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3.003

Small Planet Engineering: Climate, Energy, and Sustainability

3-0-6 units · Undergraduate

Introduces students to the interdisciplinary nature of 21st-century engineering projects with three threads of learning: a technical toolkit, a social science toolkit, and a methodology for problem-based learning. Students encounter the social, political, economic, and technological challenges of engineering practice via case studies and engineering projects focused on climate, energy, and sustainability. Includes a six-stage term project in which student teams develop solutions through exercises in project planning, analysis, design, optimization, demonstration, reporting, and team building. 3.004 includes an additional solar cell design and fabrication project. Preference to first-year students.

Spring 2010 · Principles of Engineering Practice

Topics

  • Introduction to course, content, process, solar energy
  • Lab 1: Index of Refraction
  • Case Study 1: An Ethical Engineer
  • Lab 2: Communications: Oral/Written
  • Lab 3: Measure the Speed of Light
  • Photons, Semiconductors, and Energy
  • Guest Lecture: Fred Salvucci , “History of Boston Transportation, 1630-2007.”
  • The Solar Cell Lecture
  • Guest Lecture: Prof. Eugene Fitzgerald, “Platforms and Learning Curves.”
  • Guest Lecture: Prof. William Uricchio , “Putting Human Agency Back Into the Equation.”
  • Lab 4: Simulation of Solar Cells
  • Guest Lecture: Prof. Randolph Kirchain, “Moving Towards Sustainable Materials Use.”
  • Cultural Differences in Engineering Practice: Introduction to collaboration with University of Tokyo
  • Engineering the Future of Solar Electricity
  • Field Trip with Fred Salvucci: Walk the Big Dig
  • Project 1A: Electricity Generation System Constraints
  • Project 2A: Solar Cell Materials; assignment of teams
  • Project 2B: Solar Cell Performance
  • Project 1C: Engineering the Future of Solar Electricity
  • Guest Lecture: Prof. Akira Toriumi ( PDF ), “Semiconductor Technology Evolution and Generalized Moore’s Law.”
  • Class discussion of draft written reports
  • Guest Lecture: Prof. Kazumi Wada ( PDF ), “Solar Cell.”
  • Project 1D: Final project team presentations and written reports
  • Editing of report for final project
  • Guest Lecture: Prof. Christopher Weaver , “How To Be a Big Engineer and What You Can Do for Society.”

Prerequisites & course information

Subject meets with 3.004 Prereq: None U (Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-6 units Credit cannot also be received for 3.004 , 3.008

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