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Alternate Energy Systems—A New Elective?

B. K. Hodge Mississippi State University

Abstract

Experiences with a technical elective course, ME 4353/6353 Alternate Energy Systems, are delineated. Alternate Energy Systems (AES) was devised for senior and beginning graduate students in mechanical engineering (ME) and presents a first-order introduction to the plethora of alternate energy technologies now considered as available, viable, or promising. The AES course covers basic principles, economic considerations, application potentials, and advantages and disadvantages of a variety of alternate energy technologies. The course topics, contents, and goals are discussed in detail in the paper. After two offering, the AES course meets the stated purpose of the course and has become a popular elective even though the workload and effort required are significant.

Background

Virtually all mechanical engineering (ME) programs make use of technical electives to provide students with depth or breath in an undergraduate ME curriculum. Many of these technical electives explore traditional topical subjects such as finite element analysis or HVAC systems, but some such as composite materials or nanotechnology, provide introductions to new or emerging areas of mechanical engineering. Technical electives with titles such as energy conversion or direct energy conversion have provided exposure to selected energy conversion systems and principles. However, deregulation of electricity and natural gas, widespread use of decentralized generating plants, emerging new energy technologies, added stress on the national electrical grid, uncertainty about energy availability (especially in the international arena after 9/11), and mounting environmental concerns have increased the diversity of sources and technologies used to satisfy residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation energy requirements. All of the above suggest that the time has come for a course that examines principals of many alternate energy sources and integrates the presentations with the energy and economic realities of the twenty-first century. This paper explores experiences with such a new technical-elective course, ME 4353/6353 Alternate Energy Systems, at Mississippi State University (MSU).

Course Description

Alternate Energy Systems (AES) was devised for senior and beginning graduate ME students and presents a first-order introduction to the plethora of alternate energy technologies

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2002, American Society for Engineering Education

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Hodge, B. (2002, June), Alternate Energy Systems A New Elective? Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--10380