Summer Workshop on Sustainable Energy

For middle and high school teachers teaching STEM classes

Brought to you by The Ohio State University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and American Electric Power under a grant from the US Department of Energy

This two and one half-day workshop will consist of five modules, each with a lecture, followed by hands-on activities or tours. The workshop will cover the basics of electric power, the Smart Grid, solar energy, smart lighting, and the future power grid. It also includes hands-on lab exercises and tours of energy labs at AEP and Ohio State, including a high-voltage lightning simulation lab; the Center for Automotive Research, the home of the Buckeye Bullet (OSU’s record-setting, electric land speed racer); and a 150 ft. wind turbine!

Each teacher who completes the workshop will receive a set of Thames & Kosmos Power House experiment kits for his or her classroom, and a certification of attendance. Lunch will be provided.

flyer for this event

Cost: $10 per teacher

Schedule:
Monday (6/18) - 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday (6/19) - 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday (6/20) - 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Application Deadline April 30, 2012
Enrollment is limited to 30 teachers
To apply, please download and complete the application.

Questions? Contact Wendolyn Flores at floresw@ece.osu.edu.

2012 Topics:

Module 1: Basics of electric power
Introduces safety, the electric power system structure, and how the electricity is generated, transmitted, and distributed.  The lab will demonstrate electric field phenomena under high voltage, and use a 1 MV impulse generator that simulates lightning and a 5MV Tesla transformer.  

Module 2: Basics of Smart Grid  
Presents the smart grid concept and related key technologies.  The lab demonstration includes the Virtual Smart Grid test platform at OSU and real Smart Grid facilities at American Electric Power (AEP).

Module 3: The power from the sun
Focuses on photovoltaic-related technologies.  The lab has circuit level demos, such as power output with and without advanced conditioning circuitry, and a tour of Nanotech, OSU’s Ohio Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization.  

Module 4: Smart lighting
Introduces smart light concepts for energy conservation.  Lab includes tour and demonstration of the OSU smart lighting lab.

Module 5: Future power grid  
Introduction to future power grid concepts, such as the zero-emission home and the DC network.  We’ll start from the AC/DC war between Edison and Tesla, go through one hundred years of power engineering, and finally present the need for a new breed of power engineers in the near future.  The lab demonstration will be at research labs in OSU and AEP.