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 » MIT OpenCourseWare » Chemical Engineering » Sustainable Energy, Spring 2003

Calendar

L = Lecture
T = Toolbox Lecture
R = Recitation
SESSION # TOPICS KEY DATES

Part I: Energy in Context
L-1 Introductions. Subject Overview and Administration
Historical context (the "post steam engine" evolving growth of the developed countries, superimposed on the growing energy needs of less-developed countries)
Energy sources for a more sustainable future
Sustainable Energy text, ß--test version		 Distribution of Student Information Systems Forms
L-2 Overview of Energy Use and Related Issues
Population growth, urbanization, developing countries…
Major energy options; Issues of supply and demand
Overview of units and dimensions for global energy flows (quads, MMboe, MW, …), energy conversions (chemical to electric, etc.), and economic considerations
T-1

Energy Resource Assessment

  • Major energy options (solar, geologic, ocean)
  • Resource base - uncertainties, grade/quality issues, resources vs. reserve estimates, economic evaluation frameworks
  • Resource extraction (mining, drilling, farming, harvesting)
  • Energy transmission and distribution (pipelines, tankers, rail, power lines)
L-3 Sustainability, Energy, and Clean Technologies in Context
Issues; Frameworks for evaluation; Sustainability attributes; Time and space scales; Tradeoffs and choices; Uncertainty		 Distribution of Recitation Topic Selection Forms
L-4

Global Change Issues and Responses

  • Greenhouse gas emissions and potential effects
  • Modeling of atmospheric, ocean and terrestrial effects
  • Effects on ecology and bio-diversity (local-regional-global)
  • Responses to CO2 buildup - mitigation
 #1 What is sustainability?
R-1 Discussion of Sustainability Issues
Examples of technical scoping and feasibility analysis		 Return Recitation Selection and SIS forms

Distribution of Term Paper Suggested Topics and Forms, and Timetables and Criteria for Term Paper Evaluation
L-5

Overview of Energy Supply Portfolio

  • Solar-based energy
    - solar thermal
    - PV
    - wind
    - biomass, etc.
  • Earth-based
    - fossil energy
    - nuclear energy
    - hydro
    - geothermal energy, and others
  • Ocean-based and others

Part II: Specific Energy Technologies
L-6 Overview of Energy Supply Availability, Quality and Reliability, and the Role of Energy Storage
L-7 Overview of Renewable Energy Technologies
L-8 Solar Thermal Energy
Resource grade and distributions; Technical, environmental and other attributes; Performance issues (intermittent supply and storage needs); Economic projections
T-2

Energy Supply, Demand, and Storage Planning Methods

  • Matching energy density of supply and demand
  • Temporal and geographical distributions
  • Role of energy storage; intermittency and interactions with pricing of power during peak demand periods and when excess power is available
 #2 Energy resources and depletion
L-9 International Efforts to Abate Global Warming Term paper topic selection forms due
L-10

Solar Photovoltaics

  • Conversion devices
  • PV systems
  • Environmental, performance and economic attributes
 Term paper topic selection forms returned with comments
L-11 Wind Power
Reliability and potential; Environmental and societal effects; Life cycle aspects; Economic projections
R-2 Problem Session: Resource Evaluation, Depletion Analyses Recitation "charges" and assignments distributed
T-3

Economic Feasibility Assessment Methods

  • Engineering, capital and investment costs
  • Fuel costs
  • Life-cycle costs
  • Environmental externalities (emissions, waste impacts)
  • Uncertainties
 #3 Energy economics
T-4

Energy Transfer and Conversion Methods

  • Physical properties (density, heat capacity, latent effects)
  • Chemical reactions and kinetics - fossil and biomass fuels time scales
  • Transport phenomena and rates
  • Energy storage modes
  • Electrochemical conversions (batteries, fuel cells, etc.)
 #4 Demand, supply and storage concepts
R-3 Problem Session: Demand, Supply and Storage Concepts
L-12 Fusion Energy Technologies
R-4 Problem Session: Energy Economics and Economic Assessments
L-13 Biomass Energy
Resource types and requirements; Technical, environmental and other characteristics; Land use (ecological stress, competition with food and water use, topsoil erosion, occupational hazards); Life cycle energy intensity; Utilization options; Economic projections
T-5

Thermodynamics and Efficiency Analysis Methods

  • First and second laws
  • Availability
  • Power cycles and heat pumps
  • Topping and bottoming cycles
 #5 Energy transfer and conversion
L-14 Geothermal Energy
Resource types and Magnitudes; Technical, environmental, societal and economic issues; Drilling technologies; Subsurface reservoir systems; Heat and power conversion technologies; Future opportunities
R-5 Problem Session: Energy Transfer and Conversion
T-6

Systems Analysis Methodologies

  • Scoping estimation (back-of-envelope); Simulation models; Economic models (micro and macro); Life cycle analysis; Systems dynamics models; Decision models (optimization, multi-attribute tradeoff analysis, etc.)
  • Selecting system boundaries
  • Decision-making under uncertainty

#6 Energy efficiency and power cycles

Further discussion on term paper and case study requirements
L-15

Hydropower

  • Technical issues (hydraulic head, turbines, etc.)
  • Reliability and growth potential
  • Water management (inundation, leaching, fish impacts, irrigation, waste management, etc.)
  • Life cycle aspects and economics
R-6 Problem Session: Energy Efficiency and Power Cycles One-page outline of term paper presentation
L-16 Fossil Energy - I
Type and characteristics; Resource base; Technologies and associated economics and impacts		 Schedule time with advisor for discussion of term paper topic
L-17 Fossil Energy - II
Fuel conversion; Power cycles; Combined cycles; Synthetic fuels		 #7 Energy system analysis
R-7 Problem Session: Energy System Analysis
L-18 Fossil Energy - III
Petroleum production and supply
R-8 Case Study Student Team #1 - How to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Technically
L-19 Nuclear Energy - I
Present technologies		 #8 Renewable energy systems
L-20 Nuclear Energy - II
Future technologies and the fuel cycle		 Advisor discussions on term paper complete
R-9 Case Study Student Team #2 - How to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: US Policy #9 Fossil energy systems
R-10 Case Study Student Team #3 - How to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Industrialized County Policy

Part III: Energy Option Assessment and Tradeoff Analysis
L-21

Demand Side Management - Energy Efficiency Opportunities

  • Cogeneration Combined heat and Power; Hybrid technology
  • Energy cascading (buildings, industrial processes)
  • Recycling (embedded energy in materials)
L-22 Energy Issues in Developing Countries
Role of biomass and interactions with agriculture and other land use; Resource and infrastructure development, economic constraints, setting priorities
L-23

Electric Sector Planning and Future Options

  • Bulk vs. distributed power options
  • Multi-attributed planning
  • Infrastructure issues
 #10 Nuclear systems
R-11 Case Study Student Team #4 - How to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Developing Country Policy
L-24

Future Road Transportation Options

  • Life cycle of road vehicles (environmental and economic)
  • New fuel and propulsion options (ICEs, diesels, fuel cells, hybrids, EVs)
  • Role of consumer preferences and industrial objectives
  • Local and global impacts
 Term papers due
R-12 Case Study Student Team #5 - How/Whether to Obtain Large Market Share for Renewable Energy Technologies: What Mix to Favor, Technically
R-13 Case Study Student Team #6 - How/Whether to Obtain Large Market Share for Renewable Energy Technologies: Developed Country Policies to Facilitate Introduction
L-26 Eco-Buildings
US and developing countries; Indoor air quality; Smart buildings; Infrastructure integration
L-27 Sustainable Development Issues and Decision-Making Techniques
R-14 Case Study Student Team #7 - How/Whether to Obtain Large Market Share for Renewable Energy Technologies: Developing Country Policies to Facilitate Introduction
R-15 Case Study Student Team #8 - How to Reduce Residential Energy Consumption: Technically
R-16 Case Study Student Team #9 - How to Reduce Residential Energy Consumption: Policy for United States
R-17 Case Study Student Team #10 - Using Renewable Energy Technologies to Meet MIT's Energy Needs
L-28

Longer Term Options

  • Electrification (hybrid cars, smart highways, controls, etc.)
  • Hydrogen economy (fuel cells, H2 supply)
  • Carbon sequestration
  • Fusion, hot dry rock, orbiting solar, etc.
Wrap-up Course Evaluation and Wrap-Up


Final Exam Week - Scheduled individual oral presentations (30 min) on individual term paper topics.

L = Lecture
T = Toolbox Lecture
R = Recitation

 
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