CT Community Colleges' College of Technology

Explore high-paying careers in clean, high-tech Connecticut manufacturing.

Educators: Externships

Externship Summary - 2009

RCNGM Leader: Alfred Gates, Ph.D., Central Connecticut State University

Externship: FuelCell Energy

Lessons Learned

The lesson learned was determining how to use curve fitting to represent the fatigue strength of spring. The fatigue strength functions were dependent on time and temperature.

The most challenging component was to determine the correct spring for very high operating temperature of Solid Oxide fuel cells approximately 1500 F. My expectations were to show students how to approximate the strength of spring subject to time and temperature. The students realized that some times they have to do research to find a solution to a problem and that the answer will not always be in a text books.

Impact on Student Learning

The students appreciate that faculty stay current with engineering by working in industry. They also appreciated that I was able to discuss an engineering problem I encountered this summer and that I was able to make it a class problem.

I have made the course material available to other faculty who may be teaching the course.

Externship Sustainability

I will encourage faculty to apply to the externship program and to incorporate the material in their classes. I have a new laboratory project in ETM 367 Machine Design, thanks to my externship.