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Using a Living-Building Laboratory (Building as a Laboratory) as a Thermodynamics Project in the Engineering Technology Curriculum

Abstract

This paper is written as a follow-up to a paper presented at the 2007 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition. In that previous paper the concept of using the actual Engineering & Design building at our institution as a Living-Laboratory was proposed. This building is a relatively new building and construction was completed in the fall of 2005. During the early design stages provisions were made to allow students access to various types of data used in the operation of the building. The desire was that the building would be used by students as a Living Laboratory for such classes as thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, strength of materials, and HVAC. Students would be able to see how the theory that was taught in their classes was put into practical use throughout the building. Courses taught in the department could use the actual data from the building in laboratory assignments. Although provisions for installing all of the desired equipment were part of the final design, as the construction of the building progressed fiscal concerns caused a reduction in the number of Living-Building Laboratory components that were actually funded. Over the past two years members of the School of Computing & Engineering Sciences have been using resources provided through a National Science Foundation (NSF) Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement program (CCLI) grant to obtain and install some of this equipment and to make the data available for student use. This paper describes the use of the Living-Building Laboratory data in a thermodynamics course. Specifically, for this laboratory exercise the students applied their theoretical knowledge of mixing hot and cold fluids to analyze the Variable Air Volume (VAV) mixing box in the thermodynamics laboratory room using the actual data from the building. An assessment of the effect of using the actual building’s data in place of an educational laboratory apparatus on the students’ ability to understand the course material is also discussed.

Introduction

In the fall of 2005 the School of Computing & Engineering Sciences at our institution moved into a newly constructed building. During the early design stages provisions were made to allow students access to various types of data used in the operation of the building. The desire was to have the building used by students as a Living Laboratory. Students would be able to see how the theory that was taught in their classes was put into practical use throughout the building. Courses taught in the department could use the actual data from the building in laboratory assignments. Core mechanical engineering courses such as thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and strength of materials would be able to use this data for student lab work. Electrical engineering students would be able to observe the digital control and feedback processes as well as the power equipment used to drive various building functions. Both disciplines would be able to collaborate in collecting data from the building and making predictions as to how they might be able to improve the efficiency of its operation. Modifications were made to the original design in order to provide for this new use of the building. Modifications made to the building

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Durfee, J., & Saad, H. (2010, June), Using A Living Building Laboratory (Building As A Laboratory) As A Thermodynamics Project In The Engineering Technology Curriculum Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--15875