Authors: Ariane Jong, Esther Cookson and Daniel Kahl.
The authors are MS/PHD students in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and will be Teaching Assistants this coming year for a two-course sequence on fluid mechanics and water resources engineering. Ari and Daniel were also appointed as DTEI fellows in summer of 2020.
Contact: arianej@uci.edu, cooksone@uci.edu, dkahl1@uci.edu
What course/lab are you planning?
We are planning the hands-on laboratory component of a two-course sequence: Introduction to Fluid Mechanics (ENGRCEE 170) and Water Resources Engineering (ENGRCEE 171).
Figure 1
A kit delivered to students includes plastic fittings, rubber washers, and tubing so students can create physical models of water reservoirs and distribution systems at home.
What are the main instructional goals?
This course sequence introduces students to fluid mechanics (including mechanisms and conservation principles for mass, momentum and energy transport) and the application of these principles for analysis and design of water resources systems such as water supply systems and drainage systems.
Hands-on learning experiences are included to bring theory and problem-solving to life and allow students to contemplate the limitations of theory and grapple with the challenges of measurement errors. Additionally, these experiences aim to give students an opportunity to be creative by designing a system to meet a specific need. Specific learning outcomes include knowledge of measurement techniques, analyzing data, merging theory/models with data, designing water systems and report preparation.
What steps are you taking to achieve these goals during the COVID-19 pandemic?
With input and guidance from Professors Russell Detwiler and Brett Sanders, and inspired by the use of kits for at-home labs in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, we designed a new set of laboratory assignments that students can do at home with a kit to achieve the hands-on learning goals of the class. The experimental kit includes an assortment of low-cost supplies like plastic nozzle fittings, rubber washers, and tubing, which students will combine with 2-liter plastic bottles to create physical models of water networks with reservoirs, pumps, and pipelines (Figure 1). The kit also includes a small submersible pump and a measuring tape, and students can use smart phones as timers for measurement purposes. The purchase and delivery of these kits to each student was made possible by a sponsorship from the Irvine Ranch Water District.
In the first course, ENGRCEE 170, students will collect data on water level, flow velocity, and discharge and use these observations to develop, calibrate, and validate a simulation model. The model is then used to make a prediction on a system with different dimensions. Hence, the main goal here is for students to grapple with concepts of measurement error, structural model error, and uncertainties in predictions.
Figure 2
The kits allow students to build and test physical models of water system networks including reservoirs, pipelines and pumps.
In the second course, ENGRCEE 171, students will use the test kit to build water networks consisting of multiple reservoirs and pipelines that are interconnected in different ways with tubing. From week to week, the system configuration will change allowing students to test different hypotheses about flow of water in network systems. Eventually, the students will configure a network that models a simplified water distribution network including a submersible pump (Figure 2). Data collected from this system will then be used for system modeling with software developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for water supply system analysis and design, EPANET. These experiences will allow students to deepen understanding of network concepts such as “flow in parallel” and “flow in series.” Students will also gain experience using software that is widely used in practice and experience learn how well software can reproduce what is observed with measurements.
What’s one thing you would want other instructors to know based on your experience?
DTEI training emphasized that you can never really know what kind of circumstance a student might be in, or what factors may be affecting their capacity to learn from home during this time. Consequently, we each spent time building these systems at home with careful consideration to the resources that would be needed, including tools, supplies and guidance. We also tested out different experimental procedures to find the best approach, and we prepared a set of instructional videos for guidance. Hence, our first message we’d like to share is that it’s important to consider the types of resources (tools, water supply, etc.) that students are likely to have at home, and its valuable to test lab procedures in several different household settings so methods can be optimized before assigning them to the class.
The second point we want to emphasize is that at-home labs present students an opportunity for greater autonomy and responsibility in a creative process, and for making critical design decisions. In our Department, most class projects involve teams and there is no shortage of opportunities to gain experience in teamwork. However, when students work in teams, the level of engagement of students is variable leading to a type of inequity where some students gain much more experience than others. We plan to survey student attitudes about the experience at the end of the quarter and learn more about the pros and cons of this approach.
Acknowledgement
Sponsorship of the at-home labs by the Irvine Ranch Water District is gratefully acknowledged.