This course is aimed to give an up to date situation for the energy "production" technologies based on "electrochemical methods" as well as their possible developments and prospectives. In particular the student will be introduced to the world energy budget and to the main trends affecting its determination, including many social aspects.

In details electrochemical batteries, fuel cels end photovoltaics systems will be examined in detail with respect their relevance to the shift to renewable energy sources from hydrocarbons ones.

Dublin descrictors: 1,2,3

The sudent is expected to properly design an electrochemical apparatus to be used in energy applications. Examples are batteries and fuel cells to be used in electric mobility or in large energy storage systems.

as a minimum level the students is expected to describe one of the tecnologies presented during the course

This course is aimed to give an up to date situation for the energy "production" technologies based on "electrochemical methods" as well as their possible developments and prospectives. The different physical and chemical aspects involved in these processes will be anlyzed in detail, leading to a quantitative description of any energy generation system through a suitable mathematical model. Such an analysis will evidence all the key aspects determining the today commercial success of these technologies. For all the analyzed technologies the equation stating the characteristic curve of the system will be derived (electromotive force vs current density or generated power vs current density).

Introduction: general elements of electrochemistry (thermodynamics, kinetics and transport phenomena involving the trasport of ions)

Energy: the terawatt challenge. Analysis of the today world energy mix and  prospectives for the different renewable energy sources (in comparison with fossil fuels)

Batteries: description and simulation of the most important kind of batteries. Their application on small, medium and large scale and possible prospectives in different fields aof application. Excercise on Lead and on Li-ion batteries. Charge and discharge cycles

solar energy: physics of the PV conversion; description of the different technologies; cells, modules and photovoltaic systems. Mathematical models to simulate a PV energy plant;

fuel cells: fundamental features of the different technologies; different kind of fuels: hydrogen and methanol. Internal and external reforming. Role of membrane and of the different materials adopted for the electrodes. possible prospectives in different fields

simulation models: excercises will be based on simulation models derived through an excel sheet. models will allow the quantitative estimation of the system performances as function of process parameter. Simulations developed for a lead battery, a li-ion battery, a PEMFC, a energy geneartion plant based on PV

BIBLIOGRAPHY: slides and notes, as well as reference models will be given in electronic form (pdf and xls files)

NOTE: the course will be given in english

writing of energy and mass conservation equations. basics of trasport phenomena and chemical reaction engineering

to do a presentation in ppt of an argument of the course (preferably choosen together with the teacher) involving also numerical design of the apparatus.

lower end marks for a presentation were one of the technologies is described

higher end marks for a presentation with a full design of a technological apparatus (e.g., electric veichle, generation power plant based on renewables, energy storage system, ...) 

students are encouraged to form a group organized in project leaders and task leaders, ....., in particular for approaching complex projects.