Teaching

The Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering with specialization in Renewable Energy Technologies is aimed at providing advanced in-depth education and independent research training to engineers in the area of renewable, sustainable, decentralized energy utilization. It encompasses graduate-level courses in thermal sciences and renewable energy technologies, a Semester-project, and a Master research thesis in a specific scientific topic pertinent to renewable energy.

Emphasis of this Master specialization is in the application of the scientific fundamentals of thermal sciences for the process engineering development of novel, cleaner, and efficient energy technologies. The path to sustainable energy utilization is pursued in three domains, as indicated in the adjacent diagram.

Primary energy resources: substitution of fossil fuels by renewable energy Secondary energy resources: substitution of fossil-fuel-based hydrocarbons by cleaner secondary energy carriers (e.g. hydrogen, methanol, biofuels, metals, etc.) Conversion to electricity: development of more efficient and less pollutant energy conversion devices (e.g. fuel cells).

Schematic representing the path to sustainable energy utilization

Fall term	Spring term
529-0193-00L Renewable Energy Technologies I Lecturers: Steinfeld, Wokaun, Loutzenhiser	529-0191-01L Renewable Energy Technologies II Lecturers: Wokaun, Boulouchos, Scherer
151-0185-00L Radiation Heat Transfer Lecturers: Steinfeld, Z'Graggen	151-0206-00L Energy Systems and Power Engineering Lecturers: Steinfeld, Abhari
151-0235-00L Thermodynamics of Novel Energy Conversion Technologies Lecturers: Poulikakos	151-1906-00L Multiphase Flow Lecturers: von Rohr, Prasser
327-0713-00L High Temperature Materials for Advanced Energy Applications Lecturer: Hoffelner	151-0236-00L Single- and Two-Phase Particulate Flows Lecturer: Mueller
151-0207-00L Theory and modelling of reactive flows Lecturers: Frouzakis, Mantzaras	151-0208-00L Computational Methods for Flow, Heat and Mass Transfer Problems Lecturer: Kleiser
151-0917-00L Mass Transfer Lecturer: Pratsinis	151-0211-00L Convective Heat Transport Lecturer: Park
529-0422-00L Physical Chemistry II: Introduction to Chemical Reaction Kinetics Lecturer: Quack	151-0940-00L Modelling and Mathematical Methods in Process and Chemical Engineering Lecturer: Mazzotti
529-0632-00L Homogeneous Reaction Engineering Lecturer: Morbidelli	151-0182-00L Theoretical and Applied Computational Fluid Dynamics Lecturer: Haselbacher
	529-0633-00L Heterogeneous Reaction Engineering Lecturer: Pérez-Ramírez

The adjacent table lists several topics for R&D projects. All are aimed at the efficient conversion and sustainable utilization of energy, with focus on renewables and CO2 mitigation technologies. On the more fundamental aspects of energy conversion, the research emphasis is in chemical thermodynamics, radiation heat transfer, and high-temperature chemical reactor engineering. Current topics

The specific master's curricula will be coordinated by the Professorship in Renewable Energy Carriers.
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Experimental work is to be carried out in the laboratories of the Professorship in Renewable Energy Carriers and of the Paul Scherrer Institute. State-of-the-art research facilities include the ETH's High-Flux Solar Simulator and the PSI's Solar Furnace. Theoretical work includes thermodynamic and kinetic analyses, computational fluid mechanics and heat/mass transfer, and Life-Cycle assessments.

Projects' partners

• Nationally: Paul Scherrer Institute
• Internationally: International Energy Agency's SolarPACES, National Renewable Energy Laboratories (USA), Sandia National Laboratory (USA), University of Colorado (USA), University of Minnesota (USA), CNRS-Odeillo (France), DLR-German Aerospace Agency (Germany), CIEMAT-Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (Spain), Australian National University (Australia), Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel), Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan), Petroleos de Venezuela (Venezuela), Zoxy (Germany), ScanArc (Sweden), JM Fuel Cell (UK), Hexion (Netherlands).

• see D-MAVT website