Going Circular:  Re-Using a First-Year Design Project

Kurt M Degoede; Brenda Read-Daily; Jean Carlos Batista Abreu

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2019 FYEE Conference
Location: Penn State University , Pennsylvania
Publication Date: July 28, 2019
Start Date: July 28, 2019
End Date: July 30, 2019
Conference Session: T2C: GIFTS - Session C
Tagged Topic: FYEE Conference - Paper Submission
Page Count: 1
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--33707
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/33707
Download Count: 184

Request a correction

Paper Authors

biography

Kurt M Degoede Elizabethtown College

visit author page

Professor of Engineering and Physics, Elizabethtown College. His research interests in biomechanics include developing clinical instruments for rehabilitation. Dr. DeGoede teaches upper-level undergraduate mechanical engineering and design courses and the first-year introduction to engineering course. He is also developing a collaborative study abroad program in West Africa built around social enterprise initiatives.

visit author page

biography

Brenda Read-Daily Elizabethtown College

visit author page

Dr. Brenda Read-Daily is an Associate Professor of Engineering at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. She holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Bradley University, and a MS and PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

visit author page

biography

Jean Carlos Batista Abreu Elizabethtown College orcid.org/0000-0001-5380-7682

visit author page

Jean Batista Abreu earned his Ph.D. and M.S.E. at the Johns Hopkins University, M.S. at the University of Puerto Rico, and B.S.E. with Honors at the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, all in Civil Engineering. Prior to joining Elizabethtown College in 2018, he served as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, and worked as a Structural Engineer.
Dr. Batista’s research focuses on understanding the response of metal structures under extreme conditions, such as elevated temperatures during a fire, or lateral loads due to wind. He uses experimental work and computational models to evaluate structures and subsequently develop analysis-based design recommendations and methods.

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

As described in this GIFTS presentation, we developed a first-year multidisciplinary design project, which compels students to think in terms of circular economies. This project focused on introducing students to the design process and project management. The assignment also connects to course modules on ethics, introductory programming, and data analysis. We structured the project for teams of 4-5 first-year students, requiring 40-50 hours per student throughout the semester. This two-credit multidisciplinary engineering course broadly covers engineering skill development, and many teams begin the project with a minimal background in the technologies required to implement the design.

The project requires technical work in mechanics, electronics, and programming in a context of system design and sustainability. Most students find at least one area of the project that connects with their academic goals. Students must navigate an assessment objective with competing factors. A low stakes (3% of final grade) competition includes several conflicting factors: minimizing project cost, speed, accuracy (straight-line travel), load-carrying capacity, and percentage of reusable parts. Students record and reflect on the struggle of balancing cost and reusability against performance goals. Should the car be light and fast, or focus on carrying a larger mass and reliably following a straight line? Should they invest in expensive RC car wheels or use old CDs? The open-ended design process means teams progress at various rates governed only by a few checkpoints. Teams that test and redesign a couple of weeks before competition tend to fair better. Yet, some last minute teams have delivered well built, high-performing vehicles, and others have over tested: wearing out components not constructed for repeated use or suffering a damaging crash.

The course also covers a broad discussion of engineering ethics. From the top down, we consider the societal impact of our profession and ethic responsibility to the greater good. We address ideas of circular economies and sustainability. The students are required to keep their vehicle battery charged with use of a photovoltaic module. The competition goal prominently features the reusability component. The higher the percent of reusable cost (ratio of total cost to cost of reusable parts), the better their performance score. Faculty assess reusability: which components, after the students disassemble their projects following competition day, will be marketable to future project teams. Closing the loop on the circular economy in our course, we open each semester with an auction where teams bid on these reusable materials. Teams budget parts purchased at auction in the same manner as purchased new components.

Citation
Format

Degoede, K. M., & Read-Daily, B., & Batista Abreu, J. C. (2019, July), Going Circular: Re-Using a First-Year Design Project Paper presented at 2019 FYEE Conference , Penn State University , Pennsylvania. 10.18260/1-2--33707

TY - CPAPER
AB - As described in this GIFTS presentation, we developed a first-year multidisciplinary design project, which compels students to think in terms of circular economies. This project focused on introducing students to the design process and project management. The assignment also connects to course modules on ethics, introductory programming, and data analysis. We structured the project for teams of 4-5 first-year students, requiring 40-50 hours per student throughout the semester. This two-credit multidisciplinary engineering course broadly covers engineering skill development, and many teams begin the project with a minimal background in the technologies required to implement the design.

The project requires technical work in mechanics, electronics, and programming in a context of system design and sustainability. Most students find at least one area of the project that connects with their academic goals. Students must navigate an assessment objective with competing factors. A low stakes (3% of final grade) competition includes several conflicting factors: minimizing project cost, speed, accuracy (straight-line travel), load-carrying capacity, and percentage of reusable parts. Students record and reflect on the struggle of balancing cost and reusability against performance goals. Should the car be light and fast, or focus on carrying a larger mass and reliably following a straight line? Should they invest in expensive RC car wheels or use old CDs? The open-ended design process means teams progress at various rates governed only by a few checkpoints. Teams that test and redesign a couple of weeks before competition tend to fair better. Yet, some last minute teams have delivered well built, high-performing vehicles, and others have over tested: wearing out components not constructed for repeated use or suffering a damaging crash.

The course also covers a broad discussion of engineering ethics. From the top down, we consider the societal impact of our profession and ethic responsibility to the greater good. We address ideas of circular economies and sustainability. The students are required to keep their vehicle battery charged with use of a photovoltaic module. The competition goal prominently features the reusability component. The higher the percent of reusable cost (ratio of total cost to cost of reusable parts), the better their performance score. Faculty assess reusability: which components, after the students disassemble their projects following competition day, will be marketable to future project teams. Closing the loop on the circular economy in our course, we open each semester with an auction where teams bid on these reusable materials. Teams budget parts purchased at auction in the same manner as purchased new components.
AU - Kurt M Degoede
AU - Brenda Read-Daily
AU - Jean Carlos Batista Abreu
CY - Penn State University , Pennsylvania
DA - 2019/07/28
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Going Circular: Re-Using a First-Year Design Project
UR - https://peer.asee.org/33707
DO - 10.18260/1-2--33707
ER -