Conference Session

Computer-Assisted Lab Studies

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lee Toderick, East Carolina University; Jingyuan Deng, East Carolina University; Philip Lunsford, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

, thecurrent time is compared against the reservation expiration time. If the two times are the same,then the student is blocked from access.VNC server is loaded on each Pod computer and used by students for access remote Podcomputers.Survey Results of Wireless Labs and Wireless NetworksA survey was conducted in December of 2006 using 35 randomly selected 4 year colleges with astudent population of less than 7,500 and 99 randomly selected 2 year colleges20 total replies were received and results are summarized below.Questions and Response Information1. Does your college or university currently teach or plan to teach wireless technology? Response Response Response

Conference Session

Unique Laboratory Experiments and Programs Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Manar Shami, University of the Pacific; Ed Pejack, University of the Pacific; Ravinder Jain, University of the Pacific

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

structuraldesign of such facilities has to be multidisciplinary and robust so that integration withadvanced technological developments can occur. To prepare the next generation of engineersso that they can meet these challenges, the School of Engineering and Computer Science atthe University of the Pacific has committed to build an innovative structural testing lab tosupport the civil and mechanical engineering programs.This paper addresses the development of a new lab that is to be used collaboratively bystudents, faculty, and industry. This lab is planned to support experiential learning andtraditional classroom pedagogy including lab instruction. Currently, the civil engineeringcurriculum covers four areas: construction, environmental, hydraulics, and

Conference Session

Design of Lab Experiments I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andre Marshall, University of Maryland; James Quintiere, University of Maryland

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

Page 12.16.3 2 • provide students with an opportunity to observe and assess fire behavior in its full complexity; • teach students to appreciate the limitations of standard tests in predicting fire performance; • expose students to fire assessment techniques used in research and development; • introduce students to instrumentation capable of measuring the most critical quantities that affect fire behavior.3. ApproachThe project specifically focused on characterizing the fire on the 96th floor of the WTC1 andevaluating the contribution of the fire to the structural collapse. Students studied WTC1construction plans and contacted office

Conference Session

Design of Lab Experiments II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

R. William Graff, LeTourneau University; Jessica Niemi, LeTourneau University; Paul Leiffer, LeTourneau University; Meagan Vaughan, LeTourneau University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

. Simple inductors7. The 555-band (a team project to present a tune to the rest of the class)8. An R-C transient and op-amp9. Investigation of a NAND gate10. Use of a transistor11. Building a thermometer using a transistorWithin this context, the Hydro-circuits lab was introduced this year.A typical laboratory session is illustrated in Figure 1. Page 12.51.3 Figure 1: Typical “fun lab” in sessionThis year the plan was to introduce the hydro-circuits lab at the third session. Delays in theacquisition of parts delayed it to the sixth session. Two sections of Circuits I were taught thissemester, so that there were

Conference Session

Innovations in Mechanical Engineering Experiments and Labs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

B. Terry Beck, Kansas State University; Brian Anderson, Kansas State University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

currently available for direct measurement of the power input tothe blower; however, such an addition is planned for future upgrades of the wind tunnel setup.This addition would then allow measurement of overall energy conversion efficiency. However,the power levels shown in Figure 7 are very reasonable considering the fact that the wind tunnelis designed for a maximum test section airspeed of about 150 mph using a 10 hp blower.Extrapolation of the above plot clearly indicates that these maximum power requirements are inthe proper range.Summary and ConclusionsThis paper presents the authors recent experience with a simple modification to an existingAerolab educational wind tunnel test facility. This facility is used for experimentation tocomplement

Conference Session

Computer-Assisted Lab Studies

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ramesh Prasad, University of New Brunswick-St. John; Ryan Munro, University of New Brunswick-St. John

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

, University of New Brunswick-St. John Ryan C. Munro graduated with BScE (Mechanical) degree in 2005 from the Universitry of New Brunswick, Canada. He worked in energy sector for over a year and is planning to pursue graduate studies in future. Page 12.1148.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2007 PC-Based Measurement of Heat of Combustion of a Solid Fuel Using Oxygen Bomb CalorimeterAbstractThe paper describes an experimental system developed for measurement of the heat ofcombustion of a sample of solid fuel. The system is set up to use an Oxygen Bomb Calorimetertogether with a

Conference Session

Design of Lab Experiments II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gregory Mason, Seattle University; Frank Shih, Seattle University; Jeff Dragovich, Seattle University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

limitation is due tothe small packet size used to transmit data. This was an acceptable level of performance for thetensile test experiments, but the software will need to be modified if higher sampling rates arerequired. Finally, the novelty of the TabletPCs initially distracted some students from the actualtest. Fortunately this was only a temporary problem.In the future we plan to modify the TabletPC software to make it easier to use with otherexperiments in other university departments. The mechanical engineering department iscurrently in the process of instrumenting a four cycle engine. We will be using the wireless dataacquisition system on this lab to allow student to monitor various parameters such as engine

Conference Session

Design of Lab Experiments I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Oscar Ortiz, LeTourneau University; Paul Leiffer, LeTourneau University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

solution in addition to the existing solutions. 2) Redefine the design of the project, its scope and objectives 3) Write down an action plan defining the responsibilities of each member: final design, drawings, implementation, testing procedures, design corrections, result gathering, report writing and power point presentations. 4. From the sixth to the tenth week, students had time to work on the implementation of their projects. 5. During the eighth week, one group gave a public presentation of its project to a group of visiting students and their families during one of the school’s scheduled events for new prospective students, the “school’s recruiting, preview weekends”. From the

Conference Session

Design of Lab Experiments II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Russell, University of Hertfordshire

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

engineeringcurricula, concerns over the low resource efficiency often dominate such that some laboratorystudies are withdrawn from the teaching plan. Such decisions, it is argued, will be detrimentalto the undergraduates learning experience. Page 12.1568.2This paper demonstrates two approaches to redress the issue. In the first example technologyis developed to better support the resource efficiency whereas in the second exampletechnology and students are used to better support the development of the educationaleffectiveness of the laboratory experience.Example 1. Using technology to enhance the resource efficiencyThe need for changeReorganisation of our degree

Conference Session

Distance, Remote, and Virtual Experiments

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Trishna Das, University of Minnesota-ECE; Paul Imbertson, University of Minnesota-ECE; Ned Mohan, University of Minnesota

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

through independent discovery. This is an innovative approach tointegrating technology into the teaching/learning process for laboratory oriented courses and canchange our fundamental approach to laboratory environments.Redesigning the Laboratory CoursesThis was an introduction for both the students and the faculty to this method. But this methodhas the potential to completely revolutionize the laboratory courses. We are redesigning andrewriting the experiments such that each group of students can perform a separate module of theexperiment independently. For example, we are planning to include an experiment that aims todesign the load for a motor. This is possible because the physical machine hardware in thislaboratory uses an active load which

Conference Session

Distance, Remote, and Virtual Experiments

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Peng Li, East Carolina University; Philip Lunsford, East Carolina University; Tijjani Mohammed, East Carolina University; Lee Toderick, East Carolina University; Chengcheng Li, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

East Carolina University. His research interests include system simulation, telemedicine applications, and information assurance.Tijjani Mohammed, East Carolina University TIJJANI MOHAMMED is an assistant professor in the Information and Computer Technology program, within the Department of Technology Systems at East Carolina University. Currently, Dr. Mohammed teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses addressing a range of issues in the planning, selection, deployment, and securing computer networks.Lee Toderick, East Carolina University Lee Toderick received a B.S. in Computer Science from East Carolina University and an MS in Computer Information Systems from Boston

Conference Session

Design of Lab Experiments II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ahmad Pourmovahed, Kettering University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

teams design, build and demonstrate theirproject during the last day of class. These projects are funded through proceeds from the sale ofthe laboratory textbook1. Some completed projects become permanent displays in the laboratory.Future plans include the addition of a Fuel Cell Air Management System and a Thermal ShockChamber. They will be used for experiments involving flow and humidity control and transientconduction, respectively.ConclusionsEnergy Systems Laboratory is an integral part of the mechanical engineering core at KetteringUniversity. This modern laboratory educates the students in the area of energy conversion,thermodynamics, fluid flow and heat transfer. It is continuously updated and improved tointegrate well with Kettering

Conference Session

Distance, Remote, and Virtual Experiments

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John White, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; Leo Bobek, University of Massachusetts- Lowell

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

12.900.10hour or so of operation, when the pool temperature is close to the containment air temperature.During this period, the simulation matches the experimental data almost exactly (especially whenthe small losses in the primary loop are treated), and the result is independent of the heat transfercoefficient used during the simulation. For longer run times, however, using the correct heattransfer coefficient is essential as shown in Fig. 8. Unfortunately, experimental data were notavailable for comparison here since the actual pool is not usually allowed to get much above atemperature of 95 F. However, plans are currently underway to modify plant conditionssomewhat so that a more significant surface loss component can be measured with reasonablepool

Conference Session

Distance, Remote, and Virtual Experiments

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yaoye Li, Stevens Institute of Technology; Sven Esche, Stevens Institute of Technology; Constantin Chassapis, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

feedback after this pilot implementationwas very positive, a more detailed assessment of the learning effectiveness of remoteexperiments is planned for the Spring 2007 semester. Page 12.199.12 112007 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition An Architecture for Real-time Remote LaboratoriesHonolulu, Hawaii, USA, June 24–27, 2007 Li, Esche & ChassapisPaper submitted on 03/07/2007 Tel. (201) 216-5559, Fax (201) 216-8315, E-Mail SEsche

Conference Session

Distance, Remote, and Virtual Experiments

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Chiou, Drexel University; Yongjin Kwon, Drexel University; Shreepud Rauniar, Drexel University; Horacio Sosa, Drexel University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

of this type of control, a batch processing requireshighly sophisticated PLC programming and engineering. Figure 7 shows the control circuits for integration of PLC sequence with a robot andmechanical systems for a simulated process through the Internet. The control is planned fora logical system by labeling inputs and outputs. The students have to make sure that thesequence programming is in agreement with the logical system and the required electriccircuit is connected with the interconnect wiring to the Yamaha RCX40 controller, as wellas the input and output modules. The material handling system uses a diaphragm-typevacuum cup as it provides large suction force for small suction volumes. The FESTOsuction cup, with a diameter of 15

Conference Session

Design of Lab Experiments II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gerald Recktenwald, Portland State University; Robert Edwards, Pennsylvania State University-Erie

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

student laboratories. In the comingmonths we will be deploying the experiments and curricular materials in a context that will allowformal assessment of student learning. We have designed an assessment plan to measure gains instudent learning and to determine whether the laboratory exercises shift students’ attitudestoward laboratory work.Bibliography1. Bilal, N., Kess, H. R. & Adams, D. E. Reversing the Roles of Experiment and Theory in a Roving Laboratory for Undergraduate Students in Mechanical Vibrations. International Journal of Engineering Education 21, 166-177 (2005).2. Flora, J. R. V. & Cooper, A. T. Incorporating inquiry-based laboratory experiment in undergraduate environmental engineering laboratory. Journal of

Conference Session

Computer-Assisted Lab Studies

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Julio Garcia, San Jose State University; Patricia Backer, San Jose State University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

the instructor for future planning of courses.However, in terms of outcomes for the students, there are three questions which constitute bettermeasures of what the students actually learned from the course and how valuable this newknowledge is likely to be after the students leave the class. Below are some results for threeindividual questions on the SALG which captured this type of knowledge. [Percentages representonly students responding to the question, not “N/A” responses.]Question: How much of the following (understanding the main concepts) do you think youwill remember and carry with you into other classes or aspects of your life? 2004 2005 2006Average rating