Heat-mechanical energy conversion - Principles and industrial applications

In this book, the author addresses the theoretical and practical aspects of the issue of transformation of heat into mechanical energy, and reports the assessment of conversion efficiencies which can be obtained by using current technologies, and discusses reasons of their limitations. Thus, a first chapter proposes an overview of fundamental notions: thermodynamics principles, thermodynamic transformations and cycles, the main equations of fluid movement, operation of axial machines. The second chapter addresses heat sources (combustion, solar heat and other sources) and the third one addresses heat exchangers (heat transfer, calculation, arrangement of heat exchanger networks). The next chapters address the specific cases of combustion turbines (general operation, gas turbine energy efficiency, technological aspects), of steam turbines (general operation, energy efficiency, technological aspects, organic fluid-based turbines), of combustion engines (internal combustion engine, Stirling engines), and systems and combined cycles (general principle, gas-gas combined cycle, gas-steam combined cycle, engine/turbine combined cycles, solar/gas combined cycles)