For my doctoral studies, I focused on power cycles that utilize supercritical carbon dioxide as the working fluid. As part of this process, a custom real fluid (variable property) heat engine cycle analysis code was developed using Python. I was mentored by Mark G. Turner at the Gas Turbine Simulation Laboratory of the University of Cincinnati.

Papers

• A Study of Power Cycles Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide as the Working Fluid
  • Doctoral Dissertation, University of Cincinnati, March 2016
  • [Manuscript], [Slide Show]


• Combined Cycle Engine Cascades Achieving High Efficiency
  • Published in the Proceedings of the ASME International Gas Turbine Institute Turbo Expo, June, 2016
  • Co-Authors: Mark G. Turner and Rory Roberts
  • [Manuscript], [Slide Show]


• Mapping the Design Space of a Recuperated, Recompression, Precompression Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Power Cycle with Intercooling, Improved Regeneration, and Reheat
  • Published in the Proceedings of the 4th International Supercritical CO2 Power Cycles Symposium, September, 2014
  • Co-Author: Mark G. Turner
  • [Manuscript], [Slide Show]

• Real Fluid Heat Engine Cycle Analysis Code
  • Developed using NumPy, SciPy, matplotlib, joblib, and REFPROP.


• Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Power Cycle Design Space Explorer
  • This web based tool displays results of a design space exploration with parameters which can be user selected to be either fixed or optimized. The results are presented in the form of a contour plot with selectable horizontal and vertical axes and contour level variables showing the sensitivity of two or three parameters to the cycle efficiency, a line plot with selectable horizontal and vertical axes variables showing the sensitivity of one or two parameters to the cycle efficiency, and a cycle plot with selectable horizontal and vertical axes and contour level variables showing the state variables of the fluid at the inlet, outlet, and within key mechanical components in the cycle.


• Real Fluid Heat Exchanger Solver
  • This web based tool displays the temperature difference and heat capacities in a heat exchanger using a simple heat exchanger model, while still accounting for real fluid properties which vary radically with temperature and pressure. The heat exchanger model used is that which is incorporated into the real fluid heat engine cycle analysis code. Heated side mass fraction, pressure drop, and cooled and heated side inlet conditions are user selectable. This tool aims to visually demonstrate the complex operation of heat exchangers with variable fluid properties.