MECH 4408: Thermofluids and Energy System Design Course Outline

Instructor:

Prof. Cynthia Cruickshank (Office: Minto 3038)

Email: Cynthia.Cruickshank@carleton.ca

Lecture:

Wednesday, Friday

Office Hours:

After class and/or by appointment (please email me and write MECH 4408 in the
subject line).

Course
Webpage:

This course will be supported by the cuLearn Course Management System at

https://carleton.ca/culearn/.

2:35 pm 3:55 pm

Tory Building 342

Useful References
McDonald, A., Magande, H. (2012) Introduction to Thermo-fluids Systems Design, John Wiley &
Sons, ISBN: 978-1-118-31363-3
McQuiston, F., Parker, J., Spitler, J. (2005) Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, Analysis
and Design, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN: 978-0-471-47015-1
Moran, M., Shapiro, H. (2008) Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics, John Wiley &
Sons, ISBN: 978-0-470-49590-2
Mitchell, J., Braun, J. (2013) Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning in Buildings, John Wiley &
Sons, ISBN: 978-0-470-62457-9
Dincer, I., Kanoglu, M. (2010) Refrigeration Systems and Applications, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN:
978-0-470-74740-7
Bergman, T., Lavine, A., Incropera, F., Dewitt, D. (2011) Fundamentals of Heat and Mass
Transfer, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN: 978-0-470-50197-9
Munson, B., Okiishi, T., Huebsch, W., Rothmayer, A. (2013) Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics,
John Wiley & Sons, ISBN: 978-1-118-11613-5
Calendar Description
Integration of fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer for design of energy conversion
systems. Chemical kinetics and mass transfer. Efficient combustion, fuel cells and batteries. Efficient
operation and design of engines, power generators, boilers, furnaces, incinerators, and cogeneration systems. Emerging energy systems. Prerequisite MAAE 3400 and MECH 4406.
Course Objectives
This course has been developed to bridge the gap between the fundamental concepts of fluid
mechanics, heat transfer and thermodynamics and the practical design of thermo-fluids
components and systems. This course focuses on the design of internal fluid flow systems, heat
exchange systems, and the performance analysis of power plant systems, refrigeration and heat
pump systems. This requires prerequisite knowledge of internal fluid flow, conduction and
convection heat transfer and thermodynamic cycles. The fundamental concepts are used as tools in
a design process to solve various practical problems presented. While demonstrating the
application of fundamental principles, this course highlights the use of manufacturers data to
select equipment and practical rules to underline their importance in current practice.

Course Outline (Tentative)

MODULE 1

Review of Thermodynamics, Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer

Thermodynamic Properties, The First Law of Thermodynamics, Ideal Gases, The Second Law of
Thermodynamics, Refrigeration, Heat Pumps, Entropy, Thermodynamic Cycles, Psychrometrics.
General Aspects of Fluid Flow (The Bernoulli Equation, Viscous Flow Theory, Flow in Pipes).
General Aspects of Heat Transfer (Conduction, Convection and Radiation Heat Transfer, Combined
Heat Transfer).
MODULE 2

Exergy and Second Law Efficiency

Exergy, Irreversibility, Exergy Destruction, Exergy Balance, Second Law Efficiency, Application to
Power Generation and Heating and Refrigeration Cycles.
MODULE 3

Flow, Pumps, and Piping Design

Pump Types and Loads, Centrifugal Pumps, Combined System and Pump Characteristics, Piping
System Fundamentals, System Design, Steam Heating Systems.
MODULE 4

Fundamentals of Heat Exchanger Design

Types of Heat Exchangers, The Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient, The Convection Heat Transfer
Coefficients, Heat Exchanger Analysis, Heat Exchanger Design and Performance Analysis, The Log
Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD) Method, The Number of Transfer Units (NTU) Method, Heat
Transfer, Transport Coefficients, Design Procedures for Sensible Heat Transfer, Combined Heat and
Mass Transfer, Application of Heat Exchangers in Systems, Boilers for Water, Heat Pipe Applications.
MODULE 5

Performance Analysis of Power Plant Systems

Thermodynamic Cycles for Power Generation, Steam-Turbine Internal Efficiency and Expansion
Lines, Turbine-Cycle Heat Balance and Heat and Mass Balance Diagrams, Second Law Analysis of
Steam-Turbine Power Plants, Air-Standard Cycles.
MODULE 6

Refrigeration

Energy Analysis and Exergy Analysis of Vapour Compression Refrigeration Cycle, Practical Cycles, AirStandard Refrigeration Cycles, Absorption-Refrigeration Systems, Advanced Refrigeration Cycles and
Systems, Liquefaction of Gases, Solar Refrigeration, Thermoelectric, Magnetic.
MODULE 7

Heat Pumps

Heat Pumps, Heat Sources and Classification of Heat Pumps, Solar Heat Pumps, Ice Source Heat
Pumps, Energy Analysis and Exergy Analysis of Heat Pump Cycles, Absorption Heat Pumps and Other
Systems.
MODULE 8

Mass Transfer, Chemical Kinetics, Fuel Cells (time permitting)

Introduction to Mass Transfer, Ficks Law of Diffusion, Diffusion in Gases, Liquids and Solids, Mass
Transfer Coefficient, Thermodynamic and Chemical Reactions, Fuel Cell Efficiency (Thermodynamic,
Electrochemical, Practical, Faradaic).

Marking Scheme
Test 1
Test 2
Final Exam

20%
20%
60%

Friday, February 6, 2015 (Tentative)

Friday, March 20, 2015 (Tentative)

Tests 1 and 2 (20% each)

Two tests will take place during the term. This will serve to provide feedback and examination
practice to students prior to the Final Exam. Additional details to be announced later.
Final Exam (60%)
The final exam covers everything. The exam will cover all material presented in class, including
lecture notes and practice problems. The final examination is for evaluation purposes only and
answer booklets will not be returned to the students. You must pass the final exam to pass the
course. Additional details to be announced later.
Lecture Notes
All PPT lecture material will be available on the cuLearn Course Page as PDF files. Lecture notes that
are written on the board or exercises handed out in class will not be available on cuLearn.
Problem Sets
The study problem sets are designed to help you learn the course material. The problem sets are
not marked, however, it is to your benefit to work through the problems in order to gain an
understanding of the course content.
Missing Exams
If you miss a test, you must notify the professor within 24 hours after the date of the examination.
The percentage of marks allocated to the test can be moved to the final exam under two conditions
only: illness or bereavement (documentation is required). If no documentation is provided, you will
receive a grade of zero for the test.
If you miss the Final Exam, you must contact the appropriate office at the Registrar within the time
period specified in the current Undergraduate Calendar. You will need to fully document your
application.

Plagiarism and Cheating

It is an instructional offence to use or pass off as ones own idea or product which is the work of
another without expressly giving credit to that other. It is also an instructional offence to copy the
work of a fellow student. If students do plagiarize or cheat, the Deans office will be notified and
appropriate action will be taken.
Academic Accommodations (Paul Menton Centre)
Location: Room 500, University Centre, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Tel: 520 6608
The Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) provides services to students with
Learning Disabilities (LD), psychiatric/mental health disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), chronic medical conditions, and impairments in
mobility, hearing, and vision. If you have a disability requiring academic accommodations in this
course, please contact PMC at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation. If you
are already registered with the PMC, contact your PMC coordinator to send me your Letter of
Accommodation at the beginning of the term, and no later than two weeks before the first in-class
scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation. After requesting accommodation from PMC,
meet with me to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. Please consult the PMC website
for the deadline to request accommodations for the formally-scheduled exam (if applicable).
For Religious Observance
Students requesting academic accommodation on the basis of religious observance should make a
formal, written request to their instructor for alternate dates and/or means of satisfying academic
requirements. Such requests should be made during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as
possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist, but no later than two weeks before
the compulsory academic event. Accommodation is to be worked out directly and on an individual
basis between the student and the instructor involved. Instructors will make accommodations in a
way that avoids academic disadvantage to the student.
Students or instructors who have questions or want to confirm accommodation eligibility of a
religious event or practice may refer to the Equity Services website for a list of holy days and
Carletons Academic Accommodation policies, or may contact Equity Services Advisor in the Equity
Services Department for assistance.
For Pregnancy
Pregnant students requiring academic accommodations are encouraged to contact an Equity
Advisor in Equity Services to complete a letter of accommodation. The student must then make an
appointment to discuss her needs with the instructor at least two weeks prior to the first academic
event in which it is anticipated the accommodation will be required.
For more details, visit the PMC website: http://www.carleton.ca/pmc/