Conference Session

Alternative-energy Laboratory Experiences

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Laura Genik, Michigan State University; Craig Somerton, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Connecting Lab Experiments to a Design ProjectIntroductionA senior level heat transfer laboratory course incorporates a major design and build projectcompetition which accounts for about 1/3 of the course. This project addresses the ABETMechanical Engineering Program Criteria that requires graduates to possess the ability to designin the thermal engineering area. The remaining 2/3 of the laboratory course consists of standardthermal engineering experiments on such topics as thermocouples, convection, and power plants.A unique feature of these standard experiments is the way in which they support the designproject. With the variety of experiments available, the students run

Conference Session

Investigating Alternative-energy Concepts

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Faruk Yildiz, Sam Houston State University; Keith Coogler, Sam Houston State University; Dominick Fazarro, Sam Houston State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

wascategorized as high power sources. Energy from pedaled chairs (new design) and tables (newdesign), fitness equipments, collected gray water (from sinks, bath and rain), city water, andsome furniture was categorized as medium power sources. Power generation fromopening/closing of doors and cabinet drawers, floor vibrations, clocks, heat differences, etc. wascategorized as low power sources. All electrical energy collected from aforementioned sources isconsolidated and retained in storage devices (batteries) using specially designed electrical energyharvesting and conversion circuits.I. IntroductionRenewable energy today provides about 9% of the world’s energy and 8% to 10% of the U.S.needs[1]. However, in many parts of the world these percentages are

Conference Session

Solar, Wind, and Novel Energy-System Initiatives

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Faruk Yildiz, Sam Houston State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

security camera electronic application. The components of the energy harvesting, conversion, storage and wireless camera system were investigated and chosen very carefully by the students to scavenge maximum energy. The block diagram of the overall energy harvesting and powering system is shown in Figure 1. II. Hydraulic Door Closer Mechanism Mechanical energy flow Electrical energy flow For the purpose of this experimental study, a hydraulic door closer was Hydraulic door closer rotation

Conference Session

Computer Applications in Energy Conversion

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Faruk Yildiz, Sam Houston State University; Ayhan Zora, Deere and Company

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

harvesting (scavenging)methods, power and energy density.Typical component specifications, such as electric generator, motor, gear sets, piezoelectricelement, electronic part and storage device modules were inserted into modules to simulateenergy harvesting systems. It was expected that the proper choice of these materials woulddevelop an efficient energy harvesting device. Figure 1 shows a block diagram of the threedifferent experimental energy harvesting systems with the matching order in simulationinterface. Page 14.1329.4 Ambient Energy Sources Human Power Hydraulic

Conference Session

Solar, Wind, and Novel Energy-System Initiatives

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Samuel Lakeou, University of the District of Columbia; Ben Latigo, University of the District of Columbia

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

with valuable information on the dire needs of the country, with respect towater resources. Table.1 Summarizes the extent of water supply coverage in the country.The Democratic Federal Republic of Ethiopia has 8 states or regions and 3 chartered cities asshown in Fig.1 Total area1,104,000 km2 Population (2004)~70 million Urban population 20% Rural population 80% Life expectancy 42 years GNI per capita US$100 Demographic growth rate2.2% Rural growth rate 1.8% Urban growth rate 4.0% Fig. 1. Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (8 Regions, 3 Chartered Cities) Fig. 2 Meeting with AAU Officials and (right) Pilot Demonstration Project of AAU.Description of Type of Water

Conference Session

Sustainable-energy Education: Lessons Learned

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tom Ferguson, University of Minnesota, Duluth; Paul Weber, University of Minnesota, Duluth

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

forecasts. In additionto these results, this research will illustrate the implementation of such class projects, describecommon student strengths and weaknesses relative to energy conversion, and explain theimportance of defining appropriate prerequisites for a diversity of engineering majors.1. IntroductionEnergy touches every aspect of human behavior, spanning a spectrum of use that ranges frompowering the human body to satisfying creative and recreational needs. The complexity of itsvarious uses, forms, and means of transport is complicated further by the level of requiredinvestment, lengthy planning and implementation timelines, and public policies (includingenvironmental protection). Public awareness on energy is continuously shaped by the

Conference Session

Alternative-energy Laboratory Experiences

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anurag Srivastava, Mississippi State University; Noel Schulz, Mississippi State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

of 2007. Additionally, detailed modelingof a power system and an interface with a protection relay using the RTDS were demonstrated inthe “Power System Modeling and Simulation” course. Operation of a protective relay fordifferent types of faults and relay modeling were explained in this class using the hardware setup Page 14.226.3as shown in figure 1. Several students completed projects demonstrating the use of the RTDSsystem for training and educational activities.Some of the final group projects for the ‘Power system operation and control’ course, are listedhere. i. Frequency droop characteristics of a generator: Frequency management is a

Conference Session

Investigating Alternative-energy Concepts

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Peter Mark Jansson, Rowan University; Ulrich Schwabe, Rowan University; Kevin Bellomo - Whitten, Rowan University; Jonathan Bucca, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

modules is a major factor, but only basic data for the surrounding area was found – whichdoes however give at least a small insight into its effect. Comparisons of various data were done Page 14.210.3for the months of May through September 2008, starting with the most intuitivelystraightforward correlation of ambient and module temperatures. A simple best fit confirms theassumption with R2 values ranging from .8 to .85. Figures 1&2 give example graphs of theambient and module temperatures measured at the site for the Months of May, July andSeptember

Conference Session

Sustainable Education and the Environment

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elaine Scott, Seattle Pacific University; John Lindberg, Seattle Pacific University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

AC 2009-2187: APPROPRIATE AND SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING (ASE)CONCENTRATIONElaine Scott, Seattle Pacific UniversityJohn Lindberg, Seattle Pacific University Page 14.230.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Appropriate and Sustainable Engineering (ASE) ConcentrationIntroductionAs part of a new General Engineering (GE)program beginning Fall 2009, the Appropriate Environmentaland Sustainable Engineering (ASE) FootprintConcentration is focused on engineering at thecrossroads between stewardship to our planetand service to the poor as shown in Figure 1. Weseek to address our environmental footprint in

Conference Session

Investigating Alternative-energy Concepts

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Narayanan Komerath, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

question is how to usethis opportunity to demonstrate how wellpeople can learn and integrate knowledge thatwill serve them for a lifetime.Our course is based on the idea that enabling Figure 1: High-intensity solar converter pluspublic participation is the fastest route to wind turbine. Courtesy Laura Hershberger.sustainable energy independence. For instance, Page 14.7.2a new 1GigaWatt renewable-power plant will take 10 years to go online, given the capital needs,policy issues, local permissions, environmental integration and infrastructure development. Atthe optimistic cost of $1 per installed watt7, this takes at least $1B of capital. Though

Conference Session

Alternative-energy Laboratory Experiences

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bret Bosma, California State University, Chico; Gregory Kallio, California State University, Chico

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

provided by technicalstaff in the college.The mobile photovoltaic (PV) power system consists of a typical stand-alone battery backupsetup having the necessary equipment for a remote residential setting (Figure 1). The system, asconfigured, would have application as a backup to utility supplied power where it may beunreliable. Although equipped for this use, the system provides an excellent platform forstudents to learn about PV renewable systems as well as providing sophisticated data acquisitionwhich monitors the status and performance of the system. Page 14.1022.3The power source is anRWE Schott 300 Wattphotovoltaic module with amaximum power

Conference Session

Solar, Wind, and Novel Energy-System Initiatives

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Recayi 'Reg' Pecen; Jill Humston, University of Northern Iowa

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

youngstudents have probably heard the terms solar and wind power and may already have some idea ofwhat that means. Wind energy has become the least expensive renewable energy technology inexistence and has gained the interest of scientists and educators the world over. Specifically inIowa, students may have seen wind energy in action as many wind turbines are present within 50miles from Cedar Falls and Waterloo. Utilizing a mast-mounted anemometer (wind meter) and asimple relationship as shown in Equation 1 that relates the power generated by a wind-turbineand the wind parameters allows the students to directly measure wind speed and to vividly relatethis easily felt force-of-nature to electrical measurements. P = 0.5τA

Conference Session

Learning about Power Systems and Power Consumption

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mike Hay, University of Northern Iowa; Recayi 'Reg' Pecen

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

parameters which affect thelife of fluorescent lamps driven by electronic ballast3. The long-term purpose of fluorescentlighting systems is to find a correlation between lamp life and the duration of the correspondingcycle while controlling inrush current in a reasonable limit 4-7.The efficiency of electric lighting has increased significantly, since 1900. Incandescent lamps atthe time were about 1% efficient based on 4 lumens/W. By 1970, the efficiency of incandescentlamps had risen to 5% (with much of the improvement taking place between 1905 and 1910, dueto the introduction of tungsten filaments)4-5. There was not much improvement after 1930.Fluorescent lamps, introduced in the 1930s, were about 8% efficient in 1940 and 20% efficientby 1970

Conference Session

Sustainable Education and the Environment

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Omer Onar, Illinois Institute of Technology; Alireza Khaligh, Illinois Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

interest inengineering community as well as the engineering education community to develop more energyharvesting applications and new curriculums for renewable energy and energy harvesting topics.Table I summarizes the contents of the offered Energy Harvesting course at IIT. Table I. Syllabus of the course. Week Topic #1 Introduction to Energy Harvesting #2 Solar Energy Harvesting: Characteristics of Photovoltaic (PV) Systems, PV Models and Equivalent Circuits, Sun Tracking Systems, Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) Techniques, Power Electronic Interfaces for PV Systems, Sizing the PV Panel

Conference Session

Sustainable Education and the Environment

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Roger Beardsley, Central Washington University; Stephen Morton, Central Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

this goal, universities are leading the way in determining practical ways toreduce the GHG effects, and along the way are training future professionals who may implementthese changes in industry and society.The ACUPCC commitment consists of three basic parts: 1) Develop an action plan to bring the campus to climate neutrality, 2) Immediately initiate two or more actions toward that goal while developing the plan, 3) Make the action plan, GHG inventory document, and progress reports publicly available, including reporting to the American Association for Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)2.In order to mark the progress toward campus climate-neutrality it is crucial to develop andregularly update the GHG

Conference Session

Sustainable-energy Education: Lessons Learned

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Bass, Oregon Institute of Technology; Thomas White, Oregon Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

planners and policy makers. Graduates of the programwill be able to pursue a wide range of career opportunities, not only within the emerging fields ofrenewable energy, but within more traditional areas of energy engineering as well.1 Without amechanism for obtaining professional licensure, these graduates would either not be able toadvance in their careers or they would not find employment in these fields to begin with. Oursurvey of the renewable energy industry cluster in the Pacific Northwest convinced us that anengineering degree, the BSREE degree, was the only suitable option for our students.Industry Cluster AnalysisRenewable energy resources are attracting considerable investment as concerns surrounding thestability of energy supply

Conference Session

Sustainable-energy Education: Lessons Learned

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Linfeng Zhang, University of Bridgeport; Xingguo Xiong, University of Bridgeport; Junling Hu, University of Bridgeport

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

levelcourse, Alternative Energy Technology. This course is related to chemistry, electronics, andmechanics and the graduate students are with different engineering background. The challengesin the teaching are addressed and the possible solutions are given in this paper. Moreover, theteaching experience in this course is helpful for the licensure application for a new M.S.program, Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) in the school of Engineering at UB.1. IntroductionThe world energy demand keeps increasing in recent years due to the rapidly rising livingstandards and expanding populations. However, the non-renewable energy resource, fossil fuels,is running out and the crude oil supply from Middle East is unstable1. Thus, the price of

Conference Session

Learning about Power Systems and Power Consumption

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carl Spezia, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

. These factors are: 1.) Open communication between PES engineering and engineering faculty, 2.) Mutual respect for the respective missions of PES and engineering faculty, 3.) Previous PES engineering staff experience in engineering design as students, 4.) PES engineering staff who are engineering college alumni, 5.) PES engineering staff desire to mentor and teach future engineers.Items 1 and 2 must be present for any partnership to develop. One party must start a dialog forany relationship to begin. In this case, engineering faculty used a prior industrial relationshipwith a member of PES to start the dialog. The opening conversation made both parties aware ofpotential benefits and opportunities for

Conference Session

Sustainable-energy Education: Lessons Learned

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sharon deMonsabert, George Mason University; Jeremy Jessup, George Mason University; Lenna Storm, George Mason University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

tothe development of certain types of cancer8. The significant decrease in most emissions whencompared to conventional diesel can be seen in Table 1: Page 14.532.3 (National Biodiesel Board, 2008)Biodiesel is also biodegradable which means it can decay as a result of natural agents such asbacteria8. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) biodieseldecomposes approximately four times faster than conventional diesel2. Secondly, biodiesel issafer than conventional diesel because it is non-toxic and less combustible. Biodiesel has ahigher

Conference Session

Curricular Developments in Energy Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Max Rabiee, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

cooperation of Duke Energy and others in the field, the College of Applied Science hasalready started providing a path for the next generation of utility industry professionals [1].Our efforts have been recognized by segments of Duke Energy already and there is more work todo.CAS currently has the following energy related programs: Ü Associate Degree in Electrical Engineering Technology with a Power Systems Focus Ü Certificate Program in Stationary Engineering Ü Certificate Program in Power Systems Technology Ü Journeyman Electrician Certificate Program Ü Master Electrician Certificate Program Ü Plant Maintenance Craftsmanship Program

Conference Session

Learning about Power Systems and Power Consumption

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kala Meah, York College of Pennsylvania; Wayne Blanding, York College of Pennsylvania

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

. Page 14.805.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 1 T Introducing High Voltage Direct Current Transmission into an Undergraduate Power Systems Course Kala Meah,, and Wayne Blanding Electrical and Computer Engineering York College of Pennsylvania, York, PA, USAAbstractHigh voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems have shown steady growth in capacityaddition for the past three to four decades. More than 100,000 MW of HVDC transmissioncapacity is

Conference Session

Curricular Developments in Energy Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Craig Somerton, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

engineering from UCLA. Page 14.109.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 A Solar Heated Worm Compost BinIntroductionLandfills continue to grow in this county, with 20-25% of the trash coming from food or yardwaste [1]. For several years, Woodcreek Elementary School has collected their cafeteria foodwaste and used a worm-based compost system to turn the food waste into fertilizer. Due to thisprocess, there has been a significant reduction in garbage collection at the school. However,during the winter months, the worms become very inactive and composting comes to a halt. Inpartnership with a non-profit community

Conference Session

Computer Applications in Energy Conversion

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Liping Guo, Northern Illinois University; Paul Curtis, Northern Illinois University; Andrew Barendregt, Northern Illinois University; Anthony Surillo, Northern Illinois University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

of power thatthey can actually produce. A solar tracker will track the sun throughout the day and adjustthe angle of the solar panel to make the sun normal to the solar panels at all times. Theorientation of the solar panels may increase the efficiency of the conversion system from20% up to 50%. [1-3]. The sun tracking solar power system is a mechatronic system thatintegrates electrical and mechanical systems, and computer hardware and software.SYSTEM GENERAL DESCRIPTIONThe initial requirements for this project were as follows: „ 5 watt to 10 watt solar panel „ Design structure to support 15 lbs „ Design enclosure to protect electrical equipment