Bachelor of Engineering | EPFL Graph Search

A Bachelor of Engineering (BE or BEngg) or a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSc (Engg) or BSE) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at an accredited college or university. In the United Kingdom, a Bachelor of Engineering degree will be accredited by one of the Engineering Council's professional engineering institutions as suitable for registration as an incorporated engineer or chartered engineer with further study to masters level. In Canada, a degree from a Canadian university can be accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB). Alternatively, it might be accredited directly by another professional engineering institution, such as the US-based Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The Bachelor of Engineering contributes to the route to chartered engineer (UK), registered engineer or licensed professional engineer and has been approved by representatives of the profes

Mitigating voltage losses in photoelectrochemical cell scale-up

Ronald Ramiro Gutierrez Perez, Sophia Haussener

In solar water splitting, efforts in scaling up the photoelectrochemical cell beyond laboratory scale have started to attract significant attention. Several large-area devices have been demonstrated, but typically the efficiencies are much lower than their small-area equivalent. Here, two-dimensional finite element modeling is used to evaluate the different sources of voltage loss specifically related to scale-up in solar water splitting devices operated in neutral pH solutions. We quantitatively investigate the influence of the electrode area to these scale-up associated losses (substrate ohmic loss, electrolyte ohmic loss, and local pH-gradient related losses). About 600 mV additional overpotential is needed due to these losses for a cell with electrodes of height of 8 cm at a current density of 10 mA/cm2. We show, however, that by applying engineering and cell design strategies, the voltage losses can be mitigated, resulting in an acceptable ~50 mV overpotential. Overall, this study highlights the additional challenges to be considered in photoelectrochemical cell scale-up and provides strategies to manage and mitigate scaling-related losses.

2020

Mitigating voltage losses in photoelectrochemical cell scale-up

Ronald Ramiro Gutierrez Perez, Sophia Haussener

In solar water splitting, efforts in scaling up the photoelectrochemical cell beyond laboratory scale have started to attract significant attention. Several large-area devices have been demonstrated, but typically the efficiencies are much lower than their small-area equivalent. Here, two-dimensional finite element modeling is used to evaluate the different sources of voltage loss specifically related to scale-up in solar water splitting devices operated in neutral pH solutions. We quantitatively investigate the influence of the electrode area to these scale-up associated losses (substrate ohmic loss, electrolyte ohmic loss, and local pH-gradient related losses). About 600 mV additional overpotential is needed due to these losses for a cell with electrodes of height of 8 cm at a current density of 10 mA cm(-2). We show, however, that by applying engineering and cell design strategies, the voltage losses can be mitigated, resulting in an acceptable similar to 50 mV overpotential. Overall, this study highlights the additional challenges to be considered in photoelectrochemical cell scale-up and provides strategies to manage and mitigate scaling-related losses.

ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY2020

Gender, prior knowledge, and the impact of a flipped linear algebra course for engineers over multiple years

Simone Deparis, Cécile Hardebolle, Roland John Tormey, Himanshu Verma

Background Research shows that active pedagogies could play an important role in achieving more equitable outcomes for diverse groups of students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Although flipped classes are a popular active methodology, there is a lack of high-quality studies assessing their impact in ecologically valid settings and exploring how outcomes are related to gender and to prior education. Purpose This paper presents two modified replications of an experimental study investigating the impact of the flipped class approach on students' achievement in a large, first-year class in an engineering bachelor's degree. Methodology We added a new strand, progressively flipped over 3 years, to eight parallel strands of a high-stakes mandatory linear algebra course for engineers. The study followed a replicated-between-subjects design, with students in the flipped strand learning the same material as those in the other strands and taking the same final exam. Results Our results demonstrate that the flipped format did not have any significant impact on students' achievement compared to traditional lecturing. However, both replications in the flipped condition show a reduced attainment gap for women and students with less prior knowledge in mathematics. Conclusion While the flipped class seems to have weaker effects on learning than other active methodologies, the evidence in this study indicates that it may have an impact on reducing the attainment gap between different groups of students. It may therefore be particularly interesting to consider in efforts to achieve more equitable outcomes for women and where students have heterogeneous educational backgrounds.

2022