US-Switzerland Cooperative on: Student Research on Remotely Accessed Energy Labs

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0427516HutzelIn this two-year U.S.-Switzerland cooperative research education project, William Hutzel of Purdue University will take two teams of graduate students to Lucerne, Switzerland to test the limits of a remote access lab concept initiated under NSF's Advanced Technology Education program. The Swiss partner is Rudolf Furter of the HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning) Engineering Department at HTA (Institute for Technology and Architecture) in Lucerne, Switzerland. Teams of students will work to create an international network of web-enabled laboratory equipment. Through remote access, U.S. students will conduct experiments using HVAC equipment in Switzerland and Swiss students will monitor and control a variety of equipment located in the United States when the project is completed. Intellectual MeritThis international education project will create a multi-site laboratory network physically separated by thousands of miles. The Swiss team will develop a detailed summary of sensors and actuators on the HVAC system and write a sequence of operations predicting performance. The U.S. team will develop control strategies, graphics and network protocols for controlling the HVAC equipment. The project directors will then assess and compare the performance of the U.S. and Swiss students who participate in the remote access project. Broader ImpactsThis sustained international partnership adds a global perspective to routine laboratory work and demonstrates the need for global engineering research and practice. As an education research project and teaching tool, it will assess teaching and learning when using equipment in a distance learning format at multiple off-campus sites as well as provide students with an understanding of current HVAC technology.