Design and implementation of a computer-aided instrumentation system for a CFR engine test facility

The design and implementation of a computer-assisted instrumentation system for a Cooperative Fuel Research (CFR) engine test facility as part of modernization and development of the thermal engineering laboratory was carried out at Stevens Institute of Technology. The laboratory is part of a required course in thermal engineering taken by all students in the current mechanical engineering curriculum. It is intended to facilitate the verification of classroom description of the air-standard Otto-cycle in the context of the observed performance of a single cylinder gasoline engine. The current implementation of the system allows for the students to conveniently measure the indicated and brake horsepower as well as the fuel consumption, air intake rate and engine efficiency on a real-time basis as a function of compression ration, engine speed and load. The collected data is archived stored in the PC for access by students via the campus network. This paper describes the design, development and implementation of the system, the student laboratory experience as well as the authors' methodology for integrating outcomes-based assessment strategies in the lecture and the laboratory segment of this course.