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COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course will facilitate your ability to:

• -   Identify a societal need, determine the magnitude of the problem and quantify the specifications for a solution that include technical, ethical, environmental, legal and other requirements.

• -   Use engineering problem solving methods to generate a set of alternative solutions, use the matrix system to select the alternative that appears most viable, and then design a component, system, or process to implement the alternative.

• -   Apply science and mathematics to describe the problem, analyze potential solutions and evaluate the final design.

• -   Design and conduct experiments to assess the viability of a proposed solution; analyze and interpret the resulting data.

• -   Use modern engineering tools (e.g. computer-aided design) in the design process.

• -   Work effectively on a multidisciplinary team and negotiate group dynamics.

• -   Evaluate and appropriately act upon ethical issues that influence the engineering process.

• -   Communicate effectively through written and verbal reports and improve your oral presentation skills.

• -   Begin the practice of life long learning through an analysis of new technology.

To fulfill these objectives you will be pursuing a nine-week design project as a member of a student team. The specific field of the project changes each time the course is taught. Your team must respond to a Request for Proposals (RFP) from a fictional foundation, The Dartmouth Educational Foundation (DCEF). This spring the area of interest of the DCEF is “Engineering for Efficiency.” The RFP follows.

Design for Efficiency

The Dartmouth College Educational Foundation (DCEF) requests proposals for the design and development of ingenious and innovative systems, devices and processes that improve efficiency, for example, in operation, manufacture, use or time. Efficiency is a critical factor in modern engineering design and can be quantified in many different ways, depending on the design objective. Examples include energy efficiency, mechanical efficiency, material efficiency, aerodynamic efficiency, lighting efficiency, manufacturing efficiency, operational efficiency, information efficiency, and more. The concept of efficiency is sometimes intertwined with sustainable resource utilization and waste reduction, but some design objectives require additional costs, resources and/or operational demands when exceptional performance or reliability is necessary, e.g., high-efficiency photovoltaics deployed on satellites.

In responding to this RFP, your challenge is identify some aspect of an existing system, device or process, or of a current practice, that can be made more efficient through enlightened engineering design. Successful projects will satisfy a demonstrable need and will produce a prototype that improves efficiency via an engineering solution. The gain in efficiency must be measurable and must be quantified. The DCEF has a broad perspective and will consider proposals to fund projects in a wide variety of areas, including but not limited to agriculture, building performance, communications, consumer products, education, energy, fitness and sports, healthcare, lighting, materials, and transportation. Gains in efficiency are most typically incremental. While quantum jumps in performance are always desirable, steady progress in achieving incremental gains will often outpace a rare quantum gain.

EXPECTATIONS

Each team will be expected to:

1.      Identify and select a problem area in need of improved efficiency;

2.      Determine and quantify the magnitude of the problem;

3.      Determine the specifications associated with a satisfactory solution;

4.      Generate a set of potential alternative approaches;

5.      Select a novel approach and evaluate the market for the solution.

During the term, you will also be expected to:

6.      Engineer and develop a prototype;

7.      Test the prototype;

8.      Develop a venture proposal;

9.      Present the prototype and venture proposal to the Review Board.

MILESTONES, REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS

The DCEF has brought together a Review Board to assess and evaluate your efforts. The Review Board will meet three (3) times to hear team presentations during the term and to evaluate team performance. These presentations include: your proposal, progress report and final presentation. Professor William Lotko will evaluate and grade your written work for each of these reports. A written "White Paper" must also be submitted in the third week, prior to develop of your proposal. The schedule for the reports and presentations follows:

DCEF REVIEW BOARD MEMBERS

William Lotko, Professor, Course Director

Kevin Baron, Director Machine Shop Design Lab, Thayer School of Engineering

Peter Robbie, Professor, Thayer School of Engineering

Ellen Stein, Assistant Dean for Thayer School, Academic and Student Affairs

The course director in consultation with the Review Board and Teaching Assistants assigns grades. Each group will be required to assess its own performance; the results will be incorporated into the overall evaluation.

Professor Lotko is available in Room 217B most of the time or by appointment to answer questions on organization, presentation, content, resources, team issues, design decisions, etc. throughout the duration of the course. You should avail yourself of the resources listed in the course circular entitled Project Support Services and, as appropriate, work with the main course consultants (Mr. Kevin Baron, Ms. Mary Kay Brown, Dr. Daniel Cullen, Mr. Doug Fraser, Mr. Terry Priestley, Prof. Chris Levey and Prof. Peter Robbie) during the term.

HONOR PRINCIPLE

You will be working as a member of a team throughout this course. You need to ensure that the written works reflect only the efforts of your team and that you reference all sources using the methods described in the Dartmouth circular, Sources: Their Uses and Acknowledgement.

GRADING

The grading will be by team, not individual, although opportunities exist to boost individual grades by accumulating bonus points. At the conclusion of the course there will also be an opportunity to reward outstanding individual performances and penalize individual negligence or laziness, based on individual effort and productivity.

The weight of grading of the course elements is as follows:

The grade on each report is based equally on oral and written work. The quality of record keeping in the lab notebook and the weekly group meetings with the TA will constitute 5% of the team grade (see below).

In addition to the team grade, and the possibility of adjusting an individual’s grade based on unusual individual performance on the team project, each student can acquire individual bonus points through regular class attendance, by providing thoughtful peer critiques, and by demonstrating engineering skill development.

TEAM WIKI/NOTEBOOK

Each team will be provided with a Thayer Wiki page and a project notebook to record its progress. This log will be the basis for discussion of both group and individual performance at the weekly meetings with the student advisors. The notebook must be updated at least once per week and will be reviewed and evaluated every week and at the end of the course.

ADVISOR MEETINGS

Each team will be expected to meet with its student advisor (TA) at least once a week and preferably two times. Team performance should be assessed at least once a week when the performance of individual members and the team as a whole are evaluated. The TA will sign the group notebook each week.

INSTRUCTOR MEETINGS

Each team will meet at least twice per quarter with Professor Lotko to discuss team performance and overall progress on the project.

The Couch Project Design Lab, Room M009/014 off the Atrium, has been assigned as the project space for this course. The Lab is staffed by a TA when it is open.