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Faculty of Engineering @ Univ. Auckland
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  • Offer Profile
  • Access to suitable energy supplies is a crucial component of the quality of life we enjoy. Energy is also an important issue for the economic competitiveness of businesses in New Zealand and abroad. As a society we must address how to meet our increasing energy demands in a sustainable way which balances economic and population growth with climate change.
Product Portfolio
  • Faculty of Engineering

  • The Faculty of Engineering is committed to creating an environment where people thrive and contribute to improving the quality of life in national and global communities, as well as enhancing the wealth creation of the nation, through excellence in teaching, research and service.
  • Master of Energy (MEnergy)

  • The Master of Energy (MEnergy) is an interfaculty postgraduate degree that enables students with undergraduate backgrounds in Engineering, Science or Commerce to undertake graduate studies in energy.

    Who should take this programme?

    Students who wish to enter the energy industry and who have completed a BE(Hons), BSc(Hons) or BCom(Hons) or have reached an equivalent attainment in Engineering, Science or Commerce (e.g. PGDip) as approved by the Dean of Engineering.

    Programme Overview

    All students will complete two core courses that will give an overview of energy resources and energy technology. They have a choice of completing a 90 point research thesis or a smaller 45 point research project. In both cases the research will involve working on a problem relevant to industry and students will be expected toconsider economic, environmental, regulatory and business issues, as well as technical matters.

    Students who choose the smaller 45 point research project will also take an additional three 15 point courses. The courses will allow the student to concentrate on a particular energy form such as wind or geothermal or to cover a range of topics. The 90 point research thesis option is targeted at students who have considerable previous experience in energy, through their undergraduate education or through work experience, and have a clear research objective.

    It is anticipated that the majority of students with less energy experience will take more lecture courses and undertake a smaller 45 point research project. To give flexibility, this research project can be taken as either a 15:30 points split (ENERGY 785) or a 30:15 points split (ENERGY 786) between Semesters 1 and 2, or as 45 points in one Semester.
  • Energy

  • The Energy research theme targets improved energy supply and use. This incorporates new sources of energy, sustainability of current forms of energy supply, and novel low energy usage technologies. Access to suitable energy supplies is a crucial component of the quality of life we enjoy. Energy is also an important issue for the economic competitiveness of businesses in New Zealand and abroad. As a society we must address how to meet our increasing energy demands in a sustainable way which balances economic and population growth with climate change.

    Energy supply
    Including coal-bed methane, gas hydrates, oil and gas production, geothermal energy, solar power, wind energy, carbon dioxide sequestration, electricity generation and infrastructure.

    Example projects include:
    • Modelling tectonism and geothermal activity in the Taupo Volcanic Zone.
    • Telescopic wind turbines designed to alter their length in response to wind conditions.
    • Improving performance of wind farms using predictive load control.
    • Optimisation of resource development in geothermal and petroleum reservoirs.

    Energy use
    Encompassing aluminium smelting, energy efficiency, electricity markets, fuels and biofuels, heat transfer, refrigeration and sustainability/complex systems.

    Example projects include:
    • Inductive power technology which transfers energy across air, and is suitable for charging hybrid and pure electric vehicles.
    • Thermal management using phase change materials from sustainable sources.
    • Energy efficient data storage systems.
    • Understanding modern electricity markets and analysis of methods for efficient generation schemes and demand-side participation.
    • Energy management systems – renewable energy, storage and control.
    • Biofuels for transport addressing engine performance, emissions and durability issues, and biofuel production from waste sources.
    • Fundamental and applied research dealing with refrigeration systems including domestic refrigerator/freezers, heat pumps, liquid chillers and supermarket refrigeration systems.

    Study
    We offer a Master of Energy programme, aimed at giving engineering and science graduates specialist training in the study of energy.

  • A selection of energy research theme projects

  • A selection of energy research theme projects
    • Improving the performance of wind farms using predictive load control

    • The aim of this project is to better understand and control the behaviour of wind turbines in a wind farm in response to changeable flow conditions.

      This project uses existing sensors on wind turbines in the entire wind farm to predict future inflow to downwind turbines. One of the challenges in this research is the ability to account for the vortices generated behind each turbine which have important effects on dynamic loads. Transient flow methods
      will be used to model fluctuations in wind direction and gust duration.

      The project will enable development of technologies that will allow data from upwind turbines to be incorporated into turbine controllers to achieve early response to gusts and extreme wind events. This leads to a longer operating life, reduced downtime due to vibration induced faults, and increased effectiveness of wind farms.

      This project brings together expertise in transient flow modelling, computational fluid dynamics, real-time artificial neural networks and wind turbine Research questions around energy are wider than those that control design.
    • Green energy
       

    • A wireless green energy system, which serves as a microgrid to power homes and cars, is being designed to harness and integrate renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.

      Household renewable energy systems require a very large and expensive energy storage facility in addition to the cost of installing solar panels, wind turbines and associated electronics. The concept here is to use an electric vehicle, which already has a powerful battery, not just for mobility but also to supplement existing household energy storage as appropriate. The system, which also allows for the electric vehicle to be wirelessly charged or discharged, can easily  be upgraded, and is expected to be appealing to consumers because of its versatility and improved financial viability compared to conventional hard-wired systems.

      The first working model of the ‘living and mobility’ concept is currently being built, and includes new technologies being developed for bi-directional and wireless power transfer, grid integration and generator systems to improve both efficiency and performance of the overall system. In comparison to existing systems, it will be more cost effective, safer, versatile and scalable.

      This project combines expertise in renewable energy, wireless power transfer, generator design and control, and power electronics, and is run in collaboration with many leading international universities. At present a team of ten researchers, comprising PhD/ME students and postdoctoral fellows, are working on various aspects of the project in relation to efficient energy management, wireless charging of electric vehicles, grid integration of induction generators and high power converters.
    • Geothermal energy
       

    • Geothermal energy is produced by extracting hot water and steam from deep underground reservoirs. It is an important energy source in New Zealand, producing approximately 14% of domestic electricity supply. Internationally there is a growing interest in geothermal energy as the world searches for clean energy sources.

      The geothermal modelling group at the University of Auckland conduct world-leading research which applies sophisticated computer models to discover how geothermal systems work. These models can be used to address questions such as:
      • How long will the Wairakei geothermal power station keep working?
      • How do geysers work?
      • Will hot dry rock projects in Australia be successful?
      • What is the future of geothermal energy?

      The geothermal modelling group has developed computer models of many geothermal systems in New Zealand and overseas, including Wairakei, Ohaaki and Ngawha. Results from these models help understand the properties and structure of these reservoirs. This in turn helps geothermal reservoir engineers optimise future development plans for these resources. The group collaborates with  counterparts at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories in California to further develop the capabilities of the computer modelling codes they use. The modelling software used in the geothermal modelling group is being applied to model possible production of natural gas from hydrate deposits which lie off the New Zealand coastline.
    • Removing and recovering heat from aluminium smelting cells

    • In aluminium production, metal is produced in cells that operate at temperatures above 950°C. There is a delicate balancing act involved in managing the heat – enough energy needs to be supplied to keep the working fluid (electrolyte) in a liquid state, while at the same time removing heat from the cell exterior to ensure that the materials the cell is constructed from do not suffer heat damage. On top of this, modern smelters are required to operate at higher production rates, thus requiring more energy input and heat extraction, and are under increasing pressure to reduce their overall energy usage.

      The Light Metals Research Centre has developed and patented the Shell Heat Exchanger cooling technology, that are compact and efficient air-driven heat exchangers capable of providing controlled cooling of smelter cell sidewalls. They allow peak shell temperature reductions of 50-100oC, which enables the operator to significantly increase amperage and hence productivity in the cell while retaining other operational benefits, including a cooler operating cell and allowing waste heat recovery of 100-200 kW per cell. The goals are to enable smelters to increase production without the substantially increased capital cost of new cells and ultimately to recover energy.
    • Biodiesel from tallow

    • Biodiesel is more expensive than petroleum derived diesel fuels. One of the causes of the cost difference is that conventionally, biodiesel is produced in abatch  like process. The reaction time of this process can reach up to one hour, depending on the reaction conditions used. Costs are further increased by the need for high grade feed stock, which can also be very expensive.

      The main objective of this project is to improve the economic viability of manufacturing biodiesel through a combined approach:
      • use of a continuous reactor to improve the reaction rate
      • using tallow, a waste by-product of the meat processing industry, as the fat feedstock for the process.

      A new continuous reactor is being developed. Tallow is introduced into the reactor as a fine droplet spray and reacts with methanol at an optimum temperature. This reduced the reaction time from an  hour to a few seconds. This new continuous process is able to use any fat or oil as feedstock, including those containing impurities, making this form of biodiesel a cost-effective fuel which utilises an abundant waste product.
    • Biodiesel options for New Zealand

    • It is widely accepted that New Zealand (and the world) will need to move to renewable transport fuels in the future. New Zealand has many resources for this option including tallow from meat processing and alcohols from plant and milk by products.

      At the same time there is increasing concern about the possible harmful effects of engine exhaust emissions on human health and the environment. The question is: are emissions from engines fuelled with renewables less harmful than those fuelled conventionally?

      The Energy and Fuels Research Unit has undertaken detailed measurements of particulate matter and polyaromatic hydrocarbon emissions. These have been done for engines operating on biogas and on gasoline/kerosene blends. The first of these is a valuable renewable fuel sourced from organic waste and the second is an adulterated fuel commonly used in some South Asian countries. Similar emissions from renewable fuels of relevance to New Zealand are being investigated. The fuels include biodiesel (sourced from vegetable or tallow) and alcohols potentially sourced from milk by-products or woody matter.
  • Engineering Science

  • With internationally renowned researchers, we have one of the best department research records in New Zealand, and continue to excel in bioengineering, fluid dynamics, operations research, signal processing and solid mechanics.
    The core research of the department is the construction of mathematical models of a wide variety of engineering problems, together with their solution. These procedures can be broadly categorised under the headings of Bioengineering, Mechanics and Operations Research.
    • Geothermal, reservoir engineering and environmental fluids

    • Focusing on research, teaching and consulting activities related to geothermal energy, particularly on the numerical simulation of geothermal reservoirs.
      A major focus of this group is carrying out research, teaching and consulting activities related to geothermal energy, with a particular focus on the numerical simulation of geothermal reservoirs.

      The group is also active in research in petroleum reservoir engineering, coal bed methane extraction and carbon sequestration.

      The environmental fluid research activities include computer modelling of tidal flows and the dispersal of pollutants in rivers and estuaries.
       
    • Fluid dynamics

    • Advancing our understanding of flow phenomena through mathematical, computational and experimental means
      Research areas
      The Fluid Dynamics Group within the Department of Engineering Science conducts internationally-recognised research in a number of different areas, which include:
      • petroleum engineering
      • geothermal fluid dynamics
      • microfluidics
      • acoustics, turbulence
      • convection in porous media
      • biofluid dynamics
      • environmental fluid dynamics.

      The group is committed to advancing our understanding of flow phenomena through mathematical, computational and experimental means, and applying that knowledge in beneficial ways through close contact with industrial partners
    • Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory

    • The Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory is a modern research and teaching facility housing several different facilities for evaluating soil and rock properties and has good data logging facilities.
      We have a 250 kN servo hydraulic load frame used for static and cyclic testing, several Ko tri-axial cells, tri-axial equipment for small strain evaluation of soil stiffness, the ability to perform stress path tri-axial testing, and equipment for preparing and testing rock specimens.

      We are able to measure soil suction and evaluate the thermal response of soils.
      Geotechnical numerical analysis software (FLAC, PLAXIS and the GeoStudio Suite) is also available.
      Access is available for CPT testing and we do WAK and SASW field measurement of soil stiffness.
      We also use the Mobile Field laboratory equipment to measure the dynamic response of foundations and we participate in the NZ NEES (NZNEES@Auckland) facility.

      Scanning electron microscope and micro CT scanning equipment is available in the Faculty of Engineering.