Paper Authors

Abstract

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract

WATER FOUNTAINS BLEND ART AND ENGINEERING: A RESOUCE FOR ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Said Shakerin, Ph.D., PE Department of Mechanical Engineering University of the Pacific Stockton, CA 95211 Email: sshakerin@pacific.edu

Keywords: water fountain, special effect, design, patent, engineering education

Abstract

Because water fountains have a rich history and are multidisciplinary entities, there is a great potential for enhancing engineering education by incorporating fountain-related activities in the curricula. To assist educators in this endeavor, this paper provides a review of innovative fountains developed throughout history, then suggests ways to use the subject of fountains for course enhancement.

1. Introduction

Water fountains have been used for thousands of years for climatic control, beautification, entertainment, and as a means for relaxation. Among the most popular fountains have been those that incorporate elements of surprise and/or special effects. These fountains elegantly combine engineering and artistic features. Due to the inherent multidisciplinary nature of fountains and their appeal to the general public, there exists a great potential for enhancing engineering education by incorporating fountain-related activities in the curricula.

To assist educators in this endeavor, the paper first presents a review of innovative fountains developed throughout the history, and then, it suggests ways to use the subject of fountains for course enhancement. The suggestions could be implemented in a number of courses such as introduction to engineering, fluid mechanics, engineering design, and mechatronics, depending on the scope and desired technical details.

The review section provides brief descriptions of ingenious fountains designed in the1st, 12th, 16th, 17th, and 20th centuries, including about sixteen US patents. In addition, the paper presents a resource guide for fountain materials (pumps, basins, controllers, etc.), information on design firms specializing in fountains, and the web sites of artists whose medium of artistic expression is water (i.e., water sculptors).

The suggested class activities include reviewing and summarizing relevant patents, reproducing historic fountains with special effects, design of water features, development of interactive fountain displays, and participation in the Rube Goldberg-type fountain competition. Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exhibition, Copyright  2004, American Society for Engineering Education

• Citation

• Format
  • APA
  • APA - LaTeX bibitem
  • MLA
  • MLA - LaTeX bibitem
  • Bibtex
  • EndNote - RIS

Shakerin, S. (2004, June), Water Fountains Blend Art And Engineering: A Resouce For Engineering Education Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--13692