Abstract
Two Electrical Engineering and two Biological & Agricultural Engineering students initiated a student-led project with staff at the campus steam plant to create a detailed design for a back pressure turbine, generator, and power conditioning equipment. Project learning consisted of interviewing electric utility staff, touring other co-generation facilities within the region,campus-wide monitoring steam pressure to determine the minimum main steam pressure,modeling performance of different plant configurations and operating parameters using Engineering Equation Solver, and conducting multiple design reviews with senior facilities staff. Seasonal steam demand was considered in sizing the turbine and in accurately estimating savings in the annual campus electricity bill, amounting to $190,000. The team received kudos from an architect engineering firm retained by the University and won two awards at the university's 2014 Design Expo. An implementation cost of $1.5 M was established through deep interaction with equipment vendors and an internal rate of return of11% was determined. This easily exceeds the university minimum required for facilities improvement projects. The team's solution includes instrumentation that can support laboratory studies in multiple STEM courses, is visually attractive in its layout within our historic steam plant building, and is sustainable in its use of local wood waste. Project outcomes are assessed through a survey of students, faculty, and facilities staff. Success factors included student connection with a DOE sponsored Industrial Assessment Center program, professional preparation in prior course work, capstone course requirements as well as milestones that were aligned with project needs, and a welcoming, continuous improvement mindset displayed by steam plant personnel. The paper concludes with suggested practices for enriching energy conservation projects done with campus facilities.