Overview

Materials and principles for energy production, storage and conversion will be covered in detail. Topics include light harvesting materials, solar power conversion efficiency, interaction of light with matter, commercial and emerging photovoltaic technologies, concentrator PV, electrochemical methods, primary and secondary batteries, supercapacitors, photocatalysis, water splitting and fuels cells.

Offerings

S1-01-CLAYTON-ON-CAMPUS

Rules

Enrolment Rule

Contacts

Chief Examiner(s)

Professor Chris McNeill

Unit Coordinator(s)

Professor Chris McNeill

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1.

Appreciate why the energy landscape is changing and the role materials will play in alternate energy technologies in the broad areas of energy production, storage and conversion.

2.

Apply the theory behind the operation of photovoltaic devices to predict and quantify the performance of solar cell materials.

3.

Appraise various energy storage technologies including batteries, capacitors, and hydrogen storage, and discuss the benefits and shortcomings of each.

4.

Assess novel electrochemical technologies including photo-(electro-catalysis), water splitting and fuel cells.

5.

Design experiments to assess the performance of energy storage and conversion devices.

Teaching approach

Active learning

Assessment summary

Continuous assessment: 50%

Final assessment: 50%

This unit contains threshold hurdle requirements that you must achieve to be able to pass the unit. You are required to achieve at least 45% in the total continuous assessment component and at least 45% in the final assessment component. The consequence of not achieving a hurdle requirement is a fail grade (NH) and a maximum mark of 45 for the unit.

Assessment

1 - Online pre-class quizzes
2 - Project
3 - Laboratory work
4 - Final assessment

Scheduled and non-scheduled teaching activities

Laboratories
Practical activities
Workshops

Workload requirements

Workload

Other unit costs

The following items are mandatory for practical aspects of the unit and should be purchased at your own cost as you will be reusing them throughout your course.

  • Calculator
  • Protective clothing and equipment:
    - Laboratory coat (Approximately AUD35 to AUD55)
    - Safety glasses (Approximately AUD8)
    - Laboratory-appropriate enclosed footwear (Non-porous material, equipped with non-absorbent, slip-resistant soles)

Costs are indicative only.

Availability in areas of study

E6011 Master of Professional Engineering - Specialisation: Materials engineering
E6014 Master of Engineering - Specialisation: Energy transitions engineering
E6014 Master of Engineering - Specialisation: Materials engineering
E6014 Master of Engineering - Specialisation: Renewable energy engineering
E6017 Master of Advanced Engineering - Specialisation: Power systems engineering
E6017 Master of Advanced Engineering - Specialisation: Renewable energy engineering