After completion of this course students will be able to perform thorough analyses of thermal and chemical energy conversion technologies and systems on the basis of scientific principles that underlie these technologies. The technologies covered are:

1. Power cycles (steam turbines, gas turbines, Otto, Diesel, etc.)
2. Fuel cells
3. Electric/hybrid vehicle technologies
4. Heat transfer (heat exchangers, heat pumps, refrigeration)
5. Biomass production & conversion
6. Thermochemical conversions (combustion, gasification, …)
7. Carbon dioxide Capture & Storage
8. Hydrogen technologies

The relation between design of energy conversion systems and their performance is the core of this course. In order to investigate this relation you need to open up the “black box” of energy conversion systems. Instead of characterizing a system by inputs and outputs, as is done in many other courses, you need to study the scientific principles on which the system is based, and which lead, in the end, after having closed the black box, to the system-specific inputs and outputs. Applying basic principles will allow you to define maximum theoretical conversion efficiencies, and comparing these to actual efficiencies shows that many improvements (still) are possible.

This course is subdivided in three parts: basics, examples of thermal and chemical energy conversion technologies, and one detailed energy conversion technology case. In the basics part general thermodynamic principles common to energy conversion technologies are treated.

The conversion technologies covered include

• Refrigeration and heat pumps
• Gas and steam turbines
• Diesel and Otto engines
• Fuel cells
• Biomass production and conversions
• Carbon capture and storage.
• Hydrogen technologies

A case study will be performed by the students, and these will be presented to other students in a mini-symposium. These case studies are based on recent literature.

Note: the course Energy Conversion Technologies – II concentrates on physical and mechanical energy conversions. Together, they constitute a wide overview of energy conversion technologies.