PHY563 - Material Science for Energy Conversion and Storage (2022-2023)

PHY563 - Material Science for Energy Conversion and Storage

A – Summary
This module is an opportunity to link scientific and technical knowledge for the analysis of energy systems, whether it concerns the conversion, storage or rational use of energy, related to challenges in material science and technology.

PHY563 is composed of lectures, tutorial sessions in half-groups and project in pairs/threes. The lectures cover various theoretical and application aspects. The tutorial sessions can be exercise sessions with level groups, or guided readings/viewings of scientific papers/presentations on issues combining energy and material sciences. Finally, each student works on a "Materials" question/problem related to energy conversion, storage or use. During this project, which is monitored by the teachers through regular meetings, the students are invited to deepen their interest in the topic through bibliographic research and meetings with professionals in the energy field (researchers, entrepreneurs, companies).

PHY563 will be an opportunity to provide basic knowledge in areas such as non-equilibrium thermodynamics, electrochemistry, chemical bonding, interfaces, catalysis, transport phenomena, preparation, characterization and ageing of materials, etc., with an emphasis on an operational presentation and showing how same concepts appear in different contexts, particularly in chemistry and physics. Problems related to energy generation (photovoltaic and thermodynamic solar energy, thermoelectricity, solar fuels and CO₂ recovery, biomass, wind, marine...) as well as those related to its management: storage and transport (Hydrogen Vector, Batteries, Supercapacitors, Fuel Cells, catalysis, electricity transport...) or to its proper use (rational use, energy savings, life cycle analysis, sustainability, stability and degradation of materials...) will be addressed.

Prerequisites: basic knowledge of thermodynamics and thermochemistry, and notions of quantum and statistical mechanics will be useful. See for example the “Physics refresher's course “, proposed by D. Suchet in September each year.

Evaluation : The final grade is composed of an evaluation of the written report (50%), a 30 minutes multiple-choice quiz (25%) and an individual oral examination (25%, 12-minute discussion on the project).

Language : English

ECTS credits : 5

B - Useful reading

^[1–11]

[1]       C. Kittel, P. McEuen, P. McEuen, Introduction to Solid State Physics, Wiley New York, 1996.

[2]       D. MacKay, Sustainable Energy-without the Hot Air, UIT Cambridge, 2008.

[3]       M. F. Ashby, D. R. Jones, Engineering Materials 1: An Introduction to Properties, Applications and Design, Elsevier, 2012.

[4]       D. R. Jones, M. F. Ashby, Engineering Materials 2: An Introduction to Microstructures and Processing, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2012.

[5]       D. S. Ginley, D. Cahen, Fundamentals of Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Cambridge University Press, 2011.

[6]       J. Bockris, Electrochemistry for Ecologists, Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.

[7]       R. Huggins, Advanced Batteries: Materials Science Aspects, Springer Science & Business Media, 2008.

[8]       R. A. Huggins, Energy Storage, Springer, 2010.

[9]       G. Rothenberg, Catalysis: Concepts and Green Applications, John Wiley & Sons, 2017.

[10]     M. F. Ashby, Materials and Sustainable Development, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2015.

[11]     M. F. Ashby, Materials and the Environment: Eco-Informed Material Choice, Elsevier, 2012.