ES 115: Energy and the Environment
Winter 2012 Syllabus
“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything
else in the Universe.”
John Muir
(My First Summer in the Sierra, Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1911)
Class Goals:
Students will learn that:
1. The laws of thermodynamics are a central organizing principle for the
ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE, INDUSTRY AND THE OVERALL ECONOMY.
2. “The future belongs to those who can manipulate entropy.”
Frederic Keffer (Eric M. Rogers, Physics for the Inquiring Mind; Princeton University Press, 1960,
p. 395.)
3. Energy and entropy provide an integrative capability for addressing environmental
problems.
4. Energy production, distribution, and use are a major contributor to social injustices
that are prevalent in today’s societies.
.
Lectures:
MWF 3:00-3:50 AM BUCH 1910
Attendance is required; tardiness will be noted
Instructor:
Mel Manalis
Office hours: Wed 10:30-11:50AM Bren Hall 4005 or after class or
by appointment
Teaching Assistants:
Gee, Quentin
Richman, Sarah
Snavely, Jewel
Travis, Geneva
gee@umail.ucsb.edu
s.michele1019@gmail.com
jssnavely@gmail.com
gtravis00@gmail.com
Required Readings: Assignments will be made on Mondays
1. ES 115 Workbook (Grafikart 6550 Pardall Rd, IV; (968-3575))
2. Sustainable Energy - without hot air, David MacKay
(www.withouthotair.com) (download at no cost)
3. Coal A Human History, Barbara Freese, UCSB Bookstore
4. Beyond Smoke and Mirrors, Burton Richter, UCSB Bookstore or
Amazon.com
4. ES 115 Supplemental Readings (GauchoSpace)
Problem Sets:
Located in ES115 Workbook; assigned in class.
Exams:
Will cover lectures, required readings and problem sets
First Midterm Exam:
Friday Feb. 10
Grade:
Section (see section syllabus)
First Midterm exam
Second Midterm exam
Web:
40%
30%
30%
100%
Unit Conversion: www.digitaldutch.com/unitconverter/
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ES 115 Winter 2012 Tentative Schedule
MWF @ 3:00PM BUCH 1910
Lec #
Date
Title
Week 1
1
2
3
Jan
9
11
13
Introduction: Why Study Energy & Video: Shift Happens
Energy& Significance of the Human Development Index (HDI)
Video: TED Talk: Bill Gates talks about Terrapower
16
Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
Week 2
Jan
4
5
18
20
Power, Time, Spreng Triangle & Ragone Plots
Simple Energy Balance: Environmental Implications
ES 115 Winter 2012 Tentative Schedule
MWF @ 3:00PM BUCH 1910
Lec # Date
Title
Week 3
6
7
8
Jan
23
25
27
The Impact of CO2 + Energy Policy
Energy Waste & 2nd Law of Thermodynamics
Entropy and Exergy
30
1
3
The Nature & Significance of Heat Engines
Heat Engines & Their Systems
Fuel cells
6
8
10
Space Heating & Cooling Using Heat Pumps
Calculating the 2nd Law Efficiency
Summary & review
13
15
17
Midterm Exam
Ethics and values of energy development
Film: Modern Marvels Power Plants Conventional Sources of Oil
Week 4
9
10
11
Jan
Feb
Week 5
12
13
14
Feb
Week 6
15
16
17
Feb
Week 7
18
19
20
Feb
20
22
24
Presidents Day Holiday
How long will fossils fuels last?
Coal
Week 8
20
21
22
Feb 27
Feb 29
Mar 2
Week 9
Energy Bridges: Electricity and Oil Use in Transportation
Natural Gas & the Emergence of LNG & Marcellus shale
Extreme Energy: Non-Conventional Oil & Gas Sources
23
24
25
Mar 5
7
9
Environmental Strengths & Weaknesses of Nuclear Energy
Basic Nuclear Processes
Nuclear Reactors and Their Future
Week 10
26
27
28
Mar 12
14
16
Film: High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors
Summary & Review
Conclusion