Spring 2010
CPE690/EE610
ST:
Power Sources for
Portable, Automotive, and Renewable Energy Systems
http://www.ece.uah.edu/~jovanov/CPE690_power_sources
Lecture: Monday and Wednesday 5:30pm -6:50 pm, Engineering Building EB239
|
Instructors: |
Dr. Emil Jovanov Electrical and Computer Eng. Dept. Phone: 256-824-5094 email: emil.jovanov@uah.edu |
Dr. Vojtech Svoboda Hudson Alpha Institute of Biotechnology Phone: 256-327-0681 email: vojtech.svoboda@gmail.com |
Office Hours: Monday 3-5 pm, Thursday 10-11:30 am, and by appointment.
Course Description:
Power sources play a critical role in supplying power for many devices used in our everyday life. Currently, a use of rechargeable batteries dominates in practically all consumer applications. A continuous development of advanced and low cost supercapacitors and fuel cells might allow their increasing applications besides special military and air-space devices. Beyond portable consumer electronics, electrochemical power sources are used in healthcare devices providing free mobility, automotive applications including conventional, hybrid, and electric vehicles, military applications like unmanned flying and underwater vehicles, backup power in stationary telecommunication and power plant systems, power generation and energy storage in distributed and off-grid renewable energy power systems, and in many other areas. This course will teach applied electrochemistry, design, organization and optimization of portable, automotive, and renewable energy power systems. That allows optimization of the use of the available energy provided by the given energy source. Design of power sources will be explained with a focus on current state-of-the-art material development, charging, control procedures and power management. The emphasis of this course will also be on studying operating conditions, comparison and performance of several electrochemical systems and life limiting degradation mechanisms. Students will learn and understand how to design and optimize devices with electrochemical power sources, basic design rules of fuel cell powered devices, and energy scavenging.
Outcomes:
By the conclusion of this course, each student should:
•
Analyze device/system power and
energy demand and select or design the most convenient electrochemical power
system in terms of technical and economic viability.
Differentiate between individual types of electrochemical power sources
batteries, fuel cells and supercapacitors and understand performance behavior,
characteristics, charging, power management, operating conditions with respect
to application needs.
• Understand thermodynamic principles of electrochemical power sources, instrumentation, standards, test procedures, data sheets and parameters.
• Understand energy scavenging and alternative power sources.
• Identify the current electrochemical power sources, cutting edge research, and predict near future development in batteries and fuel cells.
• Define charging technique for individual battery types.
• Define needs for new infrastructure with a wide spread application of novel power systems.
• Identify the main application types and their demand for electrochemical power sources. Show the power source influence on the system design.
Textbook (required):
Electrochemistry by Carl H. Hamann, Andrew Hamnett and Wolf Vielstich, 2nd Edition, Wiley-VCH, 2007, ISBN 352731069X
Other reference books (optional):
Electrochemical Methods: Fundamentals and Applications by Allen J. Bard and
Larry R. Faulkner, 2nd Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., July 2000, ISBN: 0471043729
Maintenance-Free Batteries: Based on Aqueous Electrolyte Lead-Acid, Nickel/Cadmium, Nickel/Metal Hydride by Dietrich Berndt, 3rd Edition, Research Studies Press Ltd, October 2003, ISBN: 0863802796
Fuel Cell Handbook by EG&G Services, October 2000: http://www.fuelcells.org/info/library/fchandbook.pdf
Prerequisites:
Graduate standing.
Course Outline
· Basics of electrochemistry, basic definitions to understand the principals
o Electrolytes
o Ion transport processes
o Cells: Electrodes, types of electrodes, polarization, overpotential
o Thermodynamics
· System organization of portable and automotive systems
o Modes of operation
o Duty cycles and system operation trade-offs
o Dynamic power profiling
o Estimated battery life
o Hybrid systems and their control
· Batteries, supercapacitors, and fuel cells introduction
o The global energy picture, why do we need energy storage
o What is battery, supercapacitor, and fuel cell
o What is their performance difference, advantage and disadvantage
o Applications and their requirements
o Definitions and parameters
· Battery electrochemistry – from basic electrochemistry to advance battery design
o Short history overview
o How does battery work
o Types of batteries
o Types of electrodes and electrode materials
o Electrode processes
o What is happening during discharging and charging
o Power losses
o Degradation mechanisms
o Standards and testing
· Rechargeable batteries: Lead-acid, NiCd and NiMH
o Principles
o Design
o Performance, advantage, disadvantage
o Charging
o Applications
o Current development and research topics
· Rechargeable lithium batteries and Supercapacitors
o Principles
o Design
o Performance, advantage, disadvantage
o Charging
o Applications
o Current and research topics
· Alternative power sources
o Solar cells
o Energy scavenging
· Instrumentation, Chargers and Power management
o Charger types and design
o Power management functions
o Battery maintenance and lifetime
o Safety
· Fuel cells introduction
o Brief historical introduction
o Fuel cell principal
o Fuel cells types, characteristics and operating conductions
o Applications
· Hydrogen fuel cell, DMFC and biological fuel cells
o Design
o Operating conditions
o Catalysts
o Performance limiting mechanisms
o Degradation and durability
o Applications: advantages and limitations
· Fuel cell engineering design
o MEA fabrication
o Fuel Cell assembly
o Fuel Cell testing
o Parameters and performance comparison
o Economic viability
· Fuel cells system design, power management and control
o System design, buffer battery concept, battery hybrid concept
o Power management functions
o DC/DC convertors, invertors
o Infrastructure and fuel management
· Electrochemical, Battery, Fuel Cell: research and test instrumentation and technique
o Potentiostats/galavanostats
o Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
o Material research tools: SEM, AFM, XPS, FT-IR, porosimetry, and others
o Battery testers
o Fuel Cell test stands
Note:
The topics outlined above are subject to change during the semester. Students will be advised of these changes in a timely manner.
Grading: The final grade for the course will be compiled as follows:
o Midterm Exam 20%
o Homework and reading assignments 20%
o Individual assignments and presentations 30%
o Individual assignments include an approved essay or a project relevant to the course
o Final Exam 30%