Conference Session

Investigating Fuel Cells and Alternative Fuels in the Classroom and Lab

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cortney Martin, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Brandy Bratton, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; David Dillard, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Michael Ellis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Maggie Bump, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

postdoctoral mentor. The self-contained nature of summer research projects often contribute to the sense of isolation that doesnot accurately reflect contemporary research. We propose changing the program paradigm froma traditional faculty-centered approach to a student-centered learning community approach.Empirical studies tell us that learning communities can increase student engagement overtraditional didactic models. Students are expected to develop a greater sense of ownership andthus enhanced self-efficacy with regard to their personal research and collaborative abilities. In Page 13.726.2addition to enabling students to have a rich research

Conference Session

Computer Applications in Energy Courses

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Peter Idowu, Pennsylvania State University-Harrisburg

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

the studentcould make use of the tool readily on any personal computer equipped with MicrosoftOffice. In addition students may further customize the visual feedback to reflect personalpreferences, as well as expand the list of energy measures. The measures currentlyavailable include tons of coal equivalents, fuel oil equivalents, Hartree energy, andhorsepower-hour, among others.III. OFF-LINE ENERGY DATABASEEnergy-related themes have received tremendous exposure in the news media over thelast half of this decade. The sources of energy, the conversion methods, utilization,conservation, environmental impacts, and many more continue to dominate newsheadlines worldwide. The political and economic realities continue to drive thediscussions on

Conference Session

Curricular Developments in Energy Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sarma Pisupati, Pennsylvania State University; Yaw Yeboah, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

security, and is a strategicissue of great importance to the nation. With society’s growing need for energy and energy-related workforce, many institutionsare vying to take advantage of these opportunities and challenges. Many academic institutionswith traditional engineering programs (e.g., chemical, civil, mechanical, electrical and nuclearengineering) have also created departments and/or programs in energy engineering to reflect thegrowing need and trend. To move The Pennsylvania State University to the forefront in energy,the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering proposes a formal undergraduate degreeprogram (Bachelor of Science) in the growing field of energy engineering. The program will bebeneficial to students of several

Conference Session

Curricular Developments in Energy Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gunnar Tamm, United States Military Academy; Ozer Arnas, United States Military Academy; Daisie Boettner, United States Military Academy; Seth Norberg, United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

engineering programs, West Point offers a course on Energy Conversion Systems whichcovers conventional topics of fossil fuel utilization, combustion, advanced power andrefrigeration cycles, direct energy conversion, chemical equilibrium, and so on. However, thecourse has evolved to reflect current energy issues, by including lessons on national and globalenergy usage, climate change, nuclear power, hydrogen, and renewable and alternative energy.In addition to this course, there are senior capstone projects and cadet independent studies thatare connected to alternative energy research and development. The goals are to provide a broadoverview to the cadets, such that the cadets are excited to continue the pursuit of energyalternatives as graduates and

Conference Session

Solar Power, Wind Power, and Energy System Initiatives

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Narciso Macia, Arizona State University; John-Paul Ishioye, Arizona State University; Brigid Dotson, University of Washington; Maria Macia, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

should reflect thecoldness of the night and yield a building that is initially cold on the following day, one that willdemand less cooling. The model schematic for the house used in this analysis is shown in Figure1. It describes a thermal mass at temperature Ti surrounding by an insulating material, the entirehouse is then surrounded by an outside temperature To. Notice that the house would experiencesno solar radiation on its south-facing roof if was covered with PV modules. North To Ti Te R

Conference Session

Sustainable Energy Issues in Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cortney Martin, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Barbara Bekken, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Sean McGinnis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

themes, anddeveloping assessment questions. Students began keeping journals for personal reflection andpoetry. Subjects this semester included: history of food production and farming; naturalresources and farming; crop production; animal production; environmental impacts; societal andcultural aspects; sustainable farming; regulation; politics; nutrition; social perspectives; cross-cultural perspectives; ethics of eating and; the right to eat. The group compared findings fromvisits to two farms: a more industrialized experimental farm and a family-owned small-scalesustainable polyculture farm (Figure 4). A food science lab introduced students to theconnections between yogurt production and marketing and showed how food qualities can bequantified

Conference Session

Solar Power, Wind Power, and Energy System Initiatives

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Swedish, Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

experience with the course.Some examples of negative feedback: “[Provide] clearer guidelines at the beginning of the course.” “Class seemed to be made up as time went by. Little structure.” “More guidance at the beginning would yield a better result.” The negative comments reflect perhaps the biggest challenge in a course of this type. Abalance must be struck between the need for structure and the goal of an “open-ended” designexperience. The author continues to work at refining this balance. In fact, it is often difficult toknow where the design process will lead for a particular project. Since no two projects are thesame, this balance must be reevaluated each year. An important lesson learned is

Conference Session

Novel Energy Applications in Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Swedish, Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

extent that it accurately reflects,or predicts, the real world. We search, therefore, for a model that will stand up when applied tothe widest possible variety of tests. While some parts of this approach to the Second Law have been incorporated previouslyby the author, the pedagogy described below was presented in full for the first time to a class inthe second course of the thermodynamics sequence in 2008. The students were asked to considerthe universe as they experience it. They were presented with the hypothesis that the universe isinfused with a characteristic that is called “usefulness”, and that it is usefulness that is valued.This hypothesis was illustrated for them through a student exercise.Student Exercise: Identifying

Conference Session

Novel Energy Applications in Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Schumack, University of Detroit Mercy; Mohammad Elahinia, University of Toledo; Christopher Schroeder, University of Toledo; Walter Olson, University of Toledo

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

time was spent in explainingcertain aspects of MATLAB usage. Figure 8 shows that 52% of respondents did not use thehelp menu, while the remainder either did use it or did not remember using it. In futureofferings, the situation may be rectified by emphasizing that not all information to runMATLAB is provided in the lecture, and that students must use the help menu to do theassignment.The assignments were designed to be completed in between one and two hours. Figure 9 showsthat most students took over two hours, a fact that could be a reflection of the need to undergo asignificant amount of trial and error to figure out how to use certain features of the program

Conference Session

Curricular Developments in Energy Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth Van Treuren, Baylor University; Ian Gravagne, Baylor University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

technical and social content.This need for energy education is the fundamental motivation for the energy awareness efforts atBaylor University. According to the National Energy Policy7, the U. S. must have between 1,300and 1,900 new electricity generation plants in place to meet the projected 45% increase inelectrical demand by the year 2020. Economic and political policies often reflect the unspokenassumption that the United States will be able to continually increase its reliance on naturalresources and more importantly, energy resources. On May 2, 2007, a local newspaper editor Page 13.491.2took time to remind the public of the energy history

Conference Session

Novel Energy Applications in Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christopher Schroeder, University of Toledo; Mohammad Elahinia, University of Toledo; Walter Olson, University of Toledo; Mark Schumack, University of Detroit Mercy

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

the model (whether they were obtained or developed). These drive cycles may reflect city, highway, mountainous, etc. ‚ Generate a plot that displays the average fuel consumption and the drive cycle for different mass vehicles. ‚ Determine what kind of drive cycles the vehicle exhibits the best fuel economy and explain why this is so. ‚ Determine the optimal size of vehicle this technology is applicable for. ‚ Discuss possible drawbacks from the model and provide recommendations for how it can be improved.For additional information regarding theory and background refer to the references:1. Wu, Bin, Lin, Chan-Chiao, Filipi, Zoran, Peng, Huei, Assanis, Dennis, Optimal Power Management for a Hydraulic Hybrid

Conference Session

Sustainable Energy Issues in Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cindy Orndoff, Florida Gulf Coast University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

roofsalso eliminate excess air temperatures outside the building which normal, reflective roofs create(called the albedo effect). So called “Urban Heat Islands” are created in big cities, where excessthermal energy increases the air temperature above and creates both ideal conditions for smogand abnormal weather patterns. In large cities, the temperature difference from the center of thecity to the rural areas can be as large as 5° C. Green roofs reduce this excess energy radiationand promote better air quality. Thus, the excellent energy conservation properties of green roofsare one major reason for considering and promoting them by the construction industry,engineering community, and global governments.Green roofs are also very desirable in that