This section is devoted to guided explorations of simple cycle models made with the Thermoptim simulator.

We will start by presenting the functionalities of the Thermoptim browser, then those of this simulator, which will allow you to follow educational scenarios putting into practice the knowledge exposed in the preceding sections.

Allow about forty five minutes of work per model.

Each scenario has three main parts:

1) Discovery of the model, initial setting, link with what was seen previously

2) Plot in the (h, ln (P)) chart

3) Changes in the model settings

A browser capable of emulating Thermoptim allows you to carry out guided explorations of models of energy systems whose scenario is described in html files (Figure below).

The scenario is presented in the browser which successively displays the different explanations and activities to be performed, emulating Thermoptim whenever necessary.

The browser thus offers you to find values in the simulator screens, to change the settings, to perform sensitivity analyzes, to display cycles in thermodynamic charts...

This browser is written in Java and uses recent libraries. To download it, follow the instructions given in this page.

If you are unable to install them on your machine, the browsing files can be read by a standard Internet browser such as Internet Explorer, Firefox or Google Chrome, but Thermoptim cannot be emulated automatically.

In this case, instead of simply clicking on the emulation button, you only need to follow the detailed instructions provided in the area below this button to be able to load in Thermoptim the files you need.

You can therefore perform the exercises even if the Thermoptim browser is not running on your computer.

You will not have to build by yourself the models of the cycles that you will study, so that you will not waste time on handling errors that are not of educational interest.

The risk of errors is greatly reduced, and if they do occur, simply reset the browser to reload the files you need.

The icon at the top left of the Welcome screen (figure below) gives you access to the different explorations available.

The reference given corresponds to MOOCs which unfortunately are only available in French. They have been kept for consistency reasons.

Various activities can be offered depending on the case. They appear presented in a certain order, but can be studied in the order you choose.

In an activity, you have several choices of answers.

The browser can also ask you to enter a value, for example read in a simulator screen, and it reacts to the entered value, depending on whether or not it is within the defined precision range.

Follow the instructions provided to download the browser and install it on your computer.

There are some basic concepts that you should know before using Thermoptim. To discover them, we offer the following two activities :

• a Diapason session

• a guided exploration

We recommend that you follow both of them, even if they deal with the same subject and therefore involve repetitions.

Diapason session

Guided exploration (S-M4-V1)

Important note: to make this page easier for you to read, we have inserted here this guided exploration, but you should use the one contained in the Thermoptim browser installed on your computer, because it is it that is coupled with Thermoptim and all the corresponding working files.

The objective of this explorations is to guide you in your first steps of using Thermoptim, by making you discover the main screens and functionalities associated with the cycle models you have studied so far.

You will discover how the screens of points and processes can be set and calculated, the concepts of useful and purchased energies making it possible to draw up global energy balances.

You will visualize the cycles in the (h, ln (P)) thermodynamic chart and you will carry out studies of sensitivity of the cycle vis-à-vis some parameters.

Important note: to make this page easier for you to read, we have inserted here these guided explorations, but you should use the ones contained in the Thermoptim browser installed on your computer, because it is them that are coupled with Thermoptim and all the corresponding working files.

Simple steam plant (exploration S-M3-V7)

Gas turbine (exploration S-M3-V8)

Refrigeration machine (exploration S-M3-V9)