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Undergraduate Courses in Energy and the Environment

Fall 2022 ENE Course Offerings

View all undergraduate ENE courses

The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment is pleased to announce the following ENE courses for Fall 2022.

Designing Sustainable Systems: Responding to the Pandemic in the Information Age

Forrest Meggers

The course presents anthropogenic global changes and their impact on sustainable design. The course focuses on understanding the underlying principles from natural and applied sciences, and how new basic Internet of Things digital technology enables alternative system analysis and design. Material is presented in 2 parts: 1) Global Change and Environmental Impacts: studying our influences on basic natural systems and cycles and how we can evaluate them, and 2) Designing Sustainable Systems: addressing challenges of disease transmission in our built environment using sensors and data to rethink how we design and use space.

ENE 202/ARC 208/EGR 208/ENV 206

The course presents anthropogenic global changes and their impact on sustainable design. The course focuses on understanding the underlying principles from natural and applied sciences, and how new basic Internet of Things digital technology enables alternative system analysis and design. Material is presented in 2 parts: 1) Global Change and Environmental Impacts: studying our influences on basic natural systems and cycles and how we can evaluate them, and 2) Designing Sustainable Systems: addressing challenges of disease transmission in our built environment using sensors and data to rethink how we design and use space.

Materials for Energy Technologies and Efficiency

Claire White

An introductory course focused on the new and existing materials that are crucial for mitigating worldwide anthropogenic CO2 emissions and associated greenhouse gases. Emphasis will be placed on how materials science is used in energy technologies and energy efficiency; including solar power, cements and natural materials, sustainable buildings, batteries, water filtration, and wind and ocean energy. Topics include: atomic structure and bonding; semiconductors; inorganic oxides; nanomaterials; porous materials; conductive materials; membranes; composites; energy conversion processes; life-cycle analysis; material degradation.

ENE 267/MAE 287/CEE 267

An introductory course focused on the new and existing materials that are crucial for mitigating worldwide anthropogenic CO2 emissions and associated greenhouse gases. Emphasis will be placed on how materials science is used in energy technologies and energy efficiency; including solar power, cements and natural materials, sustainable buildings, batteries, water filtration, and wind and ocean energy. Topics include: atomic structure and bonding; semiconductors; inorganic oxides; nanomaterials; porous materials; conductive materials; membranes; composites; energy conversion processes; life-cycle analysis; material degradation.

Resource Recovery for a Circular Economy

Z. Jason Ren

The course will focus on emerging science and technologies that enable the transition from our traditional linear economy (take, make, waste) to a new circular economy (reduce, reuse, recycle). It will discuss the fundamental theories and applied technologies that are capable of converting traditional waste materials or environmental pollutants such as wastewater, food waste, plastics, e-waste, and CO2, etc. into valued-added products including energy, fuels, chemicals, and food products.

ENE 321 /CEE 321 /ENV 371

The course will focus on emerging science and technologies that enable the transition from our traditional linear economy (take, make, waste) to a new circular economy (reduce, reuse, recycle). It will discuss the fundamental theories and applied technologies that are capable of converting traditional waste materials or environmental pollutants such as wastewater, food waste, plastics, e-waste, and CO2, etc. into valued-added products including energy, fuels, chemicals, and food products.

Negative Emission Technologies

Kelsey Hatzell

This course examines the field of carbon capture, conversion, and storage. The course is interdisciplinary and surveys fundamental aspects of combustion, kinetics, material science, thermodynamics and electrochemistry. The class will survey the working principles of existing and emerging technologies that aim to make a critical impact on decarbonizing energy systems. Topics related to carbon capture and negative emission technologies will be discussed.

ENE 419 /MAE 419

This course examines the field of carbon capture, conversion, and storage. The course is interdisciplinary and surveys fundamental aspects of combustion, kinetics, material science, thermodynamics and electrochemistry. The class will survey the working principles of existing and emerging technologies that aim to make a critical impact on decarbonizing energy systems. Topics related to carbon capture and negative emission technologies will be discussed.

Principles of Energy Conversion

Jean-Marcel Rax

The class examines the fundamental physics of energy conversion in thermal (Carnot engines) and chemical (Van't Hoff engines) systems. The analysis of these conversion devices is oriented toward fundamental physical principles and identification of entropy production/mitigation and efficiency optimization. Both models of cycles and fluxes are presented as well as endo- and exo-reversible models. This analysis framework is used to study principles and limitations of thermoelectric conversion devices, solar cells and fuel cells. Topics include high temperature conversion systems i.e. thermionic and magnetohydrodynamic power generation systems.

ENE 515/MAE 537

The class examines the fundamental physics of energy conversion in thermal (Carnot engines) and chemical (Van’t Hoff engines) systems. The analysis of these conversion devices is oriented toward fundamental physical principles and identification of entropy production/mitigation and efficiency optimization. Both models of cycles and fluxes are presented as well as endo- and exo-reversible models. This analysis framework is used to study principles and limitations of thermoelectric conversion devices, solar cells and fuel cells. Topics include high temperature conversion systems i.e. thermionic and magnetohydrodynamic power generation systems.

ENE Cross-listed Courses for Fall 2022

Solid-State Physics I

Mansour Shayegan

An introduction to the properties of solids. Theory of free electrons--classical and quantum. Crystal structure and methods of determination. Electron energy levels in a crystal: weak potential and tight-binding limits. Classification of solids--metals, semiconductors and insulators. Types of bonding and cohesion in crystals. Lattice dynamics, phonon spectra and thermal properties of harmonic crystals.

ECE 441/ENE 441

An introduction to the properties of solids. Theory of free electrons–classical and quantum. Crystal structure and methods of determination. Electron energy levels in a crystal: weak potential and tight-binding limits. Classification of solids–metals, semiconductors and insulators. Types of bonding and cohesion in crystals. Lattice dynamics, phonon spectra and thermal properties of harmonic crystals.

Fundamentals of Solid Earth Science

Staff

A quantitative introduction to Solid Earth system science, focusing on the underlying physical and chemical processes and their geological and geophysical expression. Through the course we investigate the Earth starting from its basic constituents and continue though its accretion, differentiation and evolution and discuss how these processes create and sustain habitable conditions on Earth's surface. Topics include nucleosynthesis, planetary thermodynamics, plate tectonics, seismology, geomagnetism, petrology, sedimentology and the global carbon cycle. Two field trips included (depending on Covid).

GEO 203/ENE 203

A quantitative introduction to Solid Earth system science, focusing on the underlying physical and chemical processes and their geological and geophysical expression. Through the course we investigate the Earth starting from its basic constituents and continue though its accretion, differentiation and evolution and discuss how these processes create and sustain habitable conditions on Earth’s surface. Topics include nucleosynthesis, planetary thermodynamics, plate tectonics, seismology, geomagnetism, petrology, sedimentology and the global carbon cycle. Two field trips included (depending on Covid).

Thermodynamics

Lamyaa El-Gabry

Heat and work in physical systems. Concepts of energy conversion and entropy, primarily from a macroscopic viewpoint. Efficiency of different thermodynamic cycles, with applications to everyday life including both renewable and classical energy sources. In the laboratory, students will carry out experiments in the fields of analog electronics and thermodynamics.

MAE 221/ENE 221

Heat and work in physical systems. Concepts of energy conversion and entropy, primarily from a macroscopic viewpoint. Efficiency of different thermodynamic cycles, with applications to everyday life including both renewable and classical energy sources. In the laboratory, students will carry out experiments in the fields of analog electronics and thermodynamics.

Virtual and Augmented Reality for Engineers, Scientists, and Architects

Alexander Glaser, Forrest Meggers

VR/AR can enable engineers, scientists, and architects to plan and conduct their work in fundamentally new ways, visualize and communicate their findings more effectively, and work in environments that are otherwise difficult, impossible, or too costly to experience in person. This course explores the basic concepts of effective VR/AR experiences, builds skills needed to develop and support innovative science, engineering, or architecture projects. In the second half of the semester, working in small teams, students develop, implement VR/AR projects of their choice.

MAE 418/ARC 418/ENE 428

VR/AR can enable engineers, scientists, and architects to plan and conduct their work in fundamentally new ways, visualize and communicate their findings more effectively, and work in environments that are otherwise difficult, impossible, or too costly to experience in person. This course explores the basic concepts of effective VR/AR experiences, builds skills needed to develop and support innovative science, engineering, or architecture projects. In the second half of the semester, working in small teams, students develop, implement VR/AR projects of their choice.

Virtual and Augmented Reality for Engineers, Scientists, and Architects

Alexander Glaser, Forrest Meggers

VR/AR can enable engineers, scientists, and architects to plan and conduct their work in fundamentally new ways, visualize and communicate their findings more effectively, and work in environments that are otherwise difficult, impossible, or too costly to experience in person. This course explores the basic concepts of effective VR/AR experiences, builds skills needed to develop and support innovative science, engineering, or architecture projects. In the second half of the semester, working in small teams, students develop, implement VR/AR projects of their choice.

MAE 518/ARC 516/ENE 528

VR/AR can enable engineers, scientists, and architects to plan and conduct their work in fundamentally new ways, visualize and communicate their findings more effectively, and work in environments that are otherwise difficult, impossible, or too costly to experience in person. This course explores the basic concepts of effective VR/AR experiences, builds skills needed to develop and support innovative science, engineering, or architecture projects. In the second half of the semester, working in small teams, students develop, implement VR/AR projects of their choice.