The course aims to equip students with the necessary knowledge to understand the role of the various sources of energy, their potential to produce useful energy and their participation in the energy balances. The knowledge of fuels mainattributes and the specific study of the most widely used fuels in relation to their properties, safety supply and use, and perspectives with developing technologies. Knowledge of all energy sources with emphasis on their reserves or potential, on their availability and renewability, onthe conversions required until their final use as needed for their inter-comparison and assessment, on their analysis and elaboration of energy balances at various levels, from that of a simple process to that of larger geographical unit (e.g.world energy balance, national energy balances etc.). 

Course Description 

Energyresources, categorization (conventional-renewables, primary-secondaryetc.), energyconversions – efficiency of conversions, comparisons based on useful energy production potential. Fuels - properties (calorific value, ignition temperature etc.). Combustion reactions – main elements (flame temperature, excess air, exit gases dew point etc.). Solidfuels.Coal: Constituents, properties, reserves, Ranksofcoal (peat, lignite, bituminous coals, anthracite), applications - problems. Other solid fuels: wood, tar sands, bituminous shale oil, coke, charcoal, briquettes, municipal solid waste, alternative fuels). Liquidfuels: Characterization of petroleum, properties, composition, reserves, prospects. Oil distillation.Processes in simple refineries (separations, sweetening, reforming desulphurization) and complex refineries (thermal/ catalytic hydro-cracking, de-waxing).Oilproducts (liquefied petroleum gases, petrol, kerosene, light oil, fuel oil) properties (vapor pressure, octane number, cetane number etc.) applications. Gaseousfuels. Naturalgas.(world reserves – prospects, composition, properties, main characteristics of natural gas equipment, regulations, technical and safety aspects. Gaseous fuels from coal: Town gas, synthesis gas, water gas, blast furnace gas. Gaseous fuels from petroleum. Other gaseous fuels: Biogas. Hydrogen (production, uses, energy evaluation) – Fuel cells.Comparison and interchangeability between gaseous fuels. Nuclear energy. Nuclear fusion and fission reactions. Availablenuclearfuels. Nuclear fuel cycle. World reserves, prospects. Renewableenergysources. Origin, potential, conditions for their exploitation, availability, load factor. Advantages, disadvantages. Present uses and prospects.

Energy balances in processes. Steady and dynamic conditions. Presentation and analysis of Nationaland World energybalances. 

Expected Course Outcome

Upon successful completion of this course the student will be able to: 

• To evaluate the use of the various energy sources for an application, according to the specific characteristics of the source, and to justify the relevant advantages and disadvantages of its use or substitution.
• To perform energy calculations on the calorific value of the fuels, the combustion elements, the energy consumption, the energy conversions.
• To understand and prepare simplified energy balances. 

 

Bibliography

Greek:

1. Γελεγένης Ι., Αξαόπουλος Π., Πηγές Ενέργειας – Συμβατικές και Ανανεώσιμες, Σύγχρονη Εκδοτική, 2006
2. Μπαλαράς Κ., Αργυρίου Α., Καραγιάννης Φ., Συμβατικές και Ήπιες Μορφές Ενέργειας, ΤΕΚΔΟΤΙΚΗ, 2006
3. Κυριακόπουλος Γ. Τεχνολογία Καυσίμων - Η καύσις Θεωρία & Εφαρμογή, έκδοση Ε.Μ.Πολυτεχνείου, 1978

English:

1. Shepherd W., Shepherd D., Energy Studies, 2nd ed. Imperial College Press, 2004
2. Smith H ENERGY Sources / Applications / Alternatives, The Goodheart-Willcox Company Inc, 1993
3. McMullan J., R. Morgan & R. Murray Energy Resources and Supply, John Wiley & Sons, 1976
4. Twidell J & T Weir Renewable Energy Resources, E & FN Spon, 1986
5. Boyle Godfrey (editor) Renewable Energy - Power for a Sustainable Future, Oxford in association with The Open University, 1996
6. Simon Ch., Alternative Energy – Political, Economic and Social Feasibility, Rowman&Litlefield Publishers Inc., 2007