FUELING PATHWAYS TO RURAL PROSPERITY

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: OTHER GRANTS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0220225
• Grant No.: 2009-38450-20280
• Proposal No.: 2009-05362
• Project Start Date: Sep 1, 2009
• Project End Date: Aug 31, 2012
• Grant Year: 2009
• Program Code: [RTP]- New Era Rural Technology Program

Recipient Organization
LINN-BENTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
6500 PACIFIC BLVD. SW
ALBANY,OR 97321

Performing Department
Mechatronics

Non Technical Summary
This proposal seeks to form an academic-industrial partnership between Linn-Benton Community College and Trillium FiberFuels, Inc. that will integrate the principles of biofuel production and maintenance into the agriculture and Mechatronics curriculum; provide hands on learning opportunities to students surrounding the fabrication and troubleshooting of novel tooling for the biofuel industry; and provide research opportunities for community college and middle and high school students in the characterization of cellulosic material following pretreatment. These activities will be specifically focused on "Curriculum Design and Materials Development" and "Student Experiential Learning." Furthermore, this project will contribute to the development and fabrication of novel equipment for use in the biofuel industry. Trillium FiberFuels is interested in creating a pretreatment platform for process development and potentially as a product for other laboratories in the industry. This tool will allow researchers to better simulate the industrial environment on the laboratory scale and produce higher quality, more scalable results. Ultimately, by contributing to R&D in the biofuel industry, this project will expand the resources available to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil and produce fewer greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

Animal Health Component

100%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

100%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
903	6099	3020	100%

Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;

Keywords

biofuel

sustainable agriculture

mechatronics

applied engineering

community college

trillium

linn-benton

bioagriculture

education

curriculum development

experiential learning

Goals / Objectives
Results: Student participation in the development, fabrication, and optimization of a novel pre-treatment instrument for the production of cellulosic ethanol will enhance student preparedness for entrance into the cellulosic ethanol and pulp/paper industries. Development of this pretreatment instrument will allow researchers to better simulate the industrial environment on the laboratory scale and produce higher quality, more scalable results. Capstone training in the fabrication and troubleshooting of instrumentation in the biofuel industry will be replicable as a case study for the development of on-going training opportunities in applied engineering. This USDA funded research opportunity will result in the development of a curriculum guide for interactive, workplace based Capstone Projects for mechatronics occupations like biofuel, pulp and paper industries and food processing. The curriculum guide will focus on how the role of the technician in fabrication and design, installation and refinement of control processing, development of maintenance/troubleshooting/and repair procedures during commissioning, and PLC programming can be applied to on-going process development projects like the Fueling Pathways to Rural Prosperity project. In addition the information will be applied to existing processes in a production situation. Online courses will be offered region-wide. LBCC will reach out to rural institutions and offer access to our online offerings, curriculum, and teaching plans Applied research opportunities increase student engagement at the middle school, high school and post-secondary levels. Expansion of the biofuel unit in the course Crops in our Environment (CSS 200). Currently students in this course discuss biofuel crops during two lecture sessions. These lectures familiarize students with the basic biofuel terminology and the crops that could potentially be used for biofuel production in the western United States. LBCC will expand this unit of the course to a total of four lectures and laboratories introducing characterization of pre-treatment product, crop management, and harvest and storage issues. Development of Biofuel I and II courses will provide Agriculture and Mechatronics students with the practical knowledge of commercial biofuel production and facility operation Delivery of a biofuel short-course will introduce farmers to the options for producing their own, small scale biofuel operations. Owners and operators will gain needed technical information about operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of these systems as well knowledge surrounding regional business opportunities in the supply of raw material for biofuel production. Development of a Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture will provide pathways from secondary education that expand into career options in Mechatronics, and branch into 4-year degree educational opportunities.

Project Methods
A process and outcome evaluation will be conducted by LBCC's Office of Institutional Research in collaboration with the PI, the Steering Committee, and a third-party evaluation advisor (e.g., a middle/high school educational partner and/or industry partner) to ensure evaluation objectivity as well as compliance with grant reporting requirements. The process of assessing the impact of the grant initiative components on LBCC students, educational and business/industry partnerships, and area employers will be both formative and summative. The focus of the evaluation will be to assess and document: student access, retention, and success at LBCC and following employment and/or transfer; changes to LBCC institutional curriculum, program, and instructional capacity - including online capacity; technology/process development gains; employer knowledge and skill gains from workforce training; and, strength of relationship with educational and industry partner(s), including middle/high school partners. A variety of methods and sources will be used, including: LBCC Student Access, Retention and Success: The LBCC Student Information System (SIS) will be used to generate comparison group and grant participant baseline and follow-up enrollment and demographic information, relevant course pass-rates, TGPA and CGPA, persistence to second year of program,completion/graduation. The annual LBCC Graduate Follow-up Survey will be used to obtain information on employment, continuing education, and opinion of LBCC performance in preparing them to be prepared for and competitive in the workforce. Retention of students in Agriculture and Mechatronics will be compared between redesigned and traditional sections of "Crop and Soil Science" and "Principles of Technology I and II". Similarly, retention rates for individuals involved in applied research and fabrication will be compared to that of the larger cohort of agricultural science and mechatronics students to establish variance within and between groups. An online survey of online course participants to obtain feedback on the course design, knowledge/skills gained, and feedback on the instructor/instructional approach. LBCC student Certificate program participant feedback survey to hear program design and support feedback, identify student hallenges/supports to success as well as needs, and hear their perspective on value-added of various learning approaches and tools. The National Student Clearinghouse to tract LBCC completer/graduate enrollment at four year institutions following completion at LBCC. Transferability of skill-sets resulting from the integration of biofuel curriculum and the blending of the Agriculture and Mechatronics degree programs will be assessed by the number and type of employment offers received by students following program completion.

Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: We completely revised our blended-tech learning courses and conducted intensive "what works" research concerning these courses. We initiated a variety of capstone projects in our three Mechatronics capstone courses and conducted formal research focusing on the projects related to biofuels. A two-part study on their utility was completed as was an extensive literature search. A presentation is planned for the American Association of Community Colleges, ATE Principle Investigators Conference in Washington DC in October 2012. Academic articles will be written following this presentation. We are planning a capstone project presentation at the Oregon Association for Career and Technical Education in April, 2013. Through the capstone courses we assisted Trillium FiberFuels in constructing pre treatment and production equipment for biofuels production from nontraditional feed stocks. This equipment is still working and contributing to Trillium's ongoing research into biofuels. Our learning from this research enabled us to formulate three types of capstone project suitable for career and technical education programs. We developed and are offering these energy efficiency and biofuel related courses: GS 154 Energy & Sustainability AG 8.141 Principles of BioEnergy AG 8.142 Industrial BioEnergy Production and Plant Operation AG8.140 Biofuels Feed Stocks These courses will accomodate 30+ students annually, and GS 154 is being considered for inclusion in the CTE general education requirements in which case it will serve several hundred students each year. GS.154 is being offered though the college public web pages starting in 2013 and will be avaialbe for independent learning and for credit as part of our blended-tech offereings. We revised and updated all our Mechatronics course outlines, syllabi, and competencies to include an emphasis on biofuels, alternative energy, and energy efficiency. We worked with Oregon State University and Trillium FiberFuels to equip a biodiesel production training lab at Linn Benton Community College. We also partnered with OSU and the Linn Benton Community College Heavy Equipment program to run efficiency and emissions testing using a large generator using both biodiesel and traditional diesel. Twenty + students annually use this training equipment. Five internships related to biofuel production were offered and all participants reported significant learning and career development from these experiences. PARTICIPANTS: The grant activities have proved an important learning - professional development- opportunity for the primary participants. Denis Green increased his knowledge in alternative energies including biofuels. This knowledge has been incorporated into several new and existing courses. Teaching strategies learned from research into capstone projects and blended tech learning has improved instruction in the Mechatronics program. Stefan Seiter used opportunities offered by the grant to create three new courses teaching biofuels production. This has increased employment opportunities for Agriculture students. Chris Beatty has continued his research into biofuels production and his company Trilium Fiberfuels is currently researching biofuel production from non traditional sources. TARGET AUDIENCES: Our target audiences were Mechatronics and Agricultural students at Linn Benton Community College. The increased emphasis on practical applications of alternative energy, energy efficiency and sustainability has improved the employability of these students. The five students involved in internships received intensive learning opportunities and all aare currently employed. All students in the Agriculture and Mechatronics program are taking and will take some or all of the new courses developed as a result of the grant. The Mechatronics program is expanding its recruitment in regional high schools with a growing number of high school students taking Mechatronics classes while still in high school. Mechatronics is continuing its participation in 4-H competitions and sponsors biofuel and alternative energy displays during the competitions held at the college. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The major modification was to expand the scope of the grant to include energy efficiency strategies when considering biofuels production and use in both private and commercial vehicles. Given the changing agricultural and economic situation in the mid-Willamette Valley in Oregon we were not able to offer the agricultural outreach programs we had hoped to develop. Faculty from the Agricultural department have contributed to biofuel relatd outreach programs offered by Oregon State University. Our efforts to renewable energy generation through biogas. The project developed a 1-day workshop examining 1) Renewable Energy Generation, 2) Anaerobic Digestion, 3) Cleaning Digester Gas, 4) Hydrogen Fuel Cells, and 5) Biogas to Energy: Case Studies. The target audience for the modified proposal includes professionals working in the Water/Wastewater Industry, Public Works, and public/private utilities. The workshop is expected to be offered during the 2013 calendar year.

Impacts
The activities reported in the outputs section have expanded the vision and outcomes for the Mechatronics and Agricultural programs at Linn Benton Community College. We now focus on efficiency and sustainability in Mechatronics and Agriculture. We share students in several courses and there is a cross fertilization of ideas and world views that enriches student outcomes. We can't measure this impact but it is profound. It expanded our horizons and has helped our students find employment and contribute to needed environmental approaches in both industry and agriculture. The credibility provided by this grant enabled us to raise $200,000 in private donations for the Mechatronics program.

Publications

• Green, D. 2012. Best practices and novel approaches to hands-on capstone learning. American Association of Community Colleges ATE Principle Investigators Conference, Washington, DC.

Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11

Outputs
We completely revised our five initial blended learning courses and conducted intensive "What works" research concerning these courses. We are developing five additional blended learning classes: Electrical Systems Troubleshooting, Motors and Controls, Computerized Maintenance Management, Bearings and Lubrication, and Drive Systems We continued offering a variety of capstone courses and conducted formal research focusing on the projects related to biofuels. a pilot study on their utility. Through the capstone courses we assisted Trillium FiberFuels in constructing pre treatment and production equipment biofuels production from nontraditional feed stocks. We developed and will be offering the following biofuel related courses starting in Fall 2011: GS 154 Energy & Sustainability AG 8.141 Principles of BioEnergy AG 8.142 Industrial BioEnergy Production and Plant Operation AG8.140 Biofuels Feed Stocks These courses will be included on our evaluation and research agenda for the coming year. It is hoped that we can eventually expand these course into a more substantial program offering. We revised and updated all our Mechatronics course outlines, syllabi, and competencies to include an emphasis on alternative energy and energy efficiency. We have worked with Oregon State University and Trillium FiberFuels to equip a biodiesel production training lab. Three internships related to biofuel production were offered. PRODUCTS: : Funds were used for the following purposes: We purchased equipment and supplies for the building of biofuel processing equipment. We paid for engineering consulting and student supervision for capstone projects and internships. Release time and development funding were used to create our new biofuel related courses. We are working with K-12 institutions to offer Mechatronics and related course in more rural settings. LBCC will make equipment and curriculum available to high school throughout the region with special emphasis on biofuels production. OUTCOMES: The credibility provided by this USDA grant enabled us to leverage $55K in private donations. The continuing research has enabled us to upgrade individual courses and both the Mechatronics and Agriculture program. All Mechatronics students are benefiting from the focus on biofuels and other alternative energy as are Agriculture students through our biofuels focus. A majority of the students involved in the biofuel related capstone projects have found employment despite the absolutely horrendous job market. Our research indicates that the students involved directly in the biofuel capstone benefitted greatly from being able to apply their skills to a real-world project. We have learned a great deal about the capstone and blended learning courses we have developed. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: We continue to offer all our blended learning classes through LBCC instructor web page so they are open to the public view. We will be developing a web page with the domain name "greenmechatronics.org as a more public dissemination point for our materials and research findings. We have shared teaching and curriculum plans for blended learning classes with four other rural community colleges in Oregon. This material was useful in developing the Oregon Green Technician Program. We are developing an article and conference presentations to distribute the findings or our research. FUTURE INITIATIVES: We will produce academic articles based on data from capstone and blended learning classes. We will continue refining our capstone and blended learning classes. We will offer new courses based on sustainability and alternate energy with a focus on rural applications. The resources that accompanied our NSF grant have allowed us to purchase boifuels production equipment and we will continue to make these types of purchases to expand upon and continue the work of this USDA grant. We will use what is learned in offering our new biofuel courses to create courses for the agricultural sector. A major initiative is to expand K-12 involvement in Mechatronics. We will be working with the 4-H organizations in regional schools.

Impacts
This grant has allowed us to expand the focus and reach of the program into biofuels and other types of alternative energy systems. We are actively attempting to involve rural populations in our region continuing learning in sustainability that includes biofuel use and production and energy efficiency. The budding partnership between the Mechatronics and Agriculture will strengthen both programs and help students. We are also working to create a B.Sc. in Mechatronics in conjunction with the Oregon Institute of Technology. Our Agriculture and Mechatronics students are becoming much more employable. Thanks for funding this grant.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/10

Outputs
I got started slowly due to a heavy teaching load last fall, but we made good progress over the rest of the year. We offered six blended learning courses in a pilot program adding six new courses this year. We offered several capstone courses and conducted a pilot study on their utility. We made excellent progress on building a biomass trainer and are continuing on this project. This summer we received a large NSF grant that will allow us to continue and expand our work started with this grant. We developed course outlines for a new sustainability and an alternative energy certificate. We approved a one-year Mechatronics certificate with an emphasis in sustainability. PRODUCTS: Funds were used for the following purposes: We purchased auxiliary equipment for the pretreatment instrument used in the capstone training. We paid for engineering consulting and student supervision for capstone projects and internships. We completed about half the work on the lab scale pre-treatment device for producing biofuels. Release time and development funding created the following products: We developed a certificate in sustainability and biofuels for Agriculture and Mechatronics that will go to our board for approval this fall. We have started developmental work on a biofuel short course for the agriculture business. We started working with K-12 institutions to create additional research opportunities for middle and high school students from rural communities. We developed a complete sequence of capstone courses and conducted pilot research into their efficacy. We developed a six blended learning classes and conducted pilot research into their efficacy. OUTCOMES: Without the funding to engage in the partnership with Trillium Biofuels we would not have offered the high level applied research opportunity for our Mechatronics students in biofuel engineering. What I learned from conducting our pilot study allowed me to formulate several related capstone projects in addition to refining the biofuel capstone project. Without this project my "how did we do" research into the capstone projects would have remained personal and informal. The added rigor required by the grant has improved the quality and utility of my research. All Mechatronics students are benefiting from the focus on biofuels and other alternative energy maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair. The program advisory board has enthusiastically approved this expansion of the program. My co-PI, Stefan Seiter has conducted first rate program development research and is currently focusing on sustainability and alternate energy production and will be visiting several model Ag related programs throughout the year. The students involved directly in the biofuel capstone benefitted greatly from being able to apply their skills to a real-world project. The majority of second year students involved in the project are now working in the field and one young man (a high school student enrolled in Mechatronics) has entered an Engineering program at Oregon State University. To date two students completed summer internships at Trillium Biofuels and reported that the experiences allowed them to apply their skills in novel applications that will make them more employable.  DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: All my blended learning classes are run through my instructor web page so they are open to the public view. I have shared teaching and curriculum plans for blended learning classes with four other rural community colleges in Oregon. I will be discussing our work at the NSF Principle Investigator's Conference this fall in Washington DC. In short we are making progress in the face of current and pending budget cuts. On Monday October 11 Congressman Peter DeFazio will visit the program to learn about what we are doing, especially our alternate energy focus and our blended learning efforts. We have placed several local newspaper articles about receiving the grant and its purposes. I am working on articles that will describe my research in capstone and blended learning course development and implementation.  FUTURE INITIATIVES: We will produce academic articles based on data from capstone and blended learning classes. We will continue refining our capstone and blended learning classes. We will create new courses based on sustainability and alternate energy with a focus on rural applications. We will focus on the maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of such systems. We will revise the Mechatronics and Agriculture programs to improve students skills in energy efficiency and alternative energy related to rural economies. We will continue this work in the face of truly daunting budget cuts This grant helped us to receive an NSF grant to expand upon and continue the work of this USDA grant. I am assisting in a state-wide initiative called the Green Technician Program which is to establish a program for training technicians through rural community colleges in Oregon. The focus of this program is on green technology including biofuel production.

Impacts
This grant has saved the Mechatronics Program from potential clousre due to looming and large budget cuts due to reduced state funding. The initiatives funded and the leveraging effect of the grant have allowed us to receive a large NSF grant, created interest amongst private donars to the college foundation, and increased the program's profile amonst those working in economic development in the state. Students are receiving a broader education that will make them more employable. We now have seven high school students enrolled in the Mechatronics Program, up from three last year. The budding partnership between the Mechatronics and Agriculture will strengthen both programs and help students. Our college president remarked that what we learn from this grant will help the whole institution and have impacts throughout the region. Thanks for funding this grant.

Publications

• No publications reported this period