B2292 - FISICA DELL'ENERGIA

Learning outcomes

Al termine del corso gli studenti acquisiranno le conoscenze di base per avvicinarsi alle complesse questioni energetiche in modo scientifico e rigoroso, ma senza dover seguire corsi avanzati di fisica classica o di meccanica quantistica. Infatti il profilo flessibile e interdisciplinare del corso consente agli studenti di sviluppare un approccio versatile alla comprensione delle più dibattute questioni nel campo dell'energia. Lo studente acquisirà le necessarie abilità per capire non solo le basi scientifiche della produzione energetica nelle sue più svariate forme ma di valutarne l'impatto e l'importanza in altri ambiti: sociali, culturali, o più generalmente transdisciplinari alla Fisica.

Course contents

The three modules will cover the following topics:

Part I: Basic principles of energy (units and scales, different sources of energy: mechanical, heat, electromagnetic, quantum, ...)

Part II: Energy production from fossil and renewable sources

Part III: Energy production from nuclear sources (fission and fusion)

In detail:

Motivations and philosophy of the course, importance of numbers, relative quantities and units of measurement, climate and energy issues, general discourse on environmental sustainability.

Energy units, types and scales. Brief summary of thermodynamics, concepts of entropy and temperature, reversible processes and equilibrium.

Mechanical energy and applications. Brief summary of the fundamental concepts of force, work and moments. Friction and resistive force.

Thermal energy and heat: general principles and transfer. Pressure and work. First and second law of thermodynamics. Thermal capacity. Phase Transitions. Heat conduction (Fourier's law), convection and radiation. Heat equation.

General principles of energy conversion: conversion, Carnot cycle, Stirling cycle, Chillers and heat pumps. Thermal engines, Combustion engines

Energy of electromagnetic origin: storage, conversion, transmission and radiation. Electric engines.

Energy from chemical systems and processes

Energy generation from steam/gas cycles, phase diagram

Fossil fuels. Overview of fossil energy sources.

Solar power. Solar radiation, absorption and thermal utilization. Physics of photovoltaic systems.

Production of energy from biological sources.

Wind. Fluid dynamics and wind power, available technologies. In-depth study of fluids, viscosity, flow dynamics, physics and development of turbines.

Geothermal energy.

Energy sources of a nuclear nature: fission and fusion. Relevant notions to understand the basics of nuclear fission and fusion. Introduction to the definition of cross section. Nuclear forces, energy scales and structure, systematics of nuclear binding energy, reactions and decays. Physics of nuclear fission. Physics of nuclear fusion, brief introduction to plasmas and the most relevant characteristics. Operation diagram of a fission reactor. Four factor formula and fuel enrichment. critical systems. PWR and BWR. Nuclear radiation, fuel cycle, waste management (National and Olkiluoto Depot). magnetic fusion vs. inertial fusion. Models and basic functioning of both concepts. Future of nuclear energy: fourth generation, SMR, ADS.

Readings/Bibliography

Sustainable Energy – without the hot air, David MacKay, https://www.withouthotair.com/

The Physics of Energy, Robert Jaffe e Taylor Washington, Cambridge University Press (2018)

Nuclear Energy, Raymond Murray, Butterworth-Heinemann (2009)

Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet, Thomas Murphy, https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/980

Teaching methods

Lectures at the chalkboard, slides and videos

Assessment methods

Oral exam on all three modules

Teaching tools

Slides, notes and reading materials (english and italian language) will be available on the web (virtuale.unibo.it)

Links to further information

https://virtuale.unibo.it/

Office hours

See the website of Cristian Massimi

See the website of Paolo Finelli

See the website of Alberto Mengoni