Building a Ceramic Engine: Applying Science & Technology to a Design and Research Problem
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Building a Ceramic Engine: Applying Science & Technology to a Design and Research Problem ramics and that it would be an important material in the future. Ceramic engineering is a broad field, so we needed to limit our investigation to one specific application of ceramics. Our school librarian helped us locate magazine articles and books on current research and developments in this field. Many articles explained how ceramics are being used in Teachers often tell us that science literacy high-tech applications. The thermal tiles is on the decline and that there is a shorton the space shuttle orbiter are made from age of competent scientists and engineers. ceramics. Ceramics are the primary comHowever, when students express an interpounds being investigated in the field of est that is above and beyond the norm of high-temperature superconductivity. We the curriculum, those very same teachers discovered also that ceramic components have been known to reply: were being substituted for some of the "It is a very fascinating idea, but we parts in internal combustion engines to don't have the time or resources to do raise thermal efficiency. This practical apthat," or "That is something you will do in plication caught our interest. We were excollege or graduate school." cited by the idea that research of this kind These responses occur far too often, escould lead to improvements that would inpecially in science classes, and constitute a crease the overall efficiency of the automoserious problem. High school students, bile. After learning about the general unsure of themselves and their futures, properties of ceramics and engine operaneed hands-on experiences to become fation, we decided to see for ourselves the miliar with methods of research, not only effects ceramic coatings have on the effito learn science but to evaluate college opciency of an internal combustion engine. tions and explore career interests. If stuWe started with a basic and practical quesdents are expected to identify a major and make career plans at the age of 17 or 18, tion: Could we as high school students find the means and resources to build a something needs to be done in school to ceramic engine and test its efficiency? We help acquaint them with their options. made inquiries to companies and universifortunately, situations like the one deties that had access to the ceramic materials scribed above are being remedied in our critical to this experiment. Prof. Sherman school. At Oak Park and River Forest High Brown of the Department of Materials SciSchool, we are given opportunities for ence and Engineering at the University of hands-on, discovery-based learning through two unique classes, titled Technol- Illinois at Urbana-Champaign agreed to help us with the project and provide the ogy of Chemistry a n d Technology of Physics. necessary ceramic technology. Dr. Brown These classes allow us to try to satisfy our supported our research because he recoginterest in science by conducting indepennized that this investigation, conducted by dent research.
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