Energy Systems Pedagogy with Thermoptim

The pedagogical method we recommend is based on a few major constants:

  • reduce the cognitive load of learners by limiting unnecessary theoretical developments as much as possible, which vary according to the scientific level of the learners

  • make them operational thanks to the simulator that allows them to study real problems and not caricatures of reality given too simplifying hypotheses

  • shift the content of teaching by reducing the equations and insisting on qualitative explanations of the physical phenomena that take place in the systems studied

  • sequence the sequence of concepts presented based on the RTM(E) model and the functional approach.

The training offer with Thermoptim has thus been completed and diversified and reaches a wide audience, nationally and internationally.

 

Three modes depending on the scientific level of the learners

 

It is well known that thermodynamics is a difficult subject to teach. The problem has been identified for a long time, and many efforts have been made to remedy it, but until recently there was still a lack of solutions, despite the efforts made by teachers and changes in curricula.

First of all, our main pedagogical objective was and still is to make our students able to study innovative energy systems, which involves:

  • sufficient mastery of the theoretical bases

  • in-depth knowledge of technological aspects (existing achievements, main constraints)

  • the ability to design and size innovative thermodynamic cycles.

To our surprise, our approach has proved to interest a much wider audience than that of our students at Les Mines, not only at university level, but also for the training of learners who do not have as much scientific background as our students, such as operators of propulsion systems and refrigeration and air conditioning installations of the French Navy or professionals in continuing education.

The result, after about 2010, was an effort to lighten the scientific content of teaching, with emphasis on understanding physical phenomena rather than studying the equations that describe them and that the latter learners never apply on their own in their professional practice.

In particular, it seemed preferable to us in this context to start the course by avoiding the notion of entropy difficult to understand by learners who do not have advanced knowledge of mathematics and physics. This led us to replace the entropic diagram (T,s) with the enthalpy-pressure (h, ln(P)) diagram.

At the same time, new tools have been developed during the preparation of our two MOOCs Thermodynamic Conversion of Heat, so that learners can work independently, the supervision being necessarily reduced in this context.

These are, on the one hand, self-assessment activities, and on the other hand, the guided explorations of models.

All these developments have led to an evolution of our initial pedagogical approach integrating on the one hand these new tools and on the other hand this concern to lighten as much as possible the scientific prerequisites. We are talking about a lightweight pedagogical presentation.

 

Our pedagogical approach can now be presented in three complementary modes. The corresponding resources are available in the Education section of the Thermoptim-Unit portal.

The first mode, the lightweight presentation, meets the needs of learners with minimal scientific background, and therefore does not involve entropy or exergy. The practical exercises use guided explorations of simple models. This is typically the course offered in our CTC MOOCs (in French) as well as in our Online course 2022 on Energy Systems.

The second mode, which can be described as progressive, is aimed at learners in bachelor's degree or professionals in activity, not particularly motivated by the theoretical aspects while being able to follow them if necessary. It begins with the lightweight presentation that is completed by introducing a cycle improvement approach based on the exergy balances and the comparison with the Carnot cycle in the entropic chart. The practical exercises use guided explorations of models as well as some Diapason sessions.

The third mode is intended for students in master or engineering school familiar with theoretical developments. It differs from the previous ones by three points:

  • First of all, these students are used to a "Cartesian" and disciplinary presentation of their teachings, and nothing prevents us from first introducing them to the whole theory before moving on to applications;

  • Then, as for them the use of entropy poses no problem, we can very quickly introduce entropic diagrams (T, s) and those of Mollier (h, s) as well as exergy balances ;

  • Finally, the use of Thermoptim can be done both in the form of exploration and model building.

The approach to improving cycles based on the exergy balances and the comparison with the Carnot cycle should also constitute in the third mode the guiding principle of analysis of the variants of the simple cycles. The practical exercises use either guided explorations, including those using Thermoptim's advanced features, or Diapason sessions where learners build their own models.