Renewable Energies I

Code:

EQ0102

Acronym:

ENR I

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Technological Sciences

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	21	Syllabus	4	-	7	56	189

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) Hydrogen (production and storage)
2) Fuel cells
3) Photovoltaic energy
4) Solar energy concentrators and solar arrays

Program

Hydrogen (Production and Storage) and Fuel Cells

Introduction- The importance of renewable energies

1- Hydrogen production processes
- Electrolysis
- Reforming
- Thermochemical decomposition of water
- Photoconversion
- Coal gasification
- Production from biomass

2- Storage
- As gas
- As liquid
- Metal hydrides
- Chemical hydrides

3- Distribution
- Pipelines
- Transportation
- Local production

4- Chemical hydrides
- Laboratory session
- H2 production and storage from catalytic hydrolysis of aqueous solution of sodium borohydride; use of gas as fuel to a prototype (bus with a fuel cell)

5- Hydrogen economy: main barriers
6- Introduction to fuel cells
- Basic principles
- Types of fuel cells
- Applications

7- PEM fuel cells
- PEM thermodynamics: open circuit and efficiency
- Kinetics of electrochemical reactions on anode and cathode
- Heat and mass transfer: heat and mass management

8- Direct methanol fuel cells
- Laboratory session
- Polarization curve on a direct methanol fuel cell operating at ambient and temperature pressure. Interpretation of results

9- Direct methanol fuel cells- application of concepts of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, mass transfer, oxidation-reduction, catalysis and separation processes

10- Hydrogen and fuel cells: security and normalization

Solar thermal energy and photovoltaic cells

1. Renewable energies technologies: fundamentals
- Units and constants
- Rates of energy consumption; energy balance of the planet

2. Solar thermal energy
- Introduction: characteristics and solar radiation
- Solar spectrum; direct and diffuse radiation; black body; absorption; emissivity
- Active and passive solar heating
- Solar collectors
- Solar concentrator: nowadays situation, trends and technology challenges

3. Photovoltaic energy
- Photovoltaic systems
- Main properties of semiconductors
- Basic notions of photoelectric chemistry
- Theoretical limitations of energy conversion
- Emerging technology:
- Silicon cells (wafers, a-Si:H, μ-Si)
- cDTe, Cu(InGa) Se2 cells
- Polymers cells
- Grätzel cells
- Structure and materials
- Operation
- Technology development
- Stability and efficiency: commercialization
Applications: off-grid and grid-connected production

4. Hydrogen production using solar energy
- Photoelectrolysis of water
- Photoelectrochemical cells
- Applications and challenges: storage and transportation
- Nowadays technology and its development

5. Economic and environmental analysis of thermal and photovoltaic systems
- Basic rules and legislation
- Integration in architecture
- Photovoltaic energy as a part of “green design”
- Case studies: urban and rural environments

6. Experimental techniques of characterization
- Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
- Charge modulation spectroscopy
- Curves of voltage current characteristic: parameters to calculate cell efficiency
- Applications

Mandatory literature

Stuart R. Wenham, Martin A. Green, Muriel E. Watt, Richard Corkish; Applied Photovoltaics, Earthscan, James & James (Science Publishers) Ltd, 2ª Edição
Jenny Nelson; The Physics of Solar Cells (Series on properties of semiconductor materials)”, Imperial College Press
Barbir, Frano; PEM fuel cells. ISBN: 0-12-078142-5

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 some research work.
It will take place laboratory classes and students have to write reports about them.

keywords

Technological sciences
Physical sciences

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Eligibility for exams

Students have to do the assignments to be admitted to exams.
Students who attended to the course in previous years can other do the assignments or the final exam.

Calculation formula of final grade

FM- 0,40 x CA + 0,60 FE

CA- Continuous Assessment
This component covers four assignments

FE- Final Exam

Students have to reach a minimum grade of 8 out of 20 in the final exam.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

An exam

Classification improvement

An exam