From Molecules to Megawatts: Multiscale Thinking for Real-World Energy Applications

How can a discovery, mechanism, model, or measurement at one scientific scale be translated into meaningful behavior, system-level understanding, environmental relevance, or new research possibilities at another scale? OIST doctoral researchers investigate fundamental questions across biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, materials science, neuroscience, and computation. Although these fields differ substantially, they share a common challenge: understanding how mechanisms observed at one scale connect to behavior, function, and consequences at other scales.
 

This interdisciplinary course introduces engineering not primarily as a collection of technologies, but as a framework for connecting fundamental mechanisms, measurements, models, processes, systems, and societal outcomes. Research examples from bioenergy, thermochemical conversion, reaction kinetics, aerosol particle emission, pollution control, waste valorization, syngas upgrading, and heat recovery will provide concrete cases. Participants will then apply the underlying concepts directly to their own doctoral research.

The course does not require students to identify an immediate commercial application. Translation may instead lead to a new scientific hypothesis, experimental strategy, theoretical connection, measurement method, or interdisciplinary collaboration.

The course is intended to strengthen multiscale reasoning, scientific independence, responsible impact thinking, and communication across disciplinary boundaries. Its principal outcome is not mastery of a particular energy technology, but an expanded ability to recognize how fundamental research can connect to wider scientific and societal systems.

Tuesday November 10,   09:00 – 12:00

Friday November 13,       09:00 – 12:00

Tuesday November 17,   09:00 – 12:00

Friday November 20,       09:00 – 12:00

Tuesday November 24,   09:00 – 12:00

Friday November 27,       09:00 – 12:00

Students should enroll for Credit or as Auditor using the Service Catalog tile at the Student Database

Non-students should register here

Leteng Lin is Associate Professor in the Department of Built Environment and Energy Technology, Faculty of Technology, Linnaeus University. He received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Linnaeus in 2013, and has been Associate Professor (Docent) since 2020.

From his webpage:
"My research focuses on sustainable energy and resource recovery through thermochemical conversion and circular economy approaches. My work spans biomass and solid waste valorization into energy products (heat, electricity, biochar, syngas towards transportation fuels) and/or advanced materials. I explore conversion kinetics, catalytic upgrading, emission reduction, and process optimization using experimental methods and simulation tools such as Aspen Plus and CFD. Additional interests include biomass-derived carbon materials (graphite and graphene) for energy storage, aerosol processing techniques, renewable energy integration, hydrogen utilization, and innovative recycling and upcycling strategies for waste biomass, plastics, sediment, sludge and battery black mass."