Homemade Spreadsheets Aren't Enough Free software tools can help solve energy efficiency issues

摘要

THE YEAR I started my first job out of college,my employer's process engineering group acquired its first computer.Yes,I know,I'm a dinosaur.About 10 years later I got my first personal desktop computer.Shortly after that,I made a life-changing discovery:the spreadsheet! This miracle of technology gave me a way to store and process previously unimaginable quantities of data.It also provided a tool for capturing calculations so that I could reuse them the next time I had to solve similar problems.At first,that seemed like cheating,but I quickly succumbed to the obvious convenience and time-saving potential.Over the next few years,I developed spreadsheets for several common energy-related calculations,including ideal heat engines,boiler and furnace efficiencies,and heat exchangers.I even wrote a monster(26-MB)pinch analysis worksheet.Don't laugh.It works.