Epics

Proyectos de ingeniería en servicios comunitarios (EPICS, por sus siglas en inglés) del Instituto de Ingenieros

en Electricidad y Electronica (IEEE, por sus siglas en inglés).

Misión: Capacitar a las sucursales estudiantiles universitarias y a los grupos de Graduados Jóvenes Profesionales (YP) por sus siglas en inglés) en el IEEE para trabajar con los estudiantes de secundaria en proyectos de ingeniería relacionados con el servicio a la comunidad de EPICS.

EPICS in IEEE Brochure in Spanish

Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development Laboratory in 2011.

To promote engineering and sustainable development, the IEEE Student Chapter of  the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico will design and implement a

“Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development Laboratory” (RESDL) educational laboratory. The facility will function as a shared meeting space for all High Schools and members in Puerto Rico participating in the Puerto Rico Institute  of Robotics (PRIOR). Students will be able to directly work with university students and IEEE faculty members to cultivate a higher appreciation for science, technology, engineering, and math. They will also gain valuable skills in teamwork and leadership.

Selected students from the IEEE student chapter of PUPR will work on the design and construction of the facility as part of their capstone engineering course. The laboratory will then be built and managed in conjunction with the Puerto Rico Institute of Robotics (PRIOR), a non-profit group which promotes continued interest in areas of science, technology, math, and engineering for students in “form k-12” to twelth grade. Within the RESDL facility, high school students from the ninth to twelfth grade levels will be able to visit in groups to experience various programs and workshops on a schedule leading up to a major project.

The major project will involve the development of a completely automated anaerobic digester, a technology that can produce renewable fuel biogas for energy, while converting solid organic waste in to valuable plant fertilizer. This device could then be installed in to individual homes and urban communities. Each student group will design a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) application which will automate the proposed home anaerobic digester. The application will include a control panel, ladder diagram, and input and output wiring.

The project development process will enhance the students’ understanding of environmental studies, such as solid waste management, sustainability, renewable and non renewable resources, as well as automation. Overall, the project will aim to inspire the students to become more environmentally conscience as they move forward in to professional fields.

The scheduled workshops for students visiting the RESDL would include: IEEE and its history, global warming and its causes, green automation technology, anaerobic digestion principles, as well as time for the final project.

The developer of this project included:

    • Bryan A. Sanchez Marcum (2011-2012Former President of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society  & Student Chapter Branch in the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico). Former President of Student Counselor in the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. Developing this project as part of his Capstone Engineering Course.