Project Readiness Package Chem E Lab Hardware: Lab Equipmentrev 5/21/2012

Project Readiness Package Chem E Lab Hardware: Lab EquipmentRev 5/21/2012

Roadmap Overview

The Kate Gleason College of engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology strives to provide students with the best education possible. The goal of the college is to create graduates that fully understand fundamental engineering theories, that are capable of applying these theories in the field, and that can effectively communicate concepts that are generated by these theories. To meet this goal, the college places strong emphasis on physical demonstrations and laboratory courses. Interface with demonstrations and laboratory procedures enhances student comprehension of lectured theory and often provides student with a tangible application for such theory. Furthermore, documentation assignments that follow these experiences teach students to effectively communicate with others.

In order to accommodate student’s needs, existing curriculum is continuously adapted, and new curriculum is continuously created. The Mechanical engineering department currently wishes to develop in-class demonstrations pertaining to core principles in thermodynamics and heat transfer. The Chemical engineering department currently wishes to develop laboratory equipment that enhances student comprehension of conductive heat transfer and thermal conductivity. The R12310 parent roadmap provides the means for Multidisciplinary Senior Design teams to develop, design, and build these demonstrations and equipment. This package provides the guidelines for an MSD team to produce the Chemical engineering laboratory equipment.

Administrative Information

Project Name: Chem E Lab Equipment
Project Number: NA
Project Family: ME and ChemE Lab Hardware
Parent Roadmap: R12310
Planning Term: 2011-3 (Spring)
Start Term: 2012-1 (Fall) (tentative)
End Term: 2012-2 (Winter) (tentative) / Faculty: TBD
Project Customer: RIT KGCOE
Chemical Engineering Dept.
Project Sponsors: Dr. Karuna S. Koppula
Mr. Paul Gregorius
Project Budget: $1200 (tentative)

Project Overview:

The Chemical engineering department at Rochester Institute of Technology wishes to acquire laboratory equipment that will enhance student comprehension of core heat transfer topics. Specifically, the department would like to develop hardware that provides students with the ability to observe conductive heat transfer and the ability to measure the thermal conductivity of a material.

Stakeholders for this project have indicated that the equipment should demonstrate both transient and steady state conductive heat transfer. Heat transfer is a difficult process to demonstrate because it cannot be directly observed visually. This package proposes that one way to demonstrate conductive heat transfer is to show the temperature distribution across a specimen subject to heat flux. This display would illustrate the fundamental definition of conduction: the transfer of heat through a solid or static fluid due to a spatial temperature difference.

Stakeholders for this product have also indicated that the equipment’s primary capability must be to provide the means to calculate the thermal conductivity of a material. Thermal conductivity is a material property and is a measure of its ability to conduct heat. The simplest method to calculate thermal conductivity is to utilize a one-dimensional thermal circuit at steady state. In a one-dimensional thermal circuit, the material subject to conduction is treated as a resistor, the temperatures at the material boundaries are treated as voltages, and the heat flux through the material is treated as a current. In an experimental setting, the temperatures and heat flux could be measured, and the thermal resistance of a specimen could be calculated using Ohm’s law (q = ∆T/R). Since thermal resistance is a function of specimen geometry and thermal conductivity, the thermal conductivity of the specimen material could be extracted from this value.

In addition to the design and build process, the MSD team will prepare a document that will allow for the final product to be readily reproduced. This documentation will later be utilized to fabricate three sets of the equipment. These additional sets of equipment will be integrated into the chemical engineering department’s Chemical Principles Lab.

The MSD team’s primary task is to develop equipment that provides students with the ability to observe conductive heat transfer and the ability to measure the thermal conductivity of a material. These primary requirements encompass a list of customer needs that is given later in this package. Note that the methods described above are only suggestions for how to satisfy the needs of the customer. The MSD team that accepts this project is expected and encouraged to develop alternatives to these methods.

Project Context:

The Chemical engineering department at Rochester Institute of Technology has created two laboratory courses that are exclusive to the Chemical engineering curriculum. These courses are the Chemical Principles Lab and the Unit Operations Lab, and are designed to be taken in sequence. The Chemical Principals lab is intended to introduce students to chemical laboratory procedures. The Unit Operations Lab teaches students to utilize advanced chemical engineering equipment, and incorporates all of the concepts studied in the Chemical Principles Lab. The equipment that is produced by the MSD will be incorporated into the Chemical Principles Lab. The following points provide a brief description of the composition of this course:

• The lab reinforces topics covered in thermodynamics and heat transfer
• Students are introduced to basic equipment and methodologies for designing laboratory experiments, measuring results, interpreting data, and drawing objective conclusions
• Students work in teams of 3-4 to design experimental procedures, identify lab equipment, and assemble simply apparatus to achieve specific experimental goals
• Strong emphasis is placed on student independence and ability to design and adapt lab procedures for specific applications
• Assignments and lab write ups are relatively short

These points capture the intent of the Chemical Principles Lab, and should be kept in mind as the MSD team develops the final product.

The Chemical Principles Lab meets twice a week, in three hour periods. During each quarter, six of these periods are allocated to heat transfer principles. Two periods are spent reviewing heat transfer principles, two periods are spent completing a conductive heat transfer experiment, and two periods are spent completing a convective heat transfer experiment. Currently, the conductive heat transfer experiment is designed by the students. At the end of the heat transfer review, students are assigned to develop an experiment to determine the thermal conductivity of a material. The review is given several weeks before the periods allotted for the experiment, in order to give students time to develop the experiment design.

In general, this method has been unsuccessful. Therefore, the equipment that is produced by the MSD team will eliminate the experiment design process assigned to the students. In contrast, the Chemical engineering department has stressed that the hardware must maintain student independence. The equipment provided by the MSD team must successfully demonstrate conductive heat transfer, and provide the means to measure thermal conductivity; however, utilization of the equipment must involve several students, and must require a fundamental understanding of conductive heat transfer principles

Note: A detailed outline for the integration of the equipment into the existing Chemical Principals Lab is provided in a separate Project Readiness Package.

Detailed Project Description:

Customer Needs Assessment:

The following table provides a detailed list of the needs of the customer. Note that the needs for each category are listed in order of decreasing importance.

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Project Readiness Package Chem E Lab Hardware: Lab EquipmentRev 5/21/2012

Functional Decomposition:

The diagram below provides a graphical representation of the functions that the equipment must perform in order to meet the customer needs.

Constraints: (1) The cost to design and build the equipment must fit into the department’s budget. (2) The equipment must be safe for all users and observers.

Engineering Metrics:

The table below provides a detailed list of the specifications that were defined in order for the equipment to meet the customer needs.

House of Quality:

The table below is a “house of quality” that correlates the ability for the engineering metrics to meet the customer needs. Note that the customer needs with the highest ranking of importance generally yield the highest totals in the rightmost column.

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Project Readiness Package Chem E Lab Hardware: Lab EquipmentRev 5/21/2012

Constraints:

The duration of all projects under this parent roadmap is subject to the following constraints.

Regulatory Constraints

• The design shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• The team's design project report should include references and citations that are in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.
• The design shall comply with all applicable RIT Policies and Procedures.
• The team's design project report should include references and citations that are in compliance with all applicable RIT Policies and Procedures.

Economic Constraints

• The team will be required to budget any allocated funds and not exceed the amount that is agreed upon between the team and customer.
• The team will be required to keep track of all expenses incurred by their project.
• Purchases for this road map will be approved and channeled through the corresponding department for which they are needed. All purchases must follow any departmental guidelines that are currently set in place.

Environmental Constraints

• Adverse environmental impacts of the project are to be minimized.
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are required for all materials used.

Social Constraints

• Laboratory exercises and demonstrations that result from these projects should be applicable to students of various learning styles and educational backgrounds.

Ethical Constraints

• Every member of every team is expected to comply with Institute Policies, including the Policy on Academic Honesty, and the Policy on Academic Accommodations.

Health and Safety Constraints

• Wherever practical, the design should follow industry standard codes and standards (e.g. Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), FCC regulations, IEEE standards, and relevant safety standards as prescribed by IEC, including IEC60601). The team's design project report should include references to, and compliance with industry codes or standards.

Manufacturability Constraints

• Commercially available, Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components available from more than one vendor are preferred.
• Students should articulate the reasoning and logic behind tolerances and specifications on manufacturing dimensions and purchasing specifications.

Sustainability Constraints

• All equipment that results from this family of projects should be able to be re-used over the course of several academic terms.

Staffing:

The table below illustrates the staffing that is suggested for this project.

Position / Position Description and Student Credentials
Mechanical Engineer
(3 students) / The mechanical engineers will be responsible for the thermal analysis pertaining to this project. This will entail the development of the method that that will be used to createthe one dimensional thermal circuit.This will also include the determination of necessary parameters for the system to reach steady state in the specified amount of time, with the specified temperature gradient (specimen geometry, flow rates, heat generation, etc.). The ME’s will be responsible for the implementation of thermal measuring devices and the corresponding DAQ software. The ME’s will assist in the testing of these components once they are put into place.
The mechanical engineers will be responsible for the 3D modeling, and manufacturing prints for all components of this project. During MSDII, the ME’s will utilize these prints to fabricate components in order to deliver a final product. Furthermore, these prints will be included in the documentation that allows for the final product to be reproduced.
Electrical Engineer
(1 student) / The electrical engineer will be responsible for the design of the wiring schematic and computer programing for the equipment. The schematic will include the power supply for all heating elements, coolant pumps and thermal measuring devices. The schematic will also include the interface between these components. The EE will program closed loop controls in order to maintain constant heat generation and heat transfer coefficients. The computer programming for this project will also include the signal processing of outputs obtained from thermal measuring devices.
The electrical engineer will be responsible for the hardwiring of the equipment during MSDII.The EE will produce a final wiring schematic to be included documentation that allows for the final product to be reproduced.
Industrial Engineer
(1 student) / The industrial engineer will be responsible for the implementation of this equipment into the existing Chemical Principles Lab. The IE will insure that the equipment is safe and easy to use, and that it can be used (assembled, operated, and disassembled) in a time efficient manner. The IE will also insure that the equipment provides consistent and accurate results. The IE will develop a test plan to measure the design’s ability to meet these standards.
The industrial engineer will develop appropriate instructions for utilization and maintenance of the equipment. As a deliverable, the IE will prepare the necessary documentation for the final product to be reproduced. This documentation will include manufacturing prints, wiring schematics, and specifications for purchased components.

Additional Resources:

The table below lists additional resources that may be required for the MSD team to complete this project.

Category / Source / Description / Resource Available (Y/N)
Faculty / RIT ME/EE/IE Departments / Faculty from each department to provide guidance. Expertise is required in thermodynamics(ME), fluid mechanics(ME), heat transfer(ME), transport phenomena(ME), DAQS(ME/IE), system control(ME/EE), signal processing(EE), processes and workflow(IE), and experiment design(IE). / Y
Environment / RIT Senior Design Space / A designated place to work and store all materials necessary for project completion and organization. / Y
Equipment / RIT Senior Design Space / The MSD team should have access to the MIC lab (09-2230) and the machine shop for the duration of the project. / Y
Materials / Online and Local Suppliers / Required materials include: metal stock, sheet metal, fasteners, pumps, tubing, flow meters, heating elements, thermocouples, wires, etc. / Y

Prepared By: Cory J. Smiley Date: 05/21/2012

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