Conference Session

Assessment, Course, and Curricular Development

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert W. Fletcher, Lawrence Technological University; Louise Marianne de Matos Brasil, Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

Paper ID #15781Documentation, Review, and Assessment of a State of Michigan-funded En-gineering Undergraduate Summer Internship for the Development and Im-plementation of an Energy Usage Planning Tool for a Large Grain Elevatorand Grain Storage FacilityDr. Robert W. Fletcher, Lawrence Technological University Robert Fletcher joined the faculty of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Lawrence Technological University in the summer of 2003, after two decades of various industry engineering positions in research, and product development. Dr. Fletcher earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from the

Conference Session

Diverse Issues in Renewable Energy

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Efrain O'Neill-Carrillo, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus; Agustin Irizarry-Rivera P.E., University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus; Cecilio Ortiz, University of Puerto Rico-INESI; Marla D. Perez-Lugo, University of Puerto Rico, Mayguez Campus

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

group presented in December 2009 its strategic plan for the future of the electric system. In 2010 the group convened a National Dialogue on Energy, expanding its membership to include other community groups, and professional organizations. During 2011 the group spearheaded a public education effort regarding a new way to elect the two consumer representatives for the Governing Board of the electric utility. PREPA is a state-owned public power company, and although the Governor selected 7 of the 9-member Governing Board, PREPA operated autonomously from the state government. The remaining two members of the Board were representatives elected by the consumers. The Roundtable got two of its members included in the final ballot for the elections

Conference Session

Assessment, Course, and Curricular Development

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Glenn T. Wrate P.E., Northern Michigan University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

parameters on the relay, connectingthe test leads, developing the test plan in the Doble software, and running the tests. Based onpreliminary feedback, the students also prefer this arrangement. The only drawback to this iscoordinating individual student testing times, since setup and running the tests can sometimestake two hours (more if the students run into problems).In the future, the plan is to add SEL-321 relays (already in the lab) along with a SEL-311 (in theprocess of being donated by a local utility), to match the protection schemes of local utilities.While this lab is similar to laboratories at some universities3, it does not have the advancedcommunication capabilities or other advanced features of some of the premier laboratories4, 5

Conference Session

Automation, Instrumentation, and Computer Simulations

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Radian G. Belu, University of Alaska, Anchorage; Lucian Ionel Cioca, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

computational intelligence, monitoring, communication technology,infrastructure, and decision support systems. The automation and components needed to ensurethat the SG guarantees adaptability and capabilities are discussed in depth, the interoperability ofrenewable energy sources and components are presented and discussed, ensuring minimumchanges in the existing power system legacy. Standards needed for designing new SG devicesand products are also included. This paper presents the thought process behind the establishmentand implementation of a stacked upper division undergraduate and graduate level courses onsmart grid fundamentals planned to be offered at the authors’ institutions. The course is alsointended for professionals already working in

Conference Session

Diverse Issues in Renewable Energy

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary Slowinski , M.Ed., CREATE NSF-ATE; Kenneth A. Walz, Madison Area Technical College; Kathleen Alfano, College of the Canyons

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

renewable energy with other energy subjects and other STEM disciplines wasanother recurring theme in participant comments. Several participants commented on theexamples of energy independent communities that were visited as part of the experience notingthat every community or geographic location has different natural resources available forrenewable energy production. Characterization of these assets is a key component of energypolicy and planning, and should be foundational knowledge for students seeking to becomefuture energy engineers and technicians. As one participant put it, “A key outcome of theinternational experience is that renewables are not a separate energy source or training, they arejust a part of the overall energy mix – a mix often

Conference Session

Diverse Issues in Renewable Energy

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Keith E. Holbert P.E., Arizona State University; Taipeng Zhang, Arizona State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

the topic in general,they can be much more thorough in their research. This debate helps them discover and exploremuch more than they learn in the lectures. Knowing how to solder electrical components could be a worthwhile skill for constructingsome of the projects. With this in mind, a laboratory session is planned for the students about thebasics of soldering, as well as the basics of electronic devices. This aids their attaining a morepractical perspective of the theoretical concepts that they have heard. For the practice session,each of the students and teachers is given a soldering kit containing instructions and materials tobuild a basic 555 timer circuit. This practical work is fun and interesting, given the fact that theyall have

Conference Session

CAPSTONE (SENIOR) DESIGN AND UNDERGRADUATE PROJECTS

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Irina Nicoleta Ciobanescu Husanu, Drexel University ; Michael G. Mauk, Drexel University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

to complete the project. Managing theproject requires the engineer to demonstrate effective teamwork, clear communication and theability to balance the social, economic and environmental impacts of the project. Moreover, thisapproach provides a context that makes learning the fundamentals more relevant and, hence,results in better retention by students.This project is an underway project for capstone Senior Design Project, performed by a team offour students in the ET department. Senior Design Project is a sequence of three-quarter capstoneproject design courses required for all the BSET majors. The course focuses on planning,development, and implementation of an engineering design project, which includes formal reportwriting, project

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

observed wasunaffected by gender of the students or the teaching subject of advisors. Continual assessment,and improvement of assessment instruments, is vital as project-based learning continues to be afocal point for teaching about energy, and as organizers plan how to best shape future events toimprove energy literacy of our current and future decision-makers.IntroductionEnergy literacy encompasses knowledge of energy principles in technical, social, and economicrealms, as well as the ability to critically apply that knowledge to solve problems and formopinions. Collective advancement of energy literacy among the general population is thought tobe instrumental in implementing sustainable energy solutions in the near future. Langfitt et al

Conference Session

Automation, Instrumentation, and Computer Simulations

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas E. McDermott, University of Pittsburgh; Renee M. Clark, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

future course offerings.As in fall 2014, the web-based machine animations, originally developed by Riaz in MATLAB25,proved very useful and popular for in-class demonstrations. The instructor developed newMATLAB and MATHCAD demonstrations to supplement them, and plans to continue with it.Classroom Evaluation MethodsBehavioral observation of the non-lab portion of the course was conducted as a course evaluationmeasure in 2014 and 2015 using the TDOP – or Teaching Dimensions Observation Protocol26.Using the TDOP, the total class period was divided into a series of five-minute segments. Forexample, if a certain class period was 75 minutes in length, it had 15 observation segments, ortime windows. During each segment or window, the various activities

Conference Session

Solar and Wind Energy-System Initiatives

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sandip Das, Kennesaw State University

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

that do not have a lab section. In addition, the majority of the students feel thatlearning outcome would be incomplete without the project. Hence, it could be concluded basedon the student response that the experiment based project introduced has high impact onlearning. Every student selected one or more options for question 4 which showed that theproject has substantially contributed to the improvement of various important skills includingdata analysis, experiment design etc.Future ImprovementsA number of improvements can be made to the current prototype resulting in better performanceand reliability. Some of the improvements that are currently being implemented or planned forthe future are summarized below:(i) Durability and reliability

Conference Session

Diverse Issues in Renewable Energy

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lihong (Heidi) Jiao, Grand Valley State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

parameters of PV systems; 4. Design, troubleshoot, and test PV systems; 5. Effectively communicate technical concepts.To provide students with hands-on and real-world experiences, a major course project is included.The objective of the project is to introduce students to the process of product design andrealization, and more specifically, (1) to generate system requirements, specification documents,design documents, and test plans; (2) to properly size system components such as batteries,inverters, charge controllers, and solar panels for a specific location; and (3) to test andtroubleshoot a PV system.Before the semester starts, the course project solicitation is posted and project proposals fromboth for-profit and non-profit

Conference Session

CAPSTONE (SENIOR) DESIGN AND UNDERGRADUATE PROJECTS

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

; setting goals, specifyingdeliverables and meeting deadlines; testing and modifying their work; and achieving measurableresults.The capstone experience is implemented with two three credit hour courses: ENGR 400Engineering Capstone I and ENGR 450 Engineering Capstone II. In ENGR 400, students fromcapstone teams formulate project specifications, develop a work plan, self-select individual roles,research, analyze, and present potential design solutions including budgets, and provide weeklystatus briefings to project sponsors. ENGR 400 culminates with a formal design proposalpresented in a public forum to project sponsors and any interested faculty and students. In ENGR450, students in capstone stone projects normally implement the proposed design