From 6f2cc69409fd6bf44bccdc3ac1a66ac2a8066ba8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Frederick Yin Date: Tue, 28 May 2024 11:29:50 +0800 Subject: New post: umich/w24_sus --- docs/umich/index.md | 1 + docs/umich/w24_sus.md | 94 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ docs/umich/w24_wrapup.md | 2 +- 3 files changed, 96 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) create mode 100644 docs/umich/w24_sus.md diff --git a/docs/umich/index.md b/docs/umich/index.md index b71de2f..86c4534 100644 --- a/docs/umich/index.md +++ b/docs/umich/index.md @@ -10,3 +10,4 @@ so basically i live in ann arbor now - [EECS 373, Intro to Embedded System Design](w24_373.md) - [EECS 311, Analog Circuits](w24_311.md) - [GERMAN 386, Fairy Tales](w24_fairy.md) + - [CEE 265, Sustainable Engineering Principles](w24_sus.md) diff --git a/docs/umich/w24_sus.md b/docs/umich/w24_sus.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d28102f --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/umich/w24_sus.md @@ -0,0 +1,94 @@ +# Winter 2024 Course Review: CEE 265 + +2024-05-28 + +Course Title: Sustainable Engineering Principles + +Trivia: this course shows up on my transcript as "Sus Engr Prin" + +Rating: 3/5 + +## Instructor (Seth Guikema) + +As friendly an instructor as you get. Always stops every so often for +questions. He once complimented my "This Machine Kills Homophobes" laptop +sticker. + +## Course topics + +- Materials (mass balance) +- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) +- Air pollution + - Airshed (mass balance) + - Gaussian plume model +- Risk +- Water pollution (mass balance) +- Energy + - Greenhouse gas emissions +- Economics + - Discounting + +## Math prerequisites + +I expected this course to be chemistry-heavy, like balancing equations and +equilibria and stuff, but instead it was mostly math. The chemistry was +useful only for getting the molecular weight of gases and doing pV = nRT. + +### Math models + +- Exponential +- Geometric series +- Logistic growth +- Gaussian + +There was even a little bit of differential equations (the easy kind). +However, the formulas were always in the slides. All we needed to know is +how to use a calculator. + +On the final exam there was a question about I thought required some +integration, but it seemed ambiguous whether or not I need to do +a division. I stepped out of the classroom to ask the GSI, but she pointed +to the slides, which I apparently forgot existed because I missed that +lecture (I was rehearsing a presentation for EECS 373). The formula for +the very answer was there. Welp. + +### Linearity + +Out of the various models, the math was exceedingly linear. The most +important concept is mass balance: the mass in an isolated system is +conserved. If one gram of methane leaks out of the pipe, then there is one +more gram of methane in the room. If you dump one ton of paint into +a lake, then there will be one ton of paint in the lake. + +On most occasions, we solved steady state conditions, which means one +single equation where one side is zero. It was intuitive, just like the +KCL (Kirchhoff's Current Law), but instead of electrons it was matter. + +Another type of linear calculation is adding up things and multiplying +things. Like, if a ton of steel requires one megajoule (fictional), and +you need 1,000 tons, then you need 1,000 megajoules. + +Even so, I've seen several students struggle with this kind of math. Like. +How do you even fail at this. As long as the units match you're probably +correct. + +### Unit conversion + +The biggest challenge of this course was not math. It was unit conversion. +Americans are notorious for their units like ft, ft², ft³, gal, mile, and +mpg. But all the science-y numbers are in metric (phew). + +## Assignments + +Eight assignments in total. Not hard, just long. Standards were low. GSI +didn't care how you typeset it. I've done LaTeX, LibreOffice Writer, and +by hand, and as long as you get the answer and the key steps, you get the +points. + +There were no projects or presentations. + +## Verdict + +Not a challenge. Didn't end up saving the world or anything, but at least +I learned how civil engineers gauge their environmental impact. Chill +course. diff --git a/docs/umich/w24_wrapup.md b/docs/umich/w24_wrapup.md index 0f20d0f..bab8981 100644 --- a/docs/umich/w24_wrapup.md +++ b/docs/umich/w24_wrapup.md @@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ them up into individual articles, listed below. - [EECS 373, Intro to Embedded System Design](w24_373.md) - [EECS 311, Analog Circuits](w24_311.md) - [GERMAN 386, Fairy Tales](w24_fairy.md) -- Other courses WIP +- [CEE 265, Sustainable Engineering Principles](w24_sus.md) ## Notable material gains -- cgit v1.2.3