OVERVIEW

The most important technologies for the production of electricity from both fossil and renewable sources will be examined.

The course aims to provide:

1. an overview of the available technologies for the production of electricity from fossil and renewable sources;
2. the basic knowledge to be able to be able to objectively evaluate alternative technologies.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The objective of the teaching is to provide the basic knowledge that allows you to understand the concepts of energy and sustainable development. The tools for the qualitative / quantitative evaluation in thermodynamic, technological, economic, environmental and social terms will be provided. Both available and emerging technologies for the near future will be briefly discussed.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course will provide basic knowledge necessary to understand the concepts of energy and sustainable development. Tools for qualitative/quantitative assessment will be provided in terms of thermodynamics, technology, economics, environment, and society. Both available and emerging technologies for the near future will be briefly discussed.

By the end of the course, the student will have acquired the knowledge to perform a preliminary evaluation of a technology for electricity production, considering its environmental and economic impact. Specifically, the student will be able to:

• understand the operating principles of the most important technologies for the energy valorization of fossil fuels (coal-fired power plants, combined cycle power plants, etc.);
• understand the operating principles of the most important technologies for the energy valorization of renewable sources (hydroelectric, solar, geothermal, wind, etc.);
• apply concepts of applied thermodynamics to critically evaluate the final use of energy.

PREREQUISITES

Basic knowledge of thermodynamics and physics

TEACHING METHODS

The course is delivered through lectures for a total of 32 hours (equivalent to 4 CFU); some numerical exercises will be conducted in class. During the year, the discussion of some study cases will help students to acquire the concepts covered in the lectures.

The teaching materials distributed by the instructor will be made available on AulaWeb.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

• Concept of sustainable development: interactions with economic, environmental, and social processes.
• Energy production: economic, environmental, and social sustainability; economic and thermodynamic analysis.
• Technological innovation as a tool for sustainable development: management of resources (natural and renewable). Climate change: Kyoto protocol. Systematic analysis of energy systems; measure of sustainability through some sustainability indicators.
• Primary energy sources: fossil sources. Comparison of the different production technologies in terms of environmental impact; overview of the most common generation systems: coal-fired, gas turbines, combined cycle, cogeneration. Capture and sequestration of CO2. Emission trading.
• Alternative sources: renewable  sources. Hydroelectric, geothermal, solar energy from the tides. Biomass energy.

Optional Topics
• Alternative sources: wind energy, waste energy
• Nuclear energy: overview of available and emerging technologies.
• Energy carriers: electricity, hydrogen.

• Electrochemical energy: fuel cells.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Notes provided by the instructor and used for the lectures.

Textbooks:

Rubini, L. e Sangiorgio, S. (Editori), “Le energie rinnovabili. le nuove tecnologie di produzione elettrica e termica”, Editore Ulrico Hoepli, Milano (2012).

Reference books:

Cleveland, C.J. (Editor), “Encyclopedia of energy”, Elsevier (2004) ) (disponibile su www.sciencedirect.com)

Breeze, P., “Power Generation Technologies”, Oxford (UK), Elsevier (2005).

Giaccio, M., "Il Climatismo: una nuova ideologia", 21-mo Secolo (2019).

Miglietta F., “Elementi di Fisica Tecnica”, Pitagora Editore (2012)

Sayigh Ali (Editor), “Comprehensive Renewable Energy”, Elsevier (2012) (disponibile su www.sciencedirect.com)

Tester, J.W. et al.,“Sustainable Energy: Choosing among Options”, Cambridge (MA), MIT Press, 2005.

Note: the copies of the lecture slides are not sufficient for a good preparation for the exam; it is strongly recommended to use the textbooks and reference books.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The lectures will take place on the second semester. Lesson starting is managed according to the Manifesto (avaialble at https://corsi.unige.it/corsi/8757). A specific communication will be sent to registered students.

The class schedule is available at https://easyacademy.unige.it/portalestudenti/

Class schedule

ENERGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam only. Registration must be done by registering online and sending an e-mail (servida@unige.it) within 7 days before the exam date.

The online registration for the exam can be done from the web page: https://servizionline.unige.it/studenti/esami/prenotazione.

The student can choose two options: a) traditional oral exam; b) discussion of a report on a topic chosen by the student and agreed with the teacher.

For students with disabilities or DSA, examination arrangements are aligned with the University regulations for the conduct of proficiency examinations (https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa).

Only in urgent cases can the exam be conducted online, in accordance with the regulations issued by the University.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The Examination Commission consists of at least two members, one of whom is A. Servida; the oral exam lasts at least 30 minutes. With these methods, the Commission can verify the achievement of the learning objectives. Specifically, the student must demonstrate that he has acquired knowledge on:

• the most important thermodynamic cycles;
• the technologies for electricity production from fossil fuels;
• the most important technologies for the energy valorization of renewable sources;
• the operating principles of technologies for electricity production from renewable sources (photovoltaic and concentrated solar power, hydroelectric, tidal, wind, geothermal, and biomass).

The overall assessment also takes into account the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to solving industrially relevant problems.

If the learning objectives are not acquired, the student is encouraged to deepen their study, requesting additional explanations from the responsible instructors if necessary.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Sergio Di Domizio (sergio.didomizio@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.