2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Engineering Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Graduate major in Energy Science and Informatics
Leading edge energy technology
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Energy Science and Informatics
- Instructor(s)
- Tetsuya Suekane / Tsuyoshi Nagasawa / Manabu Kodama
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 7-8 Thu
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- ESI.K580
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 28, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Mitigation of carbon dioxide emission to the atmosphere and the security in energy supply are inevitable issues to establish sustainable society in future. This course overviews the outline of the energy system and its components to realize the sustainable society from the view point of thermodynamics. Emphasis is placed on the fundamental energy principles reviewing state-of-arts technologies such as fuel cell, secondary battery, advanced combustion system, carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS), enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and so on. This course also introduces the mitigation technologies of pollutant emissions from energy systems and environmental impact from the view point of life cycle assessment.
This course has two major aims. One is to understand the working mechanisms of components of energy system from a point of view of thermodynamics and to have an ability to discuss on advantages and disadvantages of integrated energy system of components. The other is to give comprehensive opinion based on knowledge of science and technology, even while inaccurate and fragmentary information on energy and environmental issues widely circulates in our society.
Course description and aims
At the end of this course, students will be able to understand the fundamental energy principles which govern cutting edge technologies as well as conventional technologies and to acquire knowledge to explain the status of developing technologies and to catch up with trends of R&D. Students will be able to:
1) Explain mechanisms of fuel cell, secondary batteries, and heat engines based on thermodynamics,
2) Explain phenomena governing a fluid flow in porous media,
3) Discuss on energy and environmental issues including fuel cell, battery, advanced combustion system, and CCS, from a view point of energy, environment and social aspects.
Keywords
Energy conversion, Exergy, Gibb’s free energy, Electrochemistry, Fuel cell, Secondary battery, Internal combustion engine, Hydrocarbon resources, Synthetic fuels, Unconventional resources, Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS)
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
The course provides information on state-of-arts technologies in energy and environment. Students are asked to pay attention to global trends on energy and environmental issues.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Electrical Power Generation System | Understand the energy conversion systems and principles in existing and future power generation systems. |
| Class 2 | Secondary batteries | Understanding the Principles and Practical Aspects of Conversion from Chemical Energy to Electrical Energy (Particularly Related to Secondary Batteries), and the Principles and Practical Aspects of Secondary Batteries as Energy Storage |
| Class 3 | Hydrogen and Fuel cells | Understanding the Principles and Practical Aspects of Conversion from Chemical Energy to Electrical Energy (Particularly Related to Hydrogen), and the Principles and Practical Aspects of Hydrogen Utilization as Energy Storage and Fuel Cells |
| Class 4 | Advanced internal combustion engines | Understand the role of internal combustion engines toward CO2 emission reduction and the latest technological trends for improving thermal efficiency |
| Class 5 | Emission mitigation technologies | Learn the mitigation technologies of pollutant emissions from combustion systems and its importance for improvement of the system efficiency |
| Class 6 | Synthetic fuels and life cycle assessment | Understand the significance of synthetic fuels and typical production methods, and its environmental impact from the view point of life cycle assessment |
| Class 7 | Mitigation technologies of global warming | Explain the role of energy, environmental, and social aspects of CCS technologies |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterward (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Materials are provided as needed
Reference books, course materials, etc.
None required. Students are asked to pay attention to global trends on energy and environmental issues.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Students’ course scores are based on the submitted report on the topic lectured in this course, from viewpoint of understanding, originality, and reasoning.
Related courses
- MEC.E201 ： Thermodynamics (Mechanical Engineeirng)
- MEC.E311 ： Heat Transfer
- MEC.E331 ： Energy Conversion
- MEC.F201 ： Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics
- MEC.F331 ： Advanced Fluid Mechanics
Prerequisites
Students must have successfully completed Thermodynamics (Mechanical Engineering) (MEC.E201.R), Heat Transfer (MEC.E311.A), Energy Conversion (MEC.E331.E), Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics (MEC.F201.R), and Advanced Fluid Mechanics (MEC.F331.E) in Mechanical Engineering, or have equivalent knowledge.