Through a series of four lessons, students are introduced to many factors …
Through a series of four lessons, students are introduced to many factors that affect the power output of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. Factors such as the angle of the sun, panel temperature, specific circuit characteristics, and reflected radiation determine the efficiency of solar panels. These four lessons are paired with hands-on activities in which students design, build and test small photovoltaic systems. Students collect their own data, and examine different variables to determine their effects on the efficiency of PV panels to generate electrical power.
This class will study the behavior of photovoltaic solar energy systems, focusing …
This class will study the behavior of photovoltaic solar energy systems, focusing on the behavior of “stand-alone” systems. The design of stand-alone photovoltaic systems will be covered. This will include estimation of costs and benefits, taking into account any available government subsidies. Introduction to the hardware elements and their behavior will be included.
This course examines classical and quantum models of electrons and lattice vibrations …
This course examines classical and quantum models of electrons and lattice vibrations in solids, emphasizing physical models for elastic properties, electronic transport, and heat capacity. Topics covered include: crystal lattices, electronic energy band structures, phonon dispersion relatons, effective mass theorem, semiclassical equations of motion, and impurity states in semiconductors, band structure and transport properties of selected semiconductors, and connection of quantum theory of solids with quasifermi levels and Boltzmann transport used in device modeling.
In this activity, learners construct a device out of a piezoelectric igniter, …
In this activity, learners construct a device out of a piezoelectric igniter, like those used as barbecue lighters. Learners use the device to remotely start current flowing in a simple series circuit containing a small electric fan.
Students learn about a fascinating electromechanical coupling called piezoelectricity that is being …
Students learn about a fascinating electromechanical coupling called piezoelectricity that is being employed and researched around the world for varied purposes, often for creative energy harvesting methods. A PowerPoint(TM) presentation provides an explanation of piezoelectric materials at the atomic scale, and how this phenomenon converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A range of applications, both tested and conceptual, are presented to engage students in the topic. Gaining this background understanding prepares students to conduct the associated hands-on activity in which they create their own small piezoelectric "generators."
Student teams measure voltage and current in order to determine the power …
Student teams measure voltage and current in order to determine the power output of a photovoltaic (PV) panel. They vary the resistance in a simple circuit connected to the panel to demonstrate the effects on voltage, current, and power output. After collecting data, they calculate power for each resistance setting, creating a graph of current vs. voltage, and indentifying the maximum power point.
Students use potatoes to light an LED clock (or light bulb) as …
Students use potatoes to light an LED clock (or light bulb) as they learn how a battery works in a simple circuit and how chemical energy changes to electrical energy. As they learn more about electrical energy, they better understand the concepts of voltage, current and resistance.
6.622 covers modeling, analysis, design, control, and application of circuits for energy …
6.622 covers modeling, analysis, design, control, and application of circuits for energy conversion and control. As described by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), power electronics technology “encompasses the use of electronic components, the application of circuit theory and design techniques, and the development of analytical tools toward efficient electronic conversion, control, and conditioning of electric power.” Students taking this class will come away with an understanding of the fundamental principles of power electronics, and knowledge of how to both analyze and design power electronic components and systems.
6.334 examines the application of electronics to energy conversion and control. Topics …
6.334 examines the application of electronics to energy conversion and control. Topics covered include: modeling, analysis, and control techniques; design of power circuits including inverters, rectifiers, and DC-DC converters; analysis and design of magnetic components and filters; and characteristics of power semiconductor devices. Numerous application examples will be presented such as motion control systems, power supplies, and radio-frequency power amplifiers. The course is worth 6 engineering design points.
Students imagine they are stranded on an island and must create the …
Students imagine they are stranded on an island and must create the brightest light possible with the meager supplies they have on hand in order to gain the attention of a rescue airplane. In small groups, students create circuits using items in their "survival kits" to create maximum voltage, measured with a multimeter and two LED lights. To complete the activity, students act as engineers by using the given materials to create circuits that produces the highest voltage and light up the most LED lights. They apply their knowledge of how voltage differs in a series circuit and a parallel circuit to design their solutions.
You can build a wide range of practical electronic devices if you …
You can build a wide range of practical electronic devices if you understand a few basic electronics concepts and follow some simple rules. These devices include light-activated and sound-activated toys and appliances, remote controls, timers and clocks, and motorized devices. The subject begins with an overview of the fundamental concepts, followed by a series of laboratory exercises that demonstrate the basic rules, and a final project.
6.811: Principles and Practice of Assistive Technology (PPAT) is an interdisciplinary, project-based …
6.811: Principles and Practice of Assistive Technology (PPAT) is an interdisciplinary, project-based course, centered around a design project in which small teams of students work closely with a person with a disability in the Cambridge area to design a device, piece of equipment, app, or other solution that helps them live more independently.
The course serves as an introduction to the theory and practice behind …
The course serves as an introduction to the theory and practice behind many of today’s communications systems. 6.450 forms the first of a two-course sequence on digital communication. The second class, 6.451 Principles of Digital Communication II, is offered in the spring. Topics covered include: digital communications at the block diagram level, data compression, Lempel-Ziv algorithm, scalar and vector quantization, sampling and aliasing, the Nyquist criterion, PAM and QAM modulation, signal constellations, finite-energy waveform spaces, detection, and modeling and system design for wireless communication.
This course is the second of a two-term sequence with 6.450. The …
This course is the second of a two-term sequence with 6.450. The focus is on coding techniques for approaching the Shannon limit of additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels, their performance analysis, and design principles. After a review of 6.450 and the Shannon limit for AWGN channels, the course begins by discussing small signal constellations, performance analysis and coding gain, and hard-decision and soft-decision decoding. It continues with binary linear block codes, Reed-Muller codes, finite fields, Reed-Solomon and BCH codes, binary linear convolutional codes, and the Viterbi algorithm. More advanced topics include trellis representations of binary linear block codes and trellis-based decoding; codes on graphs; the sum-product and min-sum algorithms; the BCJR algorithm; turbo codes, LDPC codes and RA codes; and performance of LDPC codes with iterative decoding. Finally, the course addresses coding for the bandwidth-limited regime, including lattice codes, trellis-coded modulation, multilevel coding and shaping. If time permits, it covers equalization of linear Gaussian channels.
The course serves as an introduction to the theory and practice behind …
The course serves as an introduction to the theory and practice behind many of today’s communications systems. 6.450 forms the first of a two-course sequence on digital communication. The second class, 6.451, is offered in the spring. Topics covered include: digital communications at the block diagram level, data compression, Lempel-Ziv algorithm, scalar and vector quantization, sampling and aliasing, the Nyquist criterion, PAM and QAM modulation, signal constellations, finite-energy waveform spaces, detection, and modeling and system design for wireless communication.
This class introduces students to the interdisciplinary nature of 21st-century engineering projects …
This class 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 by participating in real engineering projects with faculty and industry; this semester’s major project focuses on the engineering and economics of solar cells. Student teams will create prototypes and mixed media reports with exercises in project planning, analysis, design, optimization, demonstration, reporting and team building.
This course introduces theoretical and practical principles of design of oceanographic sensor …
This course introduces theoretical and practical principles of design of oceanographic sensor systems. Topics include: transducer characteristics for acoustic, current, temperature, pressure, electric, magnetic, gravity, salinity, velocity, heat flow, and optical devices; limitations on these devices imposed by ocean environments; signal conditioning and recording; noise, sensitivity, and sampling limitations; and standards. Lectures by experts cover the principles of state-of-the-art systems being used in physical oceanography, geophysics, submersibles, acoustics. For lab work, day cruises in local waters allow students to prepare, deploy and analyze observations from standard oceanographic instruments.
This course is an introduction to the design, analysis, and fundamental limits …
This course is an introduction to the design, analysis, and fundamental limits of wireless transmission systems. Topics to be covered include: wireless channel and system models; fading and diversity; resource management and power control; multiple-antenna and MIMO systems; space-time codes and decoding algorithms; multiple-access techniques and multiuser detection; broadcast codes and precoding; cellular and ad-hoc network topologies; OFDM and ultrawideband systems; and architectural issues.
The aim of this course is to introduce the principles of the …
The aim of this course is to introduce the principles of the Global Positioning System and to demonstrate its application to various aspects of Earth Sciences. The specific content of the course depends each year on the interests of the students in the class. In some cases, the class interests are towards the geophysical applications of GPS and we concentrate on high precision (millimeter level) positioning on regional and global scales. In other cases, the interests have been more toward engineering applications of kinematic positioning with GPS in which case the concentration is on positioning with slightly less accuracy but being able to do so for a moving object. In all cases, we concentrate on the fundamental issues so that students should gain an understanding of the basic limitations of the system and how to extend its application to areas not yet fully explored.
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