Teaching

Dr. Rudy Schlaf's Group_____________________________________________________

Department of Electrical Engineering - University of South Florida

Last Modified Aug 2013
(c) Rudy Schlaf
Webmaster

Teaching:

In Fall 2013 Dr. Schlaf will teach:

EEL 4935-003/EEL 6935-003: Sustainable Energy

*****Achtung: If you cannot sign up for this course in Oasis, please, contact Ms. Dilley (cdilley@usf.edu) at the EE Main office. Send her an email with your U-number and the CRN of the section you would like to enroll in. She will sign you up.
If a section is full, let me know that I can try get it opened up again *****

Chemistry students: This course is crosslisted in Chemistry as CHM 4932-003/CHM 6938-003.
(Note: Participating chemistry students do not have to enroll in one of the EEL sections).

This course was developed by Dr. Schlaf in Spring 2010. It aims to introduce students to concepts of sustainable energy technology. After an introduction to conventional energy sources, solar, wind, hydroelectricity, hydrogen, biomass and geothermal energy methods as well as main storage technologies will be discussed. These major energy technologies will be quantitatively compared and their feasibility assessed. Cost considerations, return on invested energy and environmental concerns will be addressed. Energy savings and storage potentials will also be examined. After successful participation in this course students will be able to asses technological and feasibility aspects of public energy policy, as well as have the foundation for advanced study of sustainable energy topics.

Course materials: This course was developed mainly based on scientific publications, various books and internet based resources. These course materials will be posted on Blackboard, accessible to all enrolled students.

This course is interdisciplinary. Students from other USF departments are very welcome to enroll.

Prerequisites: Physics I

Syllabus: Download Syllabus here. (PDF file)

Download a sample section (about wind energy) here. (PDF file)

Download the flyer for the course. (PDF file)

Interesting reads to get primed for the course:

"Sustainable Energy-without the hot air" by David MacKay. This book can be downloaded as PDF for free here.
"Blackout: Coal, Climate and the Last Energy Crisis" by Richard Heinberg.
"A Cubic Mile of Oil" by H.D. Crane et al.
"Peak Everything: Waking Up to the Century of Declines" by Richard Heinberg

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In Spring 2014 Dr. Schlaf will most likely teach:

EEL 6936/4937 Introduction to Nanotechnology:

This course has been developed by Dr. Schlaf, and is taught to both upper level undergraduates and lower level graduate students. This course gives an introduction into basic fabrication and characterization techniques currently used or being developed for the development of nanometerscale devices and materials. Materials considered basic building blocks of nanodevices, such as organic molecules, carbon nanotubes and nanocrystals will be covered. Top-down and bottom-up assembly processes such as thin film patterning through advanced lithography methods, self-assembly of molecular structures, and biological systems will be discussed. Nano-applications such as molecular computers and electronic devices, nano-sensors and molecular mechanical devices such as motors and actuators will be among the treated topics.

Prerequisites: Physics I, Chemistry I and Calculus I&II
Helpful “Predesirables”: Electronic Materials, Semiconductor Devices

Book: There is no book. The course is entirely based on scientific publications, books excerpts and web resources. All course materials are posted on Blackboard, accessible to all enrolled students. Download a representative course section (PDF file) about nanowires to see how the material is presented.

Syllabus: Download here (PDF file)

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EEL 3394: Electronic Materials (currently offered by different instructor)

This course is designed to extend basic concepts learned in general chemistry and physics to undergraduate students in electrical and computer science and engineering. This will lay the foundation to understand electronic properties of materials used in today's and future electronic devices. The basic principles of materials will be studied in order to form a theoretical foundation needed for subsequent electronics and device courses.

Prerequisites: Physics I, Chemistry I and Calculus I&II

Book: S.O. Kasap: "Principles of Electrical Engineering Materials and Devices", McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 3rd Edition. The 1st and 2nd editions can be used, but students need to be aware that some chapter and example/problem numbers were changed between editions. Not much else changed.

Syllabus: Download here (PDF file)