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International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education 32/1 A unique thermodynamics course with laboratories Margaret Bailey (corresponding author), Blace Albert, Ozer Arnas, Shawn Klawunder, John Klegka and David Wolons Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA E-mail: [email protected] Abstract The Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at the United States Military Academy (USMA) offers a course in thermodynamics that is well known among the Corps of Cadets, because of its uniqueness and applicability. Students from every department in the USMA enroll in the course and are taught by a faculty that is composed of both military and civilian professors. The classroom and laboratory experiences that have been designed over the past decade provide students with a broad introductory exposure to thermodynamics, while focussing on very relevant applications. This paper presents an overview of the thermodynamic experience created at the USMA and offers several examples of methods to enhance similar courses at other institutions. Keywords thermodynamics; laboratory experiences; undergraduate education Introduction The United States Military Academy (USMA) located in West Point, New York, includes 13 different academic departments offering over 60 academic majors. While pursuing a four-year college degree, the students who attend the USMA are also training to serve as officers in the United States Army. The complete student body is referred to as the Corps of Cadets and includes representation from every state in the nation, as well as numerous foreign countries. The Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering offers an ABET-accredited degree in mechanical engineer- ing (ME). Students enrolled in ME must successfully complete a course of study very similar to that required by their peers at civilian institutions. Each year, approx- imately 75 students select ME as a major and typically enroll in thermodynamics in the first semester of their third year. However, regardless of academic major, all stu- dents supplement their general education or core requirements at the USMA with a 5 course engineering sequence. Therefore, instructors of EM301, thermodynamics, are challenged to teach this course to students majoring in a variety of areas, such as foreign language, history, political science, as well as mechanical engineering. The laws of thermodynamics are the same whether they are being taught to an engineering major or a history major. Therefore, thermodynamics is not offered as two separate courses, one for engineering majors and the other for humanities- oriented majors. Instead, all students take the same course and there is a mixture of majors in any given class. In fact, all students must take the same core curriculum, including basic science courses (mathematics, physics, and chemistry). This foun- dation provides the students with a common background from which to build, regardless of academic major. The total annual enrollment in thermodynamics

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Page 1: A unique thermodynamics course with laboratoriesedge.rit.edu/edge/R12310/public/Bailey_s5_15.pdf · rience in thermodynamics. The course also provides the groundwork for subsequent

International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education 32/1

A unique thermodynamics course with laboratoriesMargaret Bailey (corresponding author), Blace Albert, Ozer Arnas, Shawn Klawunder, John Klegka and David WolonsDepartment of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USAE-mail: [email protected]

Abstract The Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at the United States Military Academy(USMA) offers a course in thermodynamics that is well known among the Corps of Cadets, because ofits uniqueness and applicability. Students from every department in the USMA enroll in the course andare taught by a faculty that is composed of both military and civilian professors. The classroom andlaboratory experiences that have been designed over the past decade provide students with a broadintroductory exposure to thermodynamics, while focussing on very relevant applications. This paperpresents an overview of the thermodynamic experience created at the USMA and offers severalexamples of methods to enhance similar courses at other institutions.

Keywords thermodynamics; laboratory experiences; undergraduate education

Introduction

The United States Military Academy (USMA) located in West Point, New York,includes 13 different academic departments offering over 60 academic majors. Whilepursuing a four-year college degree, the students who attend the USMA are alsotraining to serve as officers in the United States Army. The complete student bodyis referred to as the Corps of Cadets and includes representation from every state inthe nation, as well as numerous foreign countries. The Department of Civil andMechanical Engineering offers an ABET-accredited degree in mechanical engineer-ing (ME). Students enrolled in ME must successfully complete a course of studyvery similar to that required by their peers at civilian institutions. Each year, approx-imately 75 students select ME as a major and typically enroll in thermodynamics inthe first semester of their third year. However, regardless of academic major, all stu-dents supplement their general education or core requirements at the USMA with a5 course engineering sequence. Therefore, instructors of EM301, thermodynamics,are challenged to teach this course to students majoring in a variety of areas, suchas foreign language, history, political science, as well as mechanical engineering.

The laws of thermodynamics are the same whether they are being taught to anengineering major or a history major. Therefore, thermodynamics is not offered astwo separate courses, one for engineering majors and the other for humanities-oriented majors. Instead, all students take the same course and there is a mixture ofmajors in any given class. In fact, all students must take the same core curriculum,including basic science courses (mathematics, physics, and chemistry). This foun-dation provides the students with a common background from which to build,regardless of academic major. The total annual enrollment in thermodynamics

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typically reaches 500 students, roughly half of all eligible students. Large courseenrollment, coupled with the USMA’s restriction of a maximum of 18 students persection, results in the creation of 13 to 15 thermodynamics sections per semester.

The course structure includes a lecture and laboratory component. There are 35lectures, each 55 minutes in length, that follow a classic textbook. The topics coveredinclude definitions, pure substances, ideal equations of state, conservation of massand energy, and the second law. In order to enhance the students’ learning, severalapplications are studied in detail, including steam power plants, air standard cycles,emissions, vapor compression refrigeration systems, psychrometrics, and air condi-tioning. A steam power plant tour and several laboratories further augment the lec-tures. The laboratories focus on steam turbines, spark-ignition/compression-ignition(SI/CI) engine comparison, cooperative fuel research (CFR) engines, and gas tur-bines, each of which is discussed in later sections of this paper. The course includestwo 30-minute quizzes, two 55-minute tests, and a final cumulative examination.Students taking the course for ABET credit also complete a design project.

Thermodynamics faculty

The EM301 faculty team reflects the diversity of the USMA faculty. It is a blend ofsenior military faculty, civilian faculty, and junior military faculty. Each of thesegroups brings special talents to the teaching team. Each senior military faculty holdsa PhD in a relevant discipline and typically has been on the faculty for 6 to 15 years,which helps to provide continuity and stability. These individuals make up about15% of the overall faculty. Civilian faculty members increase the depth of expertiseon the teaching team, help provide continuity, and provide a different perspectivefrom that of a predominantly military faculty. These faculty members serve similarroles to their colleagues at civilian colleges and universities. Civilian faculty hold aPhD in a relevant discipline and comprise 20–25% of the overall faculty. The largestcomponent (60–65%) of the faculty are active-duty military officers, typically intheir seventh to twelfth year of service in the United States Army. The officers arecarefully selected to teach at the USMA for a period of three years, after the completion of a master’s program in a relevant discipline at a civilian university.

Because of the large turnover in junior military faculty, each department at USMAruns a ‘new instructor’ training program, during the summer before the first semes-ter of instruction, in order to prepare incoming faculty for teaching. In the Depart-ment of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, this program is called the InstructorSummer Workshop (ISW). The ISW lasts six weeks and is structured to train theinstructors in effective teaching techniques. The aim of ISW is to provide an oppor-tunity for new instructors to gain competence and confidence in the classroom.

The intensive ISW three-week experience begins with an introduction from thedepartment head and three-day teaching techniques workshop that includes severalreferences to the engineering education research conducted by Wankat and Oreovicz[1], as well as Lowman [2]. Table 1 summarizes the various topics covered duringthis initial, three-day workshop. Senior faculty conduct the seminars and modelteaching techniques during four different demonstration classes.

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The remainder of the ISW experience consists of new instructors teaching samplelessons from their respective courses. In all, each participant teaches one 30-minuteclass and six 55-minute classes over the course of four weeks. All classes are video-taped for the instructors to view and assess on their own in order to improve teach-ing techniques. The classes are spread out in order to give the new instructors ampletime to prepare and make improvements.

Senior faculty attend each class in order to ask the sort of questions that could beexpected from undergraduate students and to provide immediate oral and writtenassessment at the conclusion of the class. The assessment is based on technicalexpertise, lesson organization, conduct of the class, and the classroom environment.Written assessment is recorded on a teaching assessment worksheet (included asAppendix 1). During the final week of the ISW, new instructors participate in theassessment of peer classes. Instructor assessment continues throughout the semes-ter through classroom visits from senior faculty and peers. Generally, written assess-ments are maintained in each instructor’s teacher portfolio, which is a notebook thathouses documents to assist in on-going self-assessment. For a more detailed descrip-tion of the ISW experience, refer to Hanus and Evans [3].

Course background

The goal of EM301 is to provide students with a practical and relevant engineeringscience background in thermodynamics. Additionally, engineering majors enrolledin EM301A complete an engineering design project and, therefore, gain design expe-rience in thermodynamics. The course also provides the groundwork for subsequentstudies in engineering sciences and advanced energy topics. In addition, numerouscourse requirements enhance both oral and written communication skills. The courseis designed to provide a solid foundation in classical thermodynamics through thestudy of three broad topic areas: preliminary topics, methods and tools of analysis,and relevant applications. Table 2 gives a complete summary of topic coverage.

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TABLE 1 ISW three-day teaching techniques workshop

Seminar Subject

1 Learning to teach in the civil and mechanical engineering department2 Principles of effective teaching and learning3 Teaching assessment4 An introduction to learning styles5 Organizing a class6 Planning the class7 Communication and presentation skills8 Questioning techniques9 Classroom assessment techniques

10 Systematic design of instruction11 Teaching with technology

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EM301 begins with a series of lessons on preliminary topics to allow the studentto understand and internalize the language of thermodynamics. These first lessonsinclude discussions on basic definitions, properties of substances, and the ideal gaslaw. Here, the vapor dome is presented and the students learn how it is used to fixstates and properties. Referring to Table 2, the methods and tools of analysis sectionof the course begins with a lesson on energy transfers in the form of heat and work.Instructors introduce the first and second laws of thermodynamics and students applythese laws to steady-flow closed and open systems. Prior to the introduction ofdetailed applications, the students learn the methods involved in determining isentropic efficiencies for various mechanical devices.

Once this basic foundation has been laid, students apply their newly acquiredknowledge to studying various cycles, as described in Table 2. Students begin bylearning how to analyze steam vapor power cycles using the Mollier diagram andapplicable steam tables. The steam vapor power cycle configurations analyzed rangein complexity from the ideal Rankine cycle to actual reheat and regenerative cycles.Students then complete a block of instruction on internal combustion engines,including spark-ignition and compression-ignition cycles. An automotive emissionslesson is included to present relevant current automotive innovations in the area ofpollution control. Gas turbine engine cycles are examined next. The students firststudy the ideal Brayton cycle and then both ideal and actual regenerative gas turbineengines. In addition, ideal and actual jet propulsion cycles are included. The courseconcludes with lessons on the vapor–compression refrigeration cycle (ideal andactual) and total air conditioning applications using the psychrometric chart.

Because EM301 is one semester long, there are certain topics that are not includedowing to time limitations. Some of the more notable omissions include exergy

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TABLE 2 Summary of topics explored in EM301

Subject Lessons

Introduction to thermodynamic concepts and nomenclature 2Steam tables 2Ideal gas equation of state and energy transfer concepts 2First law of thermodynamics 6Second law of thermodynamics 3Thermodynamic devices and isentropic efficiencies 1Steam vapor power cycles 5Internal combustion engines 5Automotive emissions 1Gas turbine engines 4Vapor-compression refrigeration cycles 2Total air conditioning applications (psychrometrics) 2Review classes 3Exams 2

Total 40

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analyses, transient systems, thermodynamic property relations, chemical reactions,chemical and phase equilibrium, and thermodynamics of high-speed gas flow. Anadvanced thermodynamics course, ME472, energy conversion systems, providesinstruction in several of these and many other topical areas [4]. Enrollment in thiscourse is generally limited to senior year ME majors.

The course is supported by an internal website with links to the course syllabus,administration information, lesson objectives, reading assignments, practice prob-lems, technical writing standards, external thermodynamic-related links, and so on.As the semester progresses, scanned solutions for all in-class sample problems andpractice problems are linked to the website. Each instructor also maintains a sepa-rate section of the website to post solutions for individual homework and studentgrades. Course-end student assessment has shown that the website is an excellenttool for providing students with valuable course information.

Course administration

The greatest challenge in a course of this size is maintaining equity between sec-tions. In general, five to seven instructors per semester teach the course. An impor-tant objective is to ensure that each student is taught the same lesson objectives whileallowing instructors to use their own teaching style. A course director is assigned tooversee all administrative aspects of the course. Besides teaching, the course direc-tor maintains equity between sections and assembles a detailed course assessmentpackage once each year. The course assessment process begins each year with acourse proposal, which is presented at the end of the spring semester [5].

During the course proposal process, the course director conducts a review of theentire course, using course-end feedback from students and instructors. An evalua-tion is conducted to ensure that the thermodynamics course is meeting the overallmechanical engineering division objectives. EM301 course objectives are as follows:

• Apply the conservation of mass, conservation of energy, and the second law ofthermodynamics to open and closed systems.

• Apply thermodynamic properties and equations of state for an ideal gas, steam,and refrigerants.

• Analyze the common ideal power generation cycles, including the Rankine, Otto,Diesel and Brayton, and their respective actual cycles.

• Analyze the ideal and actual vapor compression refrigeration cycle.• Analyze an air/water mixture as it applies to total air conditioning.

Throughout the semester, individual lesson objectives are reviewed and modified toensure that course objectives are being met. At the end of each semester, studentsare asked to rate their ability to accomplish each of the course objectives. This feed-back is used in the course proposal process to adjust the amount of time allotted tocover each objective.

During the semester, the course director conducts weekly lesson conferences withall instructors to coordinate instruction for the next several lessons. Weekly lesson

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conferences also serve as an effective means of enhancing student learning throughopen discussions by the diverse thermodynamics teaching faculty. The primary toolused to facilitate discussion during the lesson conference is board notes. These alsoserve as an adequate means for lesson preparation. Each classroom is equipped withblackboards that are, by design, divided into three-foot-wide sections that surroundthe classroom. Board notes are a written plan of what the instructor will write oneach blackboard section during the class. Sample board notes provided by the coursedirector serve as a guide for each instructor in preparing their own board notes. Thenotes are commonly modified to meet an individual instructor’s teaching style.

Each week, at the lesson conference, the course director reviews the sample boardnotes for the following week’s lessons. This is an open discussion where ideas areexchanged between instructors for teaching each lesson objective. The weeklymeeting also serves as a coordination meeting for scheduling, training aid and laboratory demonstrations, and other administrative requirements.

The ability to maintain equity between sections is further reinforced by all stu-dents being evaluated equally. All instructors give the same quizzes, mid-term andfinal examinations, and graded laboratory reports. The use of common examinationsallows each faculty member to assess how students are progressing through thematerial and to gain feedback from fellow instructors covering the same material.In effect, there is a near real-time assessment process in place to monitor how wellstudents are doing and to allow for any necessary course adjustment. Table 3 liststhe graded events included in EM301 with associated event weights.

Grading is also uniform between sections. The course director prepares solutionsand cut scales for each question on an examination. The cut scales assign specificpoint deductions for each component of a solution. Individual instructors gradequizzes using the same cut scale. For the 55-minute and final examinations, oneinstructor is assigned to grade a specific page or problem for all students taking thecourse. Each instructor is given an opportunity to influence the focus of a particu-lar examination question. Typically, these questions are written by several instruc-tors and submitted to the course director to assemble into the final product. Severalinstructors then take the timed examination to ensure that it is of appropriate length

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TABLE 3 EM301 graded event summary

Graded event Quantity Points

55-minute exam 2 200 each30-minute quiz 2 100 eachLabs 4 50 eachInstructor grade 1 200Design project 1 225

(ABET)Term-end exam 1 475Total 1700

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and difficulty. A criterion-based grading system is used and therefore it is importantthat the examination challenges the students while providing an opportunity forexcellent students to achieve an A.

Classroom experience

The methodology employed to teach thermodynamics at the USMA is similar to thatof many other institutions. Before coming to class, students read an assigned sectionof their textbook pertaining to the lesson objectives. The students then attend thelesson, which typically includes at least one sample problem and is heavily ladenwith discussions between students and the instructor. Students may be given home-work to complete before the next lesson. Additional practice problems associatedwith every lesson are available on the web.

Throughout the semester, instructors invoke student interest in thermodynamicsusing unique training aids that demonstrate a broad range of topics. During the firstseveral lessons of the semester, brief demonstrations are incorporated into eachlesson to make new material more comprehensible. For example, during lesson 2,titled ‘The language of thermodynamics’, a simple scale experiment demonstratesquasi-equilibrium, a pressure box is used to demonstrate the difference betweenabsolute, gage, and vacuum pressures, and a pressure gage is opened to examinehow a Bourdon tube works. In lesson 3, ‘Properties of pure substances and the vapordome for water’, a vacuum chamber illustrates water’s temperature–pressure depen-dence. This leads to a discussion of cooking at high altitudes and using a pressurecooker. In lesson 10, ‘First law for a cycle and introductory concepts of the secondlaw’, the heat pump/refrigeration/air conditioning cycle is drawn on the board andmagnetized pictures are moved around the thermal reservoirs to illustrate the differences and similarities between cycles.

During the latter half of the semester, larger and more complex training aids areincorporated into most lessons. A Jeep in-line six-cylinder engine cutaway, shownin Fig. 1, is used often during the reciprocating engine lesson block, along withseveral smaller models of spark-ignition, compression-ignition, and two-strokeengines. During the gas turbine section of the course, T-53 and T-700 turbo-shaftengine cutaways from UH-1 Huey and UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, respectively,are used to demonstrate engine operation and layout. The T-700 cutaway is shownin Fig. 2. These turbo-shaft engines have been equipped to run electrically, at verylow r.p.m., so that the students can see how the compressor and turbine stages work. During the lessons covering the vapor-compression refrigeration cycle, aBrodhead–Garrett trainer is utilized to better explain the cycle’s operation and com-ponents. Other notable training aids include an AGT-1500 turbo-shaft engine fromthe M-1 Abrams main battle tank, shown in Fig. 3, a cutaway of a turbojet engine,and various cutaways of air conditioners and refrigerators.

Because of the pace of the course and the nature of the material presented, thethermodynamics team has created various learning aids for the students to usethroughout the semester. These learning aids consist of flow sheet equation cards.The first card distributed to each student is the steam card and a copy is included as

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Fig. 1 Cutaway of a Jeep in-line six-cylinder engine.

Fig. 2 T-700 gas turbine engine from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter.

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Appendix 2. The steam card presents processes for fixing a state point and for deter-mining a state point’s region in relation to the vapor dome. Flowcharts for the firstand second laws of thermodynamics are also given to each student in subsequentlessons and are included here as Appendices 3 and 4, respectively. These flowchartsfirst ask whether the system is closed or open and then list the respective first lawand second law relations for each. Then, the medium is determined, and if it is steam,the flowchart refers the student to procedures found on the steam card. If the mediumis an ideal gas, the first or second law equations for either variable or constant specific heats are listed.

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Fig. 3 AGT-1500 turbo-shaft-engine from the M-1 Abrams main battle tank.

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Laboratory experience

Dedicated EM301 laboratory facilities house full-scale steam and gas turbines aswell as spark ignition, compression ignition and cooperative fuels research engines.Four 2-hour laboratory sessions provide students with opportunities to gain insightinto practical applications of the theory discussed in the classroom. Each laboratorysession is broken into three distinct components, including the pre-laboratory assign-ment, the actual laboratory, and final written report that is due by the end of the 2-hour laboratory period. Students first complete a pre-laboratory assignment, whichis essentially a homework assignment given to the students a lesson before the lab-oratory period. This assignment is worth 30% of the total laboratory score and iscollected at the beginning of the laboratory period. The assignment includes readingto introduce pertinent laboratory equipment and testing/measurement devices. Thisis followed by comprehensive problem(s) concerning a specific power cycle andopen-ended questions in which the students are asked to design different methodsof instrumentation plans, given analysis requirements. Instrumentation and experi-mentation are introduced in EM301 through a reading assignment [6] and classroomdiscussion. Through this instruction, students can better understand uncertaintyanalysis and the purpose and operation of instruments such as dynamometers, thermometers, thermocouples, tachometers, flow meters, and pressure gages.

Students conduct the actual laboratory exercises in dedicated laboratory facilitieslocated in classroom buildings at West Point. The faculty initiates each laboratorysession with an introduction to the relevant equipment. This interactive orientationalso allows students to identify different components of the engine, gages, anddescribe how these gages are used in cycle analysis. The ensuing instruction demon-strates to the students how to properly read the instrumentation in order to deter-mine power output, efficiency, and other relevant parameters. Finally, the studentsare broken into three- or four-person teams and given the laboratory datasheet andfinal report handout. Each team collects data from the instrumented equipment andthen analyzes it in order to answer a series of questions based on the conservationof mass and energy. Infrequently during past semesters, some laboratory facilitieshave been unavailable owing to building renovations and virtual laboratory exer-cises have been created using videotapes and pre-recorded datasets.

The four laboratories are as follows and each will be discussed in detail withinthe next several paragraphs:

• steam turbine laboratory;• spark-ignition/compression-ignition comparison laboratory;• cooperative fuels research (CFR) laboratory;• gas turbine laboratory.

The steam turbine laboratory facility is located on-site and includes a Carling anda Westinghouse steam turbine as well as associated superheaters, condensers, andgenerators. The laboratory gives students an opportunity to collect and analyze oper-ating data from two steam-powered turbines. The laboratory objectives includedetermining steam power cycle performance characteristics, examining methods for

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improving cycle performance, and gaining practical experience in laboratory analyses.

The steam for the laboratory is provided from the USMA power plant, which islocated nearby. Each steam turbine set-up is slightly different in configuration. Inthe Westinghouse turbine set-up (see Fig. 4), the steam travels through a superheaterbefore expanding across a turbine that drives a generator powering several lightbulbs. In the Carling turbine set-up (see Fig. 5), the steam from the power plantdirectly drives a turbine attached to a dynamometer. A first law analysis is used to

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Fig. 4 The Westinghouse steam turbine.

Fig. 5 The carling steam turbine.

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determine the power output and heat transfer rate from the Westinghouse turbine.The Carling turbine is studied to determine isentropic efficiency and entropy gen-eration. An uncertainty analysis is also performed on several of the results using theKline–McClintock method [7].

During the block of lessons on the Otto and Diesel cycles, two different labora-tories are conducted. The Hercules spark-ignition (SI) engine/compression-ignition(CI) engine comparison laboratory offers students an opportunity to conduct variable-speed tests on SI and CI engines in order to compare performance charac-teristics and analyze the effects of air/fuel ratio. Students obtain torque and fuel flowrate readings from both CI and SI engines with identical displacements over a rangeof engine speeds. These data are used to generate graphs that compare each engine’srelative power output and efficiency. The SI engine emissions are also analyzed bycollecting data on the levels of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions presentin the exhaust gas for different air/fuel ratios. Emission graphs are produced to deter-mine optimal operating conditions. Students are also asked to explore other methodsby which emissions may be reduced.

The cooperative fuel research (CFR) equipment permits students to investigatehow spark timing angle, compression ratio and fuel octane level affect engine per-formance. This on-site laboratory facility includes four single-cylinder SI engine set-ups, as shown in Fig. 6. The objectives for the CFR laboratory are to conduct testson an SI engine to determine the effects of spark timing angle, compression ratio,and fuel octane rating on engine performance. In addition, the students describe thecauses of engine knock and list possible remedies. Two fuels are tested, with varying

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Fig. 6 Single-cylinder spark-ignition engines within the cooperative fuel researchlaboratory.

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levels of octane (87 and 110). The engines are designed to allow easy manipulationof the compression ratios. Students adjust the ratio from 6 to 8.5 during the labora-tory exercise. Additionally, the students advance the spark-timing angles from 5° to30° before top dead center. During the experiment, students measure engine horse-power and engine knock under the various operating conditions. The students usethese data to produce a plot that depicts the effect of these variables on engine performance.

The gas turbine laboratory is designed to afford students the opportunity to studythe performance of a T-62T-40-1 Blackhawk helicopter’s auxiliary power unit(APU), as shown in Fig. 7. The Blackhawk is the United States Army’s primaryutility helicopter and is quite familiar to most army personnel and to the studentstaking the class. The APU is a ‘simple cycle’ turbo-shaft engine, meaning that it hasno intercooler, no regenerator, and no split-shaft turbine. It is a constant-speedengine, with only a single high-speed turbine compressor shaft. The objective is todetermine the performance characteristics of a gas turbine engine while varyingengine load.

A remote laboratory facility housing the two operational APUs is located withinwalking distance from the ME department. Students obtain data from an actual APUand conduct a first law analysis of the compressor, combustor, and turbine. Thisinformation allows them to determine individual component and overall engine efficiencies. Finally, students are asked how to better instrument the laboratory toobtain reliable data. This reinforces students’ ability to design and execute an experiment.

Steam power plant tour

Each semester, during the steam power cycle block of instruction, the students aretaken on a tour of the West Point steam power plant. This is a co-generation plantdesigned to provide a limited amount of electrical power to the main campus area

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Fig. 7 Blackhawk helicopter’s auxiliary power unit.

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while providing process heat for student dining facilities, showers, and building heat.The plant also includes an absorption refrigeration system for air conditioning of alarge academic building. This tour is an ideal opportunity to expose the students tothe sheer size of steam power plant components and to reinforce key concepts taughtin the classroom.

ABET design project

Thermodynamics at the USMA is designated as either EM301 or EM301A. Moststudents pursuing an ABET-accredited engineering degree, such as mechanical, envi-ronmental, or civil engineering, enroll in the EM301A version of the course. Theseengineering students attend the same classes and laboratories as the students enrolledin EM301; however, these students also complete a group design project, as definedby ABET. The course credit for EM301 is 3, with an additional half-credit for thoseenrolling in EM301A.

The USMA power plant is used as the foundation for the design project. The basicscenario is that the power plant has been destroyed by a fire and the academy is cur-rently buying electricity from the local utility company. The students, working indesign teams of three or four individuals, are asked to design a new power plant.The teams must complete a design that will provide 2650kW of power for cadethousing and 28,300kW of process heat for showers, cooking, and building heat. Theprocess heat requirement drives the design teams toward steam power plants thatmay or may not include reheat or regeneration. However, some teams investigatethe possibility of using a gas turbine plant design to satisfy the electricity require-ment with the exhaust gases used in a regenerative steam power cycle.

Over most of the semester, the teams work together on the design. Each team isrequired to complete three in-progress reviews (IPRs) throughout the semester todocument progress to date and receive feedback from the professor. At the end ofthe semester, each student design team is required to conduct a final presentationand submit a final report. Appendix 5 gives the details of each requirement associ-ated with this project. During the first IPR, students orally present schematics, withall state points labeled, for two possible design options. The instructors evaluate thestudents’ designs and provide feedback on design enhancements and necessary corrections.

During the second IPR, the teams brief their instructor on the improvements andcorrections made since the first IPR. Each team also presents the results of severalthermodynamic analyses, including the determination of utilization factors as dis-cussed in Appendix 5.

The IPR third requires the evaluation of several cost-related topics. The projectconcludes with a final written submission, written in accordance with the depart-ment’s Standards for Technical Reports [8], and an oral presentation. Both are crit-ical in developing the cadet’s communication abilities. The ABET design projectwas designed so that each student takes approximately 20 hours to complete theproject.

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References

[1] P. C. Wankat and P. S. Oreovicz, Teaching Engineering (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1993).[2] J. Lowman, Mastering the Techniques of Teaching (Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA, 1995).[3] J. P. Hanus and M. D. Evans, ‘In pursuit of teaching excellence in the classroom – instructor summer

workshop at West Point’, Proceedings, American Society for Engineering Education Annual Con-ference & Exposition, American Society for Engineering Education (Albuquerque, NM, 24–27 June2001).

[4] M. Bailey and O. Arnas, ‘The evolution of an energy conversion course at the United States Military Academy’, Proceedings, American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference& Exposition (Montreal, Canada, 16–20 June 2002).

[5] R. Floersheim and M. Bailey, ‘Course assessment: a tool for integrated curriculum management’,Proceedings, American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition, American Society for Engineering Education (Albuquerque, NM, 24–27 June 2001).

[6] E. O. Doebelin, Engineering Experimentation: Planning, Execution, Reporting (McGraw-Hill, NewYork, 1995).

[7] J. P. Holman, Experimental Methods for Engineers, 2nd edn (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1966), pp 37–39.

[8] USMA Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Standards for Technical Reports (UnitedStates Military Academy, West Point, NY, 1991).

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Appendix 1. ISW teaching assessment worksheet

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Appendix 1. ISW teaching assessment worksheet (continued)

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Appendix 2. Steam card

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Appendix 2. Steam card (continued)

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Appendix 3. First law flowchart

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Appendix 4. Second law flowchart

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Appendix 5. The ABET design requirements

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Appendix 5. The ABET design requirements (continued)

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Appendix 5. The ABET design requirements (continued)

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Appendix 5. The ABET design requirements (continued)

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