The application of spreadsheets to the analysis and optimization of systems and processes in the teaching of hydraulic and thermal engineering

This paper shows the capability of current spreadsheets to define, analyse and optimise models of systems and processes. Specifically, the Microsoft spreadsheet, Excel®, is used with its built-in solver, to analyse and to optimise systems and processes of medium complexity whose mathematical models are expressed by means of non-linear systems of equations. Two hydraulic and thermal engineering-based application examples are presented, respectively: the analysis and optimisation of vapour power cycles, and the analysis and design of piping-networks. The mathematical models of these examples have been implemented in Excel® and have been solved with the solver. For the power cycles, the thermodynamic properties of water have been calculated by means of the add-in TPX® (Thermodynamic Properties for Excel). Performance and optimum designs are presented in cases studies according to the optimisation criteria of maximum efficiency for the power cycle and minimum cost for the pipingnetworks.