University of California at Santa Cruz
Baskin School of Engineering
Electrical Engineering Department
EE80J: Renewable Energy Sources
Spring 2006


NEWS


Instructor:

Ali Shakouri

Office:

253A Baskin Engineering Building

Phone:

(831) 459-3821

email:

ali@soe.ucsc.edu

Lecture:

Baskin Engineering 152; T,Th 12-1:45pm

Office Hours:

Tuesday 2-3pm, Wednesday 4-5pm

Discussion Sessions:

M 5-6:30pm (Baskin Lounge), W 7-8:30pm (Baskin Lounge), Th 10-11:30am (Kresge 323)

Teaching Assistant:

Philip Measor pmeasor@gmail.com

Reader/Grader:

Oxana Pantchenko oxanchik@gmail.com

Texts:

(reserve at Science Library, 3 hours)

·           Out of Gas, David Goodstein, 2004

·           Renewable Energy, Godfrey Boyle, 2004

Additional References:

(reserve at Science Library, 1 day)

·           Renewable Energy, Bent Sorensen,  2nd, February 2000

·           Energy, Technology and Directions for the Future, John R. Fanchi, 2004

·           Energy : Physical, Environmental, and Social Impact (3rd Edition)  by Gordon J. Aubrecht (Paperback  - Jun 3, 2005)

·           Practical Photovoltaics : Electricity from Solar Cells, Richard J. Komp, John Perlin,  3rd ed, 2002

Grading Policy:

Based on reports, in-class activities and final (see below)

 

 

Tentative Schedule (v.1, update 5/29/06)

Lect.

Date

Topic

Reading:

Goodstein (G), Boyle (B)

Handouts, events

Additional Recommended Reading

1

4/4

Introduction/ Overview

G(p.15-48)

B(p.6-13)

Energy/Environment/Science/Technology (12 pages)

 

2

4/6

Energy basics, World Energy Usage

G(p.48-56)

 

Energy Basics (17 pages)

Scientific notation (5pages)

B (p.2-6)

3

4/11

Electricity, Radiation

G(p.59-98)

Electric power history (5 pages)

Basic electricity (9 pages)

Electricity and Magnetism, Sun (5 pages)

Performing calculations (5 pages)

4

4/13

Heat and Thermodynamics

G(p.102-123)

Heat, Temperature and Thermodynamics (12 pages)

Heat/work demonstration

Projections (4pages)

Order/Disorder

5

4/18

Conventional Energy Sources (power plants, engines, nuclear power)

 

Fossil fuels history (2 pages)

Nuclear energy history (4 pages)

Greenhouse effect (2pages)

Nuclear energy (advanced reading, 7 pages)

6

4/20

Solar Thermal, Building Design

B(18-29,36,40,49-55,58-62)

Heat, Temperature, Specific Heat (4pages)

Historic passive solar techniques (1 page)

*** Home energy audit 1 (24 pages)***

*** Home energy audit 2 (14 pages)***

*** Hot water energy (1 page)***

Large scale solar

Passive solar (11 pages)

7

4/25

Home Energy Audit, Photovoltaics

B(66-83,92-100)

Photovoltaic (32 pages)

Solar cell demonstration

 

8

4/27

Photovoltaics (cont.)

 

 

Photoelectricity (4pages)

9

5/2

Bioenergy, biomass

B(106-112,127,133-145)

Introduction to Biomass (27pages)

 

10

5/4

Bioenergy (cont.)

 

 

Biomass (17pages)

11

5/9

Hydroelectricity, Tidal Power, Wind Energy

B(148-154,177-192)

B(196-203,244-248,270-285)

Wind power (7pages)

Wind energy demonstration

Wind development (4pages)

12 

5/11

Class project, Entrepreneurial problems

of new initiatives

 

Guest Lecture (Dr. Gerald Barnett)

Proposals (report # 4)

 

13

5/16

Wave Energy, Geothermal

B(298-302,334,337) B(342-349)

 

 

14

5/18

Energy saving (illumination/appliances)

Recycling, Energy Storage

 

Illumination saving (4pages)

Recycling (5 pages)

Energy Storage (23 pages)

 

15

5/23

Renewables Portfolio Standard, policy issues

 

Guest Lecture (Prof. Brent Haddad, Environmental Studies)

Renewables 2005 Global Status Report

 

16

5/25

Energy scavenging, electric bike, hybrid car

 

Guest Lecture (Prof. Ken Pedrotti, Electrical Engineering)

Lecture Notes: Energy Scavenging and Hybrid Transport

 

17

5/30

Could the next industrial revolution be green?

 

Guest Lecture (Prof. Ben Crow, Sociology)

Lecture Notes

 

18 

6/1

Waste heat recovery, Direct thermal to electric energy conversion, Energy in transportation

 

Handout

Thermoelectric demonstration

Car fuel consumption (2 pages)

 

19

6/6

Hydrogen, Fuel cell

B(406-409)

Hydrogen/Fuel cell (5 pages)

Fuel Cell demonstration

 

20

6/8

Nanotechnology and its applications to energy conversion and storage

 

Handout

 

 

 

Final

 

Tuesday, June 13, 12:00 noon–3:00pm

 

 

Course Description

This is an introduction to energy storage and conversion with special emphasis on renewable sources. Fundamental energy conversion limits based on physics and existing material properties will be discussed. Various sources such as solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal and fuel cells will be described. An analysis of different alternative sources will be performed and key scientific and economical roadblocks for large scale implementation will be examined. Finally, the latest research on solar cells and applications of nanotechnology on energy conversion and storage will be introduced.

 

Prerequisites:

This class does not have any math, physics or engineering prerequisites. All the necessary concepts will be introduced during the course.

 


Reports/Projects

Report 1: (Individual) notes based on the text “Out of gas” by Goodstein:

Due Tuesday 4/18 at 12 noon.

Identify all scientific facts, statistical data, historical information and future predictions that are given in each chapter. Write down all of your questions about this text, anything that you don’t understand.

 

Report 2: (Individual) Personal Energy Use Audit

Due Tuesday 5/2 at 12 noon.

The goal of this activity is to calculate the total energy that you consume per week. You will need to quantify energy consumption at home and for transportation (appliances, illumination, hot water consumption, car mileage, …).

Bonus Option: Could you suggest means to reduce your energy consumption? How much your total energy usage can be reduced? How much energy is in your foods (nutritional energy as well as energy necessary for production and transport)?

 

Report 3: (Individual) Literature search/ predictions about future: 2-3 pages

Due Thursday 5/11 at 12 noon.

Check references about daily life during your assigned period and summarize the predictions made at that time about lifestyle in the future. Make sure to mention any specific comments about energy generation, conversion, transport, and its use. Analyze correct and incorrect predictions.

Bonus Option: Write a paragraph about people who will live in the year 2500. How their lifestyle will be and what they will say about our society and the characteristics of energy usage in our time.

 

Report 4: (Group Project) Write a Proposal Related to Renewable Energies, 8-10 pages

Due Thursday 6/8 at 12 noon.

Write a proposal to a Private Foundation, the National Science Foundation, etc. about an idea to help with the energy crisis in the future. The proposal should include (abstract, introduction, statement of the problem, proposed solution, implementation, budget, personnel, and timeline). The ideas could be scientific (e.g. how to make a better solar cell), or non-scientific for a company, store, school, hospital or for a city, state or country on how to improve energy efficiency, increase recycling, reduce pollution, increase the use of renewable energies.

Example of proposals will be given.

 


Grading (tentative)

 

Option 1: Report 1 (10%), Report 2 (15%), Report 3 (15%), Report 4 (30%), In-class activities (30%)

 

Option 2: Report 1 (10%), Report 2 (15%), Report 3 (15%), Report 4 (30%), Final Exam (30%)

 

This is a large class; late reports will be penalized unless there is a serious problem (e.g. Dr’s note).


In class activities

Links below can help you to take better notes during the lectures:

http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/notetake.html

http://www.sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl/notetaking.systems.html

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/success/notes.html

 

Course Outline

 

  •  

Introduction 

Energy storage and conversion, brief  introduction to thermodynamics, world energy usage

  •  

Existing Systems

Power plants, engines, nuclear power, batteries

  •  

Solar energy

Semiconductors, solar cells, photovoltaic systems

  •  

Direct thermal to electric energy conversion

(waste heat recovery, hybrid vehicles)

  •  

Wind energy, hydropower, geothermal

  •  

Hydrogen, fuel cells

  •  

Photosynthesis and bio energy

  •  

Nanotechnology

Applications to energy conversion and storage

  •  

Economics of Energy

  •  

Environmental and Societal Impacts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Additional Reference Materials

 

Dr. Steven Chu, Director of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Nobel Prize in Physics

Nano*High Talk - 10/29/05 "Global Warming, the Energy Crisis and What We Can Do About It"

 

 

Academic Dishonesty and Cheating:

Any confirmed academic dishonesty including but not limited to copying reports or cheating on exams, will result in a no-pass or failing grade. You are encouraged to read the campus policies regarding academic integrity. Examples of cheating include (but are not limited to):

  • Copying results or other information during in-class activities or final.
  • Submitting a report that is not your own work.
  • Using material from internet, books, journals, other people’s reports without proper referencing

If there is any question as to whether a given action might be construed as cheating, see me before you engage in any such action.

Ali Shakouri
Last updated: May 12, 2006 5:30 AM