The University
Instituto Superior Técnico is the school of Science, Technology, and Engineering of the University of Lisbon and the largest engineering school in Portugal, and it has been involved for a long time in research and education activities in offshore renewable energy. Instituto Superior Técnico (IST/UL) is a member of EUREC since 2011 and part of EUREC Master since 2012.
The University of Lisbon is ranked among the top 10 universities in the area of marine/ocean engineering according to the Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2020.
Ocean energy research within IST/UL has been carried at the IDMEC, MARETEC, and CENTEC research centres, in close connection with the Department of Mechanical Engineering and WavEC Offshore Renewables, an independent association involving several companies, R&D institutions, and IST/UL.
Current research activities involve wave energy, floating offshore wind energy, marine tidal currents, and multipurpose offshore platforms powered by renewable energy sources. IST/UL has more than three decades of experience in offshore renewable energy and counts on a qualified and experienced teaching body. The participation of IST/UL in important offshore renewable energy European projects provides a unique set of experience and knowledge that creates differentiated teaching and learning conditions for the EUREC master’s students.
Practical Information
Location
Location
The EUREC EMRE specialisation in Ocean Energy is taught at the Alameda campus located in the Lisbon city centre.
Alameda campus
Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Teaching methods
Teaching Methods
The EUREC EMRE specialization at IST/UL comprises 5 modules. Four mandatory ones and one elective module within the vast amount of courses taught at IST/UL. Three modules are related to the technical aspects of offshore wind systems, wave energy systems, and tidal/current energy systems. Furthermore, there is an integrative module, the Project in Marine Renewable Energy, where the students select a project in the area of their interest and apply the knowledge acquired during the specialization. Finally, an elective course of your interest. This way the specialization is partly tailor-made to the student’s interests.
Mandatory modules:
The modules are given in formal lectures and tutorials. Laboratory work comprises wave flume tests of wave energy systems, tests on air turbines in the variable-flow turbomachinery laboratory, and electric generators testing in the laboratory for electric machinery.
- The integrative mandatory module (Project):
- Project in Marine Renewable Energies
The objective of this curricular unit is to provide the students with the background and methodologies of multidisciplinary aspects associated with the various marine renewable energy technologies and bring into practice the specialized knowledge on marine energies in a case study. The objective will be achieved through formal lectures, tutorials, and a project.
Syllabus: Public policies and the ocean economy. Ocean habitat. Environmental impact assessment. Public consultation and conflict of uses. Environmental monitoring. Offshore operations. Maritime safety issues. Operation and maintenance of ocean energy devices. Cost of energy. Project feasibility assessment. Electricity market and future scenarios. Multi-criteria site selection and GIS software. Analysis of marine energy systems with dedicated software. A project comprising a technical, economic, and environmental impact analysis of a marine renewable energy system.
Optional 6 ECTS curricular unit:
One curricular unit from IST Master’s curricular plans. The selection is subject to approval. Among potential eligible modules are Engineering Project Management, Risk Assessment and Management in Projects, Technology-Based Entrepreneurship, Energy Systems Optimization, Power Electronics for Renewable Energy, Strategic and Marketing Management, Topics on Batteries, Design of Ship Structures, Risk Analysis, or Equipment and Systems Reliability + Systems Maintainability and Availability.
Detailed syllabus in pdf format
Job perpsectives
- Engineers in offshore renewable industries.
- Offshore renewable energy project developers.
- Experts for National or International institutions.
- Researchers in academic or industrial labs.
Research activities
–Hydrodynamics and control of wave energy converters; moorings; self-rectifying air turbines; wave energy resource.
–Conceptual design, hydrodynamics and control of wave energy devices; site characterisation; resource assessment; economic aspects; non-technological issues.
–Hydrodynamics of marine current turbines.
-Floating offshore wind energy.
-Offshore renewable energy multipurpose platforms.
-Design and analysis methods with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).
Research facilities and tools: Irregular wave flume (20mx0.6mx0.5m); tests rig for air turbines; codes for numerical modelling of wave energy conversion; commercial software for CFD simulations (ex. NUMECA); commercial software for hydrodynamics simulation (ex. WAMIT); software for aero elastic and aerodynamics simulation of wind turbines; extensive specialised documentation.
Accommodation
The majority of the students live in houses, flats (apartments), or rooms in private accommodations shared with other colleagues.
A room, in a private home, costs about 350 € per month (utility expenses included), and students may have to pay for 2 months’ rent in advance. Meals are not included. An apartment with a dining room, kitchen, bathroom, and 2 rooms may cost around 500 € / 750 € per month but will include a one-year rental contract. An apartment of this type can be shared with other students.
The Mobility and International Cooperation Office has selected a few apartments in which a student may rent a room:
https://www.esnlisboa.org/housing
https://accommodation4students.blogspot.com/
For accommodation related questions, contact: gracapereira@tecnico.ulisboa.pt
International Students
The Mobility and International Cooperation Office – NMCI coordinates the participation of IST in several international mobility programmes, and networks. The office also assists mobility students, researchers and staff helping them integrate into the school, in academic life, and, in particular, in the Portuguese society (accommodation, visas, opening bank accounts, etc.). This work is carried out in cooperation with other offices and units, such as the Tutoring and NAPE. More detailed information can be found at https://aai.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/ and https://nape.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/contactos/.
Núcleo de Mobilidade e Cooperação Internacional (NMCI)
Instituto Superior Técnico
Campus Alameda
Avenida Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa
Tel. +351 218 417 362
Fax. +351 218 419 280
nmci@ist.utl.pt