MSc in Renewable Energy Engineering
Introduction
Climate change, growing world populations and limited fossil fuel resources mean that demand for renewable energy will continue at an ever increasing rate for the foreseeable future. Renewable energy is now at the heart of every informed discussion concerning energy sustainability, security and affordability. The 27 member states of the EU have signed up to legally binding targets of 20% renewable energy by 2020. In order to meet these targets a significant number of highly trained engineers are required both in the UK and world-wide.
The MSc in Renewable Energy Engineering has been developed to deliver qualified engineers of the highest standard in to the field of renewable energy who are capable of contributing significantly to the increased demand for renewable energy technologies.
The course is suitable for aeronautical, mechanical and electrical engineering graduates or related science graduates who wish to specialise in renewable energy power generation.
Stand out from the crowd
Many other MSc courses in this area only provide a very broad overview and do not offer the academic and technical depth required for designers of renewable energy power generation systems. This course however, will equip graduates with the advanced interdisciplinary skills required to design, optimise and evaluate the technical and economic viability of renewable energy schemes.
Cranfield University has a world class reputation for its industrial scale research and pilot-scale demonstration programmes in the Energy sector. Close engagement with the energy and transport sectors over the last 20 years has produced long standing strategic partnerships with the sectors most prominent players including Airbus, Alstom Power, BAE Systems, Boeing, BP, Doosan Babcock, Ford, Rolls Royce, Shell and Siemens among others.
The strategic links with industry ensures that all of the material taught on the course is relevant, timely and meets the needs of organisations competing within the energy sector. This industry led education makes Cranfield graduates some of the most desirable in the world for energy companies to recruit.
Focus on your interests
The MSc in renewable Energy Engineering is comprised of 8 compulsory modules, a group project and an individual thesis.
The individual thesis provides the opportunity for students to deepen their knowledge of an area that is of particular interest to them and is often associated with a real world problem that one of our industry partners are looking to resolve.
Unique facilities
The offshore Renewable Energy Group is developing some impressive, industrial scale facilities to research and develop technologies in renewable energy. The group has recently commissioned a wind turbine test facility on the Cranfield Campus and is building a new 50kW rated vertical axis generator designed by staff and MSc students. The group also has access to a number of wind tunnels capable of investigating a wide range of different flowfields using some of the latest experimental techniques.
A further new facility is the Ocean Laboratory for hydrodynamic testing with a 30m length wave and tow tank. The group also has access to impressive materials and fatigue testing facilities, ranging from 5kN to 2.5MN capacity, as standard test machines or as test rigs built about full or large-scale components. A range of inspection/NDT equipment is used for crack and stress measurement.
A range of state-of-the-art software tools are also available, including MATLAB, MINITAB, CAD (IDEAS), FEA (ABAQUS) and CFD (NEWPAN, FLUENT, CFX) commercial packages.
Learning environment
Cranfield University is a wholly postgraduate institution which offers a mature and focused learning environment. This makes Cranfield uniquely structured to maximise its alliances with industry and, in turn, our students benefit from being involved in its extensive delivery of applied research.
It has an international student body and reputation which offers a rich learning environment and opens the potential of a global career path.
As well as attracting top level students Cranfield also attracts some of the most proficient academic staff which combined with its industrial scale facilities offers an exceptional learning experience.
