Florida Institute of Technology College of Engineering

Florida Institute of TechnologyCollege of Engineering

DEPARTMENT OF MARINE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS

Science  Engineering  Management

Course: ENS 4300 Renewable Energy and the Environment (3 credits)

2005-2006 Catalog Data: Understanding human energy needs, alternative generating systems, renewable energy sources including wind, solar, biomass, hydro, ocean, and geothermal; socioeconomic implications of sustainable energy. (Prerequisite: none; senior standing or permission of the instructor.)

CRN: 11259 [changes each time] (ENS 4300)

Textbook: Boyle, Godfrey. Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future, Second Ed. Oxford: OxfordUniv. Press, 452pp., 2004. A number of books will be placed on library reserve including:

[TBD] Mukand. Wind and Solar Energy. Gipe, Paul. Wind Energy for Home and Business.

Course Website: The course website can be found at the web address my.fit.edu/~fleslie. The website includes class notes, PowerPoint visual presentations, homework schedule/assignments, project assignments, examination schedule, results of project tests, etc.

Course Objectives: Introduce the student to the general understanding of energy choices with special attention to the leading renewable energies. Current sources of coal, oil, and nuclear power will be reviewed, and applications of future renewable energy sources, pollution, and relative costs of all sources will be discussed.

Topics Covered: (not updating for changing dates each year; see the RE Sessions list)

Week / 2006Dates / Topics / Instructor
1 / 10, 12 Jan / Introduction: energy requirements, energy types, conventional fuels, advantages & limitations. Current events; Pollution and other effects / Leslie/Leslie
2 / 17, 19 Jan / Climate change controversy; GHG; Fuel usage now and future; trends / Maul/Leslie
3 / 24 Jan / Coal: reserves; Oil& NG: reserves, extraction, usage, advantages and disadvantages / Leslie/Leslie
3 / 26 Jan / Energy conservation and efficiency; “Emergy” and EROEI concepts / Leslie/Leslie
4 / 31 Jan / Thermal energy systems: boilers, aeroderivative turbines, heat recovery steam generators, cogeneration (CHP) / Leslie
4 / 2 Feb / Nuclear: reserves, extraction, usage, reactors, risk assessment, advantages and disadvantages / Leslie/Leslie
5 / 7 Feb / Solar energy: collection, instrumentation, and assessment / Leslie
5 / 9 Feb / Solar thermal, advantages and disadvantages / Leslie
6 / 14 Feb / Solar electric, advantages and disadvantages / Leslie/Leslie
6/7 / 16, 21 Feb / Wind energy: distribution and climate, advantages and disadvantages / Lazarus/Leslie
7 / 23 Feb / Wind turbine systems: airfoils, transmissions, generators, controls / Leslie
8 / 28 Mar / Wind turbine systems: airfoils, transmissions, generators, controls / Leslie
9 / 2 March / Mid-Term Exam / Leslie
10 / 7, 9 Mar / Spring Break
11 / 14 Mar / Hybrid Systems: wind/diesel, PV/diesel, Wind/PV/diesel / Leslie
11 / 16 Mar / Bioenergy, pollution, availability, advantages and disadvantages / Leslie/J. Thomas?
12 / 21 Mar / Hydroelectric (dams); power and storage, advantages and disadvantages / Leslie
12 / 23 Mar / Geothermal energy, sources, advantages and disadvantages / Leslie
13 / 28, 30 Mar / Ocean energy: waves, tidal energy, OTEC, advantages and disadvantages / Maul/Leslie
14 / 4 Apr / Energy transmission, RTOs; Energy storage, Hydrogen Economy / Leslie/Leslie
15 / 6, 11 Apr / Transportation energy usage (air, land, & sea) / J. Thomas / Leslie
15 / 13 Apr / Distributed generation & grid interconnection / Leslie
16 / 18, 20 Apr / Economics, current and future costs; Energy tradeoffs / Slotkin/Leslie
17 / 25 Apr / Legal aspects and other complications; Future trends and possibilities / attorney?/Leslie
17/18 / 27 Apr, 4 May / Review, term project & reports; final exam / Leslie/Leslie

Class Schedule:Tuesday and Thursday, 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM, LinkBuilding, E250

Final Exam:Thursday, May 4, 2006 – 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM, LinkBuilding, E250

Final Grade:The course grade will be based on midterm (15%), final (30%), term

paper (20%), term project (10%), quizzes (10%), and homework (15%). A: 90-100; B 80-89; C 70-79; D: 60-69; F <60.

Contribution of course to meeting ABET professional component:

Engineering Science: 3 credits or 100%

Engineering Design: 0 credits or 0%

Relationship of course to program ABET objectives (DMES Environmental Science program must demonstrate that their graduates have):

(a) An ability to apply knowledge, science, and engineering.

(b) An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.

(d) An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams.

(e) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.

(f) An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.

(g) An ability to communicate effectively.

(h) The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in global and societal context.

(i) A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning.

(j) A knowledge of contemporary issues.

(k) An ability to use techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

(l) Knowledge and skills to apply the principles of probability and statistics.

(m) Knowledge and skills to apply the principles of energy collection, conversion, and storage to engineering problems.

(n) An ability to integrate multiple technical areas.

(o) An understanding of the necessity for design optimization.

Person who prepared this description and date:

Frank R. Leslie, Adjunct Lecturer

Department of Marine & Environmental Systems

College of Engineering  Florida Institute of Technology

150 West University BoulevardMelbourneFL32901

Tel: 321 674 7377; Fax: 321 674 7212;

Website: my.fit.edu/~fleslie;

January 4, 2007 FRL