Catalog Data

ME 423:Energy Conversion.  Credits 3.  Energy sources and their classification.  Conventional energy conservation: Power plant and vapor cycles.  Renewable energy: Solar energy with emphasis on solar cells, and wind energy, OTEC systems, geothermal energy.  Nuclear fission and types of fission reactors.

Prerequisite: ME 204, ME 315

Textbook

El-Wakil, Power Plant Technology, McGraw-Hill, 1984.

References

1)

W. Culp, Principles of Energy Conversion, McGraw-Hill Company, 1991.

2)

H. Sorensen, Energy Conversion Systems, John Wiley & Sons, 1983.

Objectives

1)

This course will introduce the concepts and applications of conventional and non-conventional methods of energy conversion, focusing on nuclear energy and the use of Solar cells and wind for localized power production.

2)

It will also discuss the design methodology of various other alternate energy sources.

Pre/Co-Requisites

by Topic

1)

Thermodynamic power cycle and Second Law based irreversibility analysis. (ME 204)

2)

Normal and Weibull statistical distribution. (STAT 319)

3)

Basic electric circuits. (EE 204)

4)

Conduction and convection heat transfer. (ME 315)

5)

Competence in writing computer program. (ICS 101)

Course Outline

1)

Energy sources, classification and utilization

3 hours

2)

Growth and prediction

4 hours

3)

Review of Thermodynamics

3 hours

4)

Conventional energy (power plant)

5 hours

5)

Combustion

2 hours

6)

Nuclear energy (fission)

4 hours

7)

Geothermal energy

4 hours

8)

Ocean energy and wind energy

7 hours

9)

Solar energy (photovoltaics)

5 hours

10)

Chemical energy (fuel cells)

2 hours

Design Activities/Projects

A design project will be assigned to students, through this project they should show the ability to analyze energy systems, select operating conditions, may also select the suitable material and perform an economic study, e.g., design and analysis of a Rankine cycle power plant with a suitable number of feedwater heaters of various types of design of a flat plate solar collector.

Computer Usage

Students are to submit computer-based homework on Topics 4, 6 and 9 in addition to a small project.

Each student is to present an extended topic of alternate energy source and some economical analysis.

Evaluation Methods

1)

2)

3)

4)

Homeworks

Design/computer project

Tests

Final Exam

Student Learning Outcome

    Objective 1:

1)

Students demonstrate knowledge of energy economic matters in terms of growth rate and prediction.

2)

Students demonstrate knowledge of conventional as well as alternative energy sources.

    Objective 2:

1)

Students demonstrate the ability to perform detailed analysis for conventional and unconventional energy system and compare between the performance characteristics and requirements of each system.

2)

Students demonstrate the ability to perform a parametric study for the important parameters that control the performance of various energy generating systems.

3)

Students submit a detailed professional technical report on an analysis to one of the energy conversion systems along with a parametric study aiming at determining the optimum operating conditions for the system along with an economic study.

ABET Category

Engineering Science

2.0 Credits

Engineering Design

1.0 Credits