ECM3205 - Sustainable Engineering (2023)
| MODULE TITLE | Sustainable Engineering | CREDIT VALUE | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| MODULE CODE | ECM3205 | MODULE CONVENER | Unknown |
| DURATION: TERM | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DURATION: WEEKS | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Number of Students Taking Module (anticipated) | 25 |
|---|
Sustainable engineering concerns the design or operation of systems with the aim of reducing energy demand and carbon emissions with the goal of minimising the impact on the environment. The built environment accounts for the majority of carbon emissions in the western world with up to 50% of all emissions coming from buildings in the form of heating, cooling and lighting. By transforming the built environment to be more sustainable, the built environment can play a major role in reducing the threat of climate change.
This module discusses the interdependency between changes required across all activities of human life across all scales with a focus on sustainability across the built environment.
Pre-requisite - ECM2205 Safety and Sustainable Development or equivalent
This module aims to provide you with an appreciation of the complexities which arise from considering sustainability across the built environment. Lectures will cover a range of topics and will include:
Principles of sustainability: sustainability frameworks, energy consumption, lifecycle analysis, embodied energy.
Climate change: Evidence of climate change, how to model the climate and the potential impacts.
Conventional power generation: systems, environmental impacts and resources available
Renewable energy: systems, environmental impacts and resources available
Sustainable buildings: modelling, heat transfer mechanisms in buildings, heating and cooling load calculations, human health, regulations and policy, adaptation.
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
Module Specific Skills and Knowledge
1. Understand the physical principles of energy production and consumption
2. Apply theoretical analysis to the problems and limits associated with energy production and consumption
3. Use theoretical models to calculate heat loss, plant size and model buildings
4. Apply principles of sustainability to a range of engineering problems
Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge
5. Appreciate the principles of sustainability across a range of engineering systems in existing and developing technology
6. Use theoretical understanding to quantify and produce a rational comparison of options
Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge
7. Work in a team to discuss ideas, solve engineering problems and form a consensus
8. Process and use data from diverse sources
9. Present your work in a variety of forms to a range of audiences.
1. Energy consumption.
2. Climate Change – principles and modelling.
3. Conventional Power generation – Fossil fuels, nuclear power.
4. Renewable power generation – Wind, Solar, Water, Biomass, Heat pumps.
5. Transport sector.
6. Principles of thermally modelling buildings; steady state, cyclic and finite difference models.
7. Modelling buildings for building design and sustainability.
8. Embodied energy
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activities | 32.00 | Guided Independent Study | 118.00 | Placement / Study Abroad | 0.00 |
|---|
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 16 | Lectures |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 12 | Tutorials to discuss problems, provide feedback and participate in groups |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 4 | Project tutorials with individual support |
| Guided independent study | 118 | Guided independent study |
| Form of Assessment | Size of Assessment (e.g. duration/length) | ILOs Assessed | Feedback Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worked examples in tutorials | 1,2,3,6,8 | Informal Feedback within tutorials | |
| Coursework | 100 | Written Exams | 0 | Practical Exams | 0 |
|---|
| Form of Assessment | % of Credit | Size of Assessment (e.g. duration/length) | ILOs Assessed | Feedback Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Project | 70 | Upto 6 pages | 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9 | Feedback on paper and mark returned |
| Group Coursework | 30 | Up to 8 pages | 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9 | Feedback on paper and mark returned |
| Original Form of Assessment | Form of Re-assessment | ILOs Re-assessed | Time Scale for Re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| All above | Coursework (100%) | All | August Ref/Def Period |
If a module is normally assessed entirely by coursework, all referred/deferred assessments will normally be by assignment.
If a module is normally assessed by examination or examination plus coursework, referred and deferred assessment will normally be by examination. For referrals, only the examination will count, a mark of 40% being awarded if the examination is passed. For deferrals, candidates will be awarded the higher of the deferred examination mark or the deferred examination mark combined with the original coursework mark.
information that you are expected to consult. Further guidance will be provided by the Module Convener
Basic reading:
ELE: vle.exeter.ac.uk
Web based and Electronic Resources:
Other Resources:
Reading list for this module:
| Type | Author | Title | Edition | Publisher | Year | ISBN | Search |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set | McKay, David | Sustainable Engineering - Without the Hot Air | 2008 | [Library] |
| CREDIT VALUE | 15 | ECTS VALUE | 7.5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PRE-REQUISITE MODULES | ECM2205 |
|---|---|
| CO-REQUISITE MODULES |
| NQF LEVEL (FHEQ) | 6 | AVAILABLE AS DISTANCE LEARNING | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| ORIGIN DATE | Tuesday 14 March 2017 | LAST REVISION DATE | Friday 03 February 2023 |
| KEY WORDS SEARCH | Sustainable, engineering |
|---|