What if "every breath you take, every move you make" (Sting 1983) could be harnessed to produce renewable energy? Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are state-of-the-art devices researchers are studying to do just that--convert kinetic energy into electrical energy at the source (Saurabh Rathore 2018). This type of electrical energy is…

The "electric grid" is the system of power generators, power lines, and other equipment that transports electricity from where it is generated to where it is used. Electricity and its distribution are crucial to the functioning of modern society, yet its dynamics often go unseen and unnoticed by the public. Teaching about the sources…

Contribution: A novel multidisciplinary undergraduate course on alternative energy (AE) engineering that addresses gaps in current AE education, provides hands on skills, and matches topical coverage with societal needs. Background: Resource depletion and emissions associated with burning fossil fuels have led to growing worldwide interest in…

Powerbanks differ in the amount of energy they can store. Usually this capacity (in a colloquial sense) of the powerbanks is stated in the form of charge in mAh for effective advertising. From a physical point of view, shouldn't the energy that a powerbank can provide be of interest? For students, charging smartphones with power banks is…

This paper deals with an integration of STEM education and project-based learning (PBL) by introducing a hybrid hardware/software-based learning platform covering eight learning units. PBL not only bridges the gap between theory and practice, but also focuses on improving students' soft skills, which is important as they prepare for further…

Although we may consider the power outlets in our homes to be nearly ideal voltage sources, a variety of influences in and around the home can cause departures from the nominal 60 Hz, 110-120 V root-mean-square (rms) of the North American grid. Even without instrumentation, we can see that a large motor starting from rest can be sufficient to…

The abstract nature of electric potential difference (voltage) can make it a difficult concept to grasp, but understanding the relative nature of voltage is central to developing a conceptual understanding of electric circuits. In laboratory situations, I see these conceptual difficulties manifest when students have difficulty placing voltmeter…

Charging a capacitor with a photovoltaic module is an experiment which reveals a lot about the modules characteristics. It is customary to represent these characteristics with an equivalent circuit whose elements represent its physical parameters. The behavior of a photovoltaic module is very similar to that of a single cell but the electric…

A remote-controlled experiment for power electronics was developed for a virtual laboratory. Power converter experiments were set up, allowing students to conduct a remote-controlled experiment with special hardware and electric power. Students can activate parameter controls, connect wires, and tune electric load conditions with preset electronic…

The design and fabrication of functional scientific instrumentation allows students to forge a link between commonly reported numbers and physical material properties. Here, a two-point and four-point probe station for measuring electrical properties of solid materials is fabricated via 3D printing utilizing an inexpensive benchtop…

Educating our future citizens in science and engineering is vitally important to ensure future advancement. Presently, in the light of environmental sustainability, it is critical that students learn concepts relating to energy, its consumption and future demands. In this article, we harness the state of the educational technology, namely…

We are hereby presenting a didactic concept for an advanced lab course that focuses on the design of donor materials for organic solar cells. Its research-related and competence-based approach qualifies the students to independently and creatively apply computational methods and to profoundly and critically discuss the results obtained. The high…

This article describes a five-day online energy module, developed by the Concord Consortium (an educational research and development organization) in which students compare the effects of various energy sources on air quality, water quality, and land use. The module's interactive models explore hydraulic fracturing, real-world data on energy…

This paper describes a non-classical logic course primarily indicated for graduate students in electrical engineering and energy engineering. The content of this course is based on the vision that it is not enough for a student to indefinitely accumulate knowledge; it is necessary to explore all the occasions to update, deepen, and enrich that…

Aaron Sebens and his fourth grade students received this congratulatory tweet from the White House as a response to the solar-powered classroom that they created in 10 weeks. The process--defining the goals, raising funds, construction, and implementation--involved many subject areas: reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. This…