Parhum Delgoshaei Chelsea Green Vinod K. Lohani

1
Applications of Dataflow Programming in
Sustainability Education

Parhum Delgoshaei Chelsea
Green Vinod
K. Lohani Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech
Abstract
Assessment
Real-Time Water Quality Data in Classroom
Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Specific
Conductivity
Internet

• LabVIEW programming language gradually integrated
  in a freshman engineering course, EngE 1024, Fall
  07 Spring 10
• Students develop LV programs and are provided
  with data acquisition code
• LabVIEW Enabled Watershed Assessment System
  (LEWAS) developed
• Collected data used to raise awareness of
  environmental sustainability
• LEWAS was transformed from a desktop version in
  to a system capable of real-time monitoring using
  a field deployable, power efficient embedded
  computer
• System indoor function verified real-time
  streaming to EngE 1024 students (Fall 09) and
  outdoor deployment to impaired stream (to be
  completed S10)

Access to real-time environmental data can
enhance my awareness and curiosity about
environmental issues such as the state of an
impaired stream that runs through campus.
ENGE 1024 Lecture
LabVIEW Web Publishing
LabVIEW Dataflow Programming
Water Quality Sonde
LabVIEW output of temperature probe readings
compactRio embedded computer processing,
storing, transmitting data (wireless)

• Data flow programming approach is suitable for
  many engineering applications
• Data Acquisition (DAQ) activities demonstrate how
  data can be collected from physical phenomena
  such as temperature and processed in dataflow
• In-Class activity allows students to derive
  Newtons law of cooling by applying regression on
  collected data to arrive at equation relating
  temperature and time
• DAQ extended to processing environmental data

Conclusions

• LabVIEW can be used to provide students with
  real-time environmental
• data from an impaired on-campus stream and
  enhance their environmental awareness
• Themes extracted from qualitative analysis of
  in-class survey data
• An appreciation for real world LabVIEW
  applications and its real-time benefit.
• An understanding of Virginia Tech's watershed and
  where local water flows.

Ongoing Work
LabVIEW program loaded on compactRio

• Adding additional water monitoring sensors
  (wireless sensor network)
• Introducing module on analysis of solar energy
  conversion in EngE 1024 to complement Sustainable
  Energy Design Project (SEDP) that students
  complete in the course

Live Demonstration in EngE 1024 Virtual
Instrument front panel shows real-time data from
a multi-probe sonde in an indoor laboratory
Data from impaired stream outdoor Lab
Equipment Setup for DAQ Activity
Applications in Environmental Monitoring

• LabVIEW dataflow is well suited for collection,
  processing and communication of environmental
  data and can be used to teach sustainability
  concepts.
• A new module for EngE 1024 focusing on water
  quality monitoring of an impaired on-campus
  stream and its applications in environmental
  sustainability was introduced in fall 09
• Water quality monitoring will enable us to
  explore answers for questions such as
• What are the natural ranges and the storm,
  seasonal and annual variability in water quality
  parameters?
• What locations do parameters fall outside the
  natural range and to what duration and extent?
• What are the pollutant loadings from controllable
  and uncontrollable sources and in the watershed?

Future site of deployment (planned completion,
May 09). Mounting poles in place, solar panel,
batteries and wireless to be installed
Virginia Techs campus site indicated by star
Proposed system to allow students to perform
remote solar tracking and measure generated solar
power in real-time
NSF Engineering Education Awardees, Jan. 31st-
Feb. 2nd 2010- National Science Foundation DLR
Grant 0431779 and NSF-REU Site Grant 0649070
Contact pd1352_at_vt.edu, seagreen_at_vt.edu,
vlohani_at_vt.edu