2016 | Environment & Energy

Course description and aims

In this course, students can learn about Japanese experiences and situation of energy and environment, specifically power mix, waste management, long-term R&D on various kinds of advanced devices (e.g., photovoltaics, fuel cells), and smart energy systems by using them. Lectures will be provided by faculties within and outside of our university, regarding to technological and socio-economic aspects. The goals of this course are to learn 1) Japanese efforts on management in energy and environment and to make presentations compared with students' home countries, through the classes and one time facility visit in power sector and in local government, 2) R&D and deployment of the devices and systems based on a scientific understanding of their science and technology.

Student learning outcomes

The students can
- understand the Japanese efforts on energy and environmental management
- make a proposal to policy makers in their home countries by comparing with the Japanese efforts.
- understand various advanced device technologies and technology-based energy systems in Japan

Keywords

power sector, waste management, energy and environmental technology, socio-economics and policy
solar cells, fuel cells, lithium ion batteries, smart energy system

Competencies that will be developed

✔ Specialist skills

✔ Intercultural skills

✔ Communication skills

Critical thinking skills

✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Lectures consist of two parts and proceed in parallel; one is to cover development of smart energy systems based on advanced device technologies in 15 class sessions, the other is R&D and policy for unutilized resources in 7 class sessions. The former contains materials, manufacturing process, systems utilization and integration for device technologies, covering from scientific understandings in science and technology to deployment. In the first three classes of the latter, we will focus on waste management, both technology and policy sides, then go on a site visit to understand actual activities by both a private company in power sector and a local government in waste treatment. In the following two classes, we will learn the situation of energy, especially the power sector. Finally students make presentations on their suggestions about policies to policymakers in their own countries, comparing with the Japanese efforts.

Course schedule/Required learning

	Course schedule	Required learning
Class 1	Lecture on research, development, demonstration, and deployment in waste to energy technologies in Tokyo Tech	To understand deployment and commercialization of technology R&D for unutilized resources.
Class 2	Lecture on waste management technology in materials; from value adding to trash box designing (tentative)	To understand waste management technology from science and technology to psychology
Class 3	Lecture on countermeasures by socio-economics and policy for waste management in Japan	To understand socio-economic and policies on waste management
Class 4	The site visits; a high-efficiency fossil-fired power plant and a waste management facility	To understand Japanese technologies on cutting-edge gas combined cycle power, waste power and management
Class 5	Lecture on overview of Japanese policies in energy and energy-related environment	To understand overview and outline of Japanese energy and environmental policies
Class 6	Lecture on power generation planning and its policy making in Japan of post-Fukusima era	To understand Japanese power generation planning and its policy making in post-Fukusima era
Class 7	Presentation from students; make a proposal to policy makers for your own country regarding to energy and environmental technologies and policies, after learning the Japanese efforts.	To make policy proposal to student’s home country based on the above six classes in Japanese experiences
Class 8	The outline of the class and the development of a smart energy system "ENE-Swallow" will be explained. (Prof. Manabu Ihara) ENE-swallow, which can efficiently operate various energy devices like solar cells, fuel cells, gas engine, batteries and air conditioners and so on, can make peak cut of electricity in Ookayama campus of Tokyo Tech. A structure of future energy will be considered.	Understand the outline of the class and a smart energy system and can express their own opinions for future energy.
Class 9	Polymer electrolyte fuel cell technology (Prof. Shuichiro Hirai)： Understand electrochemical system and structure of fuel cell.　Recent and future study on fuel cell would be demonstrated.	Understand and explain electro-chemical system and structure of fuel cell.
Class 10	Systematic material design for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (Prof. Takeo Yamaguchi)： Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) were commercialized for residential and automobile applications. However, a revolutionary improvement in the materials are essential for development and dissemination of this technology. Global warming issues and the systematic design and developing approaches concerning PEFCs will be discussed.	Understand and explain a basic guideline to design of materials used for PEFCs
Class 11	High-Efficiency Cu(InGa)Se2 Solar Cells (Prof. Akira Yamada)： After a brief introduction of thin-film solar cells, optical and electrical properties of Cu(InGa)Se2 will be described. The growth and cell fabrication process will be reviewed, and characteristics of Cu(InGa)Se2 solar cells will be summarized.	Understand and explain solar-cell science and technology, and the characteristics of Cu(InGa)Se2 solar cells.
Class 12	Silicon heterojunction solar cells (Prof. Shinsuke Miyajima)： This lecture provides the basics of silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. The structure, materials and fabrication techniques are outlined in details.	Understand and explain the differences between conventional silicon solar cells and SHJ solar cells, and the most important advantage of SHJ solar cells
Class 13	New Brothers of Solar Cell - Dye Sensitized Solar Cell and Perovskite Solar Cell (Prof. Yuji Wada)： Dye sensitized solar cell and perovskite solar cell are categorized as the third generation of solar cells, providing with simple preparation and low cost. The structures and working mechanisms of these cells are explained with the viewpoints of materials chemistry and charge transport.	Understand and explain the advantages of the 3rd generation solar cells compared to the others
Class 14	Electrochemical energy storage devices (Prof. Ryoji Kanno)： Fundamental science and developmental technology of electrochemical energy storage devices will be studied. After a brief review of battery science and technology, several topics in Materials developments, Reaction mechanism, and Development of new energy devices will be indicated	Understand and explain battery science and technology and research target for the future devices in order to satisfy the social demands
Class 15	Carbon　Nanotube materials for the battery application (Prof. Keiko Waki)： Carbon Nanotubes have attracted much attention in lithium battery application. In this lecture, the electrochemical characteristics of Carbon Nanotubes will be introduced and some researches for their application will be reviewed.	Understand and explain the electrochemical characteristics of Carbon Nanotube and the issues for applying the materials to batteries.
Class 16	Special lectures of solar cells1 (Prof. Fave, INSA de Lyon, France) - General introduction of solar cells, Physics of semiconductors: Generalities about pv (present status among other energy ressources, advantages and drawbacks, situation in Japan, US and Europe) , Materials for solar energy(how to absorb photons, how to generate photocurrent), Energy bands, absorption, electrons/holes, doping, current diffusion, continuity equations, generation/recombination, pn junction	Understand and explain general introduction of solar cells and physics of semiconductors simply.
Class 17	pecial lectures of solar cells 2 (Prof. Fave, INSA de Lyon, France) - Basics of solar cell ： Solar radiation, Photovoltaic effect, ideal solar cell, carriers generation/recombination, I(V), Quantum Efficiency, …　　 Real solar cell: efficiency limitations, series and shunt resistances. Influence of various parameters (thickness, base and emitter doping, lifetime, surface recombination velocities…)	Understand and explain basics of solar cell
Class 18	Special lectures of solar cells 3 (Prof. Fave, INSA de Lyon, France) - Fabrication of industrial c-Si solar cell： Si material, wafering, texturation, diffusion techniques, SiN deposition, contacts. Module fabrication. Discussion about the balance between cost and high efficiency	Understand and explain fabrication methods of industrial c-Si solar cell.
Class 19	Special lectures of solar cells 4 (Prof. Fave, INSA de Lyon, France)- Simulation of solar cells: Design a Si solar cell and illustration of previous lectures: influence of various parameters on efficiency. This lecture will be implemented using PC1D software (PC1D is available free of charge).	Understand and explain how to use PC1D.
Class 20	Special lectures of solar cells 5 (Prof. Fave, INSA de Lyon, France)- High efficient and new generation solar cells: HIT, PERC, PERT…, IBC : fabrication and developments of high efficient c-Si solar cells. Multijunction, tandem solar cells, Thin films, Perovskites, Nanowires…(overview of the new ideas for PV, the main trends in research)	Understand and explain outline of high efficient and new generation solar cells.
Class 21	Special lectures of solar cells 6 (Prof. Fave, INSA de Lyon, France and Prof. Ihara)- Visit of PV building (EEI building): Discussion about real outdoor operations. General conclusion of "Special lectures of solar cells".	Understand and explain the kinds of solar cell in Tokyo Tech Environmental Energy Innovation Building (PV building).
Class 22	Summary of the course	Explain the important points of each topic

Textbook(s)

None

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Hand out, materials will be distributed as needed.
* Economics of Waste Management in East Asia (Yamamoto and Hosoda, eds)
* Climate Change Mitigation: A Balanced Approach to Climate Change, Lecture Notes in Energy 4 (Yamaguchi eds)

Assessment criteria and methods

(1) evaluated by simple questions in the class and repots.
(2) evaluated by reports and presentation related to the class

Related courses

GEG.E404 ： Technologies for Energy and Resource Utilization
GEG.T413 ： Basic Behaviormetrics: Theory and Methods
ENR.B501 ： Special lecture of economics and politics in energy
ENR.A401 ： Interdisciplinary scientific principles of energy 1
ENR.A402 ： Interdisciplinary scientific principles of energy 2
ENR.A403 ： Interdisciplinary principles of energy devices 1
ENR.A404 ： Interdisciplinary principles of energy devices 2
ENR.A405 ： Interdisciplinary Energy Materials Science 1
ENR.A406 ： Interdisciplinary Energy Materials Science 2
ENR.A407 ： Energy system theory

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

basic English communication

TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY