Classroom Card #2330
Sustainable Decisions Project Series for a Thermodynamics Course
Summary
This card describes a series of sustainability projects designed for a second thermodynamics class.
Time
Semester
Description
The projects described in this card were used in a Thermodynamics II course. The learning objectives for this course include thermodynamic concepts (gas phase mixtures, chemical reactions, advanced Brayton cycle analysis), chemical kinetics, and sustainability concepts (three pillars of sustainability, Life Cycle Assessment). The focus of the projects are to illustrate how the thermodynamics and chemistry aspects relate to a sustainability analysis of a system. The projects (four total) build on each other, to help balance the workload on the students and the projects are a combination of group and individual projects to balance the workload on the instructor.
Another characteristic of the projects is how they are completed. Students must first submit a draft of their project by a specified due date. The drafts are shared with other teams/individuals who provide feedback before a final submission is required.
Curiosity
- Demonstrate constant curiosity about our changing world
Students have some autonomy on their project. They are given opportunities to take their project in directions that they are interested in. For example, the first project allows the team to select between three different vehicles for a fleet for their company. Students can select which three vehicles will be studied, within some guidelines (for example, one should be a spark-ignition engine, one a plug-in or hybrid electric, and one can be any other option).
Connections
- Integrate information from many sources to gain insight
The projects involve some analysis of information, but a significant portion of the project requires students to research the background on the technical equipment. For the first project, they need to compare the fundamental technologies of a spark-ignition engine to an electric vehicle to a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. In other projects they need to explore the HVAC requirements for a large office building and determine the power and heating requirements for a micro-gas turbine versus a solar panel/gas furnace system.
Creating Value
- Identify unexpected opportunities to create extraordinary value
Projects 2-4 build on each other, so Project 2 creates value that can be applied in Projects 3 and 4. For example, in Project 2, students must determine if it is more sustainable to purchase and ship solar PV panels to Phoenix, AZ to power their office building or to use the grid power available. In Project 3, their office building has been moved to Denver, CO. The students now must select between: option A - these same solar panels and option B - a micro-gas turbine to provide power for the office building. For project 4, The students now must select between: option A - these same solar panels to provide power for the office building and a gas furnace to provide heat for the building and option B - a micro-gas turbine that provide power and the heating for the building (Combined Heat and Power).
- Persist through and learn from failure
The peer review aspect of the project submission process helps students learn from failure. Students complete a draft and then get feedback from their peers. This stage is very low-stakes, but it helps students learn from their peers through two mechanisms. First, they get direct feedback on their draft. Second, they give feedback on another draft so they can learn from what another team has done on their draft.
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