Course description
This course is one of 11 themes within the Faculty of Engineering's flexible, multidisciplinary Postgraduate Training Package in Sustainable Engineering. The course allows students to come into contact with those in other engineering courses and thus develop multidisciplinary interests and skills.
The course is concerned with the design and operation of the energy systems that provide the environments in which people live and work. There is a growing awareness that quality of life must be balanced by the need for conservation of world resources, especially energy, and the protection of the environment. Society needs professionals who understand this balance and who seek to harness energy resources in an environmentally friendly manner.
Students are introduced to the different energy resources - renewable, fossil and nuclear - and the many systems which can be employed to harness these resources, such as combined heat and power schemes, heat pumps, solar capture devices, high efficiency condensing boilers, advanced materials and adaptive control systems. Students also learn about the impact energy has on the environment and the ways in which this impact can be reduced. They come to understand the technical relationship between energy systems and the environment and feel confident about using modern computer-based methods to address the complexities that underlie this relationship.
The course is in three parts:
Part A: Foundation Studies comprising classes in: Energy Resources and Policy; Energy Systems; Electricity Generation and Supply; Demand-Side Modelling; and Energy Management Techniques.
Part B: Special Studies, involving students working in groups to pursue a design project, normally within an industrial test bed or in association with a design or energy management organisation. Projects typically involve the evolution of an energy system from inception to completion, including an assessment of its cost effectiveness and environmental impact.
Part C: Individual Research + Dissertation. This may involve an industrial attachment where the student looks in-depth at issues which may have resulted from work carried out in Part B.
Throughout the taught programme, there is an emphasis on generic topics such as project management, environmental impact mitigation, information technology and design management. Teaching methods include lectures, discussions, group working, informal crits, debating and computer-aided learning.
Course Length
MSc : One year full-time. Postgraduate Diploma and Certificate qualifications are awarded to students completing selected parts, either on a full- or part-time basis.
