Energy storage and conversion

In the face of global warming, depleting fossil fuel resources and urban pollution, renewable energies have become an essential response. One of the major challenges is to convert and store this renewable energy on a large scale and in a cost-effective way. Energy storage is therefore proving to be a strategic area of research, generating strong economic, social and sociological impacts. To meet these challenges, the French Ministry of Education and Higher Education set up the Réseau pour le Stockage Electrochimique de l'Energie (RS2E) (Electrochemical Energy Storage Network) some ten years ago, bringing together a dozen leading French research laboratories and a large number of industrialists (CEA, EDF, Solvay, SAFT, etc.). In synergy with this network, the Energy Storage and Conversion specialization aims to give our future engineers a broad vision of the issues surrounding energy storage. The pedagogical objective is twofold:
- Acquire scientific and technical knowledge of the various energy storage and conversion devices, as well as the materials involved.
- Acquire a cross-disciplinary general culture, so as to be able to solve a problem related to energy storage (such as the choice of materials or systems for a given storage application) and develop professionally in the field.

All 1A and 2A courses, excluding MIDD

Part 1: Synthesis and characterization of energy materials 

Description and implementation of standard synthesis and characterization techniques for energy-related materials

    - Synthesis of materials for energy by hydrothermal, ionothermal, supercritical and electrochemical routes, course and practical work (N. Recham, Amiens)
- Nanomaterials for energy, course and practical work (S. Cassaignon, Sorbonne Univ)
- Materials and thin films (R. Bianchini, ENSMAC)
- Characterization methods (P. Vinatier, ENSMAC)
- Practical work in near-field microscopy (A. Kuhn)

Part 2: Energy storage

Objectives

    - Describe the different storage systems available on the market (principle, limitations, applications, etc.)
- Formulate current and future technical and scientific development paths
- Present the economic, societal and environmental issues surrounding energy storage.

Content (courses and practical work) 

    - Electrochemical generators (F. Le Cras, CEA)
- Solid electrolytes and their applications to batteries (P. Vinatier, ENSMAC)
- Electrode formulation (B. Lestriez, Univ Nantes and M. Morcrette, LRCS Amiens)
- Supercapacitors (O. Crosnier, Univ Nantes)

Part 3: Energy conversion and production

Objectives 

    - Describe the various energy conversion and production systems available on the market (principles, limitations, applications, etc.)
- Formulate current and future technical and scientific development paths
- Present the economic, social and environmental issues involved...

Content (lectures and practical work) 

    - Le cours et TP (L. Vignau et G. Wantz, ENSMAC)
- Solar Water Splitting (A. Kuhn, ENSMAC)
- Les piles à combustible (F. Mauvy et Jacinthe Gamon, ICMCB - Bordeaux, C. Coutanceau, Univ Poitiers)
- Hydrogen storage (J.L. Bobet, ICMCB - Bordeaux)
- Electro-chromes (A. Rougier, ICMCB - Bordeaux)
- Nuclear power (Y. Pontillon, CEA)

NUMEROUS ACADEMIC AND INDUSTRIAL CONFERENCES (UMICORE, RENAULT, SAFT, STELLANTIS, SOLVAY, CEA, ACC...)

Practical work on the Hub de l'énergie prototyping platform (RS2E lab in Amiens) for 2 days

Visit to the Collège de France (Paris) for lectures as part of Academician J.M. Tarascon's energy chair.

Clean room photovoltaic device assembly, AIME workshop, Toulouse

Part 4: Industrial project

Objectives

The Industrial Project enables students to work on a topical subject proposed by an industrial company in line with their specialization. This involves respecting a given set of specifications and meeting the various objectives set by the industrialist. The subject may be a bibliographical and/or technology watch topic.
The work carried out must use the industrial project management approach.
It is designed to enhance professional skills, and may eventually lead to an internship with the client company.

Contents

Students work in groups of 4 to 6, including 1 project leader.
Each project group must work in consultation with the company sponsoring the project and with the project's tutor (each group is specifically monitored by a teacher from the specialization module).
Each group will benefit from personalized technological watch / patent support (2 h course + 18 h support).
At the end of the project, each project group must submit a written report of no more than 20 pages. 

Evaluation methods 

Oral (Presentation: 20 min; Discussion: 20 min)

Part 5: Grand oral

Objectives

    - Be able to select data from the literature relevant to the subject of the internship
- Define the project in its various contexts (managerial, economic, scientific, etc.)
- Explain the scientific and technical issues of the project
- Propose and defend a plan for the scientific and technical approach adopted. 

Contents

Based on the subject of the specialization internship, the students are asked to place the proposed subject in a variety of contexts (managerial, economic, scientific, etc.), discuss its scientific validity, propose various strategies for achieving the objectives and orally defend an action plan.
Students orally present their subject to a jury of at least two examiners (teachers, industrialists, etc.). This is followed by a discussion covering all the topics covered in the specialization courses. Questions may also be asked about courses taken throughout the student's curriculum. 

Evaluation methods 

Oral (Presentation: 10 min; Discussion: 20 min)

Managers

    - Liliane Guerlou-Demourgues
- Rafael Bianchini

Choice of specialization