Spring 2021
Blackboard Access of Course Material On-line (for students enrolled in the course)
INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Walid H. Shayya |
Instructor's Contact Information
|
GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION:
AGEN 151 covers the basic concepts of water hydraulics as applied to hydropower generation. The course is introductory in nature and is intended to provide a basic review of fluid static and hydrodynamic conditions as applied to micro- and mini-hydropower generation systems. Focus will be on utilizing the conservation of energy principle to establish the conditions that will impact the selection of a hydropower generation system. Additional focus will be placed on considering the need and the extent of energy that may be harnessed from flowing fluids (water). Instruction in the course will heavily favor the use of spreadsheets and computer software which will enable the student to solve basic and advanced problems without excessive hand computations. The laboratory exercises will emphasize the hands-on approach to demonstrating concepts and will include a review of basic surveying along with coverage of the associated surveying computations. The course is offered during the spring semester for students who are in their first year of the Renewable Energy A.A.S. program.
Prerequisite: Pass MATH 102 or permission of instructor
3 credits (2 lecture hours, 2 laboratory hours), spring semester
EXPECTED COURSE OUTCOMES:
Upon the successful completion of AGEN 151, the student is expected to have:
Understood the importance of energy conversion and power generation from flowing fluids (water).
Utilized spreadsheets and computer software to solve hydraulic problems that relate to generating power through micro- and mini-hydropower systems.
Collected, documented, evaluated, and analyzed hydraulic parameters.
Carried out vertical, horizontal, and slope distance measurements using a variety of methods.
Developed the skills needed to use a variety of modern surveying equipment.
Conducted leveling exercises with emphasis on available potential energy.
Planned and utilized a number of leveling techniques in the area of hydropower generation and performed basic and advanced leveling computations.
OFFICE HOURS:
The instructor has the following designated office hours per week which will be held virtually during the 2021 Spring semester:
Mondays: 1:00 to 1:50 p.m.
Tuesdays: 11:00 to 11:50 a.m.
Wednesdays: 1:00 to 1:50 p.m.
Thursdays: 11:00 to 11:50 a.m.
Fridays: 1:00 to 1:50 p.m.
Students are encouraged to video (or audio) call the instructor in MS Teams during the listed times. Alternatively, students may make appointments to meet the instructor virtually in MS Teams by contacting the instructor using the following email address: shayyaw@morrisville.edu.
CONTACT HOURS AND CLASS SCHEDULE:
AGEN 151 is a three-credit hour course. It includes four contact hours per week (two for lecture and two for the laboratory). One section of the lecture and one section of the laboratory are offered during the 2021 Spring semester. The schedules of the offered sections are as follows:
AGEN 151 - Section 1 (lecture): Meets asynchronously online twice a week for 50 minutes each -- course was originally scheduled to meet in person on Tuesdays and Thursdays (9:30 to 10:20 a.m.).
AGEN 151 - Section 01L (laboratory): Meets on Thursdays (2:00 to 3:50 p.m.) in 115 Bicknell Hall (except for the first week when the lab. is scheduled to meet online as well as another week when the lab. will meet in 121 Wood Technology Building -- please refer to the outline of laboratory topics for the specific date).
TEXTBOOK:
Shayya, W.H. 2021. Applied Hydraulics for Hydropower Generation (AGEN 151): Class Manual (10th Edition). XanEdu Publishing Inc. (ISBN: 978-1-71141-887-2).
The course manual is available from the campus bookstore. It includes the instructor’s lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations (printed in handout format), pertinent reading material, and printouts of the laboratory exercises. Course material is also available online under Blackboard (accessible only to those students who are enrolled in the course). Other resources are available at the college library and online. Students are encouraged to be actively involved in acquiring some pertinent knowledge from all available resources.
REQUIRED MATERIAL/SUPPLIES:
A laptop computer (course is offered as part of a laptop curriculum).
A scientific calculator.
Graph paper.
Protractor.
Engineer scale.
CLASS POLICIES:
Class Material and Reminders: The lecture and laboratory topics in AGEN 151 will follow the course outline provided on this page (under Blackboard) as well as online at people.morrisville.edu/~shayyaw/AGEN151/AGEN151.htm (the course outline along with course expectations will be covered during the first class recording). Course material will be covered through two weekly recorded lectures that will be made available online (lectures will be recorded using Collaborate Ultra and made available through the “Online Classroom” page to be accessed asynchronously using the “Course Menu” under Blackboard). You should expect the class recordings to be made available by 5:00 p.m. on Sundays starting from February 7, 2021. Weekly reminders for the class will be prepared on Sundays and made available in the "Amouncements" page which may be accessed through the course "Home Page" in Blackboard. Additionally, a copy of the weekly reminders will also be forwarded to the campus email address of every student who is currently enrolled in the class.
Attendance: Each student who is enrolled in AGEN 151 is required to log on Blackboard weekly to review the week's course material and attend to any class assignments. Quizzes and homework assignment must be completed in most weeks of the semester. Attendance for the lectures (and online labs.) will be taken based on the student completing the online weekly quiz (if assigned) and submitting the weekly assignment(s). If the student fails to take a quiz and submit an online assignment when due, the student will be marked absent in the lectures for that week. Appropriate action will be taken when a student misses 20% or more of the course during the semester. Moreover, a student with a few or no class absences during the semester will receive favorable considerations during the grading process when s/he is close to receiving the next higher letter grade. Class examinations will be held online and will be announced at the start of the semester. No make-up examination will be given without a written medical excuse, family emergency, or prior permission from the instructor. Students are responsible for all materials covered, whether assigned or presented online during the recorded lectures and the laboratory exercises.
Student Behavior: As students in a technical program are preparing for a professional career, all students are expected to conduct themselves as professionals (in both manner and dress). Good behavior in the classroom is expected from all students. Students who engage in unacceptable or disruptive behavior will be asked to leave the class.
Eating, drinking, or the consumption of any tobacco products is prohibited in all in-person classroom settings (classroom, laboratory, or field). Doing so may result in the student's dismissal from that class period and will count as an unexcused absence.
Cell phones and pagers must be turned off during in-person instruction time. Use during or disruption of class by these devices will result in the student's dismissal from that class period and an unexcused class absence.
Assignments: AGEN 151 will include eight homework assignments (acounting for 10% of your final grade in the course) and twelve laboratory assignments (acounting for 15% of your final grade in the course). All class assignments will carry equal weights of 10 points each. Additionally, there is a final class project in AGEN 151 which will be worth 10% of your final grade in the course and is due by noon on the last day of the semester. Homework and laboratory assignments must be accessed and submitted through the provided links from the “Homework Submissions” and "Laboratory Submission" pages which are accessible from the "Class Assignments" page under Blackboard. The final project documents must also be accessed and submitted through the provided links from the "Class Assignments" page under Blackboard. Each class assignment must be completed in MS Word and then submitted using the provided assignment link under Blackboard. Assignments must be completed individually and submitted before the provided deadline (although there is usually a grace period of one day for submitting a class assignment in AGEN 151). Please remember that course assignments serve specific educational purpose by allowing the student to learn and apply the covered concepts as well as be engaged with the approach to problem solving in real-life settings. As such, it is important that students complete those assignments accurately, neatly, and on time. Copying another student's assignment (including retyping their answers) or allowing someone else to copy your written assignment is considered cheating and will result in you receiving a zero grade on the assignment. Assignments may not be submitted for a grade once an assignment is corrected and returned to the class. A student missing an assignment will receive a grade of zero on that assignment. At the end of the semester, however, the assignment with the lowest grade for each student for each of the homeworks and laboratories will be dropped.his course will include several assignments. At the end of the semester, the assignment with the lowest grade will be dropped for each student. However, a student missing an assignment will receive a grade of zero on the missed assignment (although this grade could be dropped if the assignment is considered to be the one with the lowest grade). Class assignments will account for 40% of the final grade (15% for laboratory assignments, 10% for homework assignments, and 15% for the class project). Therefore, it is important that students complete their assignments accurately, neatly, and on time. Homework and laboratory assignments received past the due date will be devalued 5% for each day that the item is late. No class assignment of any student will be graded (for credit) once the same class assignment has been corrected and returned to the class.
Examinations/Quizzes: There will be two class examinations and a comprehensive final in AGEN 151. Class examinations will have to be completed individually online under Blackboard and will cover the material presented during the recorded online lectures, in-person laboratories, class assignments, and assigned readings. Starting from week#2, please note that there will be a weekly online quiz (except for the weeks when an exam is scheduled) on the material covered in the recorded weekly lectures. When present, the weekly quiz must be completed between 5:00 p.m. and midnight on Thursdays. A student missing a weekly quiz will receive a grade of zero on the quiz. At the end of the semester, however, the quiz with the lowest grade for each student will be dropped.
Honesty Policy and Discipline (Due Process): Honesty and integrity are major elements in professional behavior and are expected of each student. Any assignment (including those in electronic media) submitted by a student must be of the student's original authorship. Representation of another's work as the student’s own shall constitute plagiarism. Cheating, in any form, is an unacceptable behavior within all college courses. Students having academic problems should consult their academic advisor or a college counselor. Instances of cheating will be dealt with in accordance to the academic policies of SUNY Morrisville. Standards of academic honesty and due process procedures for SUNY Morrisville are located in the Rules, Regulations, and Expectations section of the Student Handbook.
Safety Guidelines: Certain laboratory assignments may require the student to be absent from the professor's immediate supervision. Whether the student is under immediate supervision or not, safe conduct and safe use of equipment shall be the ultimate rule. Failure to comply with prudent safety practice and/or willful disregard for class participants and/or equipment may be cause for immediate dismissal from that particular class session by the professor. Subsequent similar activity may be cause for dismissal from the course.
Things to remember: The nature of the topics covered in AGEN 151 will require a consistent effort from each student (understanding earlier lectures and laboratories will be critical to grasping concepts presented in subsequent lectures and laboratories). Given the course's focus, students are also urged to spend the time in completing laboratory exercises and course assignments on time. Completing assignments well before the due date will give the student a chance to ask questions should s/he encounter problems. Students also should remember to ask questions of the instructor when they face difficulties with course material and the instructor welcomes the opportunity to visit with students whenever needed.
GRADING/EVALUATION OF STUDENT:
Evaluation is a shared responsibility between the professor and the student. The purpose of the evaluation is to demonstrate how well the professor has taught and the student has learned specific course materials, the principles, concepts, and terms relevant to the covered topics. Evaluation is also intended to assess the student's ability to utlize the acquired knowledge and how s/he can use this knowledge in problem-solving.
Most of the laboratory periods will have a graded component or exercise while many of the recorded lecture will involve homework assignments and online quizzes. Class assignments are worth 45% of the total course grade. As such, it is important that students complete their assignments accurately, neatly, and submit them on time.
Two hourly exams and one comprehensive final exam will be given in this course along with 11 quizzes (worth 10% of your final grade in the course). Each of the hourly exams is worth fifteen percent (15%) while the final will be worth twenty percent (20%) of the total course grade. No make-up examination will be given without a written medical excuse, family emergencies, or prior permission from the instructor. Students are responsible for all material covered in the class whether presented during the lectures/laboratories or assigned (homework and reading).
Each student must complete a class project as defined by the instructor. The project will be worth ten percent (10%) of the final grade.
The breakdown of grading in this course will be as follows:
Class Work Ethic and Participation ==> 5% of final grade
Weekly Quizzes ==> 10% of final grade
Homework Assignments ==> 10% of final grade
Laboratory Exercises ==> 15% of final grade
Micro-hydro Site Evaluation Project ==> 10% of final grade
Two Progress Examinations ==> 30% of final grade
Final Examination (comprehensive) ==> 20% of final grade
The distribution of grades in this course will be based on the A-F College grading scheme. The letter grades correspond to the following percentage scale: A (90-100%), A- (87-89.9%), B+ (83-86.9%), B (80-82.9%), B- (77-79.9%), C+ (73-76.9%), C (70-72.9%), C- (67-69.9%), D+ (63-66.9%), D (60-62.9%), and F (<60%).
STARFISH EARLY ALERT SYSTEM:
This course participates in the Starfish Early Alert System, an early intervention system designed to enable academic success, student persistence, and graduation. When an instructor observes student behaviors or concerns that may impede academic success, the instructor may raise an alert flag that notifies the student of the concern, requests an individual contact to discuss the issue, and (in most cases) refer the student to the academic advisor. If you receive an email notification of an early alert, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor as soon as possible to discuss the issue. The purpose of the contact is to determine the severity of the issue, accurately assess its potential impact on your academic success, and to plan actions to prevent negative consequences and enable academic success. For more information about the Early Alert system, contact your academic advisor.
OUTLINE OF TOPICS:
Week |
Lecture Topic* |
Lecture Date |
1 |
Introduction to AGEN 151 Introduction to Microsoft Excel |
Feb. 9 Feb. 11 |
2 |
Overview of hydropower generation Overview of pipe material and fittings |
Feb. 16 Feb. 18 |
3 |
Significant digits and field measurements Overview of basic units |
Feb. 23 Feb. 25 |
4 |
Unit cancelation and mathematical problem solving Water pressure under static conditions |
March 2 March 4 |
5 |
Energy distribution in pressurized pipelines and
Conservation of energy principle Energy losses in pressurized systems and review of the study guide for the first exam |
March 9 March 11 |
6 |
First class examination Introduction to turbo-machines |
March 16 March 18 |
7 |
Flow measurements and open channel flow Surveying fundamentals |
March 23 March 25 |
8 |
Maps, plans, and
profiles Preparing profile views and plan views using the engineer scale |
March 30 April 1 |
9 |
Introduction to leveling Differential leveling and differential leveling problems |
April 6 April 8 |
10 |
Distance measurements (excluding the EDM) Stationing and horziontal distance measurements using the steel tape |
April 13 April 15 |
11 |
Correcting systematic errors in distance measurements Profile leveling problems and review of the study guide for the second exam |
April 20 April 22 |
12 |
Second class examination Angle measurements |
April 27 April 29 |
13 |
Basic trigonometry and introduction to trigonometric
leveling Trigonometric leveling problems and introduction to the EDM |
May 4 May 6 |
14 |
Total station
and introduction to traverse surveys Traverse surveys and review of the study guide for the final exam |
May 11 May 13 |
Final Examination (comprehensive) - During the Exam Period |
Week: |
Laboratory Topic (Location)* |
1: Feb. 11 | Introduction to Microsoft Excel tutorial |
2: Feb. 18 | Common pipe materials and fittings exercise |
3: Feb. 25 | Assembling pipes and fittings exercise (121 Wood Tech. Building) |
4: March 4 | Pressure and head problems |
5: March 11 | Pipe friction and sizing problems |
6: March 18 | Turbine power output problems |
7: March 25 | Flow measurements and open channel flow problems |
8: April 1 | Preparing plan and profile views from a set of surveying measurements |
9: April 8 | Differential leveling exercise (using the automatic level) |
10: April 15 | Distance measurements and stationing exercise (using the steel tape) |
11: April 22 | Profile leveling exercise (using the automatic level) |
12: April 29 | Horizontal angle measurements and line directions exercise (using the digital theodolite) |
13: May 6 |
Vertical angle measurements and trigonometric leveling exercise
(using the total station) Micro-hydro project measurements exercise (using the total station) |
14: May 13 | Finalize micro-hydro project |
*The
topics and corresponding dates listed in the tables above are tentative and may
be subject to change during the semester.
COLLEGE-WIDE POLICIES: To view the
College-wide policies page, please click on this
link.