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Industrial applications

Last modified: 12/18/2008 05:17 PM

Welcome,

 

Are you aware that the Thermoptim simulator has a lot of advantages from a manufacturer point of view? Indeed, this simulator increases perceptibly the work efficiency of your engineers when they have to model energy powered systems, enabling them to save time and money.

 

  • at first, its work environments facilitate the modelling (with easy to use interfaces) and make it secure through the error risks minimization during the models definition. (This is due to the existing links automation between the various components, to the automatic generation of equations, to the tests of consistency ...);
  • then, the capacity of Thermoptim for solving problems and its range exceed by far the abilities of a single engineer developing its own models. Indeed it incorporates a lot of knowledge;
  • the accuracy of its outputs is excellent and its models are very realistic;
  • please note that you may save your projects and store them for future use. Moreover a library of already built projects may be used for a new project. It is of course possible to change and adapt an already stored project. In this way, it is easy to make sensitivity analyses.
  • moreover, the search for an optimum is facilitated by the algorithms included in the application. These powerful algorithms are based on the pinch method (a guidance page for practical work (in french) can help you getting used to this method)
  • exergy analysis tools are being developed in order to simplify the calculation of productive structures and exergy balances  of complex systems.

This software application has been translated in seven languages. At present, it is used by more than ten manufacturers such as CEA (Center for Atomic Energy) in Cadarache and in Grenoble (France), EDF (Electricité de France) in its Research Center near Chatou, Framatome Areva, Laborelec, Elyo Lyon, Symicro, ACSEL Society, CETIM, ISL, ENERIA.

 

You will find in this portal numerous resources about Thermoptim. They are the following :

 

Substance models fromTEP ThermoSoft, ThermoBlend and RefProp can be directly used in Thermoptim, provided some specific libraries are loaded. These three tools have been respectively developed by the Laboratoire de Thermodynamique des Équilibres entre Phases, the Paris unit of the Centre for Energy and Processes of the Ecole des Mines de Paris and by the NIST.

Thermoptim facilitates the modelling of energy powered systems

 

Indeed, technologies used for energy powered systems can be described as follows :

  • some multi-functional and complex systems which are connected together.
  • some highly integrated systems. These systems are required to adapt to various specifications during their lifetime.

 

Regarding these systems, the Thermoptim software has a high potential to facilitate and simplify the modelling process :

  • it combines a systemic approach and a classical analytical and/or empirical methodology.
  • it enables you to build and display on the screen numerous energy powered systems, from the simplest one to the more complicated one.

 

 

Thermoptim facilitates the calculations of thermodynamic cycles

Because on one hand, there are lots of already defined components in the kernel such as 20 perfect and pure gases, (from these may be built quite an infinity of compound gases), 17 condensable vapors, compressions, expansions, throttlings, heat-exchanges, combustion chambers, simple mixing devices and simple dividing devices, phase separators. For all these already defined components, there is no need to write any equation or to enter any line of code.

 

As for components or compounds not present in the kernel, they may be added in the software by writing customized models whose program code is in JAVA. By this way, the capabilities of Thermoptim may be widely extended.

 

For instance, here is a document (in french) which briefly presents some possible uses of Thermoptim in the study of gas turbines and their associated cycles.

 

 

It enables an easy maintenance and makes the evolution of models possible through the use of models libraries and projects libraries

Its makes the construction of models secure thanks to

 

  • the automation of the couplings between the various components,
  • the security in the consistency of the built couplings,
  • the diagnostic tools dedicated to the final implementation of the models.

 

These are the main important points, especially for large energy powered systems with numerous equations, whose checking has to be automated.

 

Examples of models built with Thermoptim

In addition to the basic cycles presented in the Diapason sessions, you will find below links to thematic pages, guidance pages for practical work or exercices based on cycles modeled with Thermoptim.

Advanced motor cycles

 

Advanced receptor cycles

 

 

Thermodynamic conversion of renewable energies

Diapason session ENR01 "Conversion thermodynamique des énergies renouvelables" introduces you to the following technologies:

 

In addition, other ressources on renewable energies are available:

 

CO2 capture

Several exercices on CO2 capture cycles have been modeled, among which six on oxy-combustion cycles , and one on methanol capture:

 

Fuel cells

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