The development of Thermax123: An educational Excel-based modelling platform for thermo-fluid analyses

An educational Excel-based modelling platform for thermo-fluid analyses

Abstract

This article describes the development of an educational Excel-based modelling platform for computer-aided analyses and optimisation of thermal-fluid systems and highlights its capabilities for fundamental, design-based and research-oriented analyses. The article initially focuses on the capabilities of the two main components of the platform, which are Excel and the Solver add-in, and gives examples of fundamental and design-oriented analyses from fluid-dynamics and heat-transfer. It then shows how VBA could be used to develop a general multi-fluid Excel add-in that extends the platform capabilities to cover thermodynamic analyses. The article also describes a technique for multi-objective optimisation (MOO) analyses of thermal-fluid systems by using the TOPSIS decision-making method and Solver. The technique enables the Excel-based platform to conduct MOO analyses without limiting the number of design variables. Finally, the article highlights the capabilities of the Excel-based platform for research applications by giving an example of a combined ORC-TFC cycle for utilising the low-temperature heat sources such as solar energy, geothermal energy, and industrial waste.