Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Modern societies are becoming increasingly aware of potential environmental problems associated with conventional energy production technologies. Application of alternative technologies is therefore increasing, with ambitious targets and plans to support research and development for reducing energy related environmental consequences. Already, energy designs in modern developments are based on packages selected from a number of different energy resources. In particular, solar energy is being harvested for daylighting, direct heating and electricity production.

This unit is designed to offer science and engineering students an opportunity to gain awareness about the expanding field of alternative energy technologies and to understand relationships between use of energy and its impact on local and global environment.

Aims

This unit aims to provide students opportunities to explore global energy balance and climate change through an investigation of:
Conventional and alternative energy resources.
Energy related environmental problems on local and global scale particularly the effect of atmospheric pollution from combustion of fossil fuels.
Earth's climate, meteorology and transport of pollutants in the atmosphere.
Working principles in selected alternative energy technologies.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you should be able to:

1. Understand the significance, scope and limitations of energy resources used on a global scale such as fossil fuels, nuclear and renewable energy.
2. Understand, on a scientific basis, the relationships between energy consumption, generation of pollutants, and their impact on health and the environment, and. different mechanisms of transport of pollutants.
3. Understand the role of scientists and engineers in the society and short and long-term social and environmental implications of the decisions that they make.
4. Understand the role of aerosols in controlling Earth's climate and their impact on health and environment on regional and global level. Describe some techniques used to measure aerosols.
5. Manage scientific experimental and reporting tasks carried out as a part of a team and as an individual and express yourself with technical and scientific rigour both verbally and in writing.
6. Explain, on scientific basis, different mechanisms of transport of pollutants through material media.

Content

Introduction
Energy needs of the world - past, present and future

Global energy balance
Principles of the physics of energy
Energy transport and exchange, radiative energy, heat transfer
Earth's energy balance

Relationship between Earth's energy, climate and meteorology
Astronomy of the Sun - a terrestrial perspective of solar astronomy
Solar radiation on the Earth
Composition and structure of Earth's atmosphere
Climate and meteorology

Atmospheric pollution and its impact on energy balance
Pollution
Sources of atmospheric pollution - focus on combustion of fossil fuels
Composition of atmospheric pollution in gaseous and particulate phases
Aerosols - physical and chemical properties

Mechanisms of pollutant transport
Diffusion, dispersion and advection Fluid dynamics
The Gaussian plume model

The greenhouse effect
Definition of the greenhouse effect
Global warming - Earth's past, present and predicted temperature profiles, Relationship between climate change and energy exchange
Consequences of global warming
Remediation

Stratospheric ozone reduction
Structure of the ozone layer and its relationship with UV radiation
Changes in atmospheric composition and their effect on the natural ozone layer
Effect of stratospheric ozone reduction on human health and ecology

Sources of energy for human use
Conventional and alternative sources of energy for use in the built environment, transportation and industry - their scope and limitations

Renewable energy technologies
Solar energy
Photovoltaic conversion
Heat transfer for harvesting solar energy
The optics of collectors
Daylighting
Direct heating
Wind energy

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

In this unit, you will participate in an integrated lecture-tutorial-lab program designed to achieve the unit objectives by systematically addressing the contents, emphasising a problem-based approach. The unit is based on 39 contact hours for lectures and tutorials and 9 hours of laboratory-based exercises. Additionally, you are expected to undertake an unsupervised but partly directed study in your own time that will supplement the lecture-tutorial-lab program.

During the tutorial sessions and in most parts of the lectures you will be enjoying an interactive atmosphere as student-lecture teams working on selected problems and investigating options to solve those problems. You will be encouraged to contribute to the overall effort of problem solving through demonstrating your understanding of the issues and synthesis of the knowledge that you acquired by attending key lectures and through your own reading.

The folios of information and reports that you will develop during this unit will enable you to understand how to retrieve and organise relevant information obtained from a number of different media and resources and through your own experiments. You will learn how to use information to draw scientific conclusions.

Through a blend of class and lab based activities, tutorials and tests you will get ample opportunities to express yourself both as a part of a team and as an individual.

Assessment

You will be expected to undertake a number of assessments related to the learning outcomes of this unit (see below).Feedback will be available on your progress.

Assessment name: Tutorials and Presentation
Description: (Formative and summative) - Problem solving - 6 x 1 hour plus one 15 minute small-group presentation.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3 and 5.
Weight: 25%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
Due date: Throughout Semester

Assessment name: Laboratory Sessions
Description: (Formative and summative) - Practical exercise + Brief scientific report writing - 3 x 3 hours.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 4 and 5.
Weight: 15%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Throughout Semester

Assessment name: Theory Exams
Description: Progressive and End Semester Theory Exam

(Formative and summative) - Short numerical and/or
multiple choice.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Wk 7 or 8 & End Sem

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

1. Boeker E & van Grondelle R (1995) Environmental Physics, New York: J Wiley & Sons, QUT Library Call Number: 628 140

2. Jacobson M (2002) Atmospheric Pollution - History, Science & Regulation, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

3. Wieder S (1992) An Introduction to Solar Energy for Scientists and Engineers, Malabar: Krieger Publishing Company

4. Goswami D, Kreith F & Kreider J (1999) Principles of Solar Engineering, Philadelphia: Taylor & Francis, Philadelphia, QUT Library Call Number: 621.47 31/2

Risk assessment statement

Student activities in this unit are (a) attending of lectures and tutorials in QUT class rooms and (b) conducting experiments in laboratories in the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences. Students will be advised about workplace health and safety issues relevant to the laboratory sessions they are likely to attend.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 19-Oct-2012