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Low Carbon Power Technology

Module code: MEP55B16 · Semester: Semester 1 & Semester 2 (option)

Themes: Theme 1: Energy/Fluids

Resources​

How it's assessed​

No end-of-semester exam. It's assessed through coursework and in-class tests.

The physics and engineering of low-carbon electricity generation and storage, including gas turbines, biomass and nuclear power.

AssessmentWeight
Technology review paper and seminar presentation40%
Analytical model of a gas turbine generating system25%
Analysis of a biomass steam power plant20%
Class test on nuclear power15%

Summarised from the TCD module descriptor, checked 2026-11-09. Details can change from year to year, so check this year's descriptor and Blackboard.

From students who've done it​

No write-ups yet.

Questions by Year​

This module has no end-of-semester exam, so there are no past papers. See How it's assessed above.

Topics

  • Low-carbon generation technologies overview LO1–2
  • Gas turbines with heat exchange: modelling LO3–4
  • Biomass steam power plants LO3
  • Nuclear power LO2–3
  • Energy storage LO5
  • Economics, investment timescales and renewables LO6–7
Learning outcomes
  1. Explain why efficient low-carbon energy matters
  2. Compare efficiency, sustainability and carbon impact of power systems
  3. Use engineering science to predict low-carbon technology performance
  4. Build a basic computational model of a power system
  5. Compare energy storage systems for a low-carbon grid
  6. Balance commercial and environmental sustainability over investment timescales
  7. Assess how renewables can complement or replace conventional generation

Summarised from the module descriptor, checked November 2026.