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A Thermoelectric Cooling Project to Improve Student Learning in an Engineering Technology Thermodynamics Course

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Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

Engineering Technology Division (ETD) Technical Session 1

Tagged Division

Engineering Technology Division (ETD)

Page Count

15

DOI

10.18260/1-2--42537

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/42537

Download Count

308

Paper Authors

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Krystal Corbett Cruse Louisiana Tech University

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David Hall Louisiana Tech University

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David Hall develops and promotes project-based engineering for engineering and engineering technology programs. He believes that projects build intuition and confidence which are important for the successful application of fundamentals and the successful development of technology solutions.

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Bryant C. Hollins Louisiana Tech University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-1943-1287

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Casey Kidd Louisiana Tech University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-0357-091X

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Casey Kidd is a graduate student in the College of Engineering at Louisiana Tech University. His focus is on project-based learning. He earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Louisiana Tech University in Spring of 2004.

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William C. Long

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Abstract

Many engineering technology courses incorporate hands-on experiences to build intuition of fundamental topics and industry-relevant skills. A project was developed to enable the application of thermodynamic principles in a sophomore-level Instrumentation and Control Systems Engineering Technology (ICET) course. Each student taking the course purchased a low-cost kit that included a thermoelectric element, a heat sink, a fan, a 3D-printed flume, and supporting parts. Students assembled an Arduino-controlled thermoelectric heating and cooling system from the parts provided in their kit. Thermodynamics content in the course was woven around the project. Students measured temperatures, air flowrates, mass, electrical current, and voltage as they accounted for energy inputs and outputs of the system. The content was designed to build competency in fundamental topics through small projects with their systems, leading to a broader system analysis. The project’s primary goal was to provide context for first-law concepts while building usable industry-relevant skills.

An end-of-course survey was also given to provide insights on the extent to which project elements reinforced targeted thermodynamics concepts. This paper will describe the project in detail, discuss the implementation of the project in the course, and provide an analysis of the project’s impact on student learning of fundamental topics throughout the course.

Cruse, K. C., & Hall, D., & Hollins, B. C., & Kidd, C., & Long, W. C. (2023, June), A Thermoelectric Cooling Project to Improve Student Learning in an Engineering Technology Thermodynamics Course Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--42537

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