MECH4105 Sustainable design and manufacturing of energy systems Course description

A sustainable future in the industrial sector relies on designing and manufacturing components that use green/reusable materials and mitigate process material waste. In this course, students learn about sustainable design and manufacturing principles, such as the reduction of materials and energy use, the life cycle assessment, and the circular economy related to the energy system. Furthermore, the students learn how to use Fusion 360 for computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing.

Knowledge

The candidate:

• can identify key elements of sustainable design and manufacturing as applied to energy systems
• can explain the 6R (reuse, recover, recycle, redesign, reduce and remanufacturing) principle as applied to product lifecycle analysis
• can solve relevant design problems using Design for X methodology
• can develop holistic strategies for the circular and sustainable design.

Skills:

The candidate

• can analyze the methods presented in the regulations, standards, and research papers for sustainable design and manufacturing
• can conduct life cycle assessments of energy systems and identify opportunities for improvement
• can analyze the environmental impact of energy systems and develop strategies for reducing waste and emissions
• can use Fusion360 for designing and manufacturing components digitally
• can perform research independently and document it in the form of a report following research ethics criteria
• can assess the societal impact of design choice relevant to circular economy in engineering
• can find relevant information in the literature, compare information sources critically and follow appropriate citation practices
• can summarize the content of scientific articles and dissertations within the field of sustainable design and manufacturing.

General Competence:

The candidate

• can justify decisions on design, process, and materials based on environmental, social, and economic impacts
• can reflect upon the key issues, and conclusions related to sustainable design and manufacturing
• can work independently and make informed decisions within the interdisciplinary projects requiring interaction between, engineering, society, and economy.

Lectures, project work and group assignments. The class is divided into groups and the students are asked to perform critical analysis of the scientific papers and present the findings in the class.

The following coursework requirements must have been approved for the student to take the exam: Four mandatory individual assignments, about 5 pages long each.

The exam consists of two parts:

• Part one: A project report in groups of 2-4 people, word limit 6000-8000; this report counts 80 % of the final grade.
• Part two: An individual oral presentation (10-15 min per person); the presentation counts for 20 % of the final grade.

Part one can be appealed, part two cannot be appealed.

Both parts of the exam must be passed in order to pass the course.

In the event of a resit or rescheduled exam, an oral examination may be used instead. In case an oral exam is used, the examination result cannot be appealed

Lecture notes, textbooks, scientific papers

Graded scale A-F

Two internal examiners. External examiner is used periodically.