Minor in Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Minor in Renewable and Sustainable Energy (RSE)
Description of the Minor
The Minor in RSE, designed for all Engineering and Science majors, provides students with the knowledge, skills, and practices relevant to the development, implementation, and application of renewable and sustainable energy technologies and solutions in the various related sectors of industry and government agencies in the UAE. This minor is diverse in its scope. It can be a valuable addition for students interested in pursuing a career in the energy sector as well as policy-making and sustainable development.
Educational Objectives
The Minor in Renewable and Sustainable Energy will prepare graduates to be able to:
- Meet employer and community expectations for current and relevant technical knowledge and skills, for careers and potential entrepreneurship and leadership in the field of sustainable and renewable energy.
- Pursue further studies or develop professionally in the field of renewable and sustainable energy.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Minor in Renewable and Sustainable Energy, graduates will be able to:
- Analyze current power generation technologies and systems, identify the elements that raise sustainability concerns and possible methodologies for sustainable operations.
- Design and evaluate renewable and sustainable power energy generation systems.
- Evaluate the economic, social, and environmental benefits of renewable and sustainable energy and maximize positive outcomes for communities and industries.
Minor requirements
The Minor in RSE consists of 18 credit hours distributed as follows: 9 credits of Background core courses (outside of the student major) and 9 credits of technical electives. Only two (2) courses from the student’s major can be double counted.
Core Courses (Select 3 courses from the above (outside of student major))
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ECCE 303
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Electrical Energy Systems
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3 cr.
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Cannot be taken by Electrical and Computer Engineering Majors
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MEEN 340
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Thermal Energy Conversion Fundamentals
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3 cr.
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Cannot be taken by Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Majors
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MEEN 486
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Renewable and Sustainable Energy
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3 cr.
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ESMA 340
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Energy Policy and Economics
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3 cr.
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Technical electives (select 3 courses)
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CHEG 360
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Introduction to Hydrogen Technologies and Applications
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3 cr.
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CHEG 404
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Bioenergy
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3 cr.
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CHEG 303
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Fuel Cell Science and Technology
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3 cr.
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ESMA 441
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Advanced Simulation
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3 cr.
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MEEN 435
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Turbomachinery
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3 cr.
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MEEN 482
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Fundamentals of Wind Energy
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3 cr.
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MEEN 483
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Fundamentals of solar thermal energy
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3 cr.
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ECCE 495
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Introduction to Solar Cells
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3 cr.
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ECCE 486
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Renewable Energy Technology
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3 cr.
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ECCE 423
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Power Electronics
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3 cr.
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Course Descriptions:
CHEG 303 Fuel Cell Science and Technology
This course provides a comprehensive background in clean energy production using fuel cell technologies. The students learn the fundamentals needed to develop, study, modify and characterize various types of fuel cells.
CHEG 360 Introduction to Hydrogen Technologies and Applications
This course provides basic knowledge on hydrogen technologies and applications. The aim of the course is to enable the students to apply these learnings in their profession, as well as taking additional specialized courses in this field. The course includes fundamental information about hydrogen properties, an overview of different technologies to produce hydrogen, to store and transport it, depending on the needs, finalizing with hydrogen utilization in different industrial sectors, and in the context of sustainable energy.
CHEG 404 Bioenergy– Technical Elective
This course provides an overview and understanding to students about the potential and assessment of bioenergy sources, bioenergy engineering technology and application of bioenergy products. An overview of the opportunities and challenges of bioenergy engineering development in terms of energy availability and the influence of bioenergy on the environment is presented.
ECCE 303 – Electrical Energy Systems
This course provides an introduction to electrical energy systems, starting with the physical principles underlying the modeling of circuit elements and covering topics that include DC circuit analysis techniques, first-order circuits, sinusoidal steady-state analysis, AC power and reactive power calculations, transformers, balanced three-phase circuits and the basics of electromechanical energy conversion devices (DC and AC machines).
ECCE 423 Power Electronics
The course covers the operation and analysis of power semiconductor converters (AC-DC, DC-DC, and DC-AC) and their various configurations; Switching losses, thermal and protection circuits; continuous and discontinuous current operations; power quality issues; effect of overlap; and introduce different applications for power electronics.
ECCE 486 Renewable Energy Technologies
The course covers the principles of electric power generation from conventional and renewable based power plants; principles of operation of various types of renewable energy resources; main components of wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) energy conversion systems; principles of operation of energy storage systems; and control techniques for grid-connected and stand-alone wind and PV systems.
ECCE 495 Introduction to Solar Cells
In this course, students learn the basic physics of converting sunlight to electricity, key measurable parameters and how solar cells are manufactured. It provides a tour through the solar cell history and key motivation. Students learn what technologies are currently on the market and highlight Si solar cells, thin film solar cells, and new emerging technologies. Hands-on experience teaches the fabrication steps in the cleanroom and explore measuring real solar cells. Students learn how to enhance solar cell performance and reduce cost.
ESMA 340: Energy Policy and Economics
This course provides a thorough grounding in the economics of energy and policy imperatives at the national and global levels including the dynamic inter-relationship between Energy, Economics and Environment. Its central aim is to develop a good understanding of how economic systems shape energy policy and its governance. Drawing on case examples and data from the developed and developing economies, the class strikes a balance between academic and policy discussions and between different approaches to student learning and engagement, including, for instance, case studies, group work, and developing policy memos.
ESMA 441 Advanced Simulation
This course provides an advanced treatment of simulation topics focusing on agent-based simulation models and analysis techniques. Topics include large-scale and complex industrial systems; input modeling, output analysis, sensitivity analysis, design of experiments (Taguchi methods), comparison of alternative system configurations.
MEEN 435 Turbomachinery
This course covers the fundamentals of turbo-machinery analyses, velocity triangle method, similarity laws, performance characteristics, applications and selection of turbo machines for a variety of engineering situations such as pumping, gas compression and power generation.
MEEN 340: Thermal Energy Conversion Fundamentals
This course introduces the first and second laws of thermodynamics, properties of pure substances, and power and refrigeration cycles. The focus is on the particular form of thermal energy conversion in specific energy conversion modules, including gas power cycles (Otto, Diesel, Stirling), water/steam and gas power plants, and refrigeration devices, activated by renewable heat sources.
MEEN 482: Fundamentals of Wind Energy
This course provides a description of the topics which are fundamental to understanding the conversion of wind energy to electricity and its eventual use by society. A wide range of topics are covered, from meteorology through many fields of engineering to economics and environmental concerns.
MEEN 483: Fundamentals of Solar Thermal Energy
This course develops topics relating to collection, storage, conversion, and utilization solar thermal energy. Solar position, shading, atmospheric attenuation and sky models are covered. Optical properties of materials and reflector and receiver geometries are developed. Low-temperature applications of desalination, water heating, and space heating and cooling and high-temperature applications of concentrating solar power and advanced solar cooling are described. System modeling, measurements and standard tests are covered.
MEEN 486 Renewable and Sustainable Energy
The course provides introductory coverage of energy production, conversion, distribution and storage systems for different sources of energy including fossil fuel; nuclear power; biomass energy; geothermal energy; hydropower; wind energy, and solar energy. Emphasis is placed on the sustainable use of energy in light of economic, environmental, and societal constraints.