The execution of study obligations is defined in the Rules on testing and grading the knowledge of students at UL FS.
At least 80 % presence at organised execution of exercises is required.

Introduction: overview of course content, the purpose of this course and the method of work
Energy plants: the purpose and mode of operation, availability, economy, plants in Slovenia, EU and wider
Classical thermal power plants: characteristics, thermodynamic foundations, main components, environmental questions
Nuclear power plants: characteristics, operation of nuclear reactors, thermal nuclear reactors, breeder nuclear reactors, comparison to a classical power plant, environmental questions
Gas-fired power plants: characteristics, thermodynamic foundations, main components, environmental questions
Combined cycles: gas and steam cycle, steam and gas cycle, single pressure and multiple pressure heat recovery steam generators, plant components, environmental questions
Combined heat and power: characteristics, thermodynamical foundations, cogeneration power plants with steam plants, cogeneration power plants with gas plants, cogeneration power plants with internal combustion engines, cogeneration power plants with Stirling engines, distribution of costs, industrial heating plants, utilizing waste heat, ORC systems
Hydropower plants: characteristics, hydrodynamic foundations, types of hydropower plants, comparison to thermal power plants, environmental questions
Nonconventional power sources: characteristics, solar radiation, energy from biomass, wind power, sea wave power, geothermal energy, territorial and time availability
Energy transmission, storage and consumption: characteristics of energy transmission, energy storage, energy consumption
Future energy supply: characteristics, planning energy supply, rational use of existing energy sources, magnetohydrodynamic generators, using hydrogen as fuel, fuel cells, new energy sources.

[1] Tuma M., Sekavčnik M.: Energetski sistemi, preskrba z električno energijo in toploto, 3. izpopolnjena in predelana izdaja, Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za strojništvo, 2004 - v celoti
[2] Kehlhofer R., Hannemann F. Stirnmann F., Rukes B.: Combined-Cycle Gas & Steam Turbine Power Plants,3. izd. Penn Well, 2008 – v celoti
[3] Kiemeh P.: Power Generation Handbook – Selection, Application, Operation, Maintenance, McGraw Hill, 2002 v celoti
[4] Hore-Lacy I.: Nuclear Energy in the 21st Century, World Nuclear University press, 2006
[5] Leon A (ed.): Hydrogen Technology, Springer, 2008

The students will:
• understand the role of energy systems in the supply of electric power and heat from different primary sources;
• learn to determine the effects of different technologies with respect to the availability, economy and environmental sustainability;
• learn to use the fundamental knowledge about power cycles in the design and optimisation of thermal power plants, used for the generation of electricity and heat, as well as in industrial energy systems and wider;
• understand the role of the individual machines and devices in combined heat and power plants;
• know the main characteristics and challenges in the field of development of new technologies for power and heat supply;
• learn to critically evaluate the different paradigms of energy supply with respect to the sustainable development of the society.

Knowledge and understanding:
Upon the successful completion of study obligations, the students will be able to:
• calculate energy and mass balances for different energy plants
• distinguish the roles of different energy plants for a sustainable and reliable electric power and heat supply
• evaluate the economy of different technologies for electricity and heat generation
• evaluate the energy efficiency of energy conversions and critically assess the critical issues with respect to energy and exergy losses, as well as to the environmental impacts
use modern computer software to model energy systems and simulate different operating modes.
Application:
Upon the successful completion of study obligations, the students will be able to:
• calculate energy and mass balances for different energy plants
• distinguish the roles of different energy plants for a sustainable and reliable electric power and heat supply
• evaluate the economy of different technologies for electricity and heat generation
• evaluate the energy efficiency of energy conversions and critically assess the critical issues with respect to energy and exergy losses, as well as to the environmental impacts
use modern computer software to model energy systems and simulate different operating modes.
Reflection:
The knowledge attained is based on creative integration of fundamental theoretical and practical subject matter, and is oriented into solving characteristic problems which are often encountered in the technical practice, enabling the student a critical evaluation of various concepts and practical applications in energy engineering with respect to energy efficiency, availability, economy and environmental sustainability.
Transferable skills:
Using a wide spectrum of previous theoretical knowledge and comparison to the measured values in real-life applications. Independent execution of laboratory exercises, data processing, preparing the reports and presentation of results.

Lectures, exercises, seminars, homework, consultations

The exam is written and/or
oral
The evaluation methods and the grading scale are defined in Point 4.8 of the application for approval of Level 2 masters’ study programme MECHANICAL ENGINEERING.

prof. dr. Mihael Sekavčnik

[1] TUMA, Matija, SEKAVČNIK, Mihael. Stromerzeugung mit Erdgas-Entspannungsmaschinen. Brennst.-Wärme-Kraft. [Print ed.], 1996
[2] TUMA, Matija, OMAN, Janez, SEKAVČNIK, Mihael. Efficiency of a combined gas-steam process. Energy convers. manage.. [Print ed.], 1999, vol. 40, no. 11, str. 1163-1175 [COBISS-SI-ID 3088923]
[3] TUMA, Matija, OMAN, Janez, SEKAVČNIK, Mihael. Kostenverhältnis der gekoppelten Strom- und Nutzwärmeerzeugung. Forsch. Ing.wes., 2002, letn. 67, str. 133-138 [COBISS-SI-ID 5340187]
[4] SEKAVČNIK, Mihael, MORI, Mitja, NOVAK, Lovrenc, SMREKAR, Jure, TUMA, Matija. Heat transfer evaluation method in complex rotating environments employing IR thermography and CFD. Exp. heat transf., 2008, letn. 21, št. 2, str. 155-168. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08916150701815770.

doc. dr. Mitja Mori

MORI, Mitja, DROBNIČ, Boštjan, JURJEVČIČ, Boštjan, NOVAK, Lovrenc. Numerical modeling of heat transfer and flow phenomena in an axial rotating rotor cascade. Numerical heat transfer. Part A, Applications, ISSN 1040-7782. [Print ed.], 2015, vol. 67, iss. 10, str. 1053-1074, ilustr., doi: 10.1080/10407782.2014.955355.

LACKO, Rok, DROBNIČ, Boštjan, SEKAVČNIK, Mihael, MORI, Mitja. Hydrogen energy system with renewables for isolated households : The optimal system design, numerical analysis and experimental evaluation. Energy and buildings, ISSN 0378-7788. [Print ed.], Sep. 2014, vol. 80, str. 106-113, ilustr., doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2014.04.009

MORI, Mitja, JENSTERLE, Miha, MRŽLJAK, Tilen, DROBNIČ, Boštjan. Life-cycle assessment of a hydrogen-based uninterruptible power supply system using renewable energy. The international journal of life cycle assessment, ISSN 0948-3349, Nov. 2014, vol. 19, iss. 11, str. 1810-1822, ilustr., doi: 10.1007/s11367-014-0790-6.

STROPNIK, Rok, SEKAVČNIK, Mihael, FERRIZ, Ana María, MORI, Mitja. Reducing environmental impacts of the ups system based on PEM fuel cell with circular economy. Energy, ISSN 0360-5442. [Print ed.], 2018, vol. 165, part B, str. 824-835, ilustr. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544218319790?via%3Dihub, doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2018.09.201.

LACKO, Rok, DROBNIČ, Boštjan, MORI, Mitja, SEKAVČNIK, Mihael, VIDMAR, Marjan. Stand-alone renewable combined heat and power system with hydrogen technologies for household application. Energy, ISSN 0360-5442. [Print ed.], Dec. 2014, vol. 77, str. 164-170, ilustr., doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2014.05.110