Steve Beyerlein

Workshop — Using IDEALS to demonstrate development of professional skills in project courses

Professional skills are vital to preparing engineers for their careers, but how well do we teach and assess them in our professional programs? Many design faculty are unclear about the required skills, how to develop them, and how to assess them. In response to this need, the Integrated Design Engineering Assessment and Learning System (IDEALS) promotes professional skills in a semi-authentic community of practice found in team-based design project classes. This workshop outlines practical learning outcomes for professional skills, team-based active learning materials, and aligned assessment instruments for measuring growth in professional development. The IDEALS learning model is derived from learning and motivation theories and seeks to elevate student learning through reflective practice. This session will alternate between short presentations, opportunities to score student work, and group discussion. Participants will also examine how to report classwide results for ABET within IDEALS. This workshop is intended for faculty who teach project courses across all disciplines and for ABET coordinators from a broad spectrum of engineering programs.

Software compliments structured learning for kinematics of mechanisms

This paper describes how several commercial software products can be integrated into teaching the Kinematics of Mechanisms and how technology can be transformed into an advantage for the student. The authors advocate increasing the educational use of existing software while balancing the student experience with a healthy skepticism of all computer products and a wealth of hands-on activities.

Catalytic Ignition of Ethanol-Oxygen-Nitrogen Mixtures Over 90% Platinum - 10% Rhodium in Comparison With Pure Platinum

Prior research of the catalytic ignition of renewable transportation fuels was conducted with pure platinum (Pt), an oxidation catalyst with mechanical properties that change at the temperatures expected in internal combustion engines. This study was undertaken to compare and contrast the ability of grain-hardened 90% platinum - 10% rhodium (Pt-Rh) to serve as an ignition catalyst. The temperature required to initiate surface reactions and the rate of heat generated from the reactions of ethanol-oxygen-nitrogen mixtures on Pt-Rh and Pt were obtained using a microcalorimeter. Catalyst wires were exposed to reacting flows in a plug-flow reactor and heated though electrical resistance until surface reactions occurred. The process was repeated for fixed fuel molar percentages of ethanol ranging from 1% to 3% and fuel-oxygen equivalence ratios (Φ) ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 at a constant total volumetric flow rate of 5 L/min, thus testing the effect of both the absolute and relative fuel content. Because of its lower coefficient of thermal resistance, Pt-Rh initiated surface reactions in fuel-oxygen mixtures at temperatures about 45 K higher than pure Pt; 3% ethanol mixtures ignited at an average ignition temperature of 512 K on Pt-Rh with very little variation with Φ while those on Pt ignited at temperatures ranging from a low of 450 K (Φ = 0.5) to a high of 473 K (Φ = 1.0), suggesting fuel-first coverage of the surface for these conditions. Also at 3% ethanol, reactions on Pt-Rh generated heat at an average rate of 5.5 W/cm2 while those on pure Pt generated 19.6 W/cm2 . Pt-Rh did not exhibit significant seasoning at the conditions tested whereas Pt seasoned over time and became more reactive (initiating surface reactions at lower temperatures than an unseasoned surface), a phenomenon observed in prior research. This data will aid in the design and understanding of catalytic igniters used with alternative transportation fuels in internal combustion engines.Copyright

Measuring Ignition Temperature and Heat Generation From Moist Propane-Oxygen Mixtures on Platinum

The surface temperature and heat generation from reactions of propane-water-oxygen-nitrogen mixtures on a platinum wire catalyst were determined using microcalorimetry. A 127 micron diameter, 99.95% pure Pt coiled wire was placed crosswise in the quartz tube of a plug flow reactor. A precision sourcemeter with a four-lead technique allowed the platinum wire to measure its average temperature by serving as a resistance thermometer, and enabled us to determine the amount of heat generated from surface reactions. Ignition temperatures varied from 450 to 500 K and heat generation from 0.8 to 11.5 W/cm2 depending on the absolute amounts of propane and oxygen, the propane:water ratio, and the fuel-oxygen equivalence ratio. As propane:water molar ratios reached 70:30, the temperature required to initiate surface reactions was as much as 6K higher. No clear effect of water addition on the release of energy due to surface reactions was observed; values were within 2% to 3% agreement between wet and dry experiments. These experimental results aid in understanding the heat transfer processes of catalytic igniters used to ignite fuel-lean mixtures.Copyright

Homogeneous Charge Catalytic Ignition of Ethanol-Water/Air Mixtures in a Reciprocating Engine

Lean ethanol-water/air mixtures have potential for reducing NOx and CO emissions in internal combustion engines, with little well-to-wheels CO2 emissions. Conventional ignition systems have been unsuccessful at igniting such mixtures. An alternative catalytic ignition source is being developed to aid in the combustion of aqueous ethanol. The operating principle is homogeneous charge compression ignition inside a catalytic pre-chamber, which causes torch ignition and flame propagation in the combustion chamber. Ignition timing can be adjusted by changing the length of the catalytic core element, the length of the pre-chamber, the diameter of the pre-chamber, and the electrical power supplied to the catalytic core element. To study engine operation, a 1.0L 3-cylinder Yanmar diesel engine was converted for ethanol-water use, and compared with an unmodified engine. Comparing the converted Yanmar to the stock engine shows an increase in torque and power, with improvements in CO and NOx emissions. Hydrocarbon emissions from the converted engine increased significantly, but are largely due to piston geometry not well suited for homogeneous charge combustion. No exhaust after treatment was performed on either engine configuration. Applying this technology in an engine with a combustion chamber and piston design suited for homogeneous mixtures has the potential to lower emissions to current standards, with a simple reduction catalytic converter.

Introducing upper-level engineering students to the technical literature in a special topics course by writing review papers according to archival specifications

Many technical elective and graduate courses use a textbook as the sole source of information. While this is convenient and efficient for engineering fundamentals it prevents students from developing skill sets that enables young practitioners to interact with emerging research issues. A culminating paper assignment provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen both self-directed learning and technical communication skills. These paper overviews the scaffolding used to improve learning through the use of writing. Through the project, students gained confidence searching and interpreting the technical literature.

Measuring the Temperature Coefficient of Resistance for Nanospring Combustion Catalysts

Platinum has been recognized as a viable combustion catalyst. Its change in electrical resistance with temperature has been used to measure light-off temperatures and rates of heat generation for various fuel-oxygen mixtures at the University of Idaho. In an attempt to maximize the surface area for these reactions to occur, platinum-coated nanosprings have been manufactured. A reliable method of determining an effective temperature-dependent temperature coefficient of resistance (α(T)) for the nanosprings assembly has been developed and verified using pure platinum. Measured values of α(T) for platinum were matched against literature data at 373 and 1100 K. A linear fit was assumed for the gap between these temperatures; measurements made with platinum at intermediate temperatures were in good agreement. Using the same methodology, α(T) for the nanosprings assembly will be determined, which will allow for further research of the nanosprings in catalytic combustion.Copyright

Workshop: Assessing professional skills for ABET

The Integrated Design Engineering Assessment and Learning System (IDEALS) is a set of assessment instruments that focus on aspects of professional development such as leadership, ethics, project management and communication skills within the context of capstone engineering design projects. These instruments have been piloted across a broad spectrum of diverse engineering programs and are available in a web format that facilitates data collection from students and feedback from instructional staff. This knowledge has been synthesized into a set of engaging and transferable modules that include learning objectives, supporting resource materials, preparatory tasks, lesson plans for faculty, and recommendations for timely follow-up using the online assessments. In addition, the instruments enhance student development through both formative and summative feedback and can be used to provide evidence for demonstrating the achievement of ABET student outcomes and program specific criteria.

Catalytic Ignition Properties and Surface Reaction Kinetics Modeling From Methane in Oxygen-Nitrogen Mixtures on Platinum

The ignition temperature and heat generation from oxidation of methane on a platinum catalyst were determined experimentally. A 127 micron diameter platinum coiled wire was placed crosswise in a quartz tube of a plug flow reactor. A source meter with a 4-wire measurement capability measured the resistance and current to calculate the average temperature of the surface reaction. Light-off temperatures varied from 730–780K for methane for a fuel-oxygen equivalence ratio of 0.3 to 1.0 at fuel percentages of 2–5% by volume. A model of the experimental system was created using Fluent coupled with Chemkin to combine an advanced chemistry solver with flow simulation. The experimental data was compared to the model results, which includes heat transfer and the surface reaction kinetics of methane on platinum. The heat transfer model obtained values within 4 Kelvin to experimental data for temperatures between 400K and 700K. At temperatures greater than 700K the model deviated with temperatures greater than the experimental by up to 60 Kelvin.Copyright

Mini workshop — Exploration of a direct method for measuring ABET professional skills

Proficiency in professional skills related to teamwork, ethical responsibility, oral communication, impact of engineering solutions, life-long learning, and contemporary issues is critical for success in the multi-disciplinary, intercultural team interactions that characterize 21st century engineering careers. Yet, programs across the nation have struggled to define, teach, and measure professional skills since their introduction as ABET criteria for engineering programs in 2000. The Engineering Professional Skills Assessment (EPSA) is a direct assessment method centered on one of several inter-disciplinary scenarios that frame a contemporary societal problem, a generalized set of discussion questions intended to guide a meaningful, 45 minute discussion of multiple scenarios among 4–6 students, and the Engineering Professional Skills rubric that is broadly applicable for all scenarios. In this mini-workshop, participants will examine one scenario in detail along with self-scoring and peer-scoring of a scenario discussion among workshop participants. This experience will be structured to produce small-group and large-group insights about administering and scoring the EPSA in classroom situations. The intended audience for this workshop includes faculty who teach courses identified for collecting data on ABET professional skills, ABET coordinators from the entire spectrum of engineering programs, and ABET engineering program evaluators.