66099 - Biomass and Renewable Energy Systems

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student is expected to have an up-to-date, critical view on the main renewables, and to know the peculiarities, limitations, potential and applicability of each of the main renewable sources of interest in the agricultural and forestry chains. The student will also be able to compare renewable and non-renewable energy sources in terms of sustainability.

In addition, the student is expected to acquire an appropriate level of knowledge of: how biomass is deployed to produce energy; the layout and the components of renewable energy plants; the chemo-physical working principles of renewable energy plants.

Last, the student is expected to be able to apply the acquired knowledge in the context of farms and of biomass supply from agricultural and forest territory.

Course contents

The course focus is placed on energy systems and technologies in use in the agricultural sector and relevant to the agricultural and forestry territory.

Detailed course content:

• Introduction to renewable energy sources: general aspects and role of the renewables
• Thermal Physics: most relevant physical quantities in the energy context; Energy Conservation Law; efficiency; degradation of energy; thermodynamic cycles: technical solutions, description of the main machinery used in energy plants, plant efficiency calculation
• Energy from biomass: general aspects, biomass features
• Laboratory characterization of biomass: determination of the calorific value and of the biochemical methane potential
• Anaerobic digestion
• Biogas plants: technical solutions and main components of a plant; biomass pre-treatment; analysis of existent biogas plants; digester diet formulation; preliminary design of a biogas plant
• Biomethane plants: technical aspects and regulations  
• Impact of fossil fuels and biofuels (in brief)
• Electric energy from biomass: Rankine cycle; combined cycle plants; combined heat and power; power plants efficiency
• Direct combustion of biomass: general aspects; fixed-bed boilers; fluidized-bed boilers; emissions control
  
• Biomass gasification and pyrolysis
• Hydropower: general aspects; technical solutions; water turbines
• Solar power: general aspects; technical solutions (solar thermal power, photovoltaic, agrivoltaic)
• Wind energy: general aspects; wind turbines
  

Readings/Bibliography

• lecture notes
• material from the seminars
• scientific papers suggested by the teacher
• Arthur Wellinger, Jerry Murphy, David Baxter, The biogas handbook: science, production and applications. Woodhead Publishing, 2013
  
• Eklas Hossain, Slobodan Petrovic, Renewable energy crash course, Springer, 2021 (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-70049-2)

Teaching methods

During in-class lectures the topics of the course will be presented and discussed. To complement the lectures, seminars with invited experts and professionals will be held, as well as laboratory activities and technical visits to farm renewable energy plants.

 

With regards to the laboratory activities and technical visits, the following protocol holds: in consideration of the types of activities and teaching methods adopted, the attendance of the activity requires the attendance and completion of Modules 1 and 2 in e-learning mode [https://www.unibo.it/it/servizi-e-opportunita/salute-e-assistenza/salute-e-sicurezza/sicurezza-e-salute-nei-luoghi-di-studio-e-tirocinio] and the attendance of Module 3 of specific training on safety and health in study places. Information on dates and methods of attendance for Module 3 can be consulted in the specific section of the degree program website.

Assessment methods

The final grade will be composed as follows:

• evaluation of an individually produced essay submitted prior to the examination date (up to 18 points);

• oral test consisting of a couple of short questions on the topics covered in class (up to 10 points);

• other factors such as: active participation in the discussions arising during the lectures and the seminars, active participation in the laboratory activities and in the technical visits, processing of the laboratory data acquired, evaluation of the exercises proposed during the course (up to 5 points).

The essay topic must be chosen among those proposed and must be between 2000 and 3000 words. It should be submitted at least one week prior to the chosen oral examination date.

The final mark will be the sum of the points obtained in the three components above. If the total score exceeds 30 points, the grade will be 30 with honours.

Teaching tools

Audiovisual aids and laboratory equipment.

Office hours

See the website of Mirko Maraldi