Schedule
Lectures: Mo,We, 11:30, Fr 1:30, ABB 163
The lecture format will be primarily chalkboard presentations, but powerpoint slides will
be used when appropriate. Please note, iClickers will be used in this class.
Textbook
There is no textbook for the class. However, notes are available from the department
website.
The notes have relied on several source materials. Mainly:
L. Solymar and D. Walsh, “Electrical Properties of Materials”, Oxford University Press,
2004.
S. R. Wenham, M. A. Green, M. E. Watt and R. Corkish, “Applied Photovoltaics”, ARC
Centre for Advanced Silicon Photovoltaics and Photonics, 2007.
G. S. Was, “Fundamentals of Radiation Materials Science”, Springer, Berlin, 2007.
D. Linden and T. B. Reddy, “The Handbook of Batteries”, McGraw-Hill, 2007.
Grading
Marks in this class will be weighted according to the following:
Assignments: 10%
Midterm: 20%
Quiz: 10%
Final: presentation 30%, paper 30%
For the Final project students will split into groups of four and each group will be
responsible for a 10 minute oral presentation and a ~20 page paper. The topic of the
project will be from the general area of materials for alternative energy applications.
Course Description
With the increased economic activity of countries such as India and China the future
energy supply has become a major worldwide concern. In addition, the continued
burning of fossil fuels has lead to potentially catastrophic environmental effects
associated with global climate change. Hydrogen, Solar and Nuclear Materials
will examine the physical principles underlying three major alternative energy schemes:
solar cells, nuclear energy and batteries/fuel cells. Specific topics within the solar energy
thrust include: the band structure of metals and semiconductors, the P-N junction, the
photovoltaic effect, the efficiency of solar cells and basic solar panel design. The nuclear
materials portion of the class will describe how the interaction of high energy neutrons
produced in a fission reaction with the crystalline lattice can generate excess quantities of
point defects and how the damage can lead to deleterious effects such as irradiation
induced swelling and irradiation hardening. The final third of the course will describe the
physics of electrochemical cells and will explore modern battery materials for automotive
applications. In addition, the PEM fuel cell and the problem of on board hydrogen
storage will be addressed.
Rather than serving as an overview or survey course, Hydrogen, Solar and Nuclear
Materials will focus on the underlying physics of energy related materials. With a
fundamental understanding of material behavior the student will be better equipped to
evaluate, critique or help develop future, non-fossil fuel energy technologies. The course
will be taught in lecture form, with classroom examples of alternative energy devices
when feasible, and marks will be assigned through a series of assignments, a midterm and
a final project.
Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of MATLS 4N03 students should be able to:
Identify the major materials science issues associated with alternative energy sources
such as solar cells, nuclear power and batteries/fuel cells.
Understand the physical operating principles underlying these three alternative energy
sources.
Effectively communicate, through a written report and oral presentation, new and
emerging alternative energy materials
.
Syllabus
Week 1, Friday Sept. 5
Introduction, Global oil supplies
Week 2, Sept. 8-12
Global climate change. The electron, Schrodinger’s equation.
Week 3, Sept. 15-19
Electrons in crystals. The band structure. Insulators, metals and semiconductors.
Week 4, Sept. 22-26
The p-n junction, solar cells.
Week 5, Sept. 29-Oct. 3
The efficiency of solar cells.
Week 6, Oct. 6-10
Nuclear materials. Review of crystalline defects. The fission reaction, irradiation
damage cascades.
Week 7, Oct. 15,17
Swelling, hardening, embrittlement.
Week 8, Oct. 27-31
Review and Midterm. Phase equilibria under irradiation.
Week 9, Nov. 3-7
Batteries/fuel cells. The electrochemical cell. Li ion battery materials.
Week 10, Nov. 10-14
Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Solid oxide fuel cells.
Week 11, Nov. 17-21
Hydrogen storage. Quiz.
Week 12, Nov. 24-28
Final presentations.
Week 13, Dec. 1,3
Final presentations
Legal Stuff
The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the
course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines
for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of
modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the
students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on
changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check their McMaster
email and course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.
Academic Dishonesty Policy
“Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception or by other fraudulent
means and can result in serious consequences, eg. The grade of zero on an assignment,
loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: “Grade of F assigned for
academic dishonesty”) and/or suspension or expulsion from the university.”
It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For
information on the various kinds of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic
Integrity Policy, specifically Appendix 3,
http://www.mcmaster.ca/senate/academic/ac_integrity.htm.
|
Larger Text
Smaller Text
Print
