REU Site: Engineering Next Generation Energy Processes and Systems

美国(除发展中国家外)能源使用量的增加对能源成本产生了负面影响，偶尔还会导致能源短缺。这些趋势预计将在未来几十年恶化，因为预计未来25年，仅美国的能源使用量就将增长50%以上。显然，开发新的和创新的能源生产和能源系统方法将是下一代面临的关键挑战。为了迎接这一挑战，下一代工程师必须学会为能源相关问题开发新颖而实用的解决方案。他们必须了解与能源生产相关的关键问题，并学会解决这一领域中不熟悉的问题。这将通过开展能源研究来实现。康涅狄格大学的REU现场项目每年将为12名本科生提供进行下一代能源工艺和系统研究的机会。12名学生每人将有两名教师导师，他们将帮助指导该项目。除了学生的研究努力，该项目还提供了一系列新颖的研讨会和研讨会，旨在：(1)通过一系列关于如何进行研究的研讨会，为开展研究提供一个框架，(2)确保学生了解如何进行符合道德的研究，(3)提高他们对与能源发电相关的许多行业问题的认识，以及(4)提高他们的书面和口头交流技能。该计划将以一个计划结束的迷你会议结束，与会者将在会上展示他们的研究成果。世界范围内能源利用的持续增加带来了不容忽视的问题。将需要新的技术解决方案来解决能源发电量增加的问题。此外，将需要源源不断的训练有素的专业人员来提供研究和设计专业知识。通过让工科本科生参加一个结构化的项目，向他们介绍能源发电研究中的挑战，该项目有望提供一些这样的专业人员。此外，该项目还将介绍对研究伦理和交流的重要见解。REU Site计划有五个明显可识别的更广泛的影响。这些包括：(1)学生将进行有意义的研究，为他们各自的问题提供知识；(2)学生将认识到进行研究并以伦理方式进行研究的重要性和复杂性；(3)在一定程度上，由于这种研究经验，学生将继续从事研究生工作；(4)该计划将鼓励来自代表性不足群体的学生参与研究；(5)PI将把从该计划发展出来的想法(特别是关于如何进行研究和“研究伦理”)传递给本科生计划，从而使更多的受众受到影响。

Increased energy usage by the United States (in addition to developing countries) has negatively impacted energy costs and has occasionally led to energy shortages. These trends are expected to worsen in coming decades, as energy usage in the U.S. alone is projected to grow by more than 50% in the next 25 years. Clearly, developing new and innovative approaches to energy generation and energy systems will be a key challenge for the next generation. To meet this challenge, it is critical that the next generation of engineers learn to develop novel, yet practical solutions to energy related problems. They must understand the critical issues related to energy generation and learn to attack unfamiliar problems in this field. This will be accomplished by conducting energy research. This REU Site program at the University of Connecticut will give twelve undergraduates per year an opportunity to conduct research on next generation energy processes and systems. Each of the twelve students will have two faculty mentors, who will help steer the project. In addition to the student's research efforts, this program also provides a series of novel seminars and workshops that are intended: (1) to provide a framework for conducting research through a series of seminars on "how to do research", (2 ) to insure that the students understand how to conduct research ethically, (3) to increase their awareness of the many industry-based problems related to energy generation and (4) to improve their written and oral communication skills. The program will conclude with an end-of-program mini-conference, at which participants will present their research findings. The continued increase in world-wide energy utilization poses problems that can no longer be ignored. New technical solutions will be required to address increased energy generation. Moreover, a continuous stream of trained professionals will be required to provide research and design expertise. By involving undergraduate engineering students in a structured program to introduce them to the challenges in energy generation research, this program expects to provide some of these professionals. Moreover, this program will also introduce important insight into research ethics and communications. The REU site program has five clearly identifiable broader impacts. These include: (1) students will conduct meaningful research that contributes knowledge toward their respective problems, (2) students will appreciate the importance and complexity of doing research and doing it ethically, (3) that, in part, because of this research experience the students will pursue graduate work, (4) that this program will encourage students from underrepresented groups to participate in research, and (5) PIs will port the ideas developed from this program (specifically dealing with "how to do research" and "research ethics") to the undergraduate program, such that a larger audience will be affected.