Course syllabus for Energy and sustainable development

Course syllabus adopted 2023-02-12 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameEnergi och hållbar utveckling
  • CodeLMS893
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerTIMAL
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyEnergy and Environmental Systems and Technology
  • ThemeEnvironment 6.5 c
  • DepartmentMECHANICS AND MARITIME SCIENCES
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language Swedish
  • Application code 65115
  • Open for exchange studentsNo
  • Only students with the course round in the programme overview.

Credit distribution

0101 Examination 7.5 c
Grading: TH
0 c0 c0 c7.5 c0 c0 c
  • 12 Okt 2024 am L

In programmes

Examiner

Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level (first 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

The same as for the programme that owns the course.
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

The courses LMA401 Calculus, MVE580 Linear algebra and differential equations and LMT834 Thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, or corresponding knowledge.

Aim

The aim of the course is to give the students good basic knowledge of applied energy technology and the questions of global sustainability.

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

  • Explain in detail the concept of energy quality, the second law of thermodynamics and the consequences with emphasis on sustainability.
  • Describe and compare conventional and future methods for electricity production and transports. The comparisons shall be made by estimating resources and environmental effects.
  • Being familiar with the three most important models for sustainability.
  • Describing the energy situation from a national and a global point of view.
  • Explain the efficiencies of separate steps and ideal cycles including the Carnot cycle
  • Describing reversible, quasi-equilibrium and non-reversible processes and their connections with the thermodynamic laws.
  • Describe and explain the various mechanisms for heat transfer and
  • apply the Fouriers law, Newtons cooling law and Stefan- Boltzmanns equation.
  • Describe the various types of heat exchangers and their function.
  • Explain the different flow arrangements in connection with the  temperature profiles in heat exchangers.
  • Apply the log Mean Temperature Difference Method and the effectiveness NTU-method on engineering problems.
  • Describe the functions and main parts of combustion engines, gas turbine plants, Rankine processes and the ideal vapor-compression cooling cycle.
  • Solve engineering problems involving ideal cycles and non-isentropic expansions and compressions.
  • Describing various strategies for sustainable developments in industry concerning production and product design
  • Describe the important local, regional and global environmental issues
  • Explain the causes to the issues by the DPSIR-model
  • Describe the international and national programs for dealing with the environmental  problems
  • Describing the various technical solutions for dealing with pollutions from energy industry and transports
  • Explain the concept of sustainability.
  • Content

    The course contains one part fucusing on sustainable development and another part that deals with applied energy technology.

    The first part addresses the meaning of sustainable development and its relation to social and technological development. Our global framework in the form of of natural resources, scientific laws and nature's sustainability are addressed. The course also includes a review of the history of environmental work and future trends and challenges. System thinking and the importance of system analysis for truly sustainable development are discussed in the course. This section covers examples of analysis methods for sustainable product and production development.

    In the energy part, the global energy situation, future electricity generation methods and future propulsion systems for the transport sector are adressed. Sustainable development is analyzed from a thermodynamic perspective. The section deals with applications of cycle processes such as the Rankine process, cooling processes, gas turbines and ideal cycles for internal combustion engines. Heat transfer mechanism and its applications are included. Common types of heat exchangers are described and analyzed with two calculation methods.

    Organisation

    The course consists of lectures, exercises with problem solving demonstrations, projects and laboratory lessons.

    Literature

    Cengel/turner, Fundamentals of Thermal- Fluid Sciences, Mc Graw Hill. The latest edition will be used in the course.
    Hållbar utveckling - en introduktion för ingenjörer, Dahlin, J-E (2015), Studentlitteratur.

    Examination including compulsory elements

    The course is examined by a written exam (can be at different occasion during the course according the PM). as well as approved laboratory, exercises and project.

    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.