Thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation, Louisiana Tech University has implemented a new freshman engineering sequence of three courses focused on boosting hands-on learning, student confidence and innovation. Every engineering student purchases a robotics kit with a programmable microcontroller, sensors, servos and software along with a toolkit to provide the basis for a mobile laboratory and design platform. An aspect of this Phase II CCLI grant involves the migration of components from the freshmen sequence into our sophomore engineering sequence of courses comprised of statics, circuits and thermodynamics. Three laboratory exercises have been developed for the sophomore circuits course utilizing the robotics platform from the freshman sequence. These three exercises provide additional practice in using hardware and tools introduced in the freshman year and provide important hands-on applications to support fundamental concepts covered in an introductory circuits course. This paper presents details of the three exercises that have been developed, faculty training activities and assessment results.
majoring in biomedical engineering. He graduated from the same residential high school as Anthony Reed, and he has a special interest in computer applications.
A project has been developed and implemented in which the temperature and salinity are controlled in a small volume of water which is circulated using a small pump. A conductivity sensor measures salinity, and a Resistance Temperature Device (RTD) monitors temperature, providing data to a BASIC Stamp controller. Two relays are used to operate solenoid valves that release either fresh or salty water into the system, and a third relay is used to activate a heating element used to control temperature. A cascaded switching arrangement utilizing transistors allows the BASIC Stamp to drive these high-current devices. A DC motor-driven pump continuously circulates water through a fluid loop into which the conductivity sensor is integrated. Students fabricate an inline conductivity sensor (using a 555 timer), the RTD (using photolithography), a heating element (using a high-wattage resistor) and a wooden platform to which all of the components are mounted. The students develop programs to accomplish closedloop control of the system, as well as provide a user interface where key system parameters are displayed. As part of our integrated freshman curriculum, this project provides hands-on experience to accompany traditional approaches to teaching science and engineering fundamentals including conservation of mass and energy, basic saltwater chemistry and electric circuitry. Assessment of the skills imparted through this project is provided using before and after survey data measuring student confidence in designing, fabricating and testing a working electro-mechanically controlled system.
The scope of this paper will be to review the technology used in contemporary choke control systems, and in particular, to examine the deficiencies of these systems. A well-control system recently developed by TOTCO will be used as an example of how computer-based electronics can successfully address many of these problems.
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