3 ECTS Credits — Semester 2 — Elective
After an introduction to the issue of “energy and society,” which will serve to contextualize this course and raise awareness of the orders of magnitude of energy production and consumption, we will study the physics of irreversible energy conversion processes, focusing on the efficiency of a converter and the power-efficiency trade-off.
Syllabus
We begin with a standard thermodynamic approach to differentiate between ideal and real converters. We then study a linear stationary converter to understand the role of conversion irreversibility. Finally, we turn to the main applications covered in the course: solar furnaces and photovoltaic generators, hydraulic turbines (Pelton, Francis), wind turbines, and electrochemical generators (cells and fuel cells). After an introduction on the issue of “energy and society,” which will serve to contextualize this course and raise awareness of the orders of magnitude of energy production and consumption, we will study the physics of irreversible processes, focusing on the efficiency of energy storage and conversion through classical microscopic (Markovian processes) and macroscopic (coupled linear fluxes) models. Thermodynamics and these two descriptive frameworks are used to present energy converters from a general perspective, first ideal ones (Carnot heat engines and Van’t Hoff chemical engines), then real converters (exhibiting sources of irreversibility), before considering the main applications, such as solar furnaces, photovoltaic generators, electrochemical generators (cells and fuel cells), wind turbines, etc.
Suggested bibliography
Physique de la conversion d’énergie, JM Rax, 354 pages-206 figures, ISBN 978-2-7598-0792-5Editions EDP-Sciences, Collection Savoirs Actuels, 2015.
Prerequisites
Excellent knowledge of classical mechanics, thermodynamics and electrodynamics