2025 Energy Syllabus (IMA)

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Students in the 2023 IMA Energy class.
Students in the 2023 IMA Class

Office Hours

I have an NYU office-hour calendar and will be posting hours here throughout the semester. My NYU email is jeff.feddersen@nyu.edu

GA

The 2023 IMA Energy GA is Zongze Chen! zc1411@nyu.edu He has office hours too, just for you!

Course Organization

This website is the central source for information about the class. NYU Brightspace will be used for attendance and assignment tracking.

Important Dates

The Kinetic Project will be demonstrated in class in week 7 on March 6.

The Research Project presentation is due in week 10 April 3.

The Solar Project will be demonstrated in class in week 15 May 6.

Weekly assignments and readings are in the week-by-week syllabus below. Assignments made Tuesday of one week are due by the end of the following Monday, unless otherwise noted.

Assignments

Overall, the course is divided approximately into two halves, with each half organized around a 7-week hands-on project. An additional research project on a topic of your choice will be presented after spring break. Readings and additional shorter (1- to 2-week) assignments related to the projects will be posted throughout the semester each week in the schedule below. The lecture periods of the course (Tuesdays) will present ideas and opportunities for discussion, and the lab days (Thursdays) will be opportunities to do hands-on work. Homework will be assigned on Tuesdays and due by 11:59 PM the following Monday. Projects and all accompanying documentation are due when presented in class.

Kinetic Project

Turn motion into light.

Due Thursday March 6 (presented in class)

The first production assignment focuses on kinetic energy. In this hands-on assignment, you will build a device to turn motion into electricity, store that electricity in a capacitor, and power an LED with the stored electricity. Basic parts to accomplish this will be provided in the course kit. More details on the kinetic project will be provided in a Kinetic Project Brief given in week 2.

Research Project

Due April 3 (Presented in class).

Throughout the semester, you will research a topic of interest that you choose related to energy. This could be something technical (for example, Gen-4 nuclear reactors, lithium mining, etc.), something social (for example, global energy access and preferences) or an artist, activist, or movement working with energy that you admire. You will create a brief presentation to educate the class about your topic. More details will be provided in the Measurement Project Brief in week 3.

Solar Project

Turn light into computation.

Due May 6 (Presented in class)

The second half of the semester focuses on solar energy. In this hands-on assignment, you will use solar energy to power computation on a digital device. More detail on the solar project will be provided in a Solar Project Brief in week 8.

Participation

The class meets twice a week. We will generally alternate between lectures and discussions on Tuesdays and Thursday lab sessions where we will do hands-on work building towards the projects.

Your engaged participation in class (both listening and speaking) is extremely important. The class works best if you actively work to get information out of me! A distant second best is if you passively receive information I present. And worst of all is not receiving the information at all by missing the class, arriving late, or not paying attention. (Tip – this is true of most classes.)

If you have any issues and can’t join class meetings, please let me know before the class so I can plan accordingly. Chronic lateness or early departure will also affect your grade:

There are no excused absences or unexcused absences. There are only absences. Any more than 3 absences will affect your grade. Two late arrivals (more than 10 minutes after start time) will count as 1 absence.

For example:
4 absences will result in your highest possible grade being a B instead of an A
5 absences will result in your highest possible grade being a C instead of an A
6 absences will result in your highest possible grade being a D instead of an A
7 absences will result in an automatic F for the course

Grading

For weekly assignments, students will receive a 0, 1, or 2 on quality of work (these are adapted from the IMA Physical Computing criteria):

  • Quality of work
    • 0 – Lack of effort/interest: Student did not submit assignment or submitted incomplete assignment
    • 1 – Satisfactory/Good: Student submitted assignment and demonstrated a solid degree of effort, interest, and engagement in the subject.
    • 2 – Great: Student demonstrated excellence in the assignment.
    • 3 – A secret, rarely-used extra-credit category.

The kinetic, solar, and research projects will be graded with a multi-part rubric where each category will be assessed on the same 0-2 point scale. Details will be in the project briefs.

Overall weighting:

  • 40% Weekly assignments, attendance, and overall participation
  • 20% Kinetic Project
  • 20% Research Project
  • 20% Solar Project

Weekly Syllabus (IMA)

Week 1 – Introductions

Lecture, Tuesday, January 21

Introductions: Who am I, and who are you? Where did this class come from? Overview of the semester and assignments.

Presentation: The 2003 East Coast Blackout

Discussion: What’s the longest you’ve gone without electricity?

Reading: Review the syllabus carefully and understand what will be expected of you throughout the semester.

Homework (Due end-of day (EOD) next Monday with Brightspace response):

  • Review the syllabus. Get a sense of what material is there and how to find it.
  • Complete the course intake form.
  • Order the Smil text, which may be available through the NYU Bookstore or online.
Slide from the intro material
Slide from the intro material

Lab, Thursday, January 23

Jump Lab

Materials needed: A way to measure or estimate height (ruler, tape measure, accurate AR app) and a timer (phone).

Week 2 – Kinetic 1

Lecture, Tuesday, January 28

Topic: The energy of moving things. The history of energy since the Big Bang. Kinetic and potential energy formulas. The First and Second Law of Thermodynamics.

Presentation: Kinetic Energy

Reading: Stuart McMillen’s illustrated essay about energy in terms of the human body. This idea traces back to Buckminster Fuller, and is the basis for former Energy Secretary Steven Chu’s concept of energy servants. Content note: this work uses the image of fictional ‘energy slaves’ as a central metaphor for this comparison.

Stuart McMillen's work Energy Slaves
Stuart McMillen’s work Energy Slaves

Several additional written essays by McMillen discussing the work and the ideas behind it are great optional resources for additional material. Thanks go to Todd Whitney from Energy 2021 for finding this excellent resource.

Homework:

  • Read the McMillen illustrated work.
  • Post two questions or comments about the reading for next week’s discussion
  • Describe your kinetic project plans in a couple sentences.

Lab, Thursday, February 30

Parts lab: If our course parts have arrived, I’ll hand out those components to get you started on the Kinetic Project. We’ll also do an energy scavenger hunt and review how to use a multimeter.

Materials needed: DC Motor (from your Physical Computing kit), multimeter.

Week 3 – Kinetic 2

Lecture, Tuesday, February 4

Topic: More on kinetic energy. Heat, entropy. Examples of big kinetic energy projects.

Discussion: McMillen reading.

Presentation: Power orders of Magnitude (part 1)

Reading: Smil – Chapter 1.

Homework (submit on Brightspace):

1) Start Reading Smil chapter 1. Post two questions or comments to

2) Find an energy bill (yours, a family member’s or friend’s). Post a summary of all energy-related values (typically electricity and natural gas) as well as the time period for the bill. Alternately, bring the bill in to show in class, or post a copy with any sensitive information such as address and account number removed.

3) Identify what you will use as your generator for your kinetic project.

Order Of Magnitude Slide
Order Of Magnitude Slide

Lab, Thursday, February 6

Generator Lab. We will begin to use our DC motors and stepper motors as generators. We’ll measure the SSC and OCV of the DC motor and look at the stepper signal on an oscilloscope. Post measured values to your blog.

Materials needed: Kinetic kit parts, multimeter.

Look ahead: Begin to think about how to attach things to your generator and how you’ll capture motion.

Week 4 – Storage 1

Lecture, Tuesday, February 11

Topic: Energy storage. General energy storage concepts and examples. Specific information on capacitors.

Presentation: Energy Storage, Capacitors, Power Orders of Magnitude (part 2).

Discussion: Smil Chapter 1

Activity: Drawing energy curves

Reading: Smil Chapter 2

Homework: Will be announced.

Maxwell ultracapacitor bank
Maxwell ultra-capacitor bank

Lab, Thursday, February 13

Rectifier Lab. We’ll work with “rectifiers” to condition the output of our DC and stepper motors. Intro to capacitors.

Materials needed: Kinetic kit parts, multimeter.

Take away: Incorporate the rectification circuit into your kinetic project.

Week 5 – Review

Note: There is no class meeting Tuesday, February 18. NYU runs on a “Legislative Monday” schedule this day.

Topic: This is a week to review and catch up!

Reading: Smil Chapter 3

Homework: Will be announced.


Lab, Thursday, February 20

Mechanism workshop lab: Workshop ways to put motion into your generator. Continue capacitor, introduce LEDs.

Week 6 – Kinetic 3

Lecture, Tuesday, February 25

Topic: Big Kinetic. Wind turbines, hydro, the back half of thermal power plants.

Presentation: Big Kinetic.

Discussion: Smil chapter 3.

Homework: Will be announced.


Lab, Thursday, February 27

LED Lab. Finish adding LEDs to your kinetic project. Measure current through LEDs. Finalize kinetic designs.

Week 7 – Kinetic Presentations

Lecture, Tuesday, March 4

Possible midterm quiz on kinetic energy and Smil reading. Look ahead to second half of semester.


Lab, Thursday, March 6

Kinetic Project Presentations!

Week 8 – Special Topics, AMA

Lecture, Tuesday, March 11


Lab, Thursday, March 13

Week 9 – Solar 1

Lecture, Tuesday, March 18


Lab, Thursday, March 20

[ Spring Break ]

Week 10 – Batteries 1 / Research Presentations

Lecture, Tuesday, April 1


Lab, Thursday, April 3

Week 11 – Solar 2

Lecture, Tuesday, April 8


Lab, Thursday, April 10

Week 12 – Batteries 2

Lecture, Tuesday, April 15


Lab, Thursday, April 17

Week 13 – Solar 3

Lecture, Tuesday, April 22


Lab, Thursday, April 24

Week 14 – Special Topics, AMA 2

Lecture, Tuesday, April 29


Lab, Thursday, May 1

Week 15 – Final Presentations

Lecture, Tuesday, May 6

Final class meeting.