BITES and TEST Web Tools to Enhance an Undergraduate Thermodynamics Course
- Conference
- Location
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Virtual On line
- Publication Date
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June 22, 2020
- Start Date
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June 22, 2020
- End Date
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June 26, 2021
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Energy Conversion and Conservation
- Page Count
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16
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--34218
- Permanent URL
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https://strategy.asee.org/34218
- Download Count
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386
Paper Authors
Abhijit Nagchaudhuri University of Maryland, Eastern Shore
Dr. Abhijit Nagchaudhuri is currently a Professor in the Department of Engineering and Aviation Sciences at University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He is a member American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME), American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and, American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineers(ASABE) and is actively involved in teaching and research in the fields of (i) robotics and mechatronics, (ii)remote sensing and precision agriculture, and,(iii) biofuels and renewable energy. He has published more than 70 refereed articles in journals and conference proceedings. Dr. Nagchaudhuri received his baccalaureate degree from Jadavpur University in Kolkata, India with honors in Mechanical Engineering. Thereafter, he worked in a multinational industry for a little over three years before joining Tulane University as a graduate student in the fall of 1987. He received master’s degree from Tulane University in 1989 and doctoral degree from Duke University 1992.
Abstract
In the Thermodynamics course offered by the author at University of Maryland Eastern Shore for engineering undergraduates, two web-based tools -(i)BITES ( Buildings Industry Transportation and Electricity Generation Scenarios) developed at National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL) and (ii) TEST (The Expert System for Thermodynamics) developed at San Diego State University are introduced to the students and integrated with the course project and classroom instruction.
The BITES tool provides a framework to discuss thermodynamic cycles related to power, refrigeration, Otto, and Diesel cycles to energy production and utilization in commercial and residential buildings, as well as the transportation and industrial sector at large, and their relevance to carbon emission, ozone depletion, and climate change. The TEST tool is introduced to facilitate student comprehension of thermodynamic analyses of these cycles and the constituent processes. While students continue to struggle with solving problems related to thermodynamic cycles, practicing with the TEST software alleviates some of the difficulty with the progress of the course.
The ABET outcomes related to ethical and professional responsibilities and the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts are strongly aligned to the course content. Relevance of Kigali and Paris accords, and the preceding Kyoto and Montreal protocols are also highlighted in the context of the course.
The paper will provide an overview of the course and the project work incorporating the web tools. Relevant student surveys and course assessments for the last two offerings of the course by the author will also be included.
Nagchaudhuri, A. (2020, June), BITES and TEST Web Tools to Enhance an Undergraduate Thermodynamics Course Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--34218
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