Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Summer 2025 - SEE 352 D100

Applied Thermodynamics and Energy Conversion (3)

Class Number: 3883

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 12 – Aug 8, 2025: Wed, 11:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Surrey

    May 12 – Aug 8, 2025: Fri, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Surrey

  • Prerequisites:

    SEE 222, SEE 224.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Application of thermodynamics, chemistry, and transport physics to energy conversion technologies and systems. Analysis of energy conversion systems with emphasis on efficiency, performance, and environmental impact.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Intended Learning Outcomes

  1. Compare the characteristics of different types of power generation, with attention to energy efficiency and social, environmental, and economic (GA 1 – A)
  2. Analyze an energy conversion (GA 1 – A)
  3. Compare and contrast energy generation and conversion systems' environmental, social, and economic advantages and disadvantages. (GA 4 – D)
  4. Analyze and design sustainable energy conversion systems, e.g., wind, nuclear, fuel cell, etc., in a team setup. (GA 4 – D)
  5. Test and measure sustainable energy systems, e.g. small-scale wind turbine and solar PV panel, behaviour under different operational conditions. (GA 9 – A)
  6. Safely set up, manage, and use laboratory (GA 9 – A)

Subjects and Topics

  1. Course introduction and thermodynamics reminder (Week 1)
  2. Gas power cycles (Weeks 2 and 3)
  3. Vapor and combined power cycles (Weeks 4 and 5)
  4. Renewable energies (Solar, Wind, Hydro, and Geothermal) (Weeks 5 and 7)
  5. Refrigeration cycles (Weeks 8 and 9)
  6. Chemical reactions (Weeks 10 and 11)
  7. Chemical and phase equilibrium (Weeks 12 and 13)

Indicative Learning Activities

  • Project on the analysis and impact of an energy conversion topic with a technical report
  • Group laboratory activities to simulate energy
  • Group problem-solving activities to analyze applied thermodynamic problems.

Engineering Accreditation

The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) requires students to be competent in twelve main areas by graduation, known as Graduate Attributes (GA). The GAs are provided and evaluated at three levels: Introduced (I), Developed (D), and Applied (A). The SEE course learning outcomes are mapped to the GAs to ensure students are educated and graduate with these attributes. The relevant GAs and their associated levels for this course are indicated after each list item in the Intended Learning Outcomes section above. Below is a list of CEAB GAs:

  1. A knowledge base for engineering: Demonstrated competence in university-level mathematics, natural sciences, engineering fundamentals, and specialized engineering knowledge appropriate to the program.
  2. Problem analysis: An ability to use appropriate knowledge and skills to identify, formulate, analyze, and solve complex engineering problems to reach substantiated conclusions.
  3. Investigation: An ability to conduct investigations of complex problems by methods that include appropriate experiments, analysis and interpretation of data, and synthesis of information to reach valid conclusions.
  4. Design: An ability to design solutions for complex, open-ended engineering problems and to design systems, components or processes that meet specified needs with appropriate attention to health and safety risks, applicable standards, and economic, environmental, cultural and societal considerations.
  5. Use of engineering tools: An ability to create, select, apply, adapt, and extend appropriate techniques, resources, and modern engineering tools to a range of engineering activities, from simple to complex, with an understanding of the associated limitations.
  6. Individual and teamwork: An ability to work effectively as a member and leader in teams, preferably in a multidisciplinary setting.
  7. Communication skills: An ability to communicate complex engineering concepts within the profession and with society at large. Such ability includes reading, writing, speaking and listening, and the ability to comprehend and write effective reports and design documentation, and to give and effectively respond to clear instructions.
  8. Professionalism: An understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the professional engineer in society, especially the primary role of protection of the public and the public interest.
  9. Impact of engineering on society and the environment: An ability to analyze social and environmental aspects of engineering activities. Such ability includes an understanding of the interactions that engineering has with the economic, social, health, safety, legal, and cultural aspects of society, the uncertainties in the prediction of such interactions, and the concepts of sustainable design and development and environmental stewardship.
  10. Ethics and equity: An ability to apply professional ethics, accountability, and equity.
  11. Economics and project management: An ability to appropriately incorporate economics and business practices, including project, risk, and change management into the practice of engineering and to understand their limitations.
  12. Life-long learning: An ability to identify and to address their own educational needs in a changing world in ways sufficient to maintain their competence and to allow them to contribute to the advancement of knowledge.

Grading

  • Weekly short quizzes (Kahoot!) 11%
  • Biweekly individual quizzes 30%
  • Biweekly group problem solving sessions 24%
  • Lab attendance and reports 15%
  • Project 20%

NOTES:

Grading Scale

Letter Grade

Performance

Numeric Equivalent

% Grade

A+

Excellent

4.33

90 – 100

A

4.00

85 – 89

A-

3.67

80 – 84

B+

Good

3.33

76 – 79

B

3.00

73 – 75

B-

2.67

69 – 72

C+

Satisfactory

2.33

65 – 68

C

2.00

60 – 64

C-

Marginal

1.67

55 – 59

D

1.00

50 – 54

F

Fail

0.00

0 – 49

The grade scale is subject to change depending on the course outcome.

Workload

  • Class participation 5%
    • Attending the lectures and participating in the class discussions
    • Following the class rules
  • Kahoot quizzes 12%
    • 12 weekly quizzes, each 1%
  • Lab attendance and reports: 15%
    • 3 lab reports, 5% each
    • Labs are held on Week 4, Week 7, and Week 10
    • Reports are due 2 weeks after the day you attend the lab
    • This is a group assessment
  • Project: 20%
    • The project is available on week 10 and due on week 13
    • This is a group assignment
  • Biweekly quizzes: 30%
    • 6 quizzes, 5% each (closed book/notes)
    • This is an individual assessment
  • Biweekly tutorials: 24%
    • 6 tutorials, 4% each (closed book/notes)
    • This is a group assessment
  • Assignments: 5% - Bonus
    • 5 assignments for 1% each
    • Due is 1 week after the assignment is posted; no late submissions are accepted
    • This is an individual assessment

Marking Notes

  • Late submissions are accepted only up to 48 hours after the deadline, with a 25% penalty per day (1 second after the deadline in counted full day).
  • Two free passes
    • You are allowed to miss up to two assessments (Kahoot quiz, biweekly quiz, biweekly tutorial) with no penalty – this is to allow for life’s unforeseen events.
    • I must communicate all the missed assessments (preferably in advance); otherwise, the assigned mark will be zero, and you will lose one free pass.
    • This does not apply to project and lab reports; missing those will get you a zero mark.
    • For the missed assessment(s), you will receive your mark from the following similar assessment. If you miss the last assessment in the term, you will receive the average grades in the past assessments.
    • Only one of the two missed assessments can be a quiz!
    • The free passes are only applied to the first two assessments you miss. If you miss more than two, you cannot pick and choose.
    • If you don’t miss any in-class assessment, the lowest grade from all the course in-class assessments will be dropped for you!
  • You are allowed to have a double-sided formula sheet in all in-class assessments.
  • If lack of participation in the group assessments (lab reports, project, and group quizzes) is reported by more than half of your group members, you will lose a minimum of 50% and up to 100% of that assessment’s mark.

REQUIREMENTS:

Additional Information

Course notes and other teaching materials will be made available on Canvas: canvas.sfu.ca

Please check your SFU email account regularly for course announcements, etc. Course assignments will be collected electronically (via Canvas) unless otherwise directed.

It is essential to familiarize yourself with the policies and guidelines about students at SFU, including but not limited to the following:

Use of Technology in Course Assessments

It is understood that students might choose to use a range of tools (including generative AI software such as ChatGPT) to explore concepts associated with this course.  However, using generative AI tools to produce content for graded assignments is strictly prohibited. All submissions for grading must be your work.

Class Rules

  • Please be on time!
  • Please put your electronics on silent mode!
  • Ask any questions, any time!

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach – 10th Edition, Yunus Çengel, and Michael Boles and Mehmet Kanoglu, McGraw Hill, 2019

RECOMMENDED READING:

Manwell, J. McGowan, and A. Rogers, Wind energy explained: theory, design and application, 2nd ed., Wiley, 2009

Tester, M. Kazimi, Y. Shao-Horn, and A. Ghoniem. 2.60 Fundamentals of Advanced Energy Conversion. Spring 2004. MIT OpenCourseWare, https://ocw.mit.edu. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.