ECTS credits ECTS credits: 4.5
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Student's work ECTS: 74.2 Hours of tutorials: 2.25 Expository Class: 18 Interactive Classroom: 18 Total: 112.45
Use languages Spanish, Galician
Type: Ordinary Degree Subject RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: Applied Physics, Electronics and Computing, Particle Physics
Areas: Applied Physics, Electronics, Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics, Condensed Matter Physics
Center Faculty of Physics
Call: Second Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable
The Physics of the Energy is a new subject fitted in an interdisciplinary scientific area where there come together the physics, the biology, the chemistry, the engineering and the mathematics principally, and that at present constitutes a wide and dynamic educational and investigative working field. As an example the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) introduced this subject in its formative program since 2009-2010 when was presented as a world novelty (http://physicsofenergy.mit.edu/).
The main objective of this subject is to deeply study all the energetic processes, to improve their performances and the diversification of the energetic sources as basic premise for the maintenance of the technological current society. Therefore its formative value in the Degree of Physics is fundamental.
Results of learning
With respect to the matter physics of energies, the student will demonstrate:
- Be able to recognize the transversal knowledge acquired previously in other subjects of the degree and use them when analyzing the operation of thermal machines, studies of conversion, transport and storage of energy, and the use of units and scales of habitual energy use .
- Demonstrate proficiency in certain calculation techniques and problem solving algorithms in a diverse field such as renewable energy.
- Be able to develop and defend a work in the field of energies in the complex framework of sustainability and climate change.
- To extend the "theoretical" knowledge acquired by the pupils, and to apply them consciously to the energy world as one more part of his integral formation as professional qualified futures.
UNIT 1. INTRODUCTION. Energy doubt in today's technological society,energy and sustainability.
UNIT 2. BASIC ENERGY PHYSICS. Units and scales of energy. Types of energy. Thermal machines
UNIT 3. FUNDAMENTALS OF ENERGY TRANSFER AND STORAGE. Conversion, storage, and energy transfer. Supercapacitors. Electrochemical batteries. Fuel cells. Hydrogen technology.
UNIT 4. POWER SOURCES. Solar energy (solar energy, fusion and emission of black bodies, solar spectrum on Earth, potential evaluation, exploitation facilities, semiconductors, photovoltaic cells and efficiency), fossil fuels, biological energy, wind (fluid dynamics, ,wind force, resource assessment, wind turbine and wind farm designs), hydropower, oceanic energies (tidal, and wave force), geothermal energy and nuclear energy.
UNIT 5. EFFICIENCY AND ENERGY TRANSITION.
UNIT 6. ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. Climate Change. Capture and storage of CO2.
UNIT 7. CURRENT SITUATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGIES IN SPAIN AND GALICIA. REVIEW OF EMBLEMATIC PROJECTS.
UNIT 8. PROCESSES AND MODELS OF ENERGETIC TRANSITION.
Basic literature:
R L. Jaffe, W. Taylor The Physics of Energy. Cambridge University Press 2018. Curso MIT; Cambridge University Press
A. Colmenar Santos, J. A. Carta González, R. Calero Pérez, M. A. Castro Gil, E. Collado Fernández, Centrales de energías renovables: generación eléctrica con energías renovables, PEARSON EDUCACIÓN S.A., 2013
M. Stutzmann, C. Csoklich, The Physics of Renewable Energy, Springer 2022
Supplementary literature
A. Vieira da Rosa, J. C Ordoñez Fundamentals of Renewable Energy Processes, Academic Press, 2022
E. A. Moore, Explaining Renewable Energy, CRC Press, 2023
M. Villarubia Lopez, Ingeniería de la Energía Eólica, Ed. Marcombo 2012
Jaime González Velasco Energías renovables. Editorial Reverté. 2009. Barcelona.
David A. Coley. Energy and Climate Change. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 2008. England.
https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-21-the-physics-of-energy-fall-200…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW2DPHAoXiQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GICcoRxgjc
http://physicsofenergy.mit.edu/
http://www.energiasrenovablesinfo.com/
http://www.inega.es/enerxiasrenovables/
http://www.energy.gov/
https://www.carbonfootprint.com/
https://www.technologyreview.es/c/cambio-climatico
Basic skills:
CB1 - Students must have demonstrated that they possess and understand knowledge in an area of study that starts from the base of general secondary education, and is usually found at a level that, although supported by advanced textbooks, also includes some aspects that imply knowledge coming from the vanguard of their field of study.
CB2 - Students must know how to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and possess the skills that are usually demonstrated through the elaboration and defense of arguments and the resolution of problems within their area of study.
CB3 - Students must have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their area of study) to make judgments that include a reflection on relevant social, scientific or ethical issues.
General skills:
CG1 - Know the most important concepts, methods and results of the different branches of Physics, together with a certain historical perspective of their development.
CG2 - Have the ability to gather and interpret data, information and relevant results, obtain conclusions and issue reasoned reports on scientific, technological or other issues that require the use of knowledge of Physics.
CG3 - Apply both the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired as well as the capacity for analysis and abstraction in the definition and posing of problems and in the search for their solutions both in academic and professional contexts.
Transversal skills:
CT1 - Acquire analysis and synthesis capacity.
CT2 - Have the capacity for organization and planning.
CT5 - Develop critical reasoning.
Specific skills:
CE2 - Be able to clearly handle orders of magnitude and make appropriate estimates in order to develop a clear perception of situations that, although physically different, show some analogy, allowing the use of known solutions to new problems.
CE4 - Be able to compare new experimental data with available models to check its validity and suggest changes that improve the agreement of the models with the data.
CE7 - Be able to interpret calculations independently. In addition, the graduate should be able to develop software programs.
CE8 - Be able to manage, search and use bibliography, as well as any source of relevant information and apply it to research projects and technical development of projects.
Explanation of the contents of the syllabus by the teachers.
Approaching and resolution of problems/case studies by the teachers
Conducting of computer programs, experiments and other laboratory works.
Problem solving in groups of students.
A course will be activated in the Moodle platform of the Virtual Campus, which will contain information of interest for the
student and different teaching materials.
Development of the theoretical syllabus in 26 classes of 1.5 hours in which master classes, seminars-colloquium and problem solving are combined, together with 3 classes of 2 hours for laboratory work, both individually and in groups. In parallel, seminars can be held during tutorials, other sessions with the teacher and other training activities that may arise.
The theoretical part develops with help of different audio-visual means that generate an attractive offer of the contents and facilitate the comprehension of the same ones.
The pupils will be able to have access to the list of topicss and to the rest of the used material (books, videoes, etc.) across the web of the subject, and that will be able to be located across the Virtual Campus
For the evaluation of the student, two processes can be followed:
First Opportunity:
1. Continuous assessment. The student must necessarily meet the following requirements
a) regularly attend class, meaning regular attendance greater than 60% of classes with an active aptitude (will have a rating of 5%)
b) pass the quizzes/activities proposed by the different teachers (75% rating)
c) carry out the internship (20% assessment)
2. If any of the above requirements are not met, the student who wants to pass the subject must take a test (100% assessment). The grade obtained in this examination will be the one that the student obtains as a definite note in the evaluation process of the learning.
Second opportunity:
The student who wants to pass the subject must take a test (100% assessment). The grade obtained in this examination will be the one that the student obtains as a definite note in the evaluation process of the learning.
Students who did not show up for the exam and did not undergo any other compulsory activity will obtain the grade of not presented.
In cases of fraudulent completion of exercises or tests, the following will apply to the provisions of the "Regulations for evaluating students' academic performance and reviewing grades":
"Article 16. Fraudulent performance of exercises or tests.
The fraudulent performance of any exercise or test required in the evaluation of a subject will imply the qualification of failed in the corresponding call, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be followed against the offending student. It is considered fraudulent, among other things, the realization of plagiarized works or obtained from sources accessible to the public without re-elaboration or reinterpretation and without citations to the authors and the sources ”.
Presential Hours: 45
Lectures: 22.5 hours
Seminars: 13.5 hours
Lab: 6 hours
Tutorials: 3 hours
Non presential hours to prepare each of the previous paragraphs: 67,5
Autonomous individual study or in group: 20
Writing of exercises, conclusions or other works: 8
Programming / experimentation or other works in computer / laboratory: 8
Recommended readings, activities in library or similar: 10
Preparation of oral presentations, debate or similar: 10
Assistance to chats, exhibitions or other recommended activities: 1
Other tasks proposed by the teacher: 10,5
Total hours: 112,5
It is recommended to attend the lectures and actively intervene in them; to attend to the tutorships in order to solve doubts, mainly related with activities proposed by the teachers; to work in team from the beginning in every issue (theorical study, problems solving, activities,...); and to make use of the proposed bibliography.
RECOMMENDED PRIOR REQUIREMENTS
Having studied the subjects of the first two grades of the degree. Likewise, a basic knowledge of English would be recommended. It would also be advisable to gain knowledge at the computer user level to become familiar with new technologies when giving quality to public oral presentations, data processing programs to analyze the data obtained in laboratory work, and Internet browsing for have the most direct and quick access to as much information as possible.
The skills in the search for material for the development of the topics, the ability to synthesize in the elaboration of works and the mastery of the topics will be valued.
The teaching will be taught mainly in Galician and Spanish.
Josefa Fernandez Perez
- Department
- Applied Physics
- Area
- Applied Physics
- Phone
- 881814046
- josefa.fernandez [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Professor
Ma Angeles Lopez Aguera
Coordinador/a- Department
- Particle Physics
- Area
- Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics
- Phone
- 881813974
- a.lopez.aguera [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Lecturer
Fernando Rafael Pardo Seco
- Department
- Electronics and Computing
- Area
- Electronics
- Phone
- 982823212
- fernando.pardo [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: Temporary PhD professor
Trinidad Mendez Morales
- Department
- Particle Physics
- Area
- Condensed Matter Physics
- trinidad.mendez [at] usc.es
- Category
- Researcher: Ramón y Cajal
Iris Garcia Rivas
- Department
- Particle Physics
- Area
- Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics
- irisgarcia.rivas [at] usc.es
- Category
- Predoutoral_Doutoramento Industrial
| Friday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00-10:30 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | Main Hall |
| 05.19.2025 09:00-13:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | 3 (Computer Science) |
| 06.25.2025 09:00-13:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 830 |