Conference Session

The Challenges of Tech Transfer

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carmo D'Cruz, Florida Tech; Dr. Shoaib Shaikh, Nothrup Grumman Corporation

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

in strategy, team dynamics, and finance areintegrated into these courses focusing on Engineering Entrepreneurship. It appears thatEngineering Entrepreneurship has emerged as a Killer App for Systems Engineering.IntroductionThe emerging facts from successful organizations, including universities, indicate that the realsource of power in a knowledge economy is in combining technical prowess withentrepreneurship.1 A survey of business executives and managers indicated that highly successfulengineers are not only academically astute, but also possess entrepreneurial skills.2 TheEngineers of 2020 will need to be educated as innovators, with more direct exposure to cross-disciplinary topics and the workings of an entrepreneurial economy.3 However

Conference Session

Innovations in Mechanical Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Messiha Saad, North Carolina A&T State University; Taher Abu-Lebdeh, North Carolina A&T State University; Devdas Pai, North Carolina A&T State University; Cindy Waters, North Carolina A&T State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

, andmechanical engineering students (CAAE331/MEEN335); Dynamics for architectural,civil, and mechanical engineering students (CAAE 334/MEEN 337), and strength ofmaterials for civil and mechanical engineering students (CAAE332/MEEN336).Introduction In college classes, lectures are still the primary mode of content delivery tostudents. The disadvantages of such methods are: (1) students cannot remember all of thelecture material; (2) students typically record only 20-40% of the important lecture ideas;(3) approximately 80% of what is not noted is forgotten after two weeks; (4) lecturingtechnique is a one-way teaching process (students receive information delivered byfaculty). On the other hand, recitation (usually, small class size), allows

Conference Session

Direct Measures of Student Performance

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kevin Sutterer, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; James Hanson, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Robert Houghtalen, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

organized process of (1) identifying objectivesconsistent with the program mission, (2) development of measurable learning outcomes, (3)setting performance criteria (rubrics) for each outcome, (4) collecting evidence of learning, and(5) evaluating the evidence. This process should be re-evaluated on a regular basis for necessarychanges or adjustments. Development of an effective program for assessment of studentoutcomes can present a challenge to civil engineering programs. Ideally, assessment of learningwould be continuous, directly documenting each student’s activities and products during theirbaccalaureate work to assure achievement of all learning outcomes. This is, of course,impractical, so compromises are necessary for programs to assess

Conference Session

Technical Capacity Building for Developing Countries

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Frank Duda, Grove City College; Nevin Greninger, Retired; Peter Idowu, Pennsylvania State University-Harrisburg; Douglas Lauffer, Community College of Beaver County-Beaver, PA

Tagged Divisions

International

of the graduates of Makerere chose not to return or settle in rural Uganda.Unfortunately, like in many African countries, there is a “brain” drain in Uganda. Manyprofessionals chose not to stay in Uganda. They migrate to other countries having a significantlyhigher standard of living and a “safer” environment.More than 85% 1 of Uganda’s 28 million 2 people live in rural areas where an estimated 43% 3(10.2 million people) do not have access to safe water.However, the economic, education, and health problems facing Uganda are immense and arecompounded by: 1) poor infrastructure to sustain life, 2) lack of resources and inadequate education to combat disease [average human life span being around 42 years], 3) lack of veterinary care

Conference Session

Technology Integration in the Classroom for Manufacturing II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jahangir Ansari, Virginia State University; Amir Javaheri, Virginia State University; Nasser Ghariban, Virginia State University

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

productutilizing CIM lab equipment.This course has the main objectives that follow: • apply technical knowledge to solving engineering problems • enhance decision making skills • enhance teamwork • perform engineering analysis • demonstrate synthesis • enhance communication skills through documentation and presentation • enhance project management skillsCIM Laboratory Facilities:The Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) Laboratory includes the following equipments:CNC mill and lathe, Industrial robots, Automated Storage/Retrieval System (AS/RS), Computer-controlled conveyor system, and Vision System. A pictorial view of some CIM laboratoryfacilities is shown in Figure (1

Conference Session

Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics Instruction

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vladimir Sheyman, Wayne State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

transfer coefficient, variable residence drying time, andmoisture reduction of 30-40kg/h per 1.0m2 of the screen surface area.Fluid Dynamics of the Vibration Powder BedW. Kroll introduced one of the models of dynamics of the vibration powder bed withoutforce filtration through the layer. The author7,8 assumed that the cylinder with a layer ofparticulates is working as a piston and has a central vertical hole. When piston is movingupward, it intakes the outside air and push the air through the layer while it moving in theopposite direction.The equations are:  d 2s d 2h m 2 + 2  + mg + (Pa − Pi ) ⋅ F = 0 (1)  dτ dτ Equation of the State for airPi hF = GRT (2)The Hagen - Poiseuille equation for the air

Conference Session

Teaching Ethics

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Edward Sobiesk, United States Military Academy; William Suchan, United States Military Academy; Roland Trope, United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics

transferof the work. This places Internet users in a unique and complex situation -- almost anythingdownloaded or copied from the Internet without permission makes the user susceptible toviolating copyright law.Violation of copyright law is not a foreign concept in the 21st Century. Many recent legal casesin the headlines have brought online piracy into the consciousness of high school and collegestudents. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, online piracy is definedas “…the unauthorized uploading of a copyrighted sound recording and making it available tothe public, or downloading a sound recording from an Internet site….”1 While we certainly wantour students to be knowledgeable about issues such as online piracy, its well

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hien Nguyen, Pennsylvania State University; John Wise, Pennsylvania State University; Sven Bilen, Pennsylvania State University; Richard Devon, Pennsylvania State University

andannotation with the pen. The mobile nature of the TPC also allows the design team a morenatural working environment (e.g., around a table or in a huddle) to work through conceptselection, concept generation, and concept analysis.1 All of these advantages can make theprocess more enjoyable, allow creativity to flow, and enable a deeper understanding ofconceptual design. Even though TPC has not been used widely in education to date, manypositive results have been reported from cases of TPC use in education across various fields withthe majority of cases from higher education.4 Student attitudes have been among the mostmeasured constructs in TPC studies.4 Students’ attitudes toward learning with TPC have beenshown to be positive.5,6,7 Pen-based tools

Conference Session

Teaching Emerging Energy Technologies

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Radian Belu, Wayne State University; Alexandru Catalin Belu, Wayne State University; Lucian Cioca, University Lucian Blaga, Sibiu Romania

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

models were developed for the size of generation units and for varioussystem components. A simple numerical algorithm was also developed for generationunit sizing. It was used to determine the optimum generation capacity and storage neededfoe a stand-alone or grid-connected, wind, PV, and hybrid wind/PV system. The basicobjective of this design support module is to complement the classroom teaching oftheory concepts through the use of simulation software and to help students in their termdesign project. Although the program is designed primarily for educational purpose, itcan be used to solve practical design problems.1. Introduction.The interest in renewable energy resources has been growing for several years due totheir pollution free

Conference Session

Design in Engineering Eduaction - Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ramzi Bualuan, University of Notre Dame; David LeDonne, University of Notre Dame; Steven Kurtz, University of Notre Dame; Joseph Blakely, University of Notre Dame; Constance Slaboch, University of Notre Dame; Andrew Carter, University of Notre Dame; Elizabeth Barron, University of Notre Dame; Patrick Essien, University of Notre Dame; Megan Wysocki, University of Notre Dame; Elizabeth Ferro, University of Notre Dame

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

front. For proof, the counselors decided tobuild a robot to demonstrate just how much could be accomplished by a group of collegestudents surviving on pizza, little sleep, and more Lego’s ® 3 than even a young childcould imagine. This top-secret project would be impressive. It would breathe fire. Itwould be named Project G, or Godzilla. Figure 1: Project G: Godzilla.Figure 1 above shows the final version of the robot, along with its controller box. Thepicture gives an idea of the robot’s size. Figure 2 below shows the robot in action,spitting fire through its mouth. Page 12.1200.3 Figure 2: Godzilla

Conference Session

Teams and Teamwork in Design I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lifford McLauchlan, Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

problem based learning (PBL).1-6 Princestates that “active learning is generally defined as any instructional method that engages students Page 12.463.2in the learning process.”1 Prince further defines three other learning methods which arecollaborative, cooperative, and PBL. In addition, Prince states that active learning can be moreeffective as students generally have a short attention span. Using active learning involves thestudents more often in the class increasing their attention. Teamwork can be used for cooperativeas well as collaborative learning leading to increased communication and interpersonal skills.Prince relates that PBL can lead

Conference Session

Service Learning Courses

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan Maller, Purdue University; Tao Hong, Purdue University; William Oakes, Purdue University; Carla Zoltowski, Purdue University; Paul McDermott, University of Pennsylvania

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

engineeringundergraduates are matched with community service agencies that request technicalassistance. Within EPICS program, teams of undergraduates design, build, and deployreal systems to solve engineering-based problems for local community service andeducation organizations 1 . With a main objective to integrate engineering design withmeeting the needs of the local community through a multi-disciplinary service learningcurricular structure, EPICS programs are now operating at 15 universities nationwidewith over 1350 students participated on 140 teams 1 . Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology’s Engineering Criteria 2000 Page 12.1110.2(ABET, 1999

Conference Session

New Engineering Educators: Off the Beaten Path

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robin Adams, Purdue University; Cheryl Allendoerfer, University of Washington; Tori Rhoulac Smith, Howard University; David Socha, University of Washington; Dawn Williams, Howard University; Ken Yasuhara

Tagged Divisions

New Engineering Educators

education research and strategies for success. In thispaper, we provide an overview on storytelling, describe our use of stories for buildingcommunity in engineering education, and summarize results from the evaluation of ourinteractive FIE storytelling session.IntroductionThe engineering education research community is evolving. Some evidence of this is the growthof capacity building programs such as year-long mentored or collaborative researchexperiences[1-4] and departments of engineering education (e.g., Purdue University, VirginiaTech). At a smaller scale are workshops and interactive sessions at engineering educationconferences that focus on research skill development [5-7]. Venues for disseminating engineeringeducation scholarship are also

Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dorin Patru, Rochester Institute of Technology; Daniel Phillips, Rochester Institute of Technology; Eric Peskin, Rochester Institute of Technology (COE)

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

TexasInstruments MSP430 microcontroller family with a target cost of approximately $100 includingpower supply and JTAG based programming interface. As shown in Figure 1, in addition to themicrocontroller, it also provided two serial ports, seven segment LED displays, a two-line, 40character LCD display and 18 discrete momentary switches for user interaction. The particularmicrocontroller model chosen also provided parallel input/output ports, timer/counters andanalog-to-digital conversion capability along with 60 kilobytes of flash memory and 2 kilobytesof random access memory. While the choice of the microcontroller to be used as a case study iscertainly open for debate, the Texas Instruments MSP430 family3 was been chosen for thefollowing reasons

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cher Cornett, East Tennessee State University

the process are as follows: • To identify aesthetic and creative strengths of the solution to the assigned problem, • give students practice identifying problems and proposing possible solutions, • help students develop critical analysis skills in evaluating their work and the work of others, • give students practice defending their work by using knowledge of appropriate principles of design and communication as support for their solutions, and • give students opportunities to apply feedback from critiques toward improving the work.When a project is assigned, students are given a detailed document describing project parameters(Appendix 1). Included is a “guidelines” page outlining considerations for assessing

Conference Session

Potpourri Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jessica Buck, Jackson State University

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

increasing their representation in the non-traditional fieldsof study and are becoming more knowledgeable of technology’s multi-facet components,there still remains significant under-representation of females in areas such as IndustrialTechnology. Nelson (2004) 33 indicated that lack of female representation in technologymay be due to a threefold purpose: “(1) women of the world lack knowledge oftechnology, (2) technology alienates and often exploits women, and (3) decisions abouttechnology are made without women’s voices” (p.2). This is reflected from Mayer’s(1995)27assertion that females comprise only 30 percent of the industrial workforce. Thisglobally illustrates moderate but consistent initiatives. The U. S. Department of Labor(2003)38 reported

Conference Session

Creating 'Materials' Awareness

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Bridge, Maine Maritime Academy; Barbara Fleck, Maine Maritime Academy

Tagged Divisions

Materials

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jose Branco, Politecnico de Viseu; Odete Lopes, Politecnico de Viseu; Joao Vinhas, Politecnico de Viseu; Joao Paiva, Politecnico de Viseu

the level of starting as a professional in a specific profession orrelated professional field as well as for a master programme.The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Report also addressesthese issues and their Review Team was conscious that they were the subject of a separatereview by ENQA. Nonetheless, “(…) since the issue of quality underpins all of higher educationendeavor, the Review Team believed that it was important that it would focus attention on it inacknowledgement of that significance”.1 The document stresses that higher education institutionsshould set limits for student failure, repetition and wastage and increase rates of success. TheReview Team also reports that several firms complained during the

Conference Session

EMD Curriculum Design

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rashmi Jain, Stevens Institute of Technology; Ozgur Erol, Stevens Institute of Technology; Anithashree Chandrasekaran, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Management

(MBA programs), and undergraduate and graduate level Information Systems (IS andMIS) programs. (This information is based on the publicly available course syllabi for theseprograms). These courses either emphasize the business and organizational aspect of the topic orare built from a very technical perspective. However, we realized that in order to do justice tothe topic we had to emphasize both the business and technical aspects of BPR. BPR usesinformation technology (IT) to radically change or redesign the business processes withinorganizations to dramatically increase their efficiency and effectiveness. There are five essentialelements that define BPR: (1) BPR consists of radical or at least significant change; (2) BPR’sunit analysis is the

Conference Session

Innovations in Mechanical Engineering Experiments and Labs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Glen Thorncroft, California Polytechnic State University; J. Scott Patton, California Polytechnic State University; Raymond Gordon, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

loweroutside pressure (such as atmosphere) through a small opening. The goal of this experiment is topredict either the time required to discharge the tank, or the pressure inside the tank, after aspecified time. The exercise is useful to students because it is a rather straightforwardapplication of conservation of mass, and introduces the concepts of choked and subsonic flows.Further, the solution integrates aspects of thermodynamics and heat transfer, making for anexcellent capstone experiment in thermal sciences. The most comprehensive solution to the problem is presented by Bober et al.1 Theyapplied conservation of energy to a discharging tank of air to predict the temperature andpressure inside the tank as a function of time. They analyzed

Conference Session

Capstone Design & Project Courses

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Green, LeTourneau University; Paul Leiffer, LeTourneau University; Thomas Hellmuth, LeTourneau University; Roger Gonzalez, LeTourneau University; Stephen Ayers, LeTourneau University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

interdisciplinary seniordesign experience. Since these tactics are derived from our own successes and failures, ourexperiences illustrate the tactics as a case study. Our goal as a general engineering programoffering a B.S. in Engineering with concentrations in Electrical, Mechanical, Computer,Biomedical, and Materials Joining, is to involve every student in an interdisciplinary designexperience with two or more concentrations.We have identified seven key elements that we believe must be coordinated across disciplines inorder to conduct an effective interdisciplinary senior design experience for all students.(1) Faculty roles must be defined, assigned, and appropriately credited. This may be handled bysomeone in a leadership position such as a dean or

Conference Session

Manufacturing Education Curriculum II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jahangir Ansari, Virginia State University

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

program.Introduction:A survey conducted by Egggert 1, indicates that universities and industries suggest that anengineer should be skilled and capable to design a part and assemble a product using CAD/SolidModeling upon graduating. Solid modeling is a vital step in a product design and manufacturing.A review of literature indicates the need of industries for engineers with advanced knowledgeand skills in engineering design, Design For Manufacture (DFM), Design For Assembly (DFA),manufacturing process, and materials 1, 2 . Among the several competencies desired by jobmarket, engineers having ability and skills to design a part and assembly of a product using solidmodeling software are highly in demand.Therefore, like most engineering programs 3 - 6, our

Conference Session

Emerging Technologies in Manufacturing Education - I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ahmed Khan, DeVry University; Beverly Cronin, DeVry University; Maneesh Kumar, DeVry University; Aateef Mustafa, DeVry University; Pankti Patel, DeVry Univeristy; Joey Socorro, DeVry University

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

basic building block of the system, contains a microchipwith an antenna. The microchip contains a radio receiver, a radio modulator for sending aresponse back to reader, control logic, memory, and power system. The tag can be powered byincoming RF signals (passive tag) or by an internal battery (active tag). The RFID reader alsohas its own antenna that transmits a pulse of electromagnetic energy to the tag and listens fortag’s response. The tag detects this energy and sends back a response that contains tag’s serialnumber and other required information. The RFID physical layer consists of actual radios andantennas that couple the reader to the tag. Most RFID systems use the unlicensedelectromagnetic spectrum.1-2 RFID technology has been

Conference Session

Design in Engineering Eduaction - Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Helbling, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Darin Marriott, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Thomas Gally, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

some lessons learned after the first semester.Course Creation and ImplementationThe impetus for creating the Computer Aided Conceptual Design course was twofold: 1) tocreate a sophomore level design course to get students excited about aerospace engineering, and2) to provide more timely instruction of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and show how it relatesto the design of an aerospace system. A recent engineering curriculum change at Embry-Riddleresulted in the creation of a ‘common freshmen experience’, where students are introduced to aninterdisciplinary curriculum consisting of aerospace, electrical, and computer engineeringcourses. As a result of this change, Aerospace Engineering students were no longer beingexposed to aircraft or spacecraft

Conference Session

Assessing Design Coursework II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katie Grantham Lough, University of Missouri; Robert Stone, University of Missouri

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

of expertise from which to draw their engineeringknowledge in order to perform other PRA techniques successfully and in the processbuilds each student’s own knowledge-base, or experience, of relevant product failures.1 IntroductionThe conceptual phase of product design is the one in which the design problem is definedand analyzed leading to concept formations. The concept formations include mostdecisions about a product, i.e. form, function, aesthetics, etc. These decisions madeduring the conceptual phase of product design impact not only product performance butalso product failures. Moreover, up to 85% of the life-cycle costs of a product aredetermined during this design stage while only about 5% have been spent [1] Therefore,methods to

Conference Session

Engineering Professional Development for K-12 Teachers – II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Patricia Carlson, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Dale Bremmer, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Using Traffic and Usage Data: PRISM has become the premierweb-site for Indiana teachers of 6th -8th grade STEM. Our user community has grown rapidlyover time, and trends indicate that the rate will continue to accelerate. As Figure 1 shows,PRISM has enjoyed sustained growth since its inception. In the month of May 2006, we had atotal of 11,500 different visits to the system, with an average of approximately 370 uniquevisitors per day. In the month of December 2006, we had a total of 18,068 different visits to thesystem, with an average of 583 unique visitors per day. Each metric indicates approximately a57% growth in seven months. Page

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Innovation

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hugh Jack, Grand Valley State University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

Issues Sept 19 CPFM1 Ch. 1 - Introduction CPFM Ch. 2 – Quick Start Guide CPFM Ch. 3 – A Brief Introduction to C Jack, Ch. 10 - Sensors Jack, Ch. 11 - Actuators Sept 26 CPFM Ch. 4 – C Types, Operators, and Expressions CPFM Ch. 5 – C Control Flow CPFM Ch. 6 – C Functions and Program Structures Jack, Ch. 12 – Project Management Oct 3 CPFM Ch. 7 – Microcontroller Interrupts and Timers Jack, Ch. 13 – Motion Control Oct 10 CPFM Ch. 8 – C Pointers and ArraysAs a student read a chapter they were required to take notes in hard bound

Conference Session

Special Session on Fixed-Point Education

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Anderson, Georgia Institute of Technology; Tyson Hall, Southern Adventist University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

AC 2007-2711: TEACHING HARDWARE DESIGN OF FIXED-POINT DIGITALSIGNAL PROCESSING SYSTEMSDavid Anderson, Georgia Institute of TechnologyTyson Hall, Southern Adventist University Page 12.1360.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2007 Session: 2711 Teaching Hardware Design of Fixed-Point Digital Signal Processing Systems David V. Anderson1 and Tyson S. Hall2 1 Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332–0250, dva@ece.gatech.edu2 Southern Adventist University, Collegedale, TN 37315–0370, tyson@southern.edu

Conference Session

New Tools in Teaching and Learning Biomedical Engineering Concepts

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kathy Schmidt, University of Texas-Austin; Mia Markey, University of Texas-Austin; Thomas Milner, University of Texas-Austin

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical

essential as is the case for a distance learningenvironment.Thus, we conducted a series of surveys with our faculty and students to assesstheir needs, with an emphasis on recognized competencies for distance education.We present lessons learned about both the process of needs assessment fordistance education as well as the identified challenges.IntroductionDuring the last decade, the expanding range of educational technologies hascreated many choices for universities to deliver instruction. With these advances,distance education (DE) is becoming more prevalent in postsecondary institutionswith 62 percent of public and private 2- and 4-year institutions offering DEcourses in 2004-05. 1 “At its most basic level, distance education takes placewhen a

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ronald Baier, Florida International University; Yong Tao, Florida International University

sponsored by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) through its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL),[1] involving universities from around the world. It is fashioned after the Olympic decathlon and, like its namesake, consists of ten contests testing performance in selected skills. However, instead of focusing on athletic ability, the Solar Decathlon spotlights the application of solar energy and other sustainable building techniques to the construction of residential structures. Its purpose is to illustrate the feasibility and encourage the use of alternative energy sources and renewable energy technologies in a contemporary context. The first Solar