Low Carbon Transport Technology
Module code: MEP55B23 · Semester: Semester 2
Resources
How it's assessed
No end-of-semester exam. It's assessed through coursework.
Power and propulsion for moving people and freight by land, sea and air, and how low-carbon options compare.
| Assessment | Weight |
|---|---|
| Four assignments; the last is a 2,500-word technical summary of a computational model used to compare propulsion systems over a drive or duty cycle | 100% |
- You need a weighted average above 50% across the assignments to pass.
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
Questions by Year
Topics
- Vehicle models from first principles for road, sea and air LO3–4
- Power sources: Otto, Diesel, Brayton cycles; battery electric, fuel cells, hybrids LO2–3
- Tank-to-wheel and life cycle emissions LO2
- Alternative fuels: hydrogen, ammonia, sustainable aviation fuels LO2, LO5, LO7
- Drive and duty cycles; certification and type approval LO4
- Powertrain optimisation and multi-criteria decision making LO6–7
Learning outcomes
- Explain why efficient low-carbon propulsion matters for each transport mode
- Compare efficiency, sustainability and carbon impact of propulsion technologies
- Use engineering science to predict propulsion performance
- Build a physics-based model of vehicle fuel use and emissions
- Discuss impacts on long-term infrastructure investment
- Balance economic and environmental sustainability over investment timescales
- Assess how low and zero carbon propulsion can replace conventional systems on road, sea and air