As our energy systems decarbonise, the need for large scale clean energy storage technologies is increasing. Electrochemical energy storage systems offer great benefits for storing large amounts of renewable energy, however, engineers need to design and produce these systems so they can become part of our energy supply. Engineering and mechanical design specifically related to electrochemical energy storage systems is critical for large scale system development and operation in this critical growth area.
This course takes the student's fundamental engineering knowledge and expands it by covering the challenges facing current and future energy storage devices. The terminology, principles and methods used in electrochemical energy storage systems, together with mechanical engineering design considerations for improving performance and efficiency measures are addressed. This course includes practical work to support the theory presented. Mechanical cell assembly and electrochemical analysis methods are performed in laboratory classes to demonstrate and provide an understanding on how system performance and longevity can be determined, together with the importance of material selection. This knowledge will then be used for exploring the mechanical design challenges associated with scaling up and manufacture of electrochemical energy storage systems.
It is expected that students have a basic understanding of engineering design principles as covered by DESN2000.
