuels. Emission control. Heat recovery systems.

Nuclear Power Generation

Basic nuclear physical processes (fission and fusion). Nuclear fuels. Types of reactors. Safety considerations in the nuclear industry. Developments in nuclear fusion. Decommissioning problems of nuclear sites. Nuclear waste disposal systems.

Fuel Cells

Definition and principles of operation. Losses and efficiency. Possible fuels. Fuel-cell technologies and applications (alkaline fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells, phosphoric acid fuel cells, solid oxide fuel cells, and regenerative fuel cells).

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Systems

CHP schemes (micro-scale CHP systems, small scale CHP systems, large scale CHP systems including district heating schemes). Application of CHP systems for the provision of heating, cooling and electric power. Selection criteria of CHP prime-movers. Integration of CHP systems into site services. Feasibility analysis of CHP schemes using spreadsheets/software tools. Case study (site appraisal for CHP scheme and evaluation of economic and environmental viability).