ASHRAE supports undergraduate student research project

March 3, 2016

Four undergraduate students, seniors Kyle Dierolf and Jonathan Dowell and sophomores Brandon Bogle and Avery Schemmel, are working with Dr. Cho and Dr. Knizley this semester on the research project “Smart Building Wireless Sensor Network.”  This research project is taking place with the direction and leadership of graduate students Sam Cox and Dongsu Kim.  A wireless sensor network solution can be utilized to transform a conventional building into a smart building with an intelligent energy management system. In this project, wireless sensors and a communication network will be developed and implemented in a campus building to measure and analyze building energy and performance data, including electricity consumptions of utilities, indoor and outdoor environmental conditions, occupant information, etc.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has supported this project in multiple facets, with $5,000 from ASHRAE Senior Undergraduate Project funding and an additional funding donation from the ASHRAE Mississippi Chapter of $1,000 plus student membership fees.

Additionally, the Bagley College of Engineering selected two students, Schemmel and Dowell, to receive undergraduate research stipends of $1,250 each for this project.  All students are participating in a directed individual study course, Smart Building Technologies with Wireless Sensor Network Management, in which they are developing multiple wireless sensors to be implemented in a campus building.  In the process, students are learning about sensors, controls, programming, measurement techniques, and building energy management.  Additionally, this project allows for enhanced industry collaboration and mentorship, particularly through educational support from the Jackson, MS Trane facility.  As a long-term goal, wireless sensors developed in this project will be implemented in subsequent ME laboratory courses.

 

 

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