M2 Renewable Energy Science & Technology
M2 Renewable Energy Science & Technology
Head of Program:
Bernard DREVILLON
Aims:
Focusing on science, the program aims to give students real-world technical expertise in strategic renewable energy disciplines, as well as an in-depth understanding of the issues associated with renewable energies and their development, including the short and medium-term technical, technological, geopolitical and environmental challenges. The programs main objectives are to: - Prepare students for careers in renewable energy advanced research and management; - Train the researchers and engineers who will help to prepare and implement energy strategies and policies for leading manufacturers, innovative start-ups and public organizations.
Content:
The program is divided into two semesters. During 1st semester (37 ECTS credits), students choose eight science courses worth four ECTS credits each (32 hours of classes + 28 hours of individual research) : two courses (8 ECTS credits) from each of the two chosen specialties (Photovoltaics, Energy Vectors and Storage, Energy Distribution Networks, Wind and Hydro Power), one additional course among the "Socioeconomic Issues" module (4 ECTS credits) and three more elective courses (12 ECTS credits) among remaining scientific courses. This semester is concluded by a research project in subject of specialization (2 ECTS credits). To finish, a language course (English or French as a Foreign Language) has to be completed (3 ECTS credits). During the 2nd semester (23 ECTS credits) a Masters internship (6 months), relevant to the specialization, has to be made in a public or private laboratory in France or abroad. All year-long Topical Seminars would also be offered.
Further opportunities:
The program aims to provide students with state-of-the-art knowledge and expertise in some of the most important renewable energy disciplines. Graduates will enter the job market with the necessary skills to help leading manufacturers, innovative start-ups and public organizations define and implement their energy strategies and policies, worldwide. The program also prepares students for jobs in research or teaching. The wide array of businesses and laboratories involved in the program offers graduates extensive employment opportunities in the sector.
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Highlights:
This Best-in-class international instruction, fully teached in English, is backed up by internationally respected businesses. Those are contributing their technical and scientific expertise to the program and ensuring a career-focused approach, particularly through their research units. Some of the most important renewable energy issues from expert researchers are therefore offerd both in the classroom and in the field via student internships. This instruction is also backed-up by an innovative structure: students also benefit from cross-disciplinary courses and seminars on various technologies. Each of those assets anable to provide targeted training in specific renewable energy disciplines and a holistic undertanding of the related issues.
Admission:
Candidates will be judged on the type of studies undertaken and the grades achieved, their level of motivation and the fit between the program and their career aspirations. Unless a waiver has been granted, admission is only confirmed once the selected candidates have paid the registration fee and made an initial deposit of 5% of the total tuition fees.
Calendar:
S3: September-February Q1: September-November Q2: December-February S4: March-August
Validation:
S3: 37 ECTS credits S4: 23 ECTS credits The students thesis (M2 internship) will be graded based on an oral examination.
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Program Contents :
Semester 3 (37 ECTS credits): Foreign language (3 ECTS) Scientific courses (4X4 ECTS): Photovoltaics: Thin-Film Photovoltaics Photovoltaics Technologies in Industry Polymers for Photovoltaics Energy Vectors and Storage: Batteries and Energy Storage Renewable Generation of Electricity Using the Thermal Cycle Hydrogen and Energy: Production, Storage, Fuel Cells and Economic Issues Energy Transmission Grid Engineering: Electrical Systems Integrating Off-Grid Energy into Smart Grids Grid Optimization Wind and Hydro Power: Wind Power Fluvial and maritime resources for renewable energy
Cross-discipline courses (1x4 ECTS): Introduction to Biomass and Bioenergy Specialization Course in Biomass and Bioenergy Wind, solar and hydraulic potential New Energies and New Markets Project Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Topical Seminars Overviews of Energy Production and Transmission Technologies
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Masters internship
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-Introduction Substrate size from research to commercial production Lifespan of solar cell production lines Pilot production lines -Upscaling challenges The need for full scale testing and validation Technological hurdles Comparison with a semiconductor production line Cost assessment Environmental impact assessment -Equipment manufacturers R&D line Supplier 1 R&D line Supplier 2 -Production line Definition of infrastructure and space requirements HSE Production line controls Term : Winter & Spring ECTS Credits : 4 Last Modification : Tuesday 08 March 2011
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transportation solution, particularly in countries like France, where the primary source of electricity is nuclear power, which is relatively inexpensive and generates few greenhouse gas emissions. However, it is difficult to establish electric vehicles as a viable alternative, because we have not yet found an electrochemical system that can compete with internal combustion engines, particularly in terms of operating range. Indeed, the application of such electrochemical generators to the transportation industry will dictate their further development. The course will cover both the concepts behind electrochemical storage and the technological aspects of batteries. We will review the basic chemistry concepts needed to understand the electrochemical conversion of energy, focusing on the chemistry of solids and ionic and electronic transport; the electrochemistry behind electrode reactions; the concept of charge/discharge cycles; the physical chemistry of diffusion processes; and irreversible processes. The most conventional battery and fuel cell systems will be reviewed, leading into a more in-depth discussion of those that are being developed on a commercial scale, such as lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride batteries, and the problems associated with their use. Alternative electrochemical systems currently in the research phase will also be analyzed, including thermal batteries, sodium-ion batteries, bio-batteries and energy harvesting. The theoretical aspects of the course will be reinforced via practical work (construction and study of lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors) and visits to production facilities and research labs. The emphasis will be placed on adapting batteries for use in electric vehicles, which will require striking a balance between the amount of energy stored (energy density) and the power delivered. To achieve this, battery performance needs to be optimized while maintaining the highest possible levels of reliability and safety during the aging of these devices. The strategy of pairing batteries with other conversion devices will also be discussed (e.g. hybrid vehicles and supercapacitors). Teaching coordinator : Michel Cassir, Philippe Barboux Term : Fall ECTS Credits : 4 Last Modification : Tuesday 08 March 2011
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Teaching coordinator : Benoit Gabrielle, Didier Mayer Term : Fall ECTS Credits : 4 Last Modification : Tuesday 08 March 2011
PHY654_RST Hydrogen and Energy: Production, Storage, Fuel Cells and Economic Issues
The aim of this course is to explore the scientific and technological aspects of hydrogen as an energy carrier, as well as its various production and storage methods and applications both today and in the future. The course will be taught via lectures and tutorials. Lectures: Introduction to hydrogen and its industrial applications (production of ammonia and methanol, hydrogenation of oils, etc.) Description of the various types of hydrogen production: Thermochemical technologies: Steam reforming of natural gas Biomass pyrolysis and gasification Partial oxidation Autothermal reforming Coal gasification Water splitting: Electrolysis High-temperature electrolysis Thermochemical cycles Nuclear hydrogen production Photolysis Photoelectrolysis Photobiological hydrogen production Cost comparison of the various production methods Hydrogen storage and distribution: Liquid hydrogen storage Gaseous hydrogen storage Solid-stage hydrogen storage Storage via absorption in metal hydrides Storage as gas hydrates Storage via adsorption in porous materials Comparison of the various storage methods Energy-related applications: Combustion Combustion of molecular hydrogen gas mixtures Chemical risks and accidental combustion processes Engine combustion Fuel cells Fuel cell technologies Hydrogen oxidation in fuel cells
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Advantages and disadvantages of fuel cells Tutorials: Production: high and low-temperature electrolysis, thermochemical cycles, gasification, pyrolysis, thermal decomposition Storage: physical adsorption, adsorption kinetics, hydriding and liquid hydrogen Applications: comparison of fuel cell technologies and their energy efficiency, combustion of hydrogen gas mixtures, hydrogen oxidation This 32-hour course will be taught in eight four-hour sessions that will include both a lecture and tutorials. Teaching coordinator : Didier Dalmazzone, Patrice Paricaud, Johnny Deschamps, Laurent Catoire, Michel Cassir, Alain Thorel Term : Fall Number of hours : 32 ECTS Credits : 4 Last Modification : Tuesday 08 March 2011
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2.4Load flow modeling 3.Electricity storage 3.1Overview of the technologies currently used and those under development 3.2Operating parameters and characteristics 3.3Sizing 4.Off-grid energy management 4.1Predicting production from renewable energy power plants 4.2Application of stochastic dynamic optimization 4.3The benefits and management of storage units 4.4Mini-grids and isolated systems 5.Information networks and systems for energy grids 5.1Network support and protocols 5.2Middleware 5.3Safety and reliability 5.4Application services, supervision Note: Part 5 covers the concepts and tools associated with communication networks and information systems, which can be used alongside electrical systems to create smart grids. The aim is to produce power grid experts capable of liaising with IT and communication experts. Teaching coordinator : Didier Mayer Term : Fall ECTS Credits : 4 Last Modification : Tuesday 08 March 2011
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- Smart grids : optimisation et intgration des moyens de productions intermittents et/ou dcentraliss - Coordination des systmes lectriques l'chelle continentale. Teaching coordinator : Michel De Lara, Frdric BONNANS Term : Winter & Spring ECTS Credits : 4 Last Modification : Thursday 14 April 2011
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demonstrators or projects on marine renewable energy. 1. Introduction, hydroelectric resource - Economical, environmental and political issues - Various units of energy, primary and final energy - Capacity of some power plants, capacity factor - Water cycle, potential temperature, precipitations - Gravitational energy: resource and energy - Conventional dam: principle, efficiency, power capacity, capacity factor - The mean total head H, head loss, maximum flow rate and power - Environmental impact and carbon budget of hydroelectric power plants 2. Fluvial hydraulics - Flow regimes, Froude number - Hydraulic load of a free surface flow - Fluvial-torrential transition - Hydraulic jump, dissipation - Energy and momentum conservation 3. Turbulent dissipation, bottom friction, fluvial potential - Reynolds decomposition, turbulent dissipation - Prandtl boundary layer - Head loss of a free surface flow: fluvial and torrential regime - Run of river electricity: principle, efficiency, power capacity, capacity factor - Climatic changes and hydroelectric power 4. Tidal wave and tidal power - History: first uses of tidal power - Astronomical forcing - Rotating shallow-water equations - Ocean response: Kelvin waves and tidal waves - Bay or estuary resonance: energy potential - Impact of bottom friction - Tidal power plant: principle, efficiency, power capacity - Environmental impact of tidal power plants 5. Tidal currents and tidal turbine - Coastal amplification of tidal currents - Wind forcing and gravity currents - Impact of bottom friction - Tidal turbine: principle, Betz law, efficiency, power capacity 6. Wave energy - Monochromatic surface wave in shallow and deep waters - Energy and energy flux - Wind forcing, wave spectrum, Pierson-Monkowitz, JONSWAP - Coastal impact : shoaling and refraction - Capacity factor and seasonal variability
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- Wave energy converter: history, principle, efficiency and power capacity - Point source absorber, directional absorber, adaptive systems - Advantages and drawbacks 7. Thermal marine energy - Solar radiation and water absorption spectrum - Sea-air heat flux - Oceanic mixed layer, thermocline layer - OTEC systems : principles, efficiency, capacity factor - Practical consideration, environmental impact, biofouling and biogeochemical cycles Requirements Basic knowledge in fluid mechanics, Navier-Stokes equations, wave dynamics. Teaching coordinator : Alexandre STEGNER, Ramiro Godoy-Diana Term : Winter & Spring ECTS Credits : 4 Last Modification : Monday 18 April 2011
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-Opportunity cost in relation to agricultural resources, and supply curves -Integration of positive environmental effects (greenhouse effect) -Public policy on bioenergy and role in the fight against climate change Field trip, for example to a biomass boiler plant (6 hours). Individual research: analysis of specific case studies. Assessment: oral presentation of case study analysis (3 hours). Term : Fall ECTS Credits : 4 Last Modification : Tuesday 08 March 2011
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The Earth's atmosphere, oceans and crust represent a limitless source of energy, as long as we succeed in harnessing it. Developing renewable energies, which generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions, is a major challenge for the coming decades. The aim of this course is to give students basic knowledge of small- and medium-scale physics and hydrodynamics, so that they can estimate the wind, solar or water energy potential of a particular site or region. The questions to be covered include how much energy can be recovered, regardless of the type of technology used or the level of efficiency achieved; the resources availability and variability; whether it can easily be stored; and how supply, which depends on environmental conditions, can be adapted to meet demand. The course is divided into three or four lectures and six or seven practical sessions, during which students will work in pairs on an experimental or digital project or on data analysis. Lecture 1: Wind power potential Planetary boundary layer Monin-Obukhov similarity theory Statistical modelling of wind Wind variability in complex environments Wind and wind power potential Lecture 2: Solar power potential Earths radiation budget Surface energy balance Direct and diffuse solar radiation Sunlight variability (clouds, aerosols, diurnal cycle) Solar radiation and heating Lecture 3: Hydropower potential Overview of the technologies currently used and those under development: hydroelectric dams (reservoir and run-of-river), tidal power plants, water turbines, wave power, etc. Hydraulic load, subcritical/supercritical flow, energy and momentum Variability of water courses and flood waves Kelvin waves, application to tidal movements Harnessing wave power, wave-structure coupling Lecture 4: Energy storage and/or grid energy storage (GES) Teaching coordinator : Alexandre STEGNER Term : Fall ECTS Credits : 4 Last Modification : Tuesday 08 March 2011
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(energy needs: cooking, lighting, pumping, heating, etc.) 1.2 Presentation and overview of existing renewable energy solutions capable of meeting these needs, from the most basic to the most complex and from individual consumers to industry. 1.3 Climate change and the associated economic challenges: Kyoto Protocol, carbon trading, etc. 2.Spotlight on developed countries 2.1 Policies that encourage the development of alternative energies (e.g. Frances Grenelle program) 2.2 Systems for encouraging the development of alternative energies (legislation, taxation, etc.) 3.Spotlight on developing countries 3.1 The energy issues specific to developing countries, such as access to energy, and issues related to local legal environments (e.g. how to negotiate and cooperate with the authorities in countries where the government has a monopoly on access to energy but does not possess the resources or skills necessary to implement this type of project) 3.2 Access to energy programs in these countries: presentation of development organizations, the main international development programs (World Bank, AFD, etc.) and international financial institutions Teaching coordinator : Joaquim NASSAR Term : Fall ECTS Credits : 4 Last Modification : Tuesday 08 March 2011
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