Adeel Khalid

In-Class Use of Portable Electronic Devices (Peds)-Faculty and StudentPerspectives

Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) such as laptops, smart phones, tablets etc. have become an integral part of almost every higher education student’s learning toolbox. In this study, the faculty and student perspectives on the effectiveness of the use of PEDs during classes are collected and compared using surveys done at Southern Polytechnic State University. Faculty openness and reservations, policies, student temptations and complaints are discussed. While the PEDs can be a source of distraction, they, if used carefully, can also provide an opportunity for engaging students.

Systems Engineering Graduate Research as Part of Curriculum - Summary of Research

Abstract In this paper, we review and analyze the systems engineering graduate research projects that students have completed as part of their curriculum requirement. The information presented here is gathered over five years. The semester long projects are completed as part of the graduate course titled ‘System Development Workshop’ taught at Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU). Students are required to investigate a discipline-related topic in systems engineering in the form of capstone project. The general intent of the project is to give students an opportunity towards the end of their Masters degree courses, to demonstrate and apply the knowledge they have acquired over the course of the curriculum. The work performed in the project draws upon skills and knowledge acquired in the program. Students are required to identify an engineering problem, often in their work environment, and use systems engineering methods to achieve a solution to the problem. At the end of the study, each student prepares a formal report describing the work performed, resulting conclusions and recommendations. In addition, students present their results to the online audience. Students are expected to meet professional engineering standards in their work and reports. The results of the projects are considered for submission to an academic conference or journal in the field. This course gives students, often times their first, taste of research. The intent of this paper is to demonstrate several examples of research projects completed by students and to investigate the efficacy of a research based course in Systems Engineering graduate curriculum.

Renewable Energy in East Africa: An Introductory Evaluation Using a Systems Approach to Assess Alternatives to Providing Electricity

Developing nations in Africa face significant challenges due to poor or no energy infrastructure, which continues to inhibit GDP growth. African nations in partnership with Western and emerging nations must develop flexible energy strategies, adaptable to the differing terrain and operating environment(s). Providing electricity for the region must be performed in sustainable, flexible, and affordable ways. In this article, the authors offer an introductory holistic look at the energy problem, outline the alternatives, and provide a general framework as to how a systems approach can be used to find renewable energy solutions.

Optimization of the Wind Turbine Designs for Areas With Low Wind Speeds

Wind energy has been identified as an important source of renewable energy. In this study, several wind turbine designs have been analyzed and optimized designs have been proposed for low wind speed areas around the world mainly for domestic energy consumption. The wind speed range of 4–12 mph is considered, which is selected based on the average wind speeds in the Atlanta, GA and surrounding areas. These areas have relatively low average wind speeds compared to various other parts of the United States. Traditionally wind energy utilization is limited to areas with higher wind speeds. In reality a lot of areas in the world have low average wind speeds and demand high energy consumption. In most cases, wind turbines are installed in remote offshore or away from habitat high wind locations, causing heavy investment in installation and maintenance, and loss of energy transfer over long distance. A few more advantages of small scale wind turbines include reduced visibility, less noise and reduced detrimental environmental effects such as killing of birds, when compared to traditional large turbines. With the latest development in wind turbine technology it is now possible to employ small scale wind turbines that have much smaller foot print and can generate enough energy for small businesses or residential applications. The low speed wind turbines are typically located near residential areas, and are much smaller in sizes compared to the large out of habitat wind turbines. In this study, several designs of vertical and horizontal axes wind turbines are modeled using SolidWorks e.g. no-airfoil theme, airfoil blade, Savonius rotor etc. Virtual aerodynamic analysis is performed using SolidWorks Flow simulation software, and then optimization of the designs is performed based on maximizing the starting rotational torque and ultimate power generation capacity. From flow simulations, forces on the wind turbine blades and structures are calculated, and used in subsequent stress analysis to confirm structural integrity. Critical insight into low wind speed turbines is obtained using various configurations, and optimized designs have been proposed. The study will help in the practical and effective utilization of wind energy for the areas around the globe having low average wind speeds.Copyright

Designing Wind Turbines for Areas With Low Wind Speeds

Today’s wind turbines are designed in a wide range of vertical and horizontal axis types. In this study, several wind turbines are designed for low wind speed areas around the world mainly for domestic energy consumption. The wind speed range of 4–12 mph is considered, which is selected based on the average wind speeds in the Atlanta, GA and surrounding areas. These areas have relatively low average wind speeds compared to various other parts of the United States. Wind energy has been identified as an important source of renewable energy. Traditionally wind energy utilization is limited to areas with higher wind speeds. In reality a lot of areas in the world including Atlanta, GA., have low average wind speeds and demand high energy consumption. In most cases, wind turbines are installed in remote offshore or away from habitat locations, causing heavy investment in installation and maintenance, and loss of energy transfer over long distances. Therefore, the main focus of this study is to extract wind energy domestically at low wind speeds. A few more advantages of small scale wind turbines include reduced visibility, less noise and reduced detrimental environmental effects such as killing of birds, when compared to traditional large turbines. With the latest development in wind turbine technology it is now possible to employ small scale wind turbines that have much smaller foot print and can generate enough energy for small businesses or residential applications. The low speed wind turbines are typically located near residential areas, and are much smaller in sizes compared to the large out of habitat wind turbines. In this study, several designs of wind turbines are modeled using SolidWorks. Virtual aerodynamic analysis is performed using SolidWorks Flow simulation software, and then optimization of the designs is performed based on maximizing the starting rotational torque and acceleration. From flow simulations, forces on the wind turbine blades and structures are calculated, and used in subsequent stress analysis to confirm structural integrity. Critical insight into the low wind speed turbine design is obtained using various configurations and the results are discussed. The study will help identify bottlenecks in the practical and effective utilization of low speed wind energy, and help devise possible remedial plans for the areas around the globe that get low average wind speeds.© 2014 ASME

Alternatives for Reducing the Risk of Transmission of Tuberculosis in a Typical Hospital Clinic in Developing African Countries

In this research, methods are explored to minimize the probability of the spread of airborne aerosols from an infected patient after a cough or sneeze. This work is focused on the spread of Tuberculosis. A hospital clinic is modeled using Computer Aided Design (CAD). The design is based on a typical clinic in a rural African country where resources are limited. The methods to help reduce the spread of Tuberculosis could include the use of masks by the infected patient, use of screens to separate the infected patient, and the use of window mounted exhaust fans for forced air circulation. In this study, the effectiveness of the use of masks of various efficiencies and the window locations are explored. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is used to model the flow of air and aerosols. Discrete Phase Modeling (DPM) is used to determine the steady state concentration of aerosols at various locations around the room. It is observed that the use of highly efficient masks can greatly reduce the probability of the spread of TB. It is also observed that the window location can have a significant impact on the spread of TB.