Undergraduate Courses
Current undergraduate courses focused around sustainable energy include:
TECH 1325: Energy for Society
Topics covered include:
- Today’s climate compared to yesterday’s
- Fossil fuels and energy efficiency
- Renewable energy sources
- Nuclear chemistry and energy
- Hydrogen economy and fuel cells
- Energy conservation
- Environmental impact from various sources of energy uses
- Energy conservation
- A sustainable model for energy uses
ELET 4347: Principle & Application of Fuel Cell for Renewable Power
Spring 2014
This course has been designed to provide a solid understanding of fuel cells for renewable power from portable to vehicle applications standpoint. Fuel Cell is an electrochemical device that converts chemical energy directly to electrical energy. Specifically, the course will deal with the principle and applications of various types of fuel cells including solid oxide, proton exchange and direct fuels. An emphasis on efficient design of proton Exchange membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) will be provided. The first session (formal class lecture) of this course provides a background on the fundamental of fuel cells and understanding of their performance. The second session involves providing hands-on experience in designing PEMFC and understanding the performance at various operating conditions. Finally, the third session includes a thorough review of current literature related to the recent development of materials for fuel cells, and future engineering and technological challenges.
Prerequisites: CHEM 1301 or approval from instructor
Rationale: Applications of Fuel Cells are:
- Stationary fuel cell power systems connected to the electric grid to provide supplemental power and as emergency power system for critical areas, or installed as a grid-independent generator for on-site service
- Portable fuel cell systems
- Transportation power systems