Conference Session

Sustainable Energy Issues in Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

lana El Chaar, Petroleum Institute

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

engineering school is to develop first class engineers and leadersin their field, empowering them with the best engineering tools and exposing them to the latesttechnologies. Modern society relies on stable, readily available energy supplies. Renewableenergy is an increasingly important component of the new energy mix. Anyone can easily seethat the world is leaning toward renewable energy sources and in this region, solar and windenergies are the next generation sources to come after oil and gas. After an extensive search andreadings of how this could be implemented, the first step toward integrating such technologiesinto the curriculum was attending workshops in the United States (US) on renewable energy toseek out the most efficient method for

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

inrenewable or non-renewable energy and/or mechanical or chemical aspects of energy. All students in the program take an energy engineering lab course, engage in a supervisedindependent research project, and participate in an integrative interdisciplinary designproject/course. The design project is carried out as part of The Pennsylvania State University’sLearning factory that engages students from different engineering disciplines on teams to addressindustrially challenging problems. This paper will discuss the new energy engineering initiative,the novel curriculum, and the seamless integration of research into the training and education ofstudents to help to produce the next generation of skilled workforce for the energy industry.Research

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

laboratory herein is to integrate fundamental engineering curriculum insuch a way as to provide a hands on application to study the principles at work. The hydraulichybrid vehicle technology is such an application that can be utilized to study engineeringprinciples.Additionally, the course shall be offered as both an undergraduate and graduate course. Thecourse will incorporate not only a hands-on problem-solving learning approach, but will alsoutilize and encourage basic research tools. The course is designed such that the students willperform a research review and assemble a paper that provides a basic survey of current researchareas in the field of hydraulic hybrid vehicle technology. This way, the course provides anopportunity for undergraduate

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

. Page 13.388.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 A Student Overview In Practical SustainabilityAbstractOne purpose of teaching sustainability in an engineering curriculum is to foster civicresponsibility and develop informed citizens who are responsible to their professions,communities, posterity and to the world. This paper provides a series of five reports authored byundergraduate students which portray the student perspective on green construction practices andhow the implementation of such practices impact on sustainability in real world applications.Students explore various techniques for construction professionals, property owners and policymakers that promote the aesthetic and economic benefits of

Conference Session

Computer Applications in Energy Courses

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vincent Winstead, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

for developing integrated circuits and in working with electroniccomponents. Therefore an alternative was considered which incorporated an embeddedsystems approach and provided an opportunity for the students to learn about applied highspeed automotive communication and system control combined using the LabVIEWapplication. The National Instruments cRIO was chosen as the embedded system platformbased on its low relative cost and the capability to interface the tool with LabVIEW. Inthis way an automated control strategy could be implemented removing the necessity foroperator-based manual adjustments. All of the project objectives were not achieved at thecompletion of the senior design project period. Two graduate students from theManufacturing

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

© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 The Earth Sustainability Course SeriesAbstractA four semester Earth Sustainability-themed general education curriculum was developed byVirginia Tech in response to urgent calls for a more seamless integration of liberal and technicaleducation. It provides a basic framework for understanding worldviews, water, energy, food,shelter, waste, and health from interdisciplinary viewpoints. Incorporating a learning communitypedagogy promotes deep and meaningful learning by inviting participants to become activeparticipants in their own learning.The focused curriculum of many engineering programs is not in and of itself adequatepreparation for meeting the needs of employers or our

Conference Session

Curricular Developments in Energy Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ray Miller, University of Cincinnati; Max Rabiee, University of Cincinnati; Elvin Stepp, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

promote the topics that should be included in PowerEngineering Technology Programs. The paper will focus on the technical description of arecently approved new Associate Degree in Power System Engineering Technology at theUniversity of Cincinnati. This new program started in the fall of 2006, and was created largelydue to the request from industry professionals. The program is jointly presented by the Electricaland Computer Engineering Technology, and Mechanical Engineering Technology departments atthe University of Cincinnati. The paper also presents a proposed formation of an Energy Centerwhich will extend the current associate level curriculum into a baccalaureate degree in PowerSystems Engineering Technology. Other degrees including nuclear

Conference Session

Novel Energy Applications in Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Patrick Tebbe, Minnesota State University-Mankato; Brian Weninger, Minnesota State University-Mankato; Corey Thibeault, Minnesota State University-Mankato

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

been designed and built as part of an ASHRAEfunded senior design project. The final cost of the entire system was $4593, excluding theattached computer and LabVIEW software which was already available.The unit has undergone preliminary testing with all experiments performed by undergraduate andgraduate students. It is expected that experimental work with students will continue in thefuture. This gives them valuable hands-on experience with both the applied technology and thebasic experimentation concepts.Several potential applications currently exist within the mechanical engineering curriculum forthis demonstration unit. In the future it will be integrated into the undergraduate thermo-fluidsexperimentation course. Students will be expected

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

semester course, as well as to supplementmaterials presented in the course textbook. The energy system and conversion course,which covers renewable and non-renewable energy sources, as well as energy conversiondevices, is part of the core curriculum at Penn State University – Harrisburg. The EnergyCalculator program was conceived to help students compare and contrast a range ofenergy units introduced in the textbook. The Energy Database offers students an avenueto access new information on energy issues hosted on the Internet as the typical coursetextbooks are unable to keep up with the deluge of new developments. The EnergyJeopardy game creatively combines energy system concepts with a popular Americanpastime that many students could relate to

Conference Session

Alternative Energy Source Projects

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Peter Schubert, Packer Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

. Fabricating the plasma torch required the use of computer-aided design tools, and close interaction with the model makers who ran the computer numericalcontrolled milling machine.Anticipating the bizarre behavior of plasmas, the students integrated the ability to tweak theirdesign after the first operational tests. After the lengthy design process, the test-and-refine phaseproceeded quickly. Each student contributed to the understanding and improvement of theperformance, engendering a spirit of teamwork, appreciation for diversity, increased problemsolving ability, and an appreciation for the value of a thorough design phase. In this paper webriefly review the plasma torch biomass reactor concept, explain the lessons learned by thestudents, and