Course syllabus for Future renewable based power systems

The course syllabus contains changes
See changes

Course syllabus adopted 2023-02-02 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameFramtidens elsystem baserat på förnybart
  • CodeENM097
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPEPO
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyElectrical Engineering
  • DepartmentELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 21119
  • Maximum participants80 (at least 10% of the seats are reserved for exchange students)
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0123 Laboratory 1.5 c
Grading: UG		1.5 c
0223 Examples class 1.5 c
Grading: UG		1.5 c
0323 Project 2.5 c
Grading: TH		2.5 c
0423 Examination 2 c
Grading: TH		2 c
  • 26 Okt 2024 am J
  • 08 Jan 2025 pm J
  • 19 Aug 2025 pm J

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

Course specific prerequisites for MPEPO in the Admission Regulations. Electric circuit theory, including both AC and DC circuits.

 

Aim

The goal of the course is to give the students knowledge about how the power system is designed today and how the power system of the future will need to be, when only using renewable power sources. The understanding of the grid interaction of the renewable power sources and flexible consumers is also an important goal. The course will also give an overview of market operation, with a Nordic perspective. The course aims to provide the students with advanced and state-of-the-art developments in wind and solar power, dwelling both on the theoretical fundaments as well as building a good practical and experimental basis. There will also be a short outlook at other renewable and carbon free power sources such as wave power, fusion and nuclear power.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

1. Explain the driving forces for technical development towards increased electric power production from renewables.
2. Explain the technical characteristics and performance of electric power generation by wind turbines, photovoltaic and hydro power.
3. Explain how the existing power system works.
4. Analyse how renewable power production matches with flexible loads and conclude challenges and opportunities for a future power system.
5. Calculate electric power production from renewable energy sources through modelling and simulations.
6. Calculate flexible electric consumption, for example electric vehicles and factories, through modelling and simulations.
7. Describe what role AI can play in the future power system.
8. Explain how an electricity market works.
9. Reflect on challenges for the future power system based on renewables orally and in a written scientific report in format normally used within Electric Power Engineering
10. Reflect on how sustainability aspects could impact the future power system.
11. Work in teams and collaborate in groups with different compositions.

Content

The main topics of the course are:

Current power system
What does the current power system look like? How is power produced today and what are the loads now?

Future power system
How can the future power system look like? Here the power production will only come from renewable sources and the loads will be much more flexible. What are the challenges and opportunities for the future power system?
 
Sustainability in the power system
What is sustainable development and what does it mean for the power system?

Wind power
The course will explain how wind turbines work. The focus will be on the power output from the turbines, but the course will also include how wind power affect the environment and the society. The different ancillary services that wind turbines can contribute with will also be introduced.

Solar power
The course will explain how solar power work and the focus will be on the power output from the PVs. Solar power’s role in distributed grids will also be mentioned. The different ancillary services that solar panel can contribute with will also be introduced.

Overview of market operation
The course will explain which markets there is for electricity and ancillary services, and how these works. It will also go through problems connected to the market.

Introduction to AI, including machine learning, in the power system
Examples of how AI is used within the power system will be shown.

Organisation

The course is composed of lectures, computer exercises, laboratory work, study visit and a short project.

Lectures
The lectures are given for the renewable power production, the challenges that a power system with only renewable energy sources will be facing, how markets for electricity works and how AI is used within the power system. Several guest lectures are invited to the course.

Computer exercises
Several mandatory computer exercises are to be performed in the course.

Laboratory assignment
Test and evaluation of wind turbine operation, a practical 4-hour lab.
Test and evaluation of a solar photovoltaic cell, a practical 4-hour lab.

Study visit
A study visit connected to future renewable based power systems will be arranged during the course.

Project work
The students will work in groups and choose an interesting subject within future renewable based power systems and write a scientific report on the subject, based on scientific sources. The report should be presented at a seminar at the end of the course.

Literature

Compendium “Wind Power – A Renewable Energy Source in Time” by Kristin Bruhn, Sofia Lorensson, Jennie Svensson.

Examination including compulsory elements

The examination will consist of several elements:
Written examination 2 hp. Grades: Fail, 3, 4 or 5.
Laboration 1,5 hp. Grades: pass/no pass.
Computer exercises 1,5 hp. Grades: pass/no pass.
Project work 2,5 hp. Grades: Fail, 3, 4 or 5.

The grade of the course is weighed together from the grade of the written exam and the grade for the project work.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.

The course syllabus contains changes

  • Changes to course rounds:
    • 2024-08-16: Examinator Examinator changed from Sara Fogelström (sarfog) to Peiyuan Chen (peiyuan) by Viceprefekt
      [Course round 1]
    • 2024-03-28: Block Block C+ added by Examinator
      [Course round 1]