Online course and simulator for engineering thermodynamics

Welcome on the Thermoptim-UNIT portal

Welcome,

You are a mere visitor discovering this portal. You will find numerous numerical resources for learning energy powered systems. You can also learn to use a software application which is dedicated to simulate various facilities, from the simplest to the more sophisticated ones.

You can even download extracts from the first edition of the book « Energy systems » published by our editor (CRC Press).

It is important that you first read the presentation pages explaining the basic functionalities and then look at the sections. But you may prefer to read additional informations on Thermoptim given below.

Please note that this software application is not only an educational software : it is used by various manufacturers . Actually, this software application can run powerful algorithms based on the pinch method.

Sections of the portal

The first three sections include a series of thematic pages with an overall view of each subject. These pages are a rough introduction to energy powered systems and are linked to various educational activities (online course, exercises ..)

As you peruse these sections, you'll gain a concise and lucid overview of the entire course, akin to reading a book's summary. Additionally, you have the option to access brief descriptions of each covered topic.

« Thermodynamics fundamentals » presents, as its title shows it, the theoretical basis of applied thermodynamics.

« Methodological guides » gives access to various indications on how to deal with some difficulties which arise when calculating energy systems.

« Technology » gathers rough presentations of the main technologies used in the energy powered systems.  This section is related to the following distinct sub-sections :

  • The components of a system (compressors, turbines, combustion chambers ...)

  • The complete systems (gas turbine, spark ignition and diesel engines, steam powered station ...)

Global issues is related to the major energy problems throughout the world.

  • Energy at the macro-economic level (the paths for energy, economic accounting and energy accounting ...)

  • The geopolitical aspects (i.e. the world situation on energy, the problem of energy in the developing countries, the question of reserves and resources, the energy markets).

The two others sections are the following :

« Education» is divided into two sub-sections :

  • The first one presents the pedagogy of thermodynamics such as we recommend it.

  • The second gives access to online resources, and among them to the whole set of Diapason sessions to be used for online training.

The section titled "Software" is divided into two parts: one devoted to the Thermoptim application and the other dedicated to software tools that enable the creation and execution of Diapason sessions. Each of these subsections features a presentation of the respective software application, along with accompanying documentation and various resources.

Presentation of Thermoptim

Thermoptim is a software designed to facilitate students' understanding of thermodynamics effortlessly. In tandem with or even before the theoretical foundations are presented, students can engage in practical exercises involving real-world applications, such as the analysis of a refrigerator or a power plant. Recognizing the students' limited knowledge, the training is structured to be as straightforward as possible. Realistic results are crucial to maintaining motivation as students navigate the learning process.

With its thermodynamic function libraries, Thermoptim enables graphical modeling of both simple and complex energy technologies without the need to write a single equation. It provides highly accurate results that can be visually represented in various formats. Notably, Thermoptim allows users to overcome the restrictive assumption of the perfect gas, offering the flexibility to utilize real fluid models.

A dedicated Diapason session allows you to learn about the main features of the tool in 20 minutes.

You should also be aware that the capacity of Thermoptim for solving problems by far exceeds the abilities of a single engineer with his own models. Similarly, please note that the capacity for solving problems exceeds also the possibilities of the same engineer. Indeed a lot of knowledge is built in it.

Guided explorations of existing models of the basic energy cycles are proposed in a special browser capable of emulating Thermoptim. They have the advantage that they can be used both with the demonstration version of the software package and with another. As learners do not have to build the models themselves, some small difficulties are avoided.

Please note that Thermoptim is available in seven languages , should you wish to work in a different language than the french one.

copyright R. Gicquel v2024.2

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