Renewable Energies

Code:

EQ0056

Acronym:

ENR

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Chemical Engineering

Instance: 2009/2010 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Chemical Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Chemical Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIEQ	22	Syllabus	5	-	5,5	-

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

This course aims to acquaint students with the selection, acquisition, operation and development of technologies in the area of renewable energies.
This course also aims to acquaint students with scientific knowledge on:
1) Photovoltaic energy
2) Solar energy concentrators
3) Solar arrays
4) Biomass
5) Analysis of technologies related with wind and water power, geothermal energy, waves and tide energy
6) Fuel cells
7) Hydrogen production
8) Methanol production

Program

A- Fundamentals
1. Faraday’s laws
2. Electrolytic conduction
Resistivity and conductivity
Molar conductivity and its variation with concentration
Electrolyte ionization
Limiting molar conductivity
Transport numbers
Ion hydration

3. Electrode potentials
Batteries and semi batteries
Potential variation depending on the activity
Electro-motive force
Standard hydrogen electrode
Reference electrodes
Thermodynamic aspects
Concentration cells
Standard potentials and equilibrium constants

4. Application of electromotive forces
Solubility product
pH
Ion selective electrodes
Transport numbers

5. Kinetics of charge transference
Polarization
Overvoltage
Electrical double-layer
Kinetics of equilibrium electrodes
Activation overvoltage concentration
Measurement of potentials

6. Electrochemical techniques
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
Photoelectrochemical

B- Technologies
Introduction
Energy in Portugal and in the world
Prospects and challenges
Solar energy concentrators
Photovoltaic cells
Solar arrays
Biomass
Water energy*
Dams
Waves and tide energy
Wind energy*
Geothermal energy*
Technologies of renewable energies production
Hydrogen and solar chemical production
Fuel cells
Steam
Methanol synthesis
Study trips

*Themes that will only be briefly referred

Mandatory literature

Godfrey Boyle; Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future, Oxford Press, 2004
Denaro, A. R.; Elementary Electrochemistry. ISBN: 0408700718

Complementary Bibliography

Franz Trieb; Concentrating Solar Power for the Mediterranean Region, 2005
J.O’M. Bockris, A.K.N. Reddy; Modern Electrochemistry

Teaching methods and learning activities

Classes will be based on the presentation of the themes of the course and also on discussion and debate. Students have to do presentation and discuss their assignments (groups of 2 or 3 students).

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Description	Type	Time (hours)	Weight (%)	End date
Subject Classes	Participação presencial	72,00
	Total:	-	0,00

Eligibility for exams

Students have to attend to 75% of the classes

Calculation formula of final grade

The Final Mark will be based on the average mark of the components Fundamentals and Technology (30%). Students have to reach a minimum grade of 17,5% in each of the components to complete the course.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Students with a special status and who cannot do their oral presentation, can do a final exam, which will worth 100% of the final exam.

Classification improvement

Final exam