Class 1: Introduction

Our planet's only energy "income" is solar - the energy that beams down to us from the fusion reactor of our sun. What happens from there is where things get interesting. In this first class we'll look at Earth's energy income from a historical/technical perspective and follow energy through its various manifestations.

From this discussion we'll observe that energy - a highly abstract concept - is never created or destroyed as it morphs from one form to another. It is always conserved (the First Law of Thermodynamics), but its utility to us to use it for work decreases over time (Second Law). Luckily, our planet - an "open system" - is constantly importing new energy to drive local-entropy-reversing processes such as life.

Reading:

1) An excerpt from Vaclav Smil's earlier work:
Energies: An Illustrated Guide to the Biosphere and Civilization.
1999, MIT Press
Online here [pdf, 2.2mb]

2) This recent NYT article on wind power.

3) This NYT article on tidal/micro-hydro power.

Assignments:

1) Prepare for the kinetic energy project. Choose partners if you wish. Brainstorm ideas for discussion in class next week. Also, find a "generator" - a small DC gearhead motor or stepper will work well, ideally salvaged from the junk pile.

2) Obtain Energy: A Beginner's Guide from the bookstore or online. Reading from that text will begin next week.

3) Email me from your preferred email account so I know I'm in your system and I can add the correct address to my system.

4) Begin uploading links to our del.icio.us account.

Class 2: Conversion 1 - Kinetic to Electrical

This week we'll take a closer look at electrical energy and cover the fundamental ways electrical energy can be converted from other forms of energy. Interestingly, nearly all the ways we now employ to generate electricity were discovered in the 1800's except two: the electro-kinetic effect results when water passes over special nano-structures and was successfully harnessed in 2002; and the electro-chemical effect, while quantified by Volta in the 1800's, may have been exploited by artifacts found in Baghdad dating back to 200BC.

Reading:

Smil, Energy, a Beginner's Guide pp. 1 - 53

Assignments:

1) Measure and record the open circuit voltage (in Volts) and short circuit current (in milliamps) of your generator. Post the results to the wiki (or provide a link to external documentation).

2) Get your energy storage - either large-ish capacitors (which you may have to order), or NiMH batteries (which you can get on the street).

3) Continue uploading links to our del.icio.us account.

Class 3: Storage 1 - Capacitors

Capacitors are a fundamental electrical component. They are extremely simple - just two conductive plates close to each other but separated by a non-conductor - yet this simple arrangement has the ability to store electrical charge and can be used like a very simple battery. We will look at them as our first means of storing electrical energy. However, compared to other means such as batteries, the energy density - Joules per unit of volume - and specific energy - Joules per unit of mass - is low.

Reading:

Smil, Energy, a Beginner's Guide pp. 54 - 84

Assignments:

Prepare your kinetic energy projects and documentation for next week.

Continue uploading links to our del.icio.us account.

Class 4: Utilization 1 - Project Demos

In-class demonstrations of kinetic energy projects.

Reading:

Smil, Energy, a Beginner's Guide pp. 85 - 126

Assignments:

Continue uploading links to our del.icio.us account.

Catch up with documentation/links - I'll be scanning everything thoroughly on Monday 2/12.

Class 5: Conversion 2 - Solar to Electrical

Photovoltaic semiconductors (PV) directly convert light to electricity. In the lab, efficiencies just over 40% have been recently achieved (plants, the foundation for all fossil fuels, are much less efficient). In this class we'll look in detail at the photovoltaic effect, different classes of PV material, techniques for increasing conversion efficiencies or decreasing price, and advances that may lay on the horizon. We'll also take a quick look at the "balance of system", some of the other components that make up a typical system.

Reading:

Smil, Energy, a Beginner's Guide pp. 127 - 176

Scan the DOE's site on PV for more information on solar.

Assignments:

Determine your approach to the Solar Energy Project, pick partners, and place orders for any long lead-time items you might need. We might want to coordinate one large Digikey and Solarbotics order on the wiki.

Continue uploading links to our del.icio.us account.

Class 6: Storage 2 - Batteries

Chemical reactions can move electrons - this is the basis for batteries and fuel cells. If the reactions are reversible, electricity from other sources can be stored this way, too. We'll look at batteries in more detail this week.

Guest:

Battery expert Nicole Leifer.

Reading:

This PBS interview with Dr. Hoffert.

Assignments:

Continue working on your Solar Energy Project.

Continue uploading links to our del.icio.us account.

Class 7: Special Topics

This week we have a guest speaker, Dr. Marty Hoffert, chair-emeritus of the NYU Physics Department. Dr. Hoffert has written extensively about climate change and space-based solar power, and in the 70's he installed a small wind turbine on an NYU building in the East Village. He's recently appeared in the pages of the New Yorker as an expert source for Elizabeth Colbert's articles on climate change.

Guest:

Dr. Marty Hoffert.

Assignments:

Finalize your Solar Energy Project.

Continue uploading links to our del.icio.us account.

Class 8: Utilization 2 - Project Demos

You will present the Solar Energy Projects in class today.

Reading:

"The Virtue of Waste" and "The Paradox of Efficiency", Chapters 3 + 7 from The Bottomless Well, Huber & Mills, 2005. Handout.

Assignments:

Consider possible projects to implement in the second half of the class; be prepared to discuss these with the class when we return after the break.

New: Final project details are online.

Continue uploading links to our del.icio.us account.

Enjoy your break.

Class 9: Review and Overview

We'll discuss the solar projects, review what we've covered in class so far, and go over the Huber+Mills reading. Then we'll talk about your final projects. We'll also pick the order for project presentations, as they will span two class periods.

Assignments:

Prepare a brief project overview presentation online using the wiki or your own site. Define your goal, outline the main steps to implementing your project, and create a list of materials requirements. This last step will be crucial to obtaining any necessary materials in time to incorporate them into your project.

Links!

Class 10: Project Outline Presentations

Present the project overviews.

Class 11: Open Session 1

We'll use the next two classes as an open forum to workshop projects. The first session will give priority to groups presenting in week 13. Bring hardware, software, questions, and maybe answers too.

Class 12: Open Session 2

Same as above, with priority for people presenting in week 14.

Assignments:

Lock down your online presentation material by 4/15 and make sure it is linked from the wiki; I'll be reviewing material for all groups before the first round of presentations.

Class 13: Project Presentations 1

Class 14: Project Presentations 2