Energy Systems and Thermal Processes MSc

• Professor Gary Leeke

An in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of heat transfer and practical tools for solving heat-transfer problems and design of heat-transfer equipment.

• Modes of heat transfer. Conduction: Thermal conductivity. The differential heat-conduction equation. One-dimensional, steady‑state conduction. Two-dimensional, steady‑state conduction. Transient heat conduction.
• Convection: Forced and free convection. The convective heat‑transfer coefficient. Fluid flow and the boundary‑layer concept. Turbulence. Boundary‑layer equations. The conservation equations. Boundary-layer equations. Analytical and integral solutions of boundary-layer equations. Analogy between heat and momentum transfer. Dimensional analyses of convective heat transfer.
• Empirical and practical relations for forced convection: Flows over flat plates. A cylinder and a sphere in cross flow. Tube bundles in cross flow. Forced convection in packed beds. Forced convection inside tubes and ducts.
• Empirical relations for Natural convection: Vertical planes and cylinders. Horizontal cylinders. Horizontal plates. Inclined surfaces. Spheres. Enclosures. Channels between parallel plates. Combined natural and forced convection.
• Thermal radiation: Physical mechanism. Intensity of radiation and emissive power. Irradiation. Blackbody radiation. Radiation properties of surfaces. Radiation exchange between surfaces. Radiant energy transfer through absorbing and emitting media.
• Boiling heat transfer: Fundamentals of boiling heat transfer. Pool boiling. External forced-convection boiling. Internal forced-convection boiling. Pressure drop in forced-convection boiling systems.
• Condensation heat transfer: Mechanisms of condensation. Film condensation. Dropwise condensation.
• Case studies:  Application of numerical techniques for solving a one‑dimensional, transient conduction problem with radiative and convective boundary conditions. Steady‑state analysis of a combined conduction, convection and radiation Heat transfer problem.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Critically evaluate the principles governing the transfer of heat and apply a range of techniques, tools and skills to analyse and solve typical engineering problems
• Formulate appropriate procedures/strategies for solving complex problems and making sound judgements in the absence of complete data
• Critically evaluate and analyse energy flows in complicated systems and design heat-transfer equipment

• Dr Kumar Patchigolla

This module provides an understanding of the fundamentals of operation, configuration and characteristics of thermal systems. Students will also learn how to apply these for design of energy-efficient furnaces and boilers and key implementation issues of various types of power plant.

• Fuels and thermal conversion processes: primary solid and liquid fuels. Carbonisation of solid fuels. Thermodynamic equations. Dissociation and chemical equilibrium. Process efficiency, emission control and standards
• Furnaces and boilers: types of furnaces and classification. Heat transfer in furnaces, efficient furnace and boiler design. Boiler efficiency and part-load operation and its maintenance.
• 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).
• 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).
• Advanced power plants: geothermal plants and its applications. Solar thermal enhanced designs and new materials. Innovative SCO2 cycles to operate at higher temperatures, bringing higher energy output.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Critically evaluate the fundamentals and laws governing energy conversion and appraise various fuels and their characteristics.
• Assess the operation of furnaces and boilers based on a fundamental understanding of the governing laws, and debate issues influencing the design/selection of furnaces and boilers and future trends
• 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
• Review critically technologies employed for advanced power generation systems (Geo-thermal, solar thermal, SCO2 cycle) and it's applications.

• Dr Ali Nabavi

Design of optimum thermal and energy storage systems is one of the key prerequisites to enhance the performance and efficiency of conventional and future energy systems. This module aims to enable students to combine and apply the principles of heat transfer, thermodynamics and fluid mechanics in the design and optimisation of commercial thermal systems. In addition, the module introduces students to a wide range of challenges and opportunities in waste heat recovery and energy storage, and provides them with practical approaches and solutions to enhance the system efficiency.

Heat exchanger Design and Operation

1. Heat exchangers: Classification. Theoretical principles and design of recuperative systems (effectiveness, NTU and capacity ratio approach for parallel-, counter- and cross-flow configurations). Series cross‑flow arrangements. Regenerative heat exchangers (intermittent and continuous systems). Pressure‑loss assessment. Heat‑exchanger optimisation (optimal pressure drop and surface area to maximise economic returns.
2. Process integration: Heat-exchanger network. Utility systems. Fundamentals of pinch analysis and Energy Analysis.

Waste Heat Recovery and Thermal Storage

1. Waste‑heat recovery: Sources of waste heat. Heat recovery for industrial applications. Energy density considerations. Economics of waste-heat recovery.
2. Thermal storage: Principles and application to hot and cold systems. Storage duration and scale. Sensible and latent heat systems.Phase-change storage materials. Application to source and load matching.

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

1. Application of refrigeration and air conditioning.
2. Vapour-compression refrigeration systems: Simple systems. Multi-stage compressor systems. Multi-evaporator systems.
3. Refrigerants:Halocarbon refrigerants. CFC alternatives. Refrigerant-selection criteria.
4. Refrigeration compressors: Reciprocating compressors. Rotary screw compressors. Scroll compressors. Vane compressors. Centrifugal compressors.
5. Absorption refrigeration: The absorption process. Properties of fluid-pair solutions. The basic absorption cycle. Double-effect systems.Advances in absorption-refrigeration technology.
6. Psychrometry and principle Air-conditioning processes: Psychrometry. Heating, cooling, humidification and dehumidification processes.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Analyse and design heat exchangers, competently applying the principles of heat transfer, thermodynamics and fluid mechanics
• Construct optimised heat exchanger networks by applying principles of process integration
• Recognise and debate  the issues related to the efficient use of thermal energy and appraise  techniques and technologies employed
• Design and analyse the performance of refrigeration and air conditioning systems.

• Dr Patrick Verdin

To introduce the CFD techniques and tools for modelling, simulating and analysing practical engineering problems with hands on experience using commercial software packages used in industry.

• Introduction to CFD & thermo-fluids: Introduction to the physics of thermo-fluids, governing equations (continuity, momentum, energy and species conservation) and state of the art Computational Fluid Dynamics including modelling, grid generation, simulation, and high performance computing.  Case study of industrial problems related to energy, process systems, offshore engineering, and the physical processes where CFD can be used.
• Computational Engineering Exercise: specification for a CFD simulation. Requirements for accurate analysis and validation for multi scale problems. Introduction to Turbulence & practical applications of Turbulence Models: Introduction to Turbulence and turbulent flows. Traditional turbulence modelling. 
• Advanced Turbulence Modelling: Introduction to Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) simulations and large-eddy simulation (LES).
• Practical sessions: Fluid process problems are solved employing the widely-used industrial flow solver software FLUENT. Lectures are followed by practical sessions on single/multiphase flows, heat transfer, to set up and simulate a problem incrementally.  Practical sessions cover the entire CFD process including geometric modelling, grid generation, flow solver, analysis, validation and visualisation.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Assemble and evaluate the different components of the CFD process.
• Explain the governing equations for fluid flows and how to solve them computationally.
• Compare and contrast various methods for simulating turbulent flows applicable to mechanical and process engineering.
• Set up simulations and evaluate a practical problem using a commercial CFD package.
• Design CFD modelling studies for use in industrial design of complex systems.

• Dr Dawid Hanak

Process design, simulation and modelling are industrially-relevant tools to assess the techno-economic feasibility of complex engineering processes. These enable assessing the project feasibility and optimising the process plant design before the actual process plant is build. These tools are widely applied in the industry to assess a number of process variants and to select the most efficient and cost-effective option. This module aims to introduce the students to the modern techniques and computer aided engineering tools for the design, simulation and optimisation of process systems. Via a large share of process simulation and optimisation case studies, the module will enable the students to gather the hands-on experience of using the commercial software.

Process Design
• Overview: Conceptual process design. Process flow-sheeting.
• Process synthesis: Overview of a process system. Recycle structure of the flowsheet. Design of reaction and separation systems.
• Process integration: Basic concepts of process integration for heat exchanger network design.
• Process economic analysis: Equipment capital cost estimation. Process profitability analysis.
Process Modelling, Simulation and Optimisation
• Modelling and simulation: Basic concepts of process modelling. General concepts of simulation. Introduction to steady and dynamic process simulation. Introduction to commercial simulation software packages (i.e, Aspen HYSYS) for process flow-sheeting, design and analysis.
• Process optimisation techniques: Basic principles of optimisation. Presentation of a number of industrial case studies. (e.g., heat exchanges network synthesis).
Case Studies (PC Lab and Demonstration Sessions)
• A number of process simulation and optimisation case studies will be carried out using Aspen HYSYS and Aspen Plus. 

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Formulate strategies to carry out a process design and critically appraise the techniques and major commercial simulation tools for steady and dynamic process simulation. 
• Apply competently the basic principles of process optimisation.
• Design and analyse the performance of a process plant using simulation or optimisation tools.

The importance of technology leadership in driving the technical aspects of an organisations products, innovation, programmes, operations and strategy is paramount, especially in today’s turbulent commercial environment with its unprecedented pace of technological development. Demand for ever more complex products and services has become the norm.  The challenge for today’s manager is to deal with uncertainty, to allow technological innovation and change to flourish but also to remain within planned parameters of performance.  Many organisations engaged with technological innovation struggle to find engineers with the right skills.  Specifically, engineers have extensive subject/discipline knowledge but do not understand management processes in organisational context.  In addition, STEM graduates often lack interpersonal skills.

• Engineers and Technologists in organisations: The role of organisations and the challenges facing engineers and technologies.
• People management: Understanding you. Understanding other people. Working in teams. Dealing with conflicts.
• The Business Environment: Understanding the business environment; identifying key trends and their implications for the organisation.
• Strategy and Marketing: Developing effective strategies; Focusing on the customer; building competitive advantage; The role of strategic assets.
• Finance: Profit and loss accounts. Balance sheets. Cash flow forecasting.Project appraisal.
• New product development: Commercialising technology. Market drivers. Time to market. Focusing technology. Concerns.
• Business game: Working in teams (companies), students will set up and run a technology company and make decisions on investment, R&D funding, operations, marketing and sales strategy.
• Negotiation: Preparation for Negotiations. Negotiation process. Win-Win solutions.
• Presentation skills: Understanding your audience. Focusing your message. Successful presentations. Getting your message across.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Recognise the importance of teamwork in the performance and success of organisations with particular reference to commercialising technological innovation.
• Operate as an effective team member, recognising the contribution of individuals within the team, and capable of developing team working skills in themselves and others to improve the overall performance of a team.
• Compare and evaluate the impact of the key functional areas (strategy, marketing and finance) on the commercial performance of an organisation, relevant to the manufacture of a product or provision of a technical service.
• Design and deliver an effective presentation that justifies and supports any decisions or recommendations made
• Argue and defend their judgements through constructive communication and negotiating skills.

• Dr Liyun Lao

To introduce fundamental concepts, principles, methodologies, and application for the design of advanced control systems for industrial applications.

• System dynamics: Modelling of typical physical systems. Operating point. Linearization. Differential equation representation. State space representation of systems. Laplace transforms. Transfer functions. Block diagrams. SISO and MIMO systems. Time and frequency domain responses of systems.
• Feedback control: Positive and negative feedback. Stability. Methods for stability analysis. Closed loop performance specification. PID controllers. Ziegler-Nichols. Self-tuning methods.
• Enhanced controllers: Cascade control. Feedforward control. Control of non-linear systems. Control of systems with delay.
• Digital controllers: Effects of sampling. Implementation of PID controller. Stability and tuning.
• Advanced control topics: Hierarchical control. Kalman filter. System Identification. Model predictive control. Statistical process control. The use of expert systems and neural networks in industrial control.
• Design packages for process control systems: Examples including Simulink and MATLAB.
• Case studies: Examples will be chosen from a range of industrial systems including mechanical, chemical and fluid systems.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Evaluate and select appropriate modelling techniques for dynamic systems
• Formulate control methodologies in feedback, feedforward and cascade loops
• Recognise and critically appraise the key design tools and procedures for continuous and discrete controllers of dynamic systems.

• Dr Stuart Wagland

The module aims to provide the students with a deep understanding of the truly multidisciplinary nature of a real industrial project.  Using a relevant case study, the scientific and technical concepts learned during the previous modules will be brought together and used to execute the analysis of the case study.

• Work flow definition: setting up the single aspects to be considered, the logical order, and the interfaces.
• Design of an appropriate analysis toolkit specific to the case study
• Development of a management or maintenance framework for the case study
• Multi-criteria decision analysis [MDCA] applied to energy technologies to identify the best available technology. 
• Energy technologies and systems: understanding the development and scaling/design of the technologies by applying an understanding of the available resources in the assigned location;
• Public engagement strategies and the planning process involved in developing energy technologies.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Critically evaluate available technological options, and select the most appropriate method for determining the best available technology [BAT] for the specific case study;
• Demonstrate the ability to work as part of a group to achieve the stated requirements of the module brief;
• Demonstrate the ability to organise the single-discipline activities in a logical workflow, and to define the interfaces between them, designing an overall multidisciplinary approach for the specific case study.

• Dr Liyun Lao

To introduce a systematic approach to the design of measurement systems for industrial process applications The fundamental concepts, key requirements, typical principles and key applications of the industrial process measurement technology and systems will be highlighted.

Principles of Measurement System
• Process monitoring requirements: operating conditions, range, static performance, dynamic performance.
• Sensor technologies: resistive, capacitive, electromagnetic, ultrasonic, radiation, resonance.
• Signal conditioning and conversion: amplifiers, filters, bridges, load effects, sampling theory, quantisation theory, A/D, D/A.
• Data transmission and telemetry: analogue signal transmission, digital transmission, communication media, coding, modulation, multiplexing, communication strategies, communication topologies, communication standards, HART, Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus.
• Smart and intelligent instrumentation. Soft sensors. Measurement error and uncertainty: systematic and random errors, estimating the uncertainty, effect of each uncertainty, combining uncertainties, use of Monte Carlo methods.
• Calibration: importance of standards, traceability.
• Safety aspects: intrinsic safety, zone definitions, isolation barriers. 
• Selection and maintenance of instrumentation.




Principles of Process Measurement
• Flow measurement: flow meter performance, flow profile, flow meter calibration; differential pressure flow meters, positive displacement flow meters, turbine, ultrasonic, electromagnetic, vortex, Coriolis flow meters.
• Pressure measurement: pressure standards, Bourdon tubes, diaphragm gauges, bellows, strain gauges, capacitance, resonant gauges.
• Temperature measurement: liquid-in-glass, liquid-in-metal, gas filled, thermocouple, resistance temperature detector, thermistor.
• Level measurement: conductivity methods, capacitance methods, float switches, ultrasonic, microwave, radiation method.
• Multiphase flow measurement: general features of vertical and horizontal multiphase flow, definition of parameters in multiphase flow, multiphase flow measurement strategies, water cut and composition measurement, velocity measurement, commercial multiphase flow meters, developments in multiphase flow metering.
• Density and viscosity measurement.
• Case study: flow assurance instrumentation/ environmental measurement/ measurement issues and challenges in CO₂ transportation.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Critically assess the factors affecting the operation of a process sensor and the types and technologies of modern process sensors.
• Examine the factors which have to be considered when designing a process measurement system.
• Propose the most appropriate measurement system for a given process application.