Conference Session

Curricular Developments in Energy Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ilya Grinberg, Buffalo State College; Mohammed Safiuddin, State University of New York, Buffalo; Chilukuri Mohan, Syracuse University; Steve Macho, Buffalo State College

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

at West Virginia University. He worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico Highlands University, and is currently an Assistant Professor of Technology Education for at Buffalo State College. He became a member of the Oxford Roundtable in 2008 and plans to present another paper there in 2010. Page 15.895.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 Multi-Institutional Approach to Engineering EducationIntroductionMany specialized areas of study exist for which there is a definite but small market in theindustrial world. The size of this market may preclude the development of

Conference Session

Sustainable Energy Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Connie Gomez, University of Texas at El Paso; Heidi Taboada, University of Texas at El Paso; Jose Espiritu, University of Texas at El Paso; Noe Vargas Hernandez, The University of Texas at El Paso

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

environment.This paper describes an approach that will design new curricula based on the current trends fordeveloping commercial products that are manufactured from renewable and biodegradablematerials, and that will have a minimal environmental impact given our nation’s agriculture,economy, environment, manufacturing, and engineering resources. Through the development ofthis curriculum, students will gain a background and an appreciation of the complexity of ournation’s agricultural system as well as awareness for possible careers within theagriculture/environmental sustainability/biomaterials manufacturing engineering fields whiledeveloping their professional skills.Through this approach, we plan to generate new courses that present students with

Conference Session

Experiences in Teaching Energy Courses

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Riddell, Baker College Of Flint; Anca Sala, Baker College Of Flint

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

. Page 15.133.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 Alternative Energy, an Introduction for EngineersAbstractThe purpose of this course is to give undergraduate engineering students opportunity to exploremultiple types of alternative energy sources and reflect on the implications of the implementationof a particular energy source. Lifecycle planning, engineering and management of particularforms of alternative energy sources such as wind turbines, photovoltaic, geothermal along withmany lesser known sources were researched by the students. The format of the course wasstructured such that each student had a unique topic area to research and present to the class thebasics of a given energy source along with current

Conference Session

Curricular Developments in Energy Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

become increasinglyimportant and will continue to be so in the future. As part of the Southern Association ofColleges and Schools (SACS) accreditation effort at Baylor University, the authors proposed aunique energy literacy class for incoming freshmen as an element of Baylor University’sQuality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The QEP called for the development of several EngagedLearning Groups (ELG) for freshmen (from any major on campus) which met one semester hourfor four semesters. The purpose of this particular ELG was to address the lack of energyawareness on the part of students involved in all majors. Entitled “Energy and Society,” thecourse was also part of the residential learning communities on campus. It revolved around thetopic of energy

Conference Session

Energy Education and Industry Needs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David McDonald, Lake Superior State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

, datasheets, test reports, processes and templates ≠ Develop control algorithms to safely auto-test electric propulsion motors and systems ≠ Assist in data analysis and correlation between modeled data and real-world data. ≠ Upgrade dyno functionality and train technicians and engineers on dyno testing operations ≠ Work with control, software, systems engineers to develop testing requirements.Electrical Hardware Engineer ≠ Create schematics, develop system-level bill of materials, and assist in component selection ≠ Simulate and test designs using software to ensure the design meets objectives ≠ Oversee board layout, ensure EMC compliance ≠ Assist in test plan development, perform in-vehicle testing and assist in

Conference Session

Curricular Developments in Energy Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lynn Albers, North Carolina State University; Karen Lindsay, Wake County Public School System; Janice Hemric, Wake County Public School System; Laura Bottomley, North Carolina State University; Jade Tucker, Wake County Public School System; Karen Hollebrands, North Carolina State University; Elizabeth Parry, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

of theBoston Museum of Science [2] to teach math, science and engineering concepts.Since its conception, the program has increased the number of Energy Clubs from oneclub at one school the first year to one club at two schools in the second year and to oneclub at three schools in the third year. Each club consisted of an even mix of third, fourthand fifth graders. We found that there was a large gap in ability between third and fifthgraders and therefore decided to create two separate clubs the fourth year: one for fifthgraders and one for third and fourth graders combined. We planned to have two clubs atall three schools during the 2009-2010 academic year. However, due to time constraints,we had to postpone the start of the energy clubs at

Conference Session

Curricular Developments in Energy Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jaby Mohammed, The Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi; Sana Nawaz, Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne; Reynaldo Pablo, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

employed by Giant 100 firms is 4,042 which accounts for almost 8% of the nation’s 51,452LEED APs at the time the survey was conducted (Consulting Specifying Engineer, 2008).According to U.S Green Building Council Strategic Plan: 2009-2013, the educational instituteslack the curriculum for GREEN Building and Sustainable Design. In the present scenarioacademic institutions can play a pivotal role in preparing students for the LEED AccreditationExam. As educators we should keep our standards high and encourage students to stretch toreach goals. This will build the personal leadership skills needed to succeed in the constructionindustry (Bain & Bender, 2006). The students need to be accoutered with all the technologicaldevelopments and innovations

Conference Session

Learning about Power Systems and Power Consumption

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joshua Baumgartner, LeTourneau University; Timothy Hewitt, LeTourneau University; Edgar Licea, LeTourneau University; Nolan Willis, LeTourneau University; Matthew Green, LeTourneau University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

AC 2010-828: SYSTEMS DESIGN OF A HYDRO-KINETIC TECHNOLOGY FORRURAL AREAS OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIESJoshua Baumgartner, LeTourneau University Joshua Baumgartner is a senior mechanical engineering student at LeTourneau University. A National Merit Finalist and member of LeTourneau’s Honors Program, he advanced to the 2008 ASME Student Design Contest International Finals with his sophomore design team. Joshua plans to return to his hometown of San Antonio to work in building design and become a professional engineer. His other career interests include teaching engineering and designing for people with disabilities.Timothy Hewitt, LeTourneau University Tim Hewitt is currently studying for his

Conference Session

Curricular Developments in Energy Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Blekhman, California State University Los Angeles; Jason Keith, Michigan Technological University; Ahmad Sleiti, University of Central Florida; Eileen Cashman, Humboldt State University; Peter Lehman, Humboldt State University; Richard Engel, Schatz Energy Research Center; Michael Mann, University of North Dakota; Hossein Salehfar, University of North Dakota

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

for the lab activities, including abenchtop fuel cell/electrolyzer users guide, lab safety guidelines, wiring diagrams and severalexperimental lesson plans that utilize the kits.Also in year one, two fuel cell test stations have been built that allow the operator to directlyobserve and record data on a fuel cell stack while adjusting a number of operating parameters,including load current, temperature, air/fuel stoichiometry, and frequency and duration of Page 15.907.10hydrogen purges. Each test station is supplied with an 8-cell, 500-Watt fuel cell stack designedand built by SERC.In the second (current) year of the project, the laboratory

Conference Session

Sustainable Energy Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Blekhman; Jason Keith; Ahmad Sleiti; Eileen Cashman; Peter Lehman; Richard Engel; Michael Mann; Hossein Salehfar

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

Kit (right).CurriculumThe H2E3 project curriculum modules are designed for use in existing engineering courses andwill use hydrogen and fuel cell technologies to teach concepts and principles already integral tothe curricula of courses. The goal is to allow teachers to replace existing lessons rather than toadd lectures or activities to already tightly scheduled courses. Draft versions of curriculummodules will be designed for students in the following types of courses: • introduction to engineering • introductory thermodynamics • advanced thermodynamics • manufacturing engineering • upper-division engineering laboratory • energy and societyCurriculum components will consist of course-specific lesson plans, computer

Conference Session

Experiences in Teaching Energy Courses

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul Chanley, Northern Essex Community College; Michael Pelletier, Northern Essex Community College; Linda Desjardins, Northern Essex Community College; Lori Heymans, Northern Essex Community College

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

in the sun, the water containers are put into the solar cookers. Thestudents have to observe both the time and the temperature of the water. The experimental data isthen graphed, and each group presents their design and data. The information is then comparedto the purchased solar cooker that was assembled by the instructor. The participants have a greattime outdoors with this activity. Some of the teams also get a little competitive regarding howhot the water gets inside their solar cookers.Finally, the course ends with the students developing a plan for a low carbon emission diet. Thissection of the curriculum lasts approximately three weeks. Students work in groups of three orfour. They simulate they are living in one house under one roof

Conference Session

Experiences in Teaching Energy Courses

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Narayanan Komerath, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

areas. Thus for instance we reject the notion that“high intensity solar cells” which are very expensive, have no terrestrial market applications. Page 15.870.2In the longer term we expect to see these added to solar concentrators on urban roofs, at veryPage 15.870.3 3. OUTLINE OF THE COURSEThe course is given a 4xxx designation, but invites students who have earned junior status toregister as well. An 8xxx section is co-taught, in order to facilitate graduate studentparticipation. The expectation is that the graduate students will complete much moresophisticated projects and business plans in the course, and provide

Conference Session

Experiences in Teaching Energy Courses

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Fletcher, Lawrence Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

shoes, boots, or leather shoes are allowed in the lab. If you have long hair it should be combed back into a pony tail or gathered behind the head so as to not be caught in any lab equipment. A safety review will be held before each experiment or class project. Anyone not participating in the safety review will not be allowed to take part in the activity planned.”Fortunately, major disciplinary action was never required in any of the session, although someimmature behaviors had to be addressed and corrected. But these were minimal. It is believedthat once the expectations were set and understood by the students that they would comply, andgenerally this was indeed born out. The effort each day was to affirm the

Conference Session

Sustainable Energy Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joshua Goldade, University of North Dakota; Tessa Haagenson, University of North Dakota; Hossein Salehfar, University of North Dakota; Mike Mann, University of North Dakota

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

graduated in December 2008, and began work on his master’s degree in January 2009. During the summer of 2009 Josh took an internship with Oak Ridge National Laboratories. Josh joined the Dakota Venture Group in the fall of 2008 and currently holds the position of Vice President of Finance. Josh plans to finish his Master’s of Electrical Engineering in August of 2010.Tessa Haagenson, University of North Dakota Tessa Haagenson is from Leeds, North Dakota. She was awarded a B.S. degree in Environmental Studies from Bemidji State University in 2007, after which she spent a semester abroad as a guest graduate student in an energy studies program in Aalborg, Denmark. Tessa’s additional international

Conference Session

Energy Education and Industry Needs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jai Agrawal, Purdue University, Calumet; Omer Farook, Purdue University, Calumet; Chandra Sekhar, Purdue University, Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

in a short paper of not more than five pages.3.1.6. Design Project Design project is the corner stone of this class. This is where the students apply all the learned principles and acquire the knowledge of components and subsystems available from the various vendors in the industry. The student is required to prepare the design of a solar energy system in the neighborhood area, select components and devise the plan for execution. A written report and power-point presentation are required at the end of this course. The design projects in the summer 2009 are listed below: 1. Solar cooking involving conduction /convection /radiation or combination (three projects) 2. Solar energy from

Conference Session

Sustainable Energy Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas Shepard, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Camille George, University of St. Thomas

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

sunny.Without being able to plan some flexibility into the schedule this project would have beena large gamble as it is weather dependent. That being said, it was rewarding to see thateven late in the afternoon in November enough solar radiation is available to boil waterusing a solar cooker.In the future, students would benefit by being able to test their design multiple times so asto iteratively improve their design. This could be facilitated by improving their access tothe materials outside of lab and by scheduling more days of testing. Alternatively, theproject could be simplified by perhaps removing the user manual and Solid Worksportions to allow greater focus on the design and testing.From the assessments used it seems that the structure of the

Conference Session

Project-based Education in Energy Courses

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Craig Somerton, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

simplicity as a focus for manufacturing, maintenance and daily use.It uses widely-available alcohol as a refrigerant and has no moving parts.Manufacturing can be completed with common materials and simple assemblytechniques. After the initial vacuum charging, the refrigerator is designed to workwithout maintenance for three to five years.In an effort to make this solar refrigeration technology available around the globe,the team’s final deliverable is a set of manufacturing plans that have beendistributed for free on the Internet through the project’s partner, the AppropriateTechnology Design Collaborative (ATDC. This open-source distribution willallow the refrigerator to be built by governments, local businesses and nonprofitorganizations

Conference Session

Learning about Power Systems and Power Consumption

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Herbert Hess, University of Idaho

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

after the design projectwas completed to specify a DAQ system. They designed a DAQ system that monitors load,coordinating storage, generation, and even dummy load to maintain system stability and preservesystem voltage. In response to DAQ information, the fossil fuel generator engages when batterystate-of-charge warrants. Detecting problems early and coordinating maintenance is anothergreat feature of this DAQ system. It also stores and organizes information to help plan for futureneeds of the facility. Monitoring the various loads around the site will allow for usage trends tobe established, which can aid in future development and understanding of where power flowsthroughout the site. A coordinated wireless and Ethernet computer communication

Conference Session

Curricular Developments in Energy Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Patrick Cunningham, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

of the membrane and quantifying the impact of this change.This set of topics ranges from technically oriented material to macro-level material. For example,comparing life-cycle analyses engages the broader issue of fuel cell benefits and viability. Thethree projects selected by student teams were: characterizing fuel cell start up transients,computing the area of solar panels, and explaining heat transfer and thermal management in fuelcells. Each student team was responsible for developing and delivering a one class period lessonon their topic. As an intermediate assignment, students were required to complete a lesson planand list of sources. After it was graded and returned, the lesson plan was used to foster an

Conference Session

Project-based Education in Energy Courses

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Patrick Tebbe, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

thebase of the chimney reached daily maximums over 50 degrees Fahrenheit. With the assistance ofvisiting faculty from the MSU Urban Planning Institute (who were also working in Ghana at thetime) the students were also able to learn a great deal about material and manufacturing methodsavailable in the local villages for future constructions. Page 15.1121.9 Figure 6: Completed prototype solar chimneyFigure 7: Small scale solar chimney in Ghana. Figure 8: Taking test data with a Ghanaian student

Conference Session

Energy Education and Industry Needs

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

G. Marshall Molen, Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems at Mississippi State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

focus on outreach, website design, communication plans, and financial issues. Thepresentations are evaluated by panels of judges who are experts in their respective fields. Theimportance of effective communication skills was not initially recognized by some teammembers who found their overall score reduced despite having a vehicle that had superiorperformance. f. Anticipate failure modesSafe practices are emphasized throughout the competition not only in terms of the students’individual safety but the performance of the vehicle as well. Students are required to anticipatepotential fault scenarios resulting from issues such as the presence of high voltage, potential firehazards pertaining to the high voltage batteries, structural faults

Conference Session

Sustainable Energy Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

on the results of the meeting using the Delphi Method, three topics in Table 2 wereconsidered and ranked for alternative energy research in the IT program at Sam Houston StateUniversity. In future planning, the number of these meetings will be increased based on theinterest and availability of students.4. Course ContentUpon completion of this course, the student will able to:≠ Locate and identify potential ambient alternative energy sources≠ Understand electric power generation, harvesting, conversion, and storage systems≠ Identify appropriate storage (battery, supercapacitor) technologies≠ Learn about solar energy systems using photovoltaic systems≠ Learn to harvest energy from wind power≠ Learn how to generate electrical

Conference Session

Project-based Education in Energy Courses

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

AC Light + - P N A O E S G C 12V BatteryFigure 2. Major components and their connections of the training unit2.1. Metal Stand (Frame)To begin planning the units, the current commercial training units were studied to get a generalconcept of different training station metal housings, the nature of parts used and

Conference Session

Project-based Education in Energy Courses

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adrian Ieta, State University of New York, Oswego

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

wasting”, “he brought up many facts about the different energies that I havealways wandered”, and “I believe that change must begin with each individual; in fact I have done andhave plans to do many things to reduce my overall energy consumption and demonstrate my commitmentto sustainability”.It appears that the second lecture although overlapping in certain general aspects but mostlycomplimentary to the previous one, was very well received by the students. Students assimilated thestructured information in a different way. Becoming more conscious of the global needs and problemshelped them be more responsible persons in their daily life. The courses were taught slightly different sothat there were two invited energy lectures first time and only

Conference Session

Curricular Developments in Energy Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Radian Belu, Drexel University; Darko Korain, Desert Research Institute

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

so as to become skilled in designing and component layout of such systems.Thereby, the interactive applets show real time simulations for several basic topologies with theflexibility to change the input system parameters and observe the real output waveformscorrespondingly7-10.1.1 Brief Description of the Renewable Energy CourseThis course covers the principles of energy conversion in the distinct areas of wind, solar PV, aswell as fuel cell power generation, system planning and design. It also covers the modeling,analysis, and control of major components of the AEDG system shown in Figure 1. This courseis different from other renewable energy courses recently developed at other universities2, 3, inthat it is more broad based and covers the