The Forge · engineering, computing & technology
Materials, Energy & Environment
Why materials behave as they do, and where the energy to shape them comes from.
Metals, ceramics, polymers — from atom spacing to fracture, why each material acts as it does.
Syllabus · 4 units · ~32 hours
Unit I — Structure
Atomic bonding · Crystals and defects · Amorphous solids
Unit II — Properties
Stress-strain behavior · Hardness and toughness · Fatigue and creep · Corrosion
Unit III — The Families
Metals and alloys · Ceramics and glass · Polymers · Composites
Unit IV — Choosing
Processing changes properties · Material selection charts · Failure analysis case studies
Coal to photons — every major energy source weighed by density, cost, and consequence.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~24 hours
Unit I — The Ledger
Units of energy and power, once and for all · Energy density · Efficiency and where the losses go
Unit II — The Sources
Fossil fuels · Nuclear fission · Solar and wind · Hydro and geothermal
Unit III — Storage and Delivery
Batteries and pumped hydro · Balancing the grid · Intermittency, honestly handled
Cell physics, array design, and the inverter between — sizing a real system for a real roof.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~22 hours
Unit I — The Cell
The photovoltaic effect · Cell, module, array · Efficiency limits
Unit II — The System
Site assessment and shading · String sizing and inverters · Mounting and wiring · Batteries and backup
Unit III — The Numbers
Estimating production · Payback and financing · Codes, permits, and interconnection
Mining to landfill and back — tracing a product's full material and energy cost.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~20 hours
Unit I — The Full Bill
The life-cycle assessment method · Embodied energy · Functional units and system boundaries
Unit II — Cases
The aluminum can · The electric-car battery · Concrete, and cement's carbon problem
Unit III — Closing Loops
Design for disassembly · Recycling realities, material by material · Circular-economy claims, audited