Conference Session

Renewable Energy in Classroom

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Timothy L. Marbach, California State University Sacramento

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

Teaching Award. His research interests include thermochemical processing of biofuels, combustion and applied energy/heat recovery. Page 24.1081.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2014 Significant Learning in Renewable EnergySignificant learning in engineering educationFor over 50 years, Bloom’s taxonomy has been used widely in higher education, includingengineering, as a foundation of effective pedagogy1. The taxonomy has three domains:cognitive, affective and psychomotor. Higher education typically emphasizes the cognitivedomain, which is summarized in Table 1

Conference Session

Electrical Energy Courses - Labs and Projects

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Herbert L. Hess, University of Idaho, Moscow; Brian K. Johnson, University of Idaho, Moscow; Clifford J. Chapman, University of Idaho

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

Parameters, and Flux Analysis Settings. A description of each follows.Beginning with the S/M Physical Layout (Figure 1), compatible values for Slots and Pitch arepresented as the user specifies Poles, then Slots, then Pitch. This guides practical parameterspecification and provides immediate feedback when settings do not correlate. Additionally, AirGap distance is adjustable but only affects the way the rotor is drawn; no other values aredetermined from the Air Gap distance for this illustrative tool. Figure 1Electrical Parameter specification immediately follows to allow selection of start time and steptime per electrical phase angle advancement, phase sequence and frequency, sign convention,motor output

Conference Session

Renewable Energy in Classroom

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Radian G. Belu, Drexel University (Tech.); Richard Chiou, Drexel University (Eng. & Eng. Tech.); KETKI GHAISAS, Drexel University; Tzu-Liang Bill Tseng, University of Texas, El Paso

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

(implying various combinations of wind, solar, fuelcells and batteries). A module underway to be developed is one that can be considered as a guideon how to use renewable energy to secure a sustainable grid. The paper is also discussing thetechnical skills gained by students using the software HOMER package. Finally by usingHOMER students have exposure to non-technical engineering skills, such as economicfeasibility, logistic and decision on hybrid power systems. We are hoping the materials presentedherein can be used as the starting point for other instructors considering the use of HOMERpackage as teaching help, design and analysis tool in renewable energy courses.1. IntroductionDue to the adverse effects of pollution from fossil fuel-based power

Conference Session

Miscellaneous Topics in Energy Education

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chris Foreman, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Karina Clarissa Halim, Purdue University; Rajeswari Sundararajan, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

sources to meet baseload demand for power, willresult in the ongoing need for new graduates. Universities have been slow to educate students incoal power generation. A solution to this is presented in this paper in the form of a lesson planwith introductory information of the coal power generation process, equipment utilized, andsome of the policies and concerns surrounding coal use. This paper can serve to start a dialog inenergy courses and provide future directions for students interested in pursuing energy careers.Introduction Coal for utility-scale electrical power generation has been in widespread use forapproximately a century. It is currently the largest energy source for electrical power andremains cheap and abundant.1 While many

Conference Session

Energy Conservation and Conversions for Green Buildings

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ahmed Cherif Megri, North Carolina A&T State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

in written and oral communication skills. Future plans to evaluate theeffectiveness of this capstone in term of learning outcomes. 1. Introduction:The 1973 oil embargo was the propulser for the creation of the first generation of multiple energysimulation programs, such as DOE and TRNSYS in USA, ESP-r in UK, CODYBA in France. Theseprograms are still in use until today, even if multiple versions have been developed, because of theirflexibility and their reliability.Among all these programs, only TRNSYS (Klein, 1976), (Klein, 1977), (Klein, 2006) reach theinternational scientific community, since it benefits from the modularity structure that makes it one of themost appropriate software for education and research. Hundreds of papers

Conference Session

Innovative Projects in Energy Education

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Saeed D. Foroudastan, Middle Tennessee State University; Jeremy Keith Posey Sr.

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

addition to Foroudastan’s teaching experi- ence, he also has performed extensive research and published numerous technical papers. He has secured more than $1 million in the form of both internal and external grants and research funding. Foroudastan is the faculty advisor, coordinator, and primary fundraiser for EVP teams entering national research project competitions such as the Formula SAE Collegiate Competition, the Baja SAE Race, the SolarBike Rayce, the Great Moonbuggy Race, and the Solar Boat Collegiate Competition. For his concern for and ded- ication to his students, Foroudastan received MTSU awards such as the 2002-03 Outstanding Teaching Award, the 2005-06 Outstanding Public Service Award, and the 2007

Conference Session

Miscellaneous Topics in Energy Education

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jaime Ramos-Salas P.E., University of Texas, Pan American; Jesus Alejandro Valladares, The University of Texas Pan American

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

, overthe solar farm, in a day to day basis. Page 24.1297.2 1 v7 Those methods are now available, and their development has been an active area ofresearch [1]. The first step is to measure that radiation; that can be done either locally, from on-site sensors, or distantly, from sensors lodged on satellites. In the University of Texas PanAmerican we have installed [2] a set of tracking pyranometers and pyrheliometer to measure theglobal horizontal

Conference Session

Training and Workforce Needs in the Energy Sector

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hayrettin B Karayaka, Western Carolina University; Mehrube Mehrubeoglu, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

components including generation, transmission anddistribution, and protection systems. The on-site courses that have been added to the curriculumare Energy Conversion, Power Transmission and Distribution and Power Protection Systems.These three on-site courses are senior elective level courses to define “power emphasis” in theprogram, particularly, in Electrical Engineering Technology.The certificate courses also include additional two on-line courses that are offered by NPI. Thesecourses are selected with advising faculty’s guidance from the online course offerings providedby NPI which include: 1. Nuclear Power Plant Fundamentals 2. Nuclear Power Plant Systems – PWR (Pressurized Water Reactors) 3. Nuclear Power Plant Systems – BWR (Boiling

Conference Session

Design Based Energy Education

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Syed Mohammed Tahmid, Naval Air Systems Command; Bilal Saleh Gill; Kee M Park, Queensborough Community College; Yeong Ryu, State University of New York, Farmingdale; SangHoon Lee, Polytechnic Institute of New York University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

build up and ensures theheating of clean water.Cavitation Heat Pump System Initial SetupThe cavitation heat pump system (see Figure 1) initially consists of an electrical motor,cavitation heat pump, water tank, piping, gauges, and all necessary peripherals. The electricalmotor is interfaced with the cavitation heat pump using a rubber belt, which converts electricalenergy into thermal energy through cavitation induced by the rotation of the working fluid. Thecavitation heat pump decreases the pressure of water to a point below its saturation pressure,which consequently induces cavitation. Energy is released in the form of heat when the bubblescollapse, causes the water temperature to rise. (a

Conference Session

Topics in Biomass and Gasification Processes

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Drew Witte, IUPUI; Peter J. Schubert, IUPUI

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

offset use ofnon-renewable fuels to power the needs of society. To the extent this can be accomplished in acost effective way, communities can improve their resiliency, sustainability, and economics. Page 23.949.2  II. Student InvolvementBecause the “Old Blue” GPOXwas located an hour and a halffrom our campus, a group often students participated inday-long site visits to studyOld Blue, and made key designupgrades to the gasifier. Thefirst site visit was on June 21,shortly after Old Blue wasreceived at the facility ofcorporate partner SAIC (seeFigure 1). During the first sitevisit, students were given anassignment from SAIC:“Make an assessment

Conference Session

Training and Workforce Needs in the Energy Sector

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sungwon S. Kim, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Patrick A. Tebbe, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

instructional videos.III. Real World Training Site (Butler Square)Following the basic introduction to energy benchmarking it was desired to give the studentssome real world exposure. Through industry relations, contact was first made with EnergyPrint.This company does benchmarking and dashboard energy analysis for companies and buildings.They agreed to help provide the students with data on an existing building as a training tool. Figure 1: Butler Square building (http://www.butlersquare.com/photos.htm#).Through them contact was made with the Butler Square building (Figure 1), a warehouse that has Page 23.968.4been converted to an office building

Conference Session

Electrical Energy Courses, Labs, and Projects I

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Al DUPE Mundy, United States Air Force Academy; Andrew Laffely, US Air Force Academy; Bryan John Cooper, United States Air Force; George York, U.S. Air Force Academy; Herbert L. Hess, University of Idaho, Moscow

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

commercial power. Easy setup and teardown facilitates off-campusdemonstrations at diverse venues such as university football games, local schools, and localenergy/STEM related events. The partially completed system has already been displayed at several AirForce football games as well as a local sustainability conference. Figure 1 below shows our electric off-road vehicle on display at the 2012 Colorado Sustainability Conference. Page 23.1000.3 Figure 1. USAFA Electric Off-Road Vehicle on DisplayNeed for GREEN and a Push for STEM through OutreachMost people would agree the United States is not producing sufficient high

Conference Session

Design Based Energy Education

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bill M. Diong, Southern Polytechnic State University; Scott J. Tippens, Southern Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

student team calculated the shading percentage itproduces in comparison to the (conventional) arrangement shown in Fig. 1b for various angles ofthe sun, and various angles of the assumed square PV cells (see Fig. 2a), allowing for somesun-tracking imprecision. This was a straightforward yet good exercise on the subject ofTrigonometry for them, and the percentage differences between the shaded areas per cell aredisplayed in Fig. 2b. Pivot rod PV cell (a) (b) Fig. 1. Five-cell by three-column illustration of the (a) ‘diamondback’ cell arrangement, and

Conference Session

Topics in Biomass and Gasification Processes

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hong Zhang, Rowan University; Jess W. Everett, Rowan University; Jessica Tryner, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

students developed aseries of pressing devices and processes for the purpose. Then they compared the strength,burning rate and duration of burning of the briquettes, as well the difficulties to obtain binderand process the material. They finally settled to an easy to follow recipe and a very simpledevice to press the loose shells to briquettes. In the January of 2012, a student team went to 8remote villages in rural Gambia. They demonstrated the briquetting process to the local people.The team was warmly received and all villages agreed to try out the method so they couldpreserve the dwindling forest while supporting the growing community.1 IntroductionThe Gambia is a small country located at the tip of West Africa. A relatively peaceful life

Conference Session

Electrical Energy Courses, Labs, and Projects II

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ramadan Elmoudi, University at Buffalo; Ilya Y. Grinberg, Buffalo State College; Mohammed Safiuddin, University at Buffalo, SUNY

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

, concept to understand in electrical powersystems. Reactive power compensation is considered as a powerful tool for optimizing the powerflow on transmission networks. Inadequate reactive power leads to voltage collapses and hasbeen a major cause of several recent major power outages worldwide 1. Reactive powercompensation can be provided by using FACTS devices, which are power electronics-baseddevices that control and regulate the power flow within the power system. They are capable toreroute power through the optimum available paths regardless of the dynamics of the powersystem. Clear understanding of the principles of FACTS devices and how they affect thebehavior of the power system becomes easier after grasping the fundamentals of

Conference Session

Training and Workforce Needs in the Energy Sector

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wajiha Shireen, University of Houston (CoT); Radhakrishna Kotti, University of Houston (CoE); Jesus Arturo Villanueva

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

its curriculum to train productive and qualified power engineers. The academia needsto do further research to understand the industry trends and gather information as to what has Page 23.1069.2changed and what are currently common best practices in the industry. The challenge faced byacademia is to come up with an updated curriculum at both the undergraduate and graduate levelthat provides the knowledge base of fundamental concepts along with nurturing expertise incross functional disciplines[1].Currently in the industry there are quite a few visionary manufacturers who are contributing intosmart grid applications; some of the names include GE

Conference Session

Topics in Energy Management

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Esther T. Ososanya, University of the District of Columbia; Sasan Haghani, University of the District of Columbia; Wagdy H Mahmoud, University of the District of Columbia

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

paper presents the detaileddesign of a flexible low-cost Wi-Fi enabled cloud monitoring device by undergraduate electricaland computer engineering students in a capstone senior design project class.Keywords: Smart meters, Power monitoring devices, Embedded Systems design, Electrical andComputer Engineering capstone design projects.1. Introduction:Cloud computing is increasingly used by corporations for storing digital information. As aresult, the ability to monitor, and manage the power consumption of servers in a cloud network isessential. “Cloud computing is a model for enabling convenient on-demand network access to ashared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g. network servers, storage, applications, andservices) with minimal

Conference Session

New Concepts for Alternative and Renewable Energy Courses

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Narayanan M. Komerath, Georgia Institute of Technology; Akshay Milind Pendharkar, Georgia Institute of Technology; Vrishank Raghav, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

renewablepower generators. A news report in Britain in the early 2000s cited the dire danger to the Page 23.1222.2emerging renewable energy industry that results as purchasers of power generators experienceperformance and cost recovery far below advertised levels. An informal survey by a high schoolstudent at our lab, conducted in the summer of 2011, studied the advertised performance (ratedpower), rated windspeed and capture area of wind turbines over a large range of sizes. He foundthat for wind turbines with power levels on the order of 1 MW, rated power claims were quiteconservative when viewed against the wind energy contained in the capture area

Conference Session

New Concepts for Alternative and Renewable Energy Courses

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elizabeth (elisha) Mh Garcia, U.S. Coast Guard Academy; Deanna L Bergondo, United States Coast Guard Academy

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

. Page 23.1273.2On the first day of class, students were given a syllabus, outlining the course description, goal,objectives, prerequisites, grading, and policies, along with a draft schedule for the fourteencourse meetings2. The description, goal, and objectives remained unchanged from 2009 to 2012: Course Description: This is a cross‐disciplinary, 1‐credit seminar course. The key focus is on Marine Renewable Energy and its many tie‐ins to the various U.S. Coast Guard Academy majors. Cross-disciplinary communication will be encouraged, while various questions will be investigated, such as: 1. What types and how much energy are available in the oceans? 2. Who is responsible for overseeing design and functioning of marine

Conference Session

New Concepts for Alternative and Renewable Energy Courses

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mehmet Sozen, Grand Valley State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

12 of these were repetitions of the same 4 questionsposed for each of the software tools. The answer to each one of these questions was to be givenon a scale of 1 to 5, where a “negative” response would correspond to a lower grade and a“positive” response to a higher grade on the scale. These 4 questions were as follows:Question 1: How useful/beneficial was the use of INL Wind Energy Analysis software to you?Scale: 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Very much)Question 2: How user friendly was the software? Scale: 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Very user friendly)Question 3: How reasonable was the time spent on learning to set up a case study? Scale: 1(Too excessive) to 5 (Very reasonable)Question 4: How easy was the interpretation of the results obtained? Scale: 1

Conference Session

Solar and Wind Energy-System Initiatives

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jaime Ramos-Salas P.E., University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley; Jose Ramirez, University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley; Hiram Moya, University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley; Jose Luis Saldivar Jr, University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

Underlining the Analysis of Collected Solar Radiation1- INTRODUCTION The growth of generating electricity through solar radiation has increased steadily overthe last ten years [1]. At the same time, the cost of solar electricity has decreased steadily [2]. Inthe 2016 State of the Union address, President Obama mentioned that “on rooftops from Arizonato New York, solar is saving Americans tens of millions of dollars a year on their energy bills,and employs more Americans than coal -- in jobs that pay better than average” [3]. These trendssupport an optimistic view of the future of the solar industry for the years to come. The first step to an engineering design of a solar facility is to obtain informationregarding

Conference Session

ECCD Innovative Teaching Methods & Outreach

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul J. Weber, Lake Superior State University; Joseph P Moening, Lake Superior State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

work explores the impacts the course hadon student understanding of energy issues. Both student work and student surveys wereexamined. Due to small class sizes, a more qualitative and in-depth approach was taken. Fromthis it was found that within the area of terminology, the concepts of power and energy causedsignificant issues for students. Furthermore, quantifying the impacts of technology from asustainability perspective, especially with respect to society and the environment, provedchallenging. With these specific areas identified, it will be up to future work to find mechanismsto address these pitfalls in subsequent offerings of this and other related courses.1. IntroductionEnergy conversion and other resource usage are foundational

Conference Session

ECCD Applications in Energy and Thermodynamics

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ahmed Cherif Megri, North Carolina A&T State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

communication skills. Future plans to evaluate theeffectiveness of the case studies in terms of learning outcomes, as well as plans to evaluate it inundergraduate architectural engineering training are also presented. 1. Introduction:Teaching a design course is challenging and differentiates from fundamental courses at different level.The fundamental courses are based on specific laws (first law of thermodynamics, heat transfer equation,radiosity technique, and so on). The textbooks usually include a large number of examples for each topic,where students use as a reference to solve their home works and exams, through memorization,understanding and application. Design courses need more analysis and evaluation, since the problems areopen-ended and

Conference Session

ECCD Innovative Teaching Methods & Outreach

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nicole Zimmerman, Portland State University; Timothy D. Gulzow, Portland State University; Robert B Bass, Portland State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

career-relatedcapabilities. For instance, the work by Felder, et al, describe instructional methods relevant todeveloping the critical skills required of modern engineering graduates.1–3 As well, Feisel andRosa’s work describe the functional role of laboratories in engineering education, including theability to meaningfully assess the objectives set forth by EC2000 in the laboratory setting.4 Dym,et al, describe the role of design in the engineering curriculum and explore project-based learningas a method for developing these engineering capabilities.5 And, Prince and Felder describeinductive teaching and learning methods that include both problem- and project-based learningapproaches.6This manuscript compliments that body of research by

Conference Session

Assessment, Course, and Curricular Development

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Quinn Langfitt, Washington State University; Liv Haselbach P.E., Washington State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

authored numerous papers on sus- tainability related to topics such as low impact development and carbon sequestration, and is active in the sustainability education community. Dr. Haselbach is a licensed professional engineer and a LEED AP (BD+C). Prior to her academic career she founded an engineering consulting company in the New York – Connecticut area. Her degrees include a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell, an MS in Chemical Engineering from UC Berkeley, and a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the Uni- versity of Connecticut. She is currently an Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Washington State University, an Associate Director of the USDOT Tier 1 UTC: Center

Conference Session

Solar and Wind Energy-System Initiatives

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adeel Khalid, Kennesaw State University; Christopher Douglas Roper, Kennesaw State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

blades andcomputational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis. In this case study, 5ms-1 wind speed is used since itreplicates the wind conditions in the local regions of Georgia. In this research, final results showa comparison of the validation study and the experimental analyses at 5ms-1. Figure 1 shows thefinal computer aided 3-D model of the designed NREL VI geometric blade for test comparison. (a) (b) Figure 1: NREL Phase VI 3D geometric blade design; (a) Reverse isometric view of NREL CAD design. (b) Isometric view of NREL CAD design.The validation comparison is made between Normal Force Coefficient CN and the Non-dimensional Span at 5ms-1. Figure 2 shows the

Conference Session

Automation, Instrumentation, and Computer Simulations

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kendrick T. Aung, Lamar University; Jiang Zhou, Lamar University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

applicable to anindividual student. According to ABET, performance indicators are concrete measurable performances studentsmust meet as indicators of achievements of the outcome10. Therefore, performance indicatorswere developed for each student outcome through a departmental ABET committee and wereused for assessment in every course relevant to all engineering courses. Performance indicatorsfor the three student outcomes, outcomes a, c, and e, and corresponding rubric were given in theAppendix A. The scoring for the rubric ranges from 1 to 3 with 1 being unsatisfactory and 3being excellent. In the Design of Thermal Systems course, two simulation projects, one onpiping systems and another on thermal systems such as a land-based gas turbine system

Conference Session

ECCD Innovative Teaching Applications

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hayrettin B Karayaka, Western Carolina University; Robert D. Adams, Western Carolina University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

educate the students enrolled in the Department of Engineering and Technology forcareers in the power industry. The curriculum includes three fundamental power engineeringcourses: 1. Electric Power Systems 2. Power Electronics 3. Electrical Machines and DrivesThe first two courses have been developed and implemented under the guidance of theConsortium of Universities for Sustainable Power (CUSPTM) at University of Minnesota.This paper describes in detail the first two pilot implementations of the Power Electronics coursefor Electrical Engineering (EE) undergraduates and presents its assessment results.The pedagogical concept that was used is called “Flipped Classroom Pedagogy” in which activestudent engagement is facilitated through on-line

Conference Session

Solar and Wind Energy-System Initiatives

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Linfeng Zhang, University of Bridgeport

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

Paper ID #14495Design and Implementation of an Experiment Setup on Solar ElectricityDr. Linfeng Zhang, University of Bridgeport Linfeng Zhang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Bridgeport. He obtained his Ph.D. from Wayne State University. His current research is on the renewable energy, power system, and electronic devices. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2016 Design and implementation of an experiment setup on the solar electricityAbstract PV module price has fallen 75% to below $1/w

Conference Session

CAPSTONE (SENIOR) DESIGN AND UNDERGRADUATE PROJECTS

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert McMasters P.E., Virginia Military Institute

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

which require a two-course sequence inthermodynamics. With the arrival of computerized thermodynamic functions, laboriousinterpolation from thermodynamic tables can be reduced or eliminated, allowing more advancedexercises to be formulated. Computerized thermodynamic properties have been introduced forclassroom instruction and for homework assignments at many points over the last decade. Oneof the first to do this was McClain [1] who developed ideal gas thermodynamic properties usingMathCad for dealing with gas turbine problems and other cases where ideal gasses are used. Thiswork was expanded by McClain [2] in establishing exercises for students using the MathCadthermodynamic property functions. This work was continued by Maixner et al [3