The University of Aberdeen
Obtaining an MSc in Renewable Energy Engineering has taught me the advanced skills needed to design, build, and optimize the renewable energy infrastructure of the future. The course covered both theoretical knowledge and advanced technical skills in demand for this ever-evolving sector.
My thesis (click here) focused on finding new electrolytes for light energy harvesting. These electrolytes, liquid crystals, have been attracting a lot of interest in the community due to their unique physical properties. A phase that I studied was the twist-bend nematic phase which is highly sought-after due to its high ionic mobility and directional control. Techniques such as EIS (Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy), POM (Polarized Optical Microscopy, and DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry, were used to study the thermal behavior, birefringent properties, and complex electric parameters of the materials. The combinations of these results would help develop an electrochemical device using electrolytes for energy storage purposes.
Bonus Course:
Foundations of Climate and Energy Transition
In partnership with Total, this course involving 155 students and delivered by Total Professeurs Associés (TPA) Benoit Luc, Christian Gueritte, Philippe Persillon, and Jean-Pierre Cordier, was dedicated to the interdisciplinary analysis of different energy systems, their evolution, and impact and role within the context of the energy transition.
Attending this course further proved to me how the energy transition is critical to the future of our planet. It showed how we must reduce our emissions whilst at the same time continuing to produce energy. This can only be done with the development of sustainable energies.
1
Energy Conversion and Storage
This course helped me gain an understanding of the need to and the efficiency behind the conversion of energy from one form to another and the need to store energy in distinct forms. What was focused on in the course included thermal conversion, fuel cells, electrochemical conversion, biomass conversion, hydrogen storage, mechanical, thermal, and electrical storage.
What I found most interesting was the idea of hydrogen generation through photoelectrolysis. Water photoelectrolysis involves putting different stages of energy conversion into one single system that can harvest the energy from the sun, produce a current that feeds into an electrolyzer/water which produces hydrogen and oxygen.
2
Renewable Energy Integration to Grid
This course helped me to develop a broad understanding of the challenges and requirements of integrating renewable generators to grid and how the requirements can be met using converters and high voltage direct current as a method of connecting renewable energy to AC grids.
Analyzing operations of a range of thyristor converter circuits for single-phase and three-phase systems was shown as well as analyzing the performance of CSC (Current Source Converters) in rectification and inversion modes. Apart from that, the steady-state operation of basic VSC (Voltage Source Converters) and electrical energy transmission systems based on HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) was analyzed.
3
Legislation, Economics, and Safety
This course focused on renewable energy legislation and the relevant aspects of economics and safety in the United Kingdom.
Laws and regulations of the renewable energy sector come in many shapes and sizes that make it seem like the sector is always trying to jump over obstacles in order to survive. Access to energy, producing energy, transporting energy, and supplying energy all need to be regulated; and these regulations influence behavior. Whether the behavior is beneficial or not, renewable energy needs to be exploited in order to achieve legal obligations and policy goals.
4
Marine and Wind Energy
From this course, I began to understand the physical principles, technologies, and systems associated with renewable energy generation from wind and marine sources.
From the design and integrity management of wind turbine blades to wave parameters and wave theories, this course taught me many ways to create a functioning renewable energy system and the importance of the Bernoulli equation.
5
Electrical Systems for Renewable Engineering
This course taught me the concepts of electrical engineering and power systems with an emphasis on renewable power generation techniques.
In one of the most mathematical courses I have ever studied, I gained knowledge about atomic theory, fundamentals of DC circuits, AC circuit components and analysis, and magnetism/electromagnetism. We went on to further tackle AC transformers, induction machines (i.e. motors and generators), per unit and fault studies and an additional overview of wind turbines.
6
Geothermal and Hydro Energy
This course examined the renewable energy industries involving geothermal and hydro sources.
Geothermal energy has always fascinated me. To be able to utilize the thermal energy of the Earth from primordial heat from the creation of the Earth and from the decay of radioactive isotopes in the Earth's crust in order to provide heating/cooling, generate power(electricity), or some combination of both from small scales to industrial scales is a work of art.
Hydro resources such as hydropower (indirect solar power) and hydroelectricity (the amount of water power) are just as fascinating. What amazed me was how hydroelectricity delivers about 17% of the world's annual electricity supply even with the popularity of solar and wind power which deliver a combined 3% of the worlds annual electricity supply. This course gave me the ability to design a hydro plant and make sure the plant can be properly classified by the effective head of water, its capacity, type of turbines used, and its location/type of dam, reservoir, etc.
7
Solar Energy
This course showed me the concepts, resources, technologies, practical implementation, developments, barriers, and environmental/sustainable issues regarding generation from solar sources.
Though not the most popular renewable power source, I can guarantee that if you ask 100 people to name a type of renewable energy source, more than 50% will say solar energy. I was taught the many challenges and advantages of the application of photovoltaic systems, to even creating a study for a new stand-alone system (click here).
8
Energy from Biomass
From combustion, gasification, and pyrolysis, to anaerobic digestion, bioethanol, and biodiesel, this course gave me a broader understanding of the technologies used to convert biomass into energy.
Biomass is everywhere around us, from wood and crops to food and garden waste, these are considered biological materials that are derived from living organisms. What is complex about energy from biomass however is that it can only be stated as renewable if the rate at which the biomass is harvested for energy equals the rate at which the biomass grows. The different techniques that were shown in this course included anaerobic digestion, combustion, gasification, pyrolysis, and lastly bioethanol and biodiesel. As a project, we were then told to design a plant that will process biodegradable organic waste generated in an assigned region (click here).
