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.
Energy systems
2025/2026
Programme:
Nuclear Engineering, Second Cycle
Year:
1 ali 2 year
Semester:
first
Kind:
optional
ECTS:
5
Language:
slovenian
Course director:
Prof. Dr Mihael Sekavčnik
Hours per week – 1. semester:
Lectures
2
Seminar
0
Tutorial
2
Lab
0
Prerequisites
Content (Syllabus outline)
1. Introduction
- Energetics as socio-economyc subsystem
- Energy conversion systems and wider (global, regional and local) energy grids
- Energy system between energy sources and energy consumers
- Energy flow demand volume in numbers
2. Energy systems and sector coupling
- Interconnection of sectors: energy supply, transport, chemical and process industry
- Optimisation of energy infrastructure
- Cost analysis
- Examples of good practise with calculation of indicators
3. Right thermodynamic cycles in real systems
- Calculation of mass and heat balances in real thermodynamic cycles
- Carnotization of real thermodynamic cycles, mean temperature of heat inupt/output, thermal efficiency
- Thermodynamic optimization
4. Conventional thermal powerplants
- Steam turbine power plant
- Plant diagram, mass and energy balances of system elements (machines and appliances)
- Chemical treatment of system water and degasification
- Environmental issues
5. Organic Rankine Cycles
- Comparison of water and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) as working fluid
- Low-temperature heat sources
- ORC plant diagrams, mass and energy bilances of system elements (machines and appliances)
- Environmental issues
6. Nuclear power plants
- Nuclear reactions, radio-isotopes, radioactive decay – radiation, half-life, critical mass
- Nuclear fuel and production technology of fuel elements
- Basics of operation of thermal nuclear reactors and reactor criticality control
- Shutdown of nuclear reactor and decay heat removal
- Types of nuclear reactors
- Plant diagrams, mass and energy balances of system elements (machines and appliances), comparison with conventional fosil-fuel power plants.
- Basics of nuclear safety
- Nuclear waste and environmenta issues
7. Gas turbine power plants
- Gas turbine cycle, working fluid (air, flue gases, helium etc.)
- Plant diagrams, mass and energy bilances of system elements (machines and appliances) comparison with steam turbine power plants
- Thermodynamic optimisation of gas turbine cycle
- Cooling of thermally loaded parts of gas turbine
- Components of gas turbine
8. Combined gas and steam turbine power plants
- Temperature levels of heat input and output of different thermodynamic cycles
- Gas cycle with heat recovery steal generator (HRSG)
- Gas and steam turbine cycle
- Single- and multi pressure HRSG
- Plant diagrams, mass and energy bilances of system elements (machines and appliances)
- Environmental issues
9. Hydro power plants
- Hydrology of river systems, diagram of flow-rate and calculation of design data for component sizing of energy system
- Flow-, dam and pumped storage hydro power plant
- Hydro power plant in a chain of power plants
- Environmental issues
10. Integration of distributed energy sources into energy system – solar power plants in energy system
- Data acquisition for planning, designing and determing of system layout and component characteristics
- Plant diagram, mass and energy balances of system elements (machines and appliances)
- Environmental issues
11. Integration of distributed energy sources into energy system – wind turbines in energy system
- Data acquisition of meteorological condition and determing of technological solution
- Energy flow diagrams for individual power generators and whole field of windmills
- Peripherical infrastructure
- Environmental issues
- Energy conversion systems for use of oceal energy: internal calorific energy, ocean streams, tidal energy, vave energy
- Energy of biomass
- Nuclear fusion
12. Combined heat and power production (CHP)
- Thermodynamic laws: energy and exergy balance of CHP plant, Heat-to-Power ratio, heating ratio, CHP- and power-plant-efficiency, savings of primary fuel
- Comparison of CHP with separate heat production (SHP)
- Additional infrastructure needed
- Time- and energy related availability and cost efficiency
- CHP technologies: internal combustion engines, gas and combined power plants, steam turbine plants, micro turbine plants, fuel cell systems
13. Hydrogen technologies
- Technologies of hydrogen production: electrolysis, steam reforming of CxHy, thermolysis, chemical processes by-products
- Hydrogen storage and transport
- Use of hydrogen in fuel cells
14. Energy storage systems
- Technologies for ‘storage’ of mechanical (electrical) work: fly-wheels, hydro pumped power plants, compressed air energy storage, electrochemical energy storage
15. Virtual power plants and smart grids
- Energy flow balancing
- Energy flow trading
- Demand side management
- Prosumers
Readings
[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
Objectives and competences
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.
Intended learning outcomes
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.
Learning and teaching methods
Lectures, exercises, seminars, homework, consultations
Assessment
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.
5 - 10, a student passes the exam if he is graded from 6 to 10
Lecturer's references
Mihael Sekavčnik
[1] LOTRIČ, Andrej, SEKAVČNIK, Mihael, POHAR, Andrej, LIKOZAR, Blaž, HOČEVAR, Stanko. Conceptual design of an integrated thermally self-sustained methanol steam reformer : high-temperature PEM fuel cell stack manportable power generator. International journal of hydrogen energy. [Print ed.]. Jun. 2017, vol. 42, iss. 26, str. 16700-16713, ilustr. ISSN 0360-3199. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360319917319225, Repozitorij Univerze v Ljubljani – RUL. [COBISS-SI-ID 15546139]
[2] 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. 2018, vol. 165, part b, str. 824-835, ilustr. ISSN 0360-5442. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544218319790?via%3Dihub, Repozitorij Univerze v Ljubljani – RUL, DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2018.09.201. [COBISS-SI-ID 16276763]
[3] STROPNIK, Rok, MLAKAR, Nejc, LOTRIČ, Andrej, SEKAVČNIK, Mihael, MORI, Mitja. The influence of degradation effects in proton exchange membrane fuel cells on life cycle assessment modelling and environmental impact indicators. International journal of hydrogen energy. [Print ed.]. 2022, vol. 47, iss. 57, str. 24223-24241, ilustr. ISSN 0360-3199. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360319922014768, Repozitorij Univerze v Ljubljani – RUL, DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.04.011. [COBISS-SI-ID 105811203]
[4] MORI, Mitja, GUTIÉRREZ, Manuel, SEKAVČNIK, Mihael, DROBNIČ, Boštjan. Modelling and environmental assessment of a stand-alone micro-grid system in a mountain hut using renewables. Energies. 2022, vol. 15, iss. 1, str. 1-21, ilustr. ISSN 1996-1073. https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/1/202, Repozitorij Univerze v Ljubljani – RUL, DOI: 10.3390/en15010202. [COBISS-SI-ID 91685379]
Mitja Mori
[1] 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. 2018, vol. 165, part b, str. 824-835, ilustr. ISSN 0360-5442. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544218319790?via%3Dihub, Repozitorij Univerze v Ljubljani – RUL, DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2018.09.201. [COBISS-SI-ID 16276763]
[2] STROPNIK, Rok, MLAKAR, Nejc, LOTRIČ, Andrej, SEKAVČNIK, Mihael, MORI, Mitja. The influence of degradation effects in proton exchange membrane fuel cells on life cycle assessment modelling and environmental impact indicators. International journal of hydrogen energy. [Print ed.]. 2022, vol. 47, iss. 57, str. 24223-24241, ilustr. ISSN 0360-3199. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360319922014768, Repozitorij Univerze v Ljubljani – RUL, DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.04.011. [COBISS-SI-ID 105811203]
[3] MORI, Mitja, GUTIÉRREZ, Manuel, SEKAVČNIK, Mihael, DROBNIČ, Boštjan. Modelling and environmental assessment of a stand-alone micro-grid system in a mountain hut using renewables. Energies. 2022, vol. 15, iss. 1, str. 1-21, ilustr. ISSN 1996-1073. https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/1/202, Repozitorij Univerze v Ljubljani – RUL, DOI: 10.3390/en15010202. [COBISS-SI-ID 91685379]
