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This course explores various emerging technologies related to the needs for energy, including the supply of renewable energy. This includes topics such as combined heat and power systems, biomass and thermo-chemical processing, wind, geothermal and solar energy processes. This course will also discuss the applications of catalysis in the production of energy carriers, starting at a basic level, and includes sections on adsorption and surface science, catalytic kinetics, evaluation on the modern catalytic processes in oil/gas refinery and studying key characteristics of emerging nanomaterials that enable them to become an effective catalyst in energy applications.
After completing this course, the students will understand the present issues and opportunities in energy and energy related sectors. Students are expected to be able to: Understand the energy demand and composition.Understand the environmental concerns and future energy supply issues due to heavily use of fossil fuels.Understand the renewable energy resources and related technologies and systems.Analyze energy systems using exergy concept. Understand importance and applications of catalysis in energy conversion and development of new technologies. Eventually the students can make choices on energy resources and technologies in the future for increasing energy efficiency and promotion of renewable energy use.TOPICSOverview of world energy outlook, and New Zealand energy demands and renewable energy resources (MW): - Issues to consider: needs, scope, time scale, global warming, the irrelevance of peak oil - Current energy supplies, NZ and global - Electricity supply and demand. The value of reducing peak power demand, the value of reducing total energy demand.Demand related matters (MW) - Needs of transport, heating, light, machinery, industrial, commercial; Cars, freight, air; Domestic heating, commercial heating, industrial heating; Domestic lighting, other lighting; Embodied energy in goods and servicesEnergy storage (MW) - Time scales and capacity - Batteries, thermal, hydro, capacitors, compressed air, flywheels, fuelsCase study (MW)Renewable energy supply and technologies (SSP) - Wind - Solar - Geothermal - Introduction to biomass conversion technologies.Applications of exergy analysis for the selection of options (SSP)Introduction to heterogeneous catalysis (SP)How does a catalyst work? (SP)Catalytic reactors, the kinetics and mechanisms of catalytic reactions in energy (SP)Catalysis in the conversion of natural gas (SP) - Conversion of natural gas to syngas - Fischer-Tropsch synthesis - Methanol synthesis and methanol conversion to other products
Subject to approval of the Director of Studies
ENME405, ENME605
LECTURES36 lectures: 12 lectures from each lecturer• SSP Lectures in weeks of 17th July to 11th August.• MW Lectures in weeks of 14th – 25th August, 11th – 22nd September.• SP Lectures in weeks of 25th September – 20th October.
Shusheng Pang
Matt James Watson and Sean Pourazadi
RECOMMENDED READINGDavid JC MacKay, Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air. Available at www.withouthotair.comMark E Davis, Robert J Davis, Fundamentals of Chemical Reaction Engineering, McGraw-Hill, 2003 international ed. (available at library)See Learn for more resources
There are no prerequisites for this subjects
CONCERNSStudents with concerns about the course should contact any of the lecturers listed above, the 2nd Pro Director of Studies, or the Head of Department.
Domestic fee $919.00
International fee $5,000.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Chemical and Process Engineering .