Experiences Of Using Formula Sae As A Capstone Design Project
- Conference
- Location
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Louisville, Kentucky
- Publication Date
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June 20, 2010
- Start Date
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June 20, 2010
- End Date
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June 23, 2010
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Design in Engineering Education
- Page Count
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22
- Page Numbers
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15.555.1 - 15.555.22
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--15685
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/15685
- Download Count
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1589
Paper Authors
Jennifer Dawson York College of Pennsylvania
Dr. Jennifer Bower Dawson is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at York College of Pennsylvania where she teaches courses in Machine Design, Controls, and Capstone Design. She earned her MS and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University where she worked on the design and testing of spacecraft hardware for Satellite Test of the Equivalence Principle. Her academic interests include robotics, sensor design, precision engineering, and service learning in engineering education.
Stephen Kuchnicki York College of Pennsylvania
Dr. Stephen Kuchnicki is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at York College of Pennsylvania. Previously, he was a postdoctoral research associate at Rutgers University, specializing in computational modeling of dynamic deformations in solids. His areas of technical expertise include solid mechanics, crystal plasticity, vibration, and fluid-structure interaction. He received his PhD from Rutgers University in 2001.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
Experiences of Using Formula SAE as a Capstone Design Project
Abstract
Capstone Design courses are, by their nature, intended to test the abilities students have gained over their college careers and to provide a design experience that simulates real-world engineering. An important factor in giving students a valuable Capstone Design experience is the selection of an appropriate project. A good project for this purpose should have appropriate technical rigor and allow students to focus as much as possible on engineering design rather than on logistical activities like fundraising. Further, the work done by students in the course should be assessable, both for the purposes of accreditation and for assignment of grades. Additionally, the deadlines imposed must be appropriate, and evaluation criteria need to be established.
One solution for many of the project planning aspects of Capstone Design is a student engineering competition, many of which are sponsored by professional societies. The Mechanical Engineering program at York College of Pennsylvania has been using Formula SAE® as a project since 2007, with one or both authors advising the project since 2008. We discuss the pros and cons of such a project as a Capstone Design experience, including its technical merits and scope; how it lends itself to assessment of course outcomes and of student work; time spent on fundraising rather than on design; the effect of imposing a one-year design cycle on this project, when other schools have a multi-year cycle; keeping students focused on the educational rather than competitive aspects of the project; and dealing with conflicts that arise due to the externally-imposed deadlines. We find that such a project is an attractive option for a small program, with its benefits outweighing its downsides. We also give some suggestions for a program that may be considering using this particular project for Capstone Design, including expectations of performance, building from one year to the next, and the limitations of FSAE in terms of assessing course or program objectives and student work.
1.0 Background
1.1 Capstone Design at York College of Pennsylvania
Under the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education, York College of Pennsylvania is a four-year, medium-sized private four-year institution with professions plus arts and sciences and some graduate coexistence.1 Mechanical engineering majors make-up about 3 annual graduates (about 20 students) and there are no graduate programs in engineering. York College of Pennsylvania has five full-time mechanical engineering faculty members.
There are a number of challenges in administering a successful Capstone Design program at schools like York College of Pennsylvania with small student and faculty populations. With
Dawson, J., & Kuchnicki, S. (2010, June), Experiences Of Using Formula Sae As A Capstone Design Project Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--15685
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