Energy Conservation in the Classroom

Abstract

One of the most important areas in mechanical engineering is energy production. This broad field can be further subdivided into two primary areas: power generation and energy conservation. In recent years, there has been increasingly focused interest in generating power from clean and renewable resources, particularly those that fall into the so-called green category.While academic efforts in the field of power generation have tended to evolve with these changing interests, teaching and research dedicated to the conservation of energy has remained comparatively static.From an analytical standpoint, many companies do not possess the in-house knowledge needed to fully assess the impact that simple energy conservation measures can have on their facilities or manufacturing operations. This knowledge gap can often be bridged when plans for the more efficient use of energy is correlated directly to monetary savings. Toward this end, the responsible energy engineer must be fully adept in the appropriate engineering fundamentals and the associated economics as well.Spurring renewed interest in the development and adoption of both new and existing energy conservation strategies must begin in the classroom. A distinct challenge faced by today's instructors teaching engineering courses concerned with the principles and practices of energy conservation is to not only create meaningful lectures, but also to provide students with practical and engaging real-world experience. This paper presents an educational model designed to do just that: to give students a strong theoretical foundation in energy conservation fundamentals bolstered with realistic applications. Tailored towards upper-level undergraduates or beginning Page 22.562.2 graduate students, the prerequisites include undergraduate courses in heat transfer, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and engineering economics.For the proposed course, in-class time spent on recitation will be supplemented with field trips crafted to improve the students' practical understanding of the subject matter. The field trips, which will be undertaken monthly, will consist of the students and instructor visiting a nearby manufacturing plant or production facility to conduct a comprehensive energy usage study. Prior to the beginning of the semester, the instructor will have made arrangements with the local participating affiliates and disclosed the mutual benefits of the program to each facility's management. As an instructional tool for the students, the study will come at no cost to the affiliates. As for the study itself, the students will be tasked with collecting energy consumption data for key processes or operations throughout the facility to establish a set of baseline energy usage profiles. These data will then be analyzed by the class to compile a list of recommendations that could improve the efficiency with which the facility uses energy. In addition, the annualized cost savings associated with implementing the suggested changes to the facility's energy management strategies or m...