Renewable Energy MSc

• Dr Ying Jiang

An understanding of the principles of renewable energy technologies is key to understanding the technological basis of the systems and applications, particularly with regards to the overall energy mix of a specific country. The module provides the fundamentals of the renewable energy technologies and their impact on global and national energy system. The purpose of this module is to introduce the basis for assessment of the performances of solar technologies (thermal and PV), onshore wind, biomass and waste technologies, and geothermal technologies.

• Solar energy technologies, including photovoltaic and concentrated solar power [CSP];
  • Definition of solar radiation fundamentals and models of solar radiation
• Biochemical sources of energy
  • Anaerobic digestion
  • Landfill gas
  • Waste and biomass
• Onshore and offshore wind energy: fundamentals of wind turbines and placement.
• Geothermal Systems (including ground-source heat pumps)
• Wave and tidal energy technologies

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Articulate the fundamental principles, terminology and key issues related to the major onshore and offshore renewable energy technologies.
• Critically compare the challenges for the development and operation of the major technologies, including government regulation and policy.
• Identify gaps in the knowledge and discuss potential opportunities for further development, including technology and economic potential.

• Dr Jerry Luo

To provide a fundamental understanding of energy storage and distribution after generation of renewable energy and the related applications.

1.    Overview of energy storage and distribution for post-generation in renewable energy systems

2.    Energy storage technologies and materials

·         Thermal energy storage

·         Mechanical energy storage

·         Electromagnetic energy storage

·         Hydrogen storage

3.    Electrical energy storage technologies

·         Electrochemical energy storage

·         Principles determining the voltages and capacities of electrochemical cells

·         Materials and designs of electrochemical cells

·         Lead-acid and lithium batteries

·         Batteries for medium- to large-scale applications

4.    Energy conversion and storage in organic fuels

·         Biomass and bioenergy

·         Energy conversion systems and combined heat and power (CHP)

5.    Electrical power management and control in energy storage and distribution

·         Control and automation of power systems

·         Transmission

·         Smart grids

·         Micro-grids integrated electric network

6.    Case studies on the applications of energy storage and distribution, including smart grids, smart meters, energy management, and advanced battery technologies.

·         Smart grid for renewable energy systems

·         The energy generation, storage and distribution of PV systems

·         Internet of things (IoT) for smart energy systems

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Critically evaluate the key benefits and challenges of energy storage and distribution networks in renewable energy.

• Identify the appropriate energy storage and distribution methods for different types of renewable energy systems.

• Analyse the main configurations and components in energy storage and distribution networks for renewable energy systems.

• Justify the importance of materials, control, integration and information management issues in post-generation of renewable energy.

• Appraise future technology trends in sustainability and assess associated opportunities and challenges.

• Dr Mahmood Shafiee

To introduce the principles of risk management and reliability engineering and solve relevant engineering problems through widely applied methods and tools.

• Introduction and Fundamentals of Risk and Reliability Engineering
• Risk Management Process
• Statistics, Probabilities and Mathematics for Risk Analysis
• Failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis (FMEA/FMECA)
• Hazard and operability study (HAZOP) Analysis
• Practical Session #1: Basic Statistics, FMEA/HAZOP
• Qualitative Reliability Analysis (FTA/ETA)
• Systems modelling using Reliability Block Diagrams
• System Reliability through software
• Practical Session #2: System modelling and Reliability
• Quantitative Reliability Analysis, Introduction to MCS
• Risk Control and Decision Support Systems, Failure Consequences
• Introduction to Stochastic Modelling Using @Risk
• Insurance and Certification of Engineering Applications
• Practical Session #3: Stochastic Modelling using @Risk
• Asset Integrity Management
• Risk-Based Inspection and Reliability-Centred Maintenance
• Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety (RAMS) Analysis
• Introduction to inspection and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)
• Case study of risk/reliability and criticality assessment
• Full day workshop: “Wind turbine electromechanical assembly / Subsea Tie-back Manifold Reliability"
• Revision Session.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Demonstrate a systematic knowledge of the fundamentals of risk management and reliability engineering and a critical awareness of their application on relevant engineering problems;
• Evaluate and select appropriate techniques for risk analysis (qualitative and quantitative), failure consequences assessment, and methods for control/mitigation through decision support systems and other relevant methods/tools;
• Assess and analyse appropriate approaches to the collection and modelling of data in the application of Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) methods;
• Develop a critical and analytical approach to selection and application of relevant standards and asset integrity management concepts.

This module brings together theoretical and computational stress analysis through Finite Element simulations, allowing students to appreciate how the two disciplines interact in practice and what their strengths and limitations are. The examination of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for various practical applications (e.g. engineering components, composite structures, rotating disks, cracked geometries) in conjunction with relevant case studies will allow students to combine theoretical understanding with practical experience in order to develop their skills to model and analyse complex engineering problems.

• Stress Analysis: Introduction to stress analysis of components and structures, Ductile and brittle materials, Tensile data analysis, Material properties, Isotropic/kinematic hardening, Dynamic strain aging, Complex stress and strain, Stress and strain transformation, Principal stresses, Maximum shear stress, Mohr’s circle, Constitutive stress-strain equations, Fracture and yield criteria, Constraint and triaxiality effects, Plane stress and plane strain conditions, Thin walled cylinder theory, Thick walled cylinder theory (Lame Equations), Compound cylinders, Plastic deformation of cylinders, Introduction to computational stress analysis.
• Finite Element Analysis: Introduction to FEA, Types of elements, Integration points, Meshing, Mesh convergence, Visualisation, Results interpretation, Beam structures under static and dynamic loading, stress concentration in steel and composite plates, tubular assemblies, 2D and 3D modelling of solid structures, axisymmetry and symmetry boundary conditions, CS1: Stress and strain variation in a pressure vessel subjected to different loading conditions, CS2: Prediction and validation of the stress and strain fields ahead of the crack tip. (case studies are indicative).

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Develop a strong foundation on stress analysis and demonstrate the ability to analyse a range of structural problems.
• Understand the fundamentals of Finite Element Analysis, be able to evaluate methodologies applied to the analysis of structural members (beams, plates, shells, struts), and critically evaluate the applicability and limitations of the methods and the ability to make use of original thought and judgement when approaching structural analysis.
• Demonstrate an in-depth awareness of current practice through case studies of engineering problems.
• Develop skills in using the most widely applied commercial finite element software package (ABAQUS) and some of its advanced functionalities.
• Evaluate the importance of mesh sensitivity in finite element simulations.

• Stephen Carver

The importance of technology leadership in driving the technical aspects of an organisations products, innovation, programmes, operations and strategy is paramount, especially in today’s turbulent commercial environment with its unprecedented pace of technological development.  Demand for ever more complex products and services has become the norm.  The challenge for today’s manager is to deal with uncertainty, to allow technological innovation and change to flourish but also to remain within planned parameters of performance.  Many organisations engaged with technological innovation struggle to find engineers with the right skills.  Specifically, engineers have extensive subject/discipline knowledge but do not understand management processes in organisational context.  In addition, STEM graduates often lack interpersonal skills.

• Engineers and Technologists in organisations: The role of organisations and the challenges facing engineers and technologies.
• People management: Understanding you. Understanding other people. Working in teams. Dealing with conflicts.
• The Business Environment: Understanding the business environment; identifying key trends and their implications for the organisation.
• Strategy and Marketing: Developing effective strategies; Focusing on the customer; building competitive advantage; The role of strategic assets.
• Finance: Profit and loss accounts. Balance sheets. Cash flow forecasting.Project appraisal.
• New product development: Commercialising technology. Market drivers. Time to market. Focusing technology. Concerns.
• Business game: Working in teams (companies), students will set up and run a technology company and make decisions on investment, R&D funding, operations, marketing and sales strategy.
• Negotiation: Preparation for Negotiations. Negotiation process. Win-Win solutions.
• Presentation skills: Understanding your audience. Focusing your message. Successful presentations. Getting your message across.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Recognise the importance of teamwork in the performance and success of organisations with particular reference to commercialising technological innovation.
• Operate as an effective team member, recognising the contribution of individuals within the team, and capable of developing team working skills in themselves and others to improve overall performance of a team.
• Compare and evaluate the impact of the key functional areas (strategy, marketing and finance) on the commercial performance of an organisation, relevant to the manufacture of a product or provision of a technical service.
• Design and deliver an effective presentation that justifies and supports any decisions or recommendations made.
• Argue and defend their judgements through constructive communication and negotiating skills.

• Dr Stuart Wagland

The module aims to provide the students with a deep understanding of the truly multidisciplinary nature of a real industrial project. Using a relevant case study, the scientific and technical concepts learned during the previous modules will be brought together and used to execute the analysis of the case study.

• Work flow definition: setting up the single aspects to be considered, the logical order, and the interfaces.
• Design of an appropriate analysis toolkit specific to the case study
• Development of a management or maintenance framework for the case study
• Multi-criteria decision analysis [MDCA] applied to energy technologies to identify the best available technology. 
• Energy technologies and systems: understanding the development and scaling/design of the technologies by applying an understanding of the available resources in the assigned location;
• Public engagement strategies and the planning process involved in developing energy technologies.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Critically evaluate available technological options, and select the most appropriate method for determining the best available technology [BAT] for the specific case study;
• Demonstrate the ability to work as part of a group to achieve the stated requirements of the module brief;
• Demonstrate the ability to organise the single-discipline activities in a logical workflow, and to define the interfaces between them, designing an overall multidisciplinary approach for the specific case study.
  

To provide a theoretical and applied understanding of fluid mechanics and fluid loading on structures.

Principles of fluid dynamics:

• Properties of fluids: Control volumes & fluid elements, Continuity, Momentum & Energy equations, stream function & velocity potential, Bernoulli’s equation.
• Flow structures: Boundary layer theory, laminar & turbulent flow, steady & unsteady flow, flow breakdown & separations, vortex formation & stability
• Lifting flows: Circulation theory, Prandtl’s lifting-line theory, sources of drag,  aerofoil characteristics
• Fluid loading on horizontal and vertical axis turbines

Dynamics of floating bodies: from simple hydrostatics to complex dynamic response in waves.

• Hydrostatics of Floating Bodies; Buoyancy Forces and Stability, Initial stability, The wall sided formula and large angle stability, Stability losses, The Pressure Integration Technique
• Fluid loading on offshore structures and Ocean Waves Theory: The Added Mass Concept, Froude Krylov Force, Linear wave theory, Wave loading (Diffraction Theory & Morison Equation),
• Dynamics response of floating structures in waves: dynamic response analysis, application to floating bodies (buoys, semisub, TLP), effect of moorings.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Explain how the wind, waves and tides are formed, factors that influence their distribution & predictability;
• Review the fundamental equations for fluid behaviour, characterisation of flow structures and forces and moments acting on lifting bodies;
• Evaluate and select the most appropriate model to assess and undertake the simulation of a floating structure static and dynamic stability.

To provide an understanding of pertinent issues concerning the use of engineering materials and practical tools for solving structural integrity and structural fitness-for-service problems.

• Introduction & Structural Design Philosophies
• Fatigue Crack Initiation
• Fracture Mechanics (1) – Derivation of G and K
• Fracture Mechanics (2) – LEFM and EPFM
• Fracture Mechanics (3) – Evaluation of Fracture Mechanics Parameters; K and J
• Fracture Toughness Testing and Analysis; KIC and JIC
• Creep Deformation and Crack Growth
• Non Destructive Testing Methods
• Inspection Reliability
• Defect Assessment, Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics of Welded Components
• Fracture of Composites
• Corrosion Engineering

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Assess fitness-for-service issues and propose appropriate structural integrity solutions.
• Judge the current component life assessment procedures and distinguish their limitations in aspects of structural integrity.
• Develop a critical and analytical approach towards the engineering aspects of structural integrity.
• Be able to confidently assess the applicability of the tools of structural integrity to new problems and apply them appropriately.

To introduce the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques and tools for modelling, simulating and analysing practical engineering problems with hands on experience using commercial software packages used in industry.

• Introduction to CFD & thermo-fluids: Introduction to the physics of thermo-fluids. Governing equations (continuity, momentum, energy and species conservation) and state of the art Computational Fluid Dynamics including modelling, grid generation, simulation, and high performance computing.  Case study of an Industrial problem and the physical process that CFD can be used to analyse.
• Computational Engineering Exercise: specification for a CFD simulation. Requirements for accurate analysis and validation for multi scale problems. Introduction to Turbulence & practical applications of Turbulence Models: Introduction to Turbulence and turbulent flows. Traditional turbulence modelling. 
• Advanced Turbulence Modelling: Introduction to Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) simulations and large-eddy simulation (LES).
• Practical sessions: Offshore renewable energy problems (flow around wind and tidal turbines) will be solved employing the widely-used industrial flow solver software FLUENT.  These practical sessions will cover the entire CFD process including grid generation, flow solver, analysis, validation and visualisation.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Assemble and evaluate the different components of the CFD process.
• Explain the governing equations for fluid flows and how to solve them computationally.
• Compare and contrast various methods for simulating turbulent flows applicable to civil and mechanical engineering, especially offshore renewable energy applications such as wind turbines and tidal turbines.
• Set up simulations and evaluate a practical problem using a commercial CFD package.
• Design CFD modelling studies of renewable energy devices.

• Dr Gill Drew

Health, safety, security and the environment are all key considerations when working in the offshore and renewable energy sectors.  These 4 topics are also broad and cover many aspects.  Within the scope of a single module, it is not possible to cover all 4 aspects in depth.  The module is therefore designed to provide students with the competencies to assess and evaluate the relevant international standards as well as the legislation and regulatory requirements.  There is a strong focus on the use of case studies to provide examples of how standards and legislation are implemented in practice.

• Introduction to the International Standards associated with HSSE, including the ISO 14000 family 
• Environmental legislation and voluntary standards
• Environmental impacts and prevention
• Occupational health and safety legislation and duty of care
• Human reliability analysis and accident causation: Major accident sequences, risk perception and control of risk human reliability assessment tools, HEART and THERP.
• Offshore safety case and formal safety assessments: regulatory regime,  safety case requirements, types of study, scenario development, examples of use of QRA methods, consequence analysis, vulnerability of essential systems, smoke and gas ingress, evacuation escape and rescue and typical output.
• Review of major offshore accidents: Sea Gem, Alexander Keilland, Star Canopus and Piper Alpha disaster. 
 

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Critique the ISO standards relevant to occupational health, safety and the environment, within the context of offshore and renewable energy.
• Differentiate between voluntary requirements and legal or regulatory requirements for health and safety, and the environment
• Evaluate the likely environmental impacts resulting from offshore and renewable energy industries
• Design an appropriate health and safety policy for a particular offshore environment or renewable energy technology.

• Dr Mahmood Shafiee

To provide the knowledge and skills necessary to calculate values of reliability and risk of components, systems and processes used in variety of industries.

• Introduction: Asset management, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), asset productivity.
• Asset integrity: Asset integrity management, Risk-based integrity, through-life engineering.
• Maintenance engineering: Maintenance regimes, reactive vs. proactive maintenance; Age and block maintenance, reliability-centred maintenance (RCM), risk-based maintenance (RBM).
• Fault prognosis and diagnosis: Fault detection and failure location; root-cause analysis (RCA), Common-cause analysis (CCA), Condition-based maintenance (CBM), predictive maintenance (PdM).
• Introduction to Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), world-class maintenance (WCMain).
• Maintenance modelling, planning, scheduling, and optimization
• Reliability data analysis: types and sources of reliability data, data collection, data cleansing, data accuracy and precision, model fitting, big-data, incomplete data, redundant data, not-detailed data.
• Applications of Monte-Carlo simulation in system reliability and availability modelling.
• Probability of failure, Cost of failure, and risk of failure in offshore energy systems.
• System’s life-cycle: Life-cycle cost (LCC) analysis, whole-life costing, how to identify key cost drivers
• Warranty and service contracts analysis: guarantees, warranties, extended warranties, service contracts, and maintenance outsourcing with several examples from the oil and gas, marine renewable, railway and manufacturing industries.
• Workshops and case studies: Work in groups to analyse the reliability, availability and maintainability of various offshore systems and components.

 

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:

• Identify and recognise the asset risk management techniques and maintenance strategies used in different industries.
• Apply various proactive maintenance policies (Age and block, RCM, RBM, CBM, PdM, TPM).
• Determine the concept and utilise applications of Monte-Carlo simulation in system reliability and availability modelling.
• Analyse key and fundamental aspects of system’s life-cycle and understand the financial implications involved with assessing the maintenance and risk factors of offshore projects.