Course Description
A study of fundamental energy and power systems in modern industrialized countries and the local, national, and global environmental issues associated with these systems. Attention will be given to the economic implications of energy use and the prospects for renewable energy in the future.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students must complete all requirements of undergraduate
students, plus additional readings assigned by the instructor and
an in-depth power generation and emissions profile for multiple
states in the U.S. and/or countries as a capstone project. The
project will be presented to the class along with a final report.
Athena Title
Energy Systems and Environment
Prerequisite
ENVE 3220 or ENGR 3150 or ENGR 3150E or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, students will have an understanding of: 1. Energy as a critical resource in urban systems and industrial economies 2. Fundamental energy systems upon which current societies are dependent 3. The mutual dependencies of energy, water and air within an industrial ecology 4. Environmental emissions from power generation systems 5. Environmental controls for power generation systems 6. Climate change, global warming and carbon sequestration 7. The relationship of energy use, environmental impact, and economic development 8. The prospects of renewable energy in U.S. and global energy portfolios
Topical Outline
1) Energy and the Environment-Overview a) Electric power b) Energy as a commodity c) Managing industrial pollution 2) Global Energy Use and Supply a) Energy use i) Global energy consumption ii) Global carbon emissions iii) Global energy sources iv) Global electricity consumption v) End-use energy consumption in U.S. by sector b) Energy supply i) Coal ii) Petroleum iii) Natural gas iv) Unconventional resources 3) Electrical Energy Generation, Transmission, and Storage a) Electromechanical power transformation b) Energy storage 4) Fossil-Fueled Power Plants a) Burner, boiler, steam turbine, gas turbine, condenser operations b) Cooling towers c) Emission control 5) Nuclear-Fueled Power Plants a) Nuclear energy from fission b) Radioactivity c) Nuclear reactors d) Nuclear fuel cycle 6) Renewable Energy a) Hydropower b) Solar c) Wind d) Biomass e) Geothermal 7) Industrial Ecology of Energy Systems a) Environmental and economic impact of fossil fuel use b) Energy and water interdependencies c) Air emissions and regulations 8) Global Warming and Climate Change a) Greenhouse effect and global warming b) Carbon/climate modeling c) Carbon sequestration and mitigation